So, Titanfall.
The next big thing?
Some are sick of hearing about it, while others can scarcely contain their excitement.
Either way, the middle of March can't come quickly enough.
With a blend of mobile pilots and mechanical titans, the game seems to offer an interplay
not often seen before in a first person shooter.
Nothing exists in a vacuum, however - and in many respects, Titanfall builds on a legacy
of games with similar features and mechanics.
So join me as we tease out the strands that define the game - and unravel Titanfall's
DNA.
One of Titanfall's more surprising influences stems from the presence of AI-controlled minions
in multiplayer - although computer-controlled squadmates have long been present in FPS single
player campaigns, as far as multiplayer is concerned bots have served as naught but surrogate
opponents.
The integration of players and AI as a fundamental gameplay mechanic stems from the Multiplayer
online battle arena, or MOBA genre - with Titanfall taking cues from recent titles like
League of Legends and DOTA 2.
In these, AI opponents are an important part of combat and the game economy: whittling
down your opponent's creeps permits forward movement with AI assistance, and earns vital
gold for upgrades.
In Titanfall, grunts, spectres and marvins present less of a challenge than enemy pilots:
but they do help establish the lines of battle, spot enemies, and provide new players with
far better odds of getting a kill.
Minions are but a small part of Titanfall, however - both in stature and in the effect
they can have in combat.
Far more important are the Titans: and they take inspiration from an entire genre of vehicle
combat games.
From powered armour to giant robots, mechanised fighting machines have been a mainstay of
science fiction for as long as it has existed.
Human-pilotable robots are often called 'mechs' or 'mecha': and are a force multiplier in
anthropomorphic form - and while Titanfall might refer to them as 'titans', they have
clear heritage in earlier work.
Popular roots lie in Anime shows such as Mobile Suit Gundam from 1979, with the TV series,
OVA and Movies of the franchise spanning decades.
The transition to video games was inevitable, although the earliest Gundam titles were 2D
robot-on-robot fighters - such as the 1993 Arcade game Mobile Suit Gundam.
The arrival of the MechWarrior series in 1989 set the benchmark for first-person mech combat.
Set in the BattleTech universe, the game's basis on a tabletop RPG gave the combat a
solid set of ground rules - and the Mech Warrior sequels are definitive games of the genre
for the PC.
The Armored Core series brought mecha action to the PlayStation platform in 1997, with
an emphasis on customisation and upgrades for your fighting platform.
Monolith's Shogo: Mobile Armor Division is one of the first mech games to feature both
action on foot and in-mech, and the humanoid form of your mobile armour allowed you to
pick up additional heavy weapons, as opposed to fixed weapons mounted on hardpoints.
In 2002, Steel Battalion was best known for its unique 40-button controller complete with
complex start-up procedure, ideal for those devoted to immersion.
More recently, games like Hawken have reignited interest in the mech combat genre, with their
signature blend of heavy metal and tactical movement and heat management.
While Titanfall isn't entirely mech-focussed - for the most part it resembles an infantry-based
FPS - its armoured additions nevertheless owe much to mecha origins.
However, their power has been reigned in to preserve game balance versus infantry: The
Titans are designed as part of a fundamental interplay between unyielding steel and nimble
pilot - and the aerial mobility of the latter is another defining trait of the game.
Jumping has always been a core part of the platforming genre, and a key way of traversing
gaps and avoiding enemies.
Some games go beyond the basic bound, granting the player a better ability to scale heights
through enhanced jumping mechanics.
In Titanfall, pilot movement is assisted with jet packs - a common trope in science fiction,
and a fitting means to boost verticality.
Early titles like JetPac and Exile freed the player from the constraints of gravity, permitting
more interesting level design when compared to a typical platformer.
The Tribes series takes mobility to an extreme, with a combination of jetpack thrust and low-friction
'skiing' capable of flinging the player across terrain at high speed.
However, In practical terms, the jetpack in Titanfall only serves to provide a double
jump - a means of enhancing aerial mobility that dates to early platformers, such as in
Castlevania.
It quickly became a common sight in fighting games, such as the X-Men arcade titles - where
agility and avoiding enemy attacks are an important part of winning.
Similarly, it's an integral part of the Super Smash Bros series, with every character given
the opportunity to adjust trajectory mid-flight with a second jump.
Many spectacle fighters also include a double jump as a means of avoidance and as a demonstration
of the protagonist's powers: both Bayonetta and God of War boast the mechanic.
