What's the story?
Respawn Entertainment was formed by former Call of Duty developers Vince Zampella and Jason West after a heated split from publishers Activision. Clearly, the experience rankled, as Titanfall's loose plot – delivered primarily through audio transmissions – sees scrappy space colonists battling their cruel corporate rulers, striving for independence through the subtle medium of giant robots. Spot the allegory?
Gameplay
Titanfall is one of the "purest" online first-person shooters you're likely to play. Unapologetically multiplayer only, each squad battles through an assortment of familiar modes – capture the flag, base defence, attrition, et al. Starting as highly agile human soldiers, you will eventually be able to summon one of the eponymous Titans, providing heavier firepower at the cost of reduced mobility.
Highs and lows
The maps are superb; intricately detailed with numerous routes and secrets to uncover. Humans and Titans are a joy to control, though humans surprisingly have the edge thanks to parkour moves and tech-assisted aerial manoeuvres. Unfortunately, match-making is unbalanced; it's not unusual to face rivals levels higher than you.
Verdict
If you live for multiplayer, Titanfall is balanced and polished to a phenomenal degree, delivering matches of almost unrivalled scale. But under the glimmer it is an assemblage of FPS tropes bolted together. Add a star if you're the target audience, but for anyone even moderately bored with shooters, this is a case of "been there, shot that".
