Titanfall: Xbox 360 review

Titanfall was billed as the Xbox One's big system-seller and the first must-have game for the next-generation of consoles. To an extent it was, by bringing verticality back to first-person shooters and offering a real alternative for those growing tired of Call of Duty's yearly updates. A lot was said about the Xbox One and PC editions, so much so that it was kind of swept under the rug that there would be an Xbox 360 version. And here's the biggest shock: The 360 version is actually very good.

So good, in fact, that you wonder why it was so forgotten about. If we were cynical we'd say Microsoft wanted to keep things quiet so that more people felt compelled to buy an Xbox One instead of sticking with their old consoles, but that's not our style. Instead we'll tell you that Bluepoint Games has done a commendable job at porting Titanfall to older hardware and last-gen players needn't feel left out.

For those who don't know, Titanfall is a multiplayer-only game. You have to be connected to the internet to play, which could cause problems for some players but it seems to be the direction things are heading towards. As a response to the lacklustre reception for campaign modes found in rivals like Call of Duty and Battlefield, Respawn Entertainment decided to do away with a single-player mode altogether and integrate the campaign into the multiplayer.

This means you have nine rounds of play with a story about two groups known as the IMC and Militia doing battle against one another, and it's all very confusing and you never really know what's going on but that doesn't matter. You're just playing the regular multiplayer modes but with some voiceovers thrown in to add some narrative and intrigue. Strangely enough you don't even have to win each round to progress through the story, you just continue ploughing on no matter what.

While it's far from perfect, the idea of bringing a story into the multiplayer is something we think is worth exploring. As an opening experiment Respawn hasn't quite hit the mark, but if there's going to be a Titanfall sequel we'd love to see them rework the idea a little bit and tackle it again. The majority of players usually skip the campaign in the modern first person shooter anyway, so adding a story into the multiplayer is a good concept that has potential. Unfortunately it isn't quite up to scratch here, but it's worth playing it for the few hours it takes to complete.

So the campaign isn't great. What is great is the intense action that comes with every single match in Titanfall. After years of playing gritty, realistic shooters it's so refreshing to control characters who aren't confined to the ground, instead jumping and wall-running across the battlefield, essentially making every map a playground for insanely fun parkour action.

These characters are called Pilots, and you'll want to make the most of their diverse range of skills by experimenting as much as possible. Can you reach that window in that tall building over there? What happens if you try to wall-run and land in the perfect position to takedown an opponent? Pilots also come equipped with different abilities, such as the chance to cloak and become pretty much invisible for a short duration. It's a handy tactic, but not a fool proof one as you can still see the outlines of Pilots as they rush around. Discovering the perfect times to cloak will be one of the most helpful methods you can learn in Titanfall. 

Let me describe this scenario: I'm trapped in a room and there are two enemy Pilots coming after me. I throw one of my frag grenades in an attempt to at least slow them down, then jump out of the nearest window onto the ground three floors below (there's no fall damage in Titanfall, you can drop insane distances and not feel a thing). I then double jump to get to the second floor of the next building and activate my cloaking ability. They can't see me but I can see them as I pick both of them off one at a time. Perfect.

Those kinds of fun exchanges happen in every single match you play. There are so many different situations that can occur that are so different to the norm these days. Having the feeling that there must be a way to get to the top of any building or obstacle for a good vantage point is so liberating.

And when you're a Pilot you'll probably be trying to reach that higher ground a lot. That's because down below, Titans are Kings. Large mechs that stomp around, sending rockets and machine-gun fire in every direction and able to deliver massive amounts of damage in a short space of time. Pilots can take on Titans with special weaponry but it's always advised to do this from a safe distance, because once a Titan spots you, you probably won't last much longer.

Of course you can always summon your own Titan and get in on the action yourself. After accruing enough points or after enough time has passed, players can call down Titans from the sky and get inside. Controlling a Titan is fun and despite being massive machines of destruction they can be pretty nimble. You can make them perform short 'burst' movements to escape oncoming attacks, and they even have the power to absorb fire for a short duration and release it back in any direction you choose.

Once inside a Titan you'll find that you're suddenly the target for most people's attacks. A way to counteract this is by summoning your Titan down and not getting inside it at all. Pilots can set their Titans to follow mode so that it almost becomes like your personal security guard, but with rockets and a chain gun. Taking out enemies who are focused on your Titan and don't see you coming on foot is very satisfying, and your Titan will continue to make kills and gain XP for you in the meantime.

Matches are limited to six verses six real-life players, but that doesn't mean the maps are empty. AI-controlled Grunts and Spectres litter the battlefield and make sure there's always something going on. Most of the time they act as pure cannon-fodder, as it's easy to take down three at a time without much hassle. This means beginners can also take a lot of enjoyment out of Titanfall, and they won't have to play for hours just to be able to string a few kills together.

There's also an interesting innovation after matches end. Those on the losing team are tasked with evacuating and reaching a dropship before it escapes, while the winning side has to try and stop them. This means that even if players lose a game they can still get a sense of satisfaction from escaping successfully, and you'll get bonus XP for doing so. It's a great addition and the frantic scrambles for safety offer some fantastic moments.

As far as game modes go, there's the usual selection we've come to expect. Attrition is just like traditional Team Deathmatch where teams attempt to end the game with the higher kill count. Pilot Hunter is the same type of mode except only Pilot kills are counted towards the final score. Hardpoint Domination sets you the task of capturing and defending three points on a map. Last Titan Standing begins with every player in a Titan and only one life. Finally, there's a Capture the Flag mode. Every mode is team-based so don't be expecting to go on any free-for-alls.

Doing well in these modes feeds into the XP system, where you gain levels to unlock new weapons, abilities and the chance to customise your Pilots and Titans. There's also a mechanic called Burn Cards, which you collect for single-use power-ups during matches. You can bring up to three cards into a game and they offer small boosts like a powerful anti-Titan weapon or unlimited grenade weapons, but they only last until you die for the first time. Level 50 is the cap, but players who reach that stage can "regenerate" and go back to level 1 to go through everything all over again. All you get for regenerating is a prestige icon next to your name but getting to level up is all over again is still a rewarding experience.

In terms of gameplay and content the Xbox 360 game is exactly the same as the much-heralded Xbox One and PC versions. Where it does suffer slightly is in looks and there are definitely signs of a slowdown in frame rate when the action gets really intense. Draw distances aren't as impressive and textures are slightly muddier, while there are definitely a few jagged edges here and there. It was to be expected but it still runs very well, and you'll only notice a real difference if you jump straight from the Xbox One or PC into this.

Titanfall is a great game because of its "easy to learn, hard to master" philosophy. The inclusion of Grunts and Spectres means new players don't have to worry about dying nine times in a row before they get a kill themselves, but those with more experience still have an advantage due to their knowledge of maps and tactics. The freedom of movement and the feeling that you can scale the heights of any map is so good you'll miss it when you return to other shooters, while the balance between Titans not being too powerful and Pilots not being too weak has been hit perfectly. The campaign and some slight graphical issues are where this game suffers, but despite those Titanfall easily becomes one of the best first-person shooters on the console.