Day One Review: Titanfall

Titanfall launched today! There were some server troubles at midnight which, while expected, is no less frustrating. Fortunately, I was able to play the full game pre-launch yesterday and made up for some lost time today, and I've decided to take a break and do a quick-ish review.

The titans are here.

I'm playing on PC BUT am playing with a controller (a PS4 controller, actually, and it works pretty damn well). I have not noticed any issues playing with a controller.

I imagine most people will ask, 'what does it play like?' Well, I generally break shooters into three categories: Call of Duty, Battlefield, or Halo. Titanfall plays (unsurprisingly) like Call of Duty for the most part, with a splash of Battlefield in that there are player-controlled vehicles (Titans), and a touch like Halo in that Titans require shields to be removed before damage can be done.

It also plays like Brink, a game that I have a very bittersweet history with. Both games has multiplayer campaigns and parkour elements. Titanfall's parkour elements, aided by jet-packs, is pretty damn amazing and leads to some creative shoot-outs. It's campaign, however, doesn't really compete with Brink's integration -- instead of mid-battle cut-scenes, you are awarded with a mini-hud video that shows some things happening while you play. You should be too busy playing to see these. Also, winning or losing campaign matches changes NOTHING in the storyline, which is VERY weak.

You can basically be Spider-Man. With guns.

Of course, you're not playing Titanfall for the campaign (other than to unlock the Styder and Ogre titans...). You're here for the multiplayer. So far I've only played through the campaign, but it's a decent tour of the levels and you play Attrition (think team death match, more or less) and Hardpoint (domination). The modes are basic -- I look forward to loading CTF next. The matches themselves are very hectic. You've got plenty of space to move around and plenty of ways to play. Do you drop a Titan as often as you can and always control it, or do you drop it and let auto-pilot do the work while you stay on foot? Do you farm grunts/spectres (ai controlled bots) to earn less attrition points/reduce titan time, or do you focus solely on pilots and ignore the (relatively) harmless bots? Do you try and snipe the fast moving enemies, or do you get as close as possible with your shotgun?

Those are surface questions, supported by multiple weapons, three types of titans, a relatively small (but concise) pool of skills/abilities, and general map layouts. There is enough to unlock as you level up, though I do wish it was a bit meatier in what can actually be gained. One thing that helps is a decent list of challenges that you'll, for the most part, complete by accident, or see that you've been working on without realizing. This is an interesting way to promote variance in play and allows you to get burn cards.

Burn cards are fun additions, but not game breaking. They only last for one life, so they can be squashed out very quickly, but they can be used well to turn the tide in a battle (I suggest taking a Wi-Fi hack into the last level of both campaigns...).

Atlas, Ogre, and Styder: the three classes of titans.

I enjoy both running and gunning as a pilot and stomping around as a Titan -- it offers a nice change in playstyle, a break in potential monotony, and can be extremely beneficial to your team. Pilots are quick and can get pretty much anywhere they need to by wall running, climbing, or boosting. Or infinite combo loops of them all, which is fun to watch and do. Pilots are squishy and rely on this speed and maneuverability, while Titans are meaty and require strategic gameplay.

One of my favorite strategies, when going toe to toe with an enemy titan (or two) is to quickly jump out of the titan, leave it on auto-guard mode, and sneak around to the enemy titan. From there, a careful jump winds you up on the enemy's back and you can shoot its internal components to bypass its shield. If the enemy jumps out to try and deal with it, your titan is likely to make them regret it.


This quick review is getting lengthy... So time for some summary.

The Good: Love the variance between pilots and titans, and enjoy playing both. Also, there will be EPIC moments just due to all the mayham that up to 12 giant robots can cause... Also, I really, really enjoy the inclusion of a single-life 'epilogue' after each match. If you lose, you have another chance to earn some decent experience points by reaching an evac dropship, defending it, and then boarding before it leaves without you. If you win, you are trying to stop your enemies from escaping by killing all the pilots or doing a ton of damage to the dropship when it arrives.

The Bad: There isn't quite as much to unlock as I'd like, and the matchmaking is incredibly basic.

