As I’m sure a lot of you are aware the Titanfall Beta dropped over the weekend. Initially it was on an invite only basis, but is now open up to everyone. I’ve been playing it for around 4 hours now, and I have to say, I’m mighty impressed by it.
What does the Beta have on offer?
Ok, so from the go it has a tutorial which will teach you all the basics you need to know about controlling your pilot, and controlling your Titan. Its easy enough to pick up, just like any other shooter.
Game types
Once done with the tutorial you have 3 game modes on offer. Attrition, Hardpoint and Last Titan Standing.
Attrition is basically a team death match, that pits 2 teams against each other with a race to reach the winning score. Pretty self explanatory really.
Hardpoint, is a domination style mode, where you have to capture and hold various points across the map, the longer you hold them the more points you and your team get. You get the idea.
Last Titan Standing, sounds exactly like you’d expect. You start in your Titan, your aim is for your team to survive until the end and be the last Titans left. There are no respawns in this mode.
There is a nice little twist they’ve added on Attrition and Hardpoint, if your team loses, you have to option to get extracted, and can to try and make your way to an extraction point for pick up. Getting there will get you some extra XP. If you win, you have to stop the other team reaching extraction. It’s not a huge thing, but it’s a nice little added extra.
Maps
Alongside these modes, you have 2 maps to play on, Angel City and Fracture.
Angel City, takes place in a harbour of the futuristic city, lots of two story buildings make Titan movement a little tougher, and pilot navigation a lot easier, as you can duck in and out of various buildings, and there are lots to go in, which is really good.
Fracture takes place in a fuel depot that has now been ravaged by battles, with buildings blown open and crumbling. It’s a lot more open, and lends itself a bit more to the Titan, with larger open spaces making it tougher for pilots to get across.
Both maps are great fun and offer up something different. They were obviously selected to showcase how the maps can differ in style.
Pilot Classes
Then there are 3 classes of pilot to choose from,
Rifleman, where you have an assault rifle for your default weapon
Assassin, where you use the smart pistol as your default weapon -my favourite class, and weapon so far!
And CQB (Close Quarters Battle), a shotgun is your default for this class.
Once you reach level 5 you can create custom classes, up to 3 at the moment.
Titan Classes
Finally you have 3 classes of Titan.
The Assault class, that has a chaingun for default.
The Tank, which uses a big old 40mm cannon.
And the Artillery class, that has the rocket launcher, which launches 4 rockets simultaneously.
They all look the same at the moment, just have access to different weaponry. You are also able to customise your Titan once you reach level 10.
You also have the use of burn cards, there are basically perks you can unlock, and use for one life only. Once you die, that burn card is gone. So selecting the right one at the right time, is pretty essential. These are unlocked at level 7, with additional slots unlocking further on.
So how does it all play? Well from what I have played so far, I’m impressed. The gameplay is fast paced, and full of action. The combat mechanics are solid, and feel very responsive. Maneuvering your pilot around the map is very fluid, and feels really good. Controlling your pilot is easy to pick up, but I think mastering the way you make your way around the map will take time, and once you have, it could give you a real edge over someone a little less experienced.
I was wondering how the 6 vs 6 would work, as at first I though that sounded a little light in numbers, but, like many have said before me, its actually a good number. Having more would probably make it too busy. There is also the AI that bulks the numbers out a little, but in all honesty they are just cannon fodder. Most of the time they don’t really react to you, or react very slowly. Getting killed by AI is something that won’t happen often. I would like to see some tougher AI in the main game. But it remains to be seen whether that will happen.
All in all, it has been an impressive Beta with quite a lot on offer. And with the rumoured 15 maps, boat loads more guns, and as yet unannounced game types, including the multiplayer campaign, I’m really looking forward to the full release in just under a month. Plus you do get some pretty cool moments in the game, like ripping a pilot out of a Titan, being able to jump in your Titan from angle is really nice. Basically I can’t wait to play the full version.
– Will
