Titanfall 2 (PS4) Review
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We Liked?
- Fantastic single player campaign that takes shooter narratives to a new level
- Looks, sounds and moves incredibly well with rock solid fluidity - especially on a PS4 Pro
- Solid and enjoyable multiplayer with a smart progression system
Not So Much?
- Some tweaks to the multiplayer balancing would be beneficial - and the removal of AI enemies in most modes feels a poor decision
- A few more multiplayer modes and maps would've been nice
Faster, more depth, better looking and brimming with polish, Respawn should be proud of the work they’ve achieved with Titanfall 2 – it really is quite spectacular.
ith the first game in the Titanfall franchise Respawn managed to prove they were able to step out from the Infinity Ward troubles and the shadow of Call of Duty. Flash forward and they have a lot to prove with Titanfall 2 – mainly that they can actually craft something with legs this time out.
Titanfall was great. Seriously one of my favourite online shooters ever due to some clever decisions with AI players and tuning of the titans. What it lacked was any sort of cohesive campaign with the only thing resembling a single player part being a series of pre-staged online matches that formed a loose narrative.
Yet before we talk about that aspect let’s deal with what should be obvious. TitanFall 2 is looking gorgeous. It looks fantastic on a stock PS4 yet it manages to look even better on a PS4 Pro. Whichever platform you choose you’ll be treated to almost perfect 60fps action with fluid animation and wonderfully realised environments.
Another given is the multiplayer aspects. Yes Respawn have tweaked a few aspects here. There’s a different set of match types and AI bots are not featured in most of these. However their smart progression system for weapons, armour, titans and players keep you interested and coming back over and over again. Maybe a few more game modes would’ve benefited Titanfall 2 and I certainly found it took longer to actually get a Titan to deploy than it did in previous titles due to the alteration to the way these work. Operating more akin to a killstreak you can unlock your titan much faster if you’re popping off adversaries. That’s not to say you won’t slowly unlock a titan or two during a round though.
Small, smart, and intuitive changes throughout the multiplayer has left Titanfall 2 feeling much more finely tuned. Striking a nice balance between something adrenaline fueled like COD or something a little more plodding like Battlefield1.
Yet what of the campaign? Well, glad you asked – It’s brilliant! This outstrips most of, if not all, previous campaign modes from the Call of Duty series and sets some benchmarks along the way. Weaving a more personal story and striking an unlikely friendship between your character and his titan. This too-and-fro action really brings a spark to the campaign that you’d more often see in titles like Uncharted, The Last of Us or Tomb Raider. Exciting locations, gentle teaching of the advanced mechanics for multiplayer and solid script and voice work just bring this together in such a satisfying way it’s almost impossible not to be impressed – this is what Respawn wanted to do all along if they’d had the time first off.
Final Thought
Great multiplayer that offer a good alternative to the main two titles on the market and manages to actually eclipse COD in my opinion. Wonderful and unexpectedly well realised single player campaign that will not only entertain you but prepare you better for the multiplayer aspects too.
If you’re looking for negatives here, and let’s face it I am, then not all the balancing has been worked out in places in the mutliplayer. I also much prefered the feeling I had playing Titanfall’s mutliplayer with the AI bots thrown in the mix as at least I felt like I was more adept at the game. That’s likely just me being a little crap at the multiplayer though.
Faster, more depth, better looking and brimming with polish, Respawn should be proud of the work they’ve achieved with Titanfall 2 – it really is quite spectacular.