Titanfall 2

The original Titanfall was one of my favourite games to be released in 2014. Despite being a multiplayer only affair, the adrenaline rush of the gameplay was like nothing else I’d played before. A fast-paced shooter infused with hulking robot mechs known as Titans created many awe-inspiring moments that had me eager to tell my friends; stories of the times I would eject from my Titan at the last second, raining bullets down on my foes from above before landing on another Titan’s back and ripping out its battery.

Cleverly, you won’t just be smashing through everything in your Titan, named BT, for the duration of the single-player. There are sections that the giant brute simply can’t fit in, and it’s there as a Pilot that you’ll need to solve puzzles, navigate tricky platforming sequences and survive on the ground before reuniting with your robot pal. Wall-running and jumping from wall-to-wall while avoiding certain death below is a frequent occurrence as you run from skirmish to skirmish, but there’s variety in the environments and large open spaces allow for you to tackle situations from different angles depending on your play style.

Beyond the impressive set-pieces comes the writing, which is littered with funny quips, especially when you’re communicating with BT directly. It’s the classic set-up where BT doesn’t understand most human terminology and catch phrases, so he takes everything quite literally, with humorous results. You often have a couple of choices of dialogue, and I always chose the one that had the most potential for BT to come back with a confused response. While the bond between the two of you could have had some softer moments, the ones that are there work well and help lead towards a finale that had me captivated even though I predicted the result early on. For me, that’s pretty good story-telling.

Where the campaign feels epic at every turn, it also subtly teaches you the mechanics of the gameplay that are a requirement for multiplayer. There are several types of Titans, including the basic rocket-shooting Brute and featuring more agile options like Ronin, wielding a sword and going in close for the quick slice and dice. The multiplayer is still segmented cleverly; you’re able to trigger a Titanfall, where your mech of choice will literally drop from the sky onto the battlefield, ready for you to take over. The faster you get kills and do damage, the faster you’ll be able to access your Titan, and then each play session really opens up.

The best game modes are the ones that incorporate enemy AI on the battlefield, much like the Attrition mode from the original Titanfall. They are mostly fodder and only contribute slightly to your total score, but having them scattered over the warzone for either side breathes even more life to what would normally be a 6 versus 6 affair.

Titanfall 2’s new standout mode is Bounty, which first requires you to kill these AI enemies, which gives you money that must be taken to the bank. If you’re killed on the way to the bank, you lose half your funds and the opposing team member who kills you then keeps it for themselves. These modes, along with Amped Hardpoint that has you capturing zones, are the strongest and most entertaining options when it comes to playing online. The progression system is satisfying and different from most shooters, rewarding good play rather than just kill count, and with a range of intricately designed maps, the multiplayer is, overall, more exciting than ever.