Titanfall 2 - Titan Protocall

Mild Spoilers Ahead.

Titanfall had everything I wanted – and nothing I wanted. It was a bittersweet experience that provided the perfect setting for interstellar battle in the border planetary systems. Getting scooped into giant mechs and waging war in compact streets was never more fun. There wasn’t really anything like it. Its combat was streamlined – and even more than Hawken. Something that would have benefited the game was more Titan customization – I’d go so far as recommending Armored Core as an example (which FromSoftware should be working on the next installment right now, thanks to Miyazaki’s interest in making more mech games). Other pitfalls include its lack of a campaign, and that it was an Xbox One exclusive – which dismisses half that gaming audience. Thankfully that’s the past.

As others have pointed out though – it’s not selling remarkably well. No doubt Battlefield 1 and COD: IW have something to do with this. In fact, the first Titanfall, to this point, outsold its sequel. This is really unfortunate because the game is outstanding. There are many notable changes, and you can find the majority of that information online. I want to talk about something else. It’s narrative.

I finished it this morning, and there were two moments where I was emotionally surprised. In such a short time – we’re talking 4 or 5 hours here – this game managed to illustrate the importance of working together, and bonding. I know two moments doesn’t sound like a lot, but when a game is this short, and you spend most of your time killing, it is. I didn’t think it’d be possible. In fact, I really doubted Respawn’s whole marketing campaign: “Become One.” The idea sounded silly and they really seemed to shove that concept down your throat. Except, it worked – and I’m impressed.

For the most part, the campaign is casual, peppered with a few difficult moments. You run, you leap of walls, you shoot some bad guys, and you fight some Titans. It’s not remarkably difficult and the story isn’t complex. Where it excels is the interaction between BT (your new Titan) and Cooper (who you play). The guys at Respawn nailed it. BT and Cooper form an incredibly unique bond. The beauty of it is that it’s rooted in the simplicity of Titan protocols. Link to pilot, uphold the mission, and protect the pilot. From this set of protocols, every action, direction and choice is made.

My two moments: the first is when BT and Cooper reunite with the Marauders. Briggs, the commander or something-or-other of this rebel crew suggests BT should link with an actual pilot, rather than remain linked with Cooper, who is simply a rifleman. BT sticks up for you, telling Briggs you’ve worked hard to get where you are. This moment really shines because there are parts of the campaign, though most of is straightforward, can be difficult. You move so fast that you have to be thinking two steps ahead to overcome obstacles, and you have to rely on reflexes to kill enemies. So when BT sticks up for me as a pilot, I felt like he stuck up for me as a player. It’s a very rewarding moment.

The second moment, you are aboard a crashing ship and BT stands over you as protection. Cooper resists at first, but BT says, “We’re trapped.” This one line is well placed. It informs the player of a very important thing: the protocols are working, no matter what. As a player you’re forced to acknowledge that you don’t have a choice in how these events will play out – it’s incredibly sobering considering you’re in complete control of the battlefield for the majority of the game.

I think this is why Titanfall 2 deserves more attention. I loved Battlefield 1’s pilot mission, but the rest of the campaign was so-so. The multiplayer is where it’s at, and believe me it is fun! Titanfall 2 is better though, at the very least in offering a narrative that’s worthwhile. I’m eager to see what Call of Duty will do. I suspect it will be different in a lot of ways compared to BO3 and Advanced Warfare. I fear it’ll do better than Titanfall 2 because of its brand name alone, which is unfortunate because that’d mean that Titanfall 2 is the little guy in the fight – and forgive the cheese, it’ll have the biggest heart of the bunch.