It’s funny, for a blog with a moderate focus on gaming I don’t actually write about my own time playing games all that often. That’s quite probably due to the fact that I rarely actually spend that much time actually playing games – sometimes taking breaks spanning multiple months between times when I’ll seriously fire up the Xbox One and actually play a game.
That isn’t always the case, of course. When the mood strikes me, I’ll make time for a game, and for the past while, that game has been Titanfall 2.
I know, it’s a bit of an older title (at least as far as people treat games) but I only got a copy earlier this year thanks to a great sale on Newegg. I’m not one to spend money on a game new all that often, honestly.
Anyway, I played through most of the single player element of the game earlier this year, waited a while (as I always seem to do) and then finished the game sometime last month. The single player is short but very sweet – worth playing, to put it simply. I may write a more detailed (albeit 2 years late) review in the future.
Following that, of course, I figured I should fire up on multiplayer. I participated in the multiplayer stress test back in 2016 and found the variations to be a little overwhelming honestly. I was rather fond of the original Titanfall, and while not too good at it, I wasn’t terrible either. Titanfall 2 was something else though, but now, having completed single player, there was no reason for me to put it off any longer – I had to dive into the world of online multiplayer.
As I mentioned, I played Titanfall. Quite a bit. Hell, I absolutely loved the game and while even I will admit it was yet another game far overhyped, it wasn’t bad by any means. I knew what to generally expect with Titanfall 2, but with the changes to the game I knew I would have to relearn some things, and hone new skills. I’m not much of a fan of online multiplayer as a general rule, but given how the original game consisted solely of online multiplayer combat I had to just bite the bullet (pun intended) and get used to it. Thankfully, the game was relatively fair to newcomers, far more than Call of Duty and the like.
Flash forward to today. I’ve spent, I believe, around 15 hours or so in Titanfall 2 multiplayer and honestly, I love it. I’ve gone from being intimidated by all the options being presented when you start up (with even more coming as you level up and unlock more customization slots and variations) to finding my groove – a speedy pilot build based around simple run-and-gun play. My preferred Titan is Tone, a rather interesting one in that it uses a single shot cannot to lock on to the enemy and, once you have a target lock, it fires a missile salvo at the enemy titan doing considerable damage if delivered correctly.
I’m actually skilled enough with this titan, compared to others, that I can eliminate enemy pilots at considerable range, even with somewhat long time between shots with the 40mm cannon on Tone. It’s really all about how you aim and timing your shots perfectly, but all it takes is that one good shot and you will usually take out a pilot.
Tone, my Titan of choise. I don’t know why I’m so good with it, but I am.
As for the non-titan gameplay, I’m not great but getting better. I’ll have cases where I just lose out in a one on one duel situation, but other moments where I wind up dominating other players. This is rare for me. If you were to watch me play Call of Duty, for example, you would see a very poor show. Instead, when you combine good luck and me pushing my limits as a gamer, mixing player kills with minion kills and some very clever, almost atypical piloting of my Titan, I’ve found myself (even in cases where my team loses) to be the top player!
I intend on discussing the game in more detail soon, possibly. I know Titanfall has an appreciable fan base (after all, I never have difficulty actually finding a match no matter when I wish to play) and those who play, especially now with the game being 2 years old, are certainly skilled, it might be worth me talking about the game from my point of view, sharing whatever advice or thoughts I might be able to for whoever might be interested.
Or, maybe I’d be talking to nobody. Who knows? Only one way to find out.
More to come, as always.