Multiplayer is Titanfall’s bread and butter. The game has always hinged on frantic online battles and Titanfall 2 is no different. Games are fast-paced and awesome. Cracks and pops of the guns and explosions ring out over the map and the telltale “VWOOMMM” of a Titan dropping in from the atmosphere is even more enhanced. It does strike an odd chord where it changes enough of the formula from the first game to make the second more individual, but almost too much in my opinion. The Titans have all changed and their loadouts can’t be modified – one Titan will have weapon A, offensive ability A and defensive ability A, while another will have weapon B and offensive/defensive ability B. I’d like a bit more freedom in that area.
Maps are great, and there are currently enough people to find a game within a couple of minutes (fingers crossed, touch wood this all lasts). The weapons haven’t really changed much from the first game, but there is a noticeable lack of a third weapon slot. There used to be a primary, secondary and anti-Titan weapon, now it’s only two. You can opt to have a primary and an anti-Titan or a primary and a secondary pistol, but not all three. That’s another thing I was a bit disappointed at.
The game has always hinged on frantic online battles and Titanfall 2 is no different.
But, it was all made a bit better when I found out that the Smart Pistol from the first game has been changed from a loadout gun to a special ‘boost weapon’ and had a few big changes. The lock-on speed of the gun is now governed by both distance from the target, and distance between the target and the center of the lock-on reticle. The Smart Pistol now alerts the target that they are being locked-onto, making it easier to evade.
I fucking HATED the Smart Pistol in the first game. Absolutely loathed it. It was the epitome of lazy playing; simply cloak, sit in the corner, lock on and click once. Rinse and repeat. Some people claim it does take skill as the Pilot they’re trying to kill is always moving but you simply need to keep them in the reticle long enough and boom. But it’s all okay now, as I’ll be telling my therapist later.
One fantastic thing with Titanfall 2 is that Respawn have made a genuine effort to get rid of paid DLC and season passes. Everything – new maps, modes, weapons, updates and patches – will be free of charge to everyone. Coming in the age of season passes and pay-to-win content, this is huge.
However, the biggest nail in Titanfall 2’s coffin is it’s release date. Sandwiched between FPS behemoths Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, there’s so little room for Titanfall to breathe. I think that will be its biggest downfall. Titanfall 2 is a great game, with flaws, but shot in the foot from the start by its release window.
As sad as it sounds, I can’t help but foresee the playerbase drying up, just like it’s predecessor. Although this time it’s not the game’s fault, but those who control it. The game itself is a masterpiece.