The Ugly: Teamwork in matches is rare, and you will be dragged down by poor players. It takes 2-3 good lone-wolf players to win a match. Anything less and you'll see staggering differences in final scores. Not to say there aren't awesome close games, but they're the exception, not the rule.

For my own personal rating, I'm giving it an 8/10. The lackluster campaign, which could have been a lot better with a limited amount of work, dragged it down a bit for me.

First Impression: Bioshock Infinite

Not sure why, but I love this image. Booker is the man.

If you are still on the fence about getting Bioshock Infinite, I'm here to set you straight:

GET THE GAME!

Alright, I suppose I should be a little bit clearer about that.

Bioshock Infinite takes the art style of the previous games out from the dingy depths that we call Rapture and brings them up to the bright, blue skies of Columbia. If you only liked Bioshock for its underwater hellhole of a setting, this game might not be for you, but I suggest even then that you try it out.

I remember playing Bioshock 1 and loving it for the setting and story. Some of the supporting characters were interesting, some weren't, and the combat was equally ambivalent. I played Bioshock 2 all of twice. The story, after coming from the first one, did not grab me as quickly and the combat, while improved, made the initial stages feel far to hectic in the oppressive situations you were put in.

Infinite improves on all fronts. In relation to story, the most important part of the game for me, it has been excellent. Note: it is NOT a continuation of the previous games, simply set in the same universe, several decades earlier. Instead of a nameless, voiceless protagonist, you take on the role of Booker DeWitt, a character with a sordid past that we slowly uncover as we make our way through the game. Hearing someone voice their reactions to Columbia and other characters is a really nice touch, providing us with context in situations that aren't always clear in relation to the rest of the world at the time.

As far as I am, I only know that Booker's mission is to find Elizabeth in Columbia and bring her back to some unnamed people Booker owes a debt to.

Elizabeth, as a character, is a very strange element. She acts as a partner after you meet her, but it is handled differently from most games -- in no way do you need to babysit her: she doesn't take damage and, if anything, is a boon during combat due to some of her more unique abilities and when she finds ammo/health/etc...

Why Elizabeth is important will undoubtedly be related to her special abilities, which I won't mention here, but as of now nothing specific has been uncovered. Instead, in our attempt to escape Columbia, I've learned more about the floating city and some of its key denizens, all of which seem to be even more interesting than most I encountered in Rapture.

The biggest component of the game for most people, however, is probably the gameplay. As someone who didn't particularly enjoy Bioshock 2's changes, I have to say that Infinite is a much smoother game with an array of weapons and powers at your disposal -- even as early as I am, I've had access to 4 powers and 6 or more different weapons, all of which allow you to treat combat however you want.

A major different than past games would be that Infinite does away with the tense feelings of suspense you'd get from exploring Rapture. Instead of insane, unnatural splicers, the enemies are usually cops and some automatons present throughout the city. The title is definitely more action oriented in this way, which could be jarring to some; considering the strength of the story still remains, I don't miss the suspense at all. In fact, I think I'm able to personally play the game longer without the constant nagging suspense I felt in the others, which has been a nice change.

Ok, I've written a bunch already. To summarize: I'm loving the story and the gameplay, and I strongly suggest you pick it up.

I'll follow up with a more in-depth review when I finish the game and don't mind spoiling everything for everyone.

Halo 4 vs. Black Ops 2: First Impressions

Alrighty, if this title doesn't cause some waves, I don't know what will!

First, my favorite genre of game is Strategy RPG. Not FPS. In recent years, however, I have come to enjoy the FPS genre due to being able to play with and against friends.

My first Halo was 3 and my first CoD was Modern Warfare 2. I've since played every Halo (multiplayer) and every CoD since 4 (again, multiplayer).

I prefer CoD. In Halo, there are several things I don't like, though the biggest issue I have is that there are a specific set of skills you need to have to be good at the game. There IS a wrong way to eat a Reese's, if you're a Spartan super soldier. I'm not particularly good at it, and so dislike Halo in general.