Early arena FPS games had a high emphasis on movement - and Unreal Tournament 2004 introduced
the double jump as standard, in lieu of quake's rocket jumping.
Games like these focused on a combination of accuracy and agility, with the aim being
to outmanoeuvre your opponent while ensuring your shots connect.
Outside of deathmatches, mobility can also be a boon in objective game modes: and in
Team Fortress 2, as the most mobile option, the Scout class can double jump - granting
the ability to capture intelligence while running circles around slower enemies.
A better ability to jump grants a greater ability to scale buildings and clear obstacles
- and Titanfall embraces this, with the addition of other agility feats such as wallrunning,
mantling and wallhanging.
Games influenced by parkour or 'free running' had a spike in popularity in the middle of
the last decade, sparked by online videos and documentaries like 2003's 'Jump London'.
While Titanfall's movement isn't exactly true to the spirit of parkour, when compared to
more grounded FPS games seen in recent years - the enhanced mobility is a breath of fresh
air.
Assassin's Creed is one title focussed on scaling buildings and traversing rooftops,
serving as a fitting addition to the historical setting and stealthy executioner role.
A year later, Mirror's Edge was an attempt to divert the usual focus on combat in FPS
games - instead preferring movement to flee from threats and to scale obstacles on pristine
rooftops.
One notable attempt to fuse free-running with a multiplayer FPS was Brink: a team-based
shooter set in a fallen utopian future.
It was a bold idea that had huge hype prior to release - but underwhelming implementation
and a plague of launch issues quenched its potential.
There are many parallels between Brink and Titanfall - a focus on freer movement, and
two factions in a bleak future - a rebellious militia versus authoritarian rule.
Whether Brink's failure is a portent of repetition remains to be seen.
When it comes to predicting the game's success, it's impossible to ignore Titanfall's pedigree:
Respawn Entertainment are a new studio, but its two founders - Jason West and Vince Zampella
- have been involved in the games industry for a long time.
The duo led the design of 2002's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, while working for 2015,
Inc.
The game was an attempt to fuse the FPS genre with more cinematic elements: with Steven
Spielberg involved with the writing, Allied Assault is about as close as you can get to
Saving Private Ryan: The Game.
After its release, West and Zampella left 2015 Inc. to form their own company, along
with a large portion of the original Allied Assault team: a new studio named Infinity
Ward.
Frustrated with the American-centric focus of Allied Assault's story, Infinity Ward's
new game would include different facets of World War 2.
Call of Duty in 2003 told its story from three separate viewpoints: jumping between an American,
British and Russian protagonist as the campaign progresses.
This allowed a greater breadth of the war to be depicted, with three separate arcs uniting
in the greater scale of conflict - this style of grand storytelling would return as a hallmark
of the series.
Call of Duty 2 arrived just in time for the seventh generation of consoles, and was a
launch title for the then-new Xbox 360 in 2005.
Although primarily a PC title at this point, the lack of launch game choices helped sell
the series to console gamers - laying foundations for later success.
By this time, the World War 2 FPS genre was well rehearsed to say the least, and so Infinity
Ward's third Call of Duty saw a departure from the historical theatre.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare broke the prior game's mould, and subsequently sales records:
the game was a phenomenon, a runaway success that defined a generation of FPS games.
The inevitable Modern Warfare 2 amped up the cinematic feel of the series, essentially
written as a love letter to action films: from the flying dollar bills of payback kills,
to the flip-cock of the Model 1887s, it was a high intensity reprise.
However, there was trouble in the wake of MW2: internal dispute erupted over reports
of withheld payments and accusations of insubordination from Activision.
The precise details remain shrouded, but the events led to West and Zampella leaving Infinity
Ward, alongside a significant portion of key talent.
In 2010, Respawn Entertainment was founded by Infinity Ward's former leading duo, with
financial assistance from EA.
With many ex-IW staff on board, the new studio set to work on a mysterious project that would
eventually be announced as Titanfall at 2013's E3.
Now, as we sit upon the cusp of Titanfall's release, can the game fell such a titan of
a franchise as Call of Duty?
And is it really up to the original creators of COD to topple its dominance?
It seems unlikely that Respawn's first game will break any sales records previously set
- console exclusivity deals and the prospect of a less-impressive 360 port may hamper the
potential install base of the game.
However, the beta showed considerable promise - and while it remains to be seen whether
the game has sufficient staying power, it may lay the foundations for a mighty future
franchise.
Thankyou very much for watching, and until next time - farewell.