Can Respawn's new shooter really live up the hype?

Feb 16, 2014 10:03 GMT  ·  By

After a lengthy wait, Respawn Entertainment has finally released the Titanfall Beta version on the PC and Xbox One platforms, allowing users of the two platforms who registered their interest in the game to try it out.

After getting a chance to check out the game at Gamescom 2013 back in August, I now got back into the experience via the PC beta. Has the game improved since last summer or should Respawn keep at it? Let's have a quick look.

Titanfall features two teams of six pilots and, while that may seem like a small amount of actual players for a supposedly next-gen game, each match also spawns a lot of AI-controlled characters called Grunts or Specters.

The maps are of an adequate size and more than support the number of players, AI fighters, as well as the actual Titans.

Speaking of titans, these are the main selling point of the game. After a certain period in the match, each player will have a titan ready for deployment straight from orbit. Depending on what loadout you choose, your titan will be equipped with different weapons and abilities. In the beta, however, you only have access to a single titan model.

Playing with titans is quite fun and the mechs are pretty agile, provided you don't constantly spam the dash moves. You do need to pay attention to your surroundings, however, as each pilot also has a special Anti-Titan weapon that can dramatically affect its health.

Another clever trick is that you can get out of your titan and make it follow you or guard a location. This can be really good when seizing control points in the Hardpoint Domination mode.

The beta also includes a regular Team Deathmatch-like mode called Attrition, and the really interesting Last Titan Standing mode, which unfortunately isn't that popular, meaning that you'll have to wait quite a bit to be paired with other players.

Speaking of the matchmaking, it's not that balanced, as some teams will be composed completely of low-level players, while the others will be filled with high-level ones.

The two maps are a bit of a mixed bag, as Angel City, the more urban one, is really prone to sudden turnovers, while the Fracture level is mostly about controlling one of the three main areas and making sure enemy pilots don't sneak in.

Overall, the beta stage of Titanfall looks pretty good, even if the visuals seem a bit washed out and players favor Attrition over more interesting modes.

What impressions did you make after trying out the Titanfall beta? Share your thoughts below.