CoD, I can always run and gun and do ok. I can also play smarter and do better, or play wildly differently just because. I believe this is because of the class customization that Halo, as a rule, lacks. I don't WANT to have to hunt down power weapons on a map. I want to find a weapon I like, start with it, and use it as much as a want.

Also, I want to be able to get a lucky twitch/panic kill.

Ok, so you know my standpoint and I'm NOT entering this first impression as an impartial mediator.

Here goes!

Halo 4, so far, has been my favorite Halo yet. It still plays VERY much like Halo, though there are key differences that make it appealing to me:

-Everyone has a sprint ability, meaning matches are faster (or at least action happens faster).

Red vs Blue

-They've introduced a minor loadout feature. I can't start with any weapon I want, but I can at least choose from a small selection.
-The armor abilities seem to be done right in this version.
-Power weapon spawns are randomized, which means no more issues of getting ruins by the guy who knows where everything is and when it will respawn.
-Players can now call in Ordinance after getting enough points, allowing them to gain access to better weapons on their own terms.

There are only two cons for me:

-They brought back my least favorite map, Valhalla (now known as Ragnarok), AND it is the map voted for most, as far as I can tell.
-It still plays like Halo, which I've never spent enough time with to get better.

That being said, my first impression has been very positive. The new weapons are nice enough, the new walker units are awesome, and it's a damn pretty game, I just need to get better with the franchise before I sign up as a part of the fan base.



Black Ops 2 changes up things just enough that I'm not bitter about another CoD release. I'm not sure yet if it's my favorite CoD, but I do enjoy the changes:

-The "Pick 10" system allows MUCH more versatility when creating a class, which is awesome.
-The guns, so far, feel pretty good. There are definitely some guns that seem a bit overpowered, but all in all it hasn't been awful.

One second later, everyone is dead. Everyone.

-I enjoy the maps. I don't have a favorite, but I don't HATE any yet, which was usually the case with past games.
-Matches seem faster than ever, though not in a way to be distressing.
-Leveling is done right - guns gain attachments the more kills you get them and you gain options to unlock as you level up, weather it is a new perk or weapon you decide to choose.
-The emblem editor is back, and more versatile than ever.
-Scoresteaks replace killstreaks, they're a touch harder to get, AND the rewards are pretty diverse.

There are a few things I have issues with, however:

-It feels as if you die MUCH faster (less bullets to kill) in this game than past renditions.
-Lag is still an issue.
-Knifing has been nerfed to the point of being almost useless, which was my favorite thing from MW2 and, to an extent, Black Ops.
-Level progression is a touch slow in regards to netting the perks and weapons I actually WANT.
-There is no infinite sprint, which I personally find to be a weakness, especially since there is no knife lunge.

That being said, I have REALLY enjoyed playing Black Ops 2. Some of my issues with potentially be patched, so the future is promising as well. Online, I've seen a lot of hate for Black Ops 2, especially when compared to earlier games, but I think I'm enjoying it at least as much as any other CoD during launch, if not a little bit more due to my anticipating unlocking more weapons and perks.

Overall, I'm enjoying Black Ops 2 MORE than Halo 4, but that is to be expected. I've always liked the faster gameplay and greater access to weapons. That being said, Halo 4 easily outpaces Black Ops 2 when it comes to improvements over past titles, as well as having a more favorable first impression overall.

Halo, while faster than past games, is still a slower, slightly more tactical game. The tactics generally come down to the best position, the best weapons, and the best aim. It takes practice and can put off new players playing against veterans -- it's painfully obvious when I run up against someone who knows what they're doing.

CoD is also a bit faster this time around, though this is due to all the maps being on the smaller side and having nooks and crannies and detours every four feet. If you don't keep moving, someone WILL be behind you in just a moment. Whoever shoots first usually wins, it's up to you to make sure you've got the jump on your opponent.

If I ever bother to play the campaigns, I may do a further comparison. For now, I'm happy with both titles and look forward to playing with folks soon.

Anyone else have any thoughts on great things for either title that I missed?