It’s rare for a player like me to experience the pure excitement and energy that comes from receiving an adrenaline rush during a heated battle, but that is exactly what happens every time I jump into a match in Titanfall. The apprehension and fear of trying to stay hidden or cloaked while a Titan passes by; the satisfactory burst of energy when the game declares my team the victor and the second hunt begins; the sigh of relief when I narrowly escape the battlefield after a defeat; all of these and more make Titanfall such an amazing FPS experience.

For those who haven’t been keeping tabs on new games lately, Titanfall is a new multiplayer-only first-person shooter created by the exceptional team at Respawn Entertainment (which is comprised of some former team members of Call of Duty’s Infinity Ward) and the publisher EA. Before I get into any further details, I feel that it is important to let everyone know that despite EA being the publisher (something that many people like to enjoy hating on), the game is absolutely phenomenal. The game runs smoothly, the hiccups and glitches are minimal, and the support coming from Respawn is absolutely fantastic. The gameplay sounds standard fare for an FPS at first but the subtle additions Respawn has made make this game truly stand out from the Call of Duty and Battlefield games.

Players are placed onto one of two teams: the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) and the Militia; these two teams are battling for control of the Frontier, a collection of newly inhabited planets and solar systems at the fringe of explored space. Players take on the role of Pilots, specially trained soldiers fitted with special gear to allow for greater maneuverability and combat effectiveness and the ability to call down and pilot massive Titans. When inside a Titan, Pilots are fitted with massively powerful weapons to hunt down enemies and defend against other Titans. The level of customization is pretty impressive; there is certainly a weapon and gear set that is perfect for anyone’s playing style, either as a Pilot or a Titan.

Titanfall features a solid number of game modes to test the mettle of every Pilot: Attrition acts as the basic game mode and tasks players to kill anything from the opposite team in order to earn points towards victory; Hardpoint Domination acts as a “king-of-the-hill” mode where players are tasked with taking control of three hardpoints scattered around the map; Capture the Flag becomes fast-paced and deadly as Pilots and Titans race to capture enemy flags; Last Titan Standing tasks players with destroying the enemy team’s Titans before their team is eliminated first; and Pilot Hunter acts similar to Attrition, but only Pilot kills count towards victory.

Possibly the most important feature in Titanfall is the Pilot’s maneuverability kit which allows Pilots the ability to double jump, wall run, and wall hang. This level of agility means that players can easily traverse walls and buildings and reach new heights in a matter of seconds. This grants a great advantage over players on the ground and Titans stomping underneath. From these heights, Pilots can then use anti-Titan weaponry or grab on to enemy Titans and “rodeo” them. During a rodeo, the Pilot will rip off a hatch mounted near the head of the Titan and expose wiring inside the Titan that can be attacked for direct damage to the enemy. Pilots can also rodeo friendly Titans as a great way of traversing the map or getting close to enemies.

Another interesting aspect of gameplay that sets Titanfall apart from others is the use of an Epilogue. In certain game modes, when a team reaches the point threshold and wins the game, the Epilogue begins. The winning team is now tasked with eliminating the enemy pilots and their dropship to avoid letting anyone get away; the losing team is tasked with retreating to the dropship and evacuating the battle. It’s quite possibly one of the most exciting 60 seconds or so of gameplay I can think of!

As a way of augmenting the main gameplay further, Titanfall includes a huge number of challenges that the player can tackle for extra experience points as well as rare Burn cards. Burn cards are special “favors” that can be brought into battle (up to three per battle); when the player dies or just before the beginning of the match, the player can select a card to “burn” and they will receive the special ability or bonus listed on the card. These cards can sometimes be the extra push a player needs to secure victory.

In the end, Titanfall proves to be a fantastic game that is sure to give fans of the FPS genre a new and exciting time as well as introduce new players to a game that is accessible and fun to play. The inclusion of the Ai-controlled Grunts and Spectres makes it easy for new players to feel as if they are contributing and allows them to earn experience points that bring them closer to the fighting abilities of stronger opponents. The biggest downside is Titanfall’s weak story being mixed into the multiplayer. There’s not much to say about it, but it doesn’t really detract from the fun gameplay presented to the player anyway.

I cannot stop recommending this game to anyone and everyone I know, and I feel confident in recommending it to all of our readers at 91.8 The Fan. Pick up a copy now for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, or PC!