With the best selling exclusive for Xbox One arriving later than expected for Xbox 360, can the game play as good as the Next Gen version?
When Titanfall was first announced, the amount of hype that surrounded this game was insane. Does it live up to it? To an extent, yes, and personally Titanfall is absolutely amazing for the Xbox 360.
The Xbox 360 version was delayed until April 11 as EA decided to give Bluepoint Games a little more time to perfect the game, and that “little more time” has proved to be more than beneficial. I am amazed at how the Xbox 360 version actually looks, as the difference in visuals compared to the Xbox One is only that noticeable to a bystander, and you don’t really get the chance to stand around.
The game has been heavily compared to Call of Duty and Mirror’s Edge with robots – and the comparisons are generally correct. All the human characters, which are referred to as Pilots, are equipped with a short-range jetpack, which allows you to navigate around the map in a free-run motion. Personally, the only raw comparisons I can see between Call of Duty and Titanfall is the way you play the game – shoot quickly, move fast, and be wary of the map layouts.
The weapons locker is quite empty to be honest, with only 17 Pilot weapons available, and six weapons available for the Titans. However, the cloaking device made me forget about the lack of weapons and although the cloaking device duration is short, you can still use it to disguise yourself while ejecting from an exploding Titan, or even sneak up behind a pilot to kill them.
One thing I really enjoy about Titanfall is the fact that there are also bots in the game. Yes, they can count as easy xp and whatnot but what I love is the fact that it makes you take every gunfight seriously. It keeps you on your toes at all times as you never know if you’re shooting at a minion (AI bots in the game), or pilots, and out of the games I have played, not one game has felt slow. Another thing I love is at the end of a match, the losing team has to evacuate and the winning team have to try and stop it from happening. It’s a unique game mechanic that I haven’t came across before, and completely changes the way you play in the last thirty seconds of a match. However, the main problem with the minions is that there are more or an equal amount of them at any given time, and this hinders the Pilot vs Pilot experience to an extent.
Despite the Xbox 360 being the older console, the 360 version of Titanfall has every feature of the Xbox One game, including all the same weapons, equipment, maps, and unlocks. Microsoft has made use of their cloud to allow dedicated servers on the Last Gen version too, which is a massive plus in an online only game.
Something that isn’t all that great about Titanfall is the campaign mode. Those who are looking for a straight up story line may be left wanting. However, those who will use their imagination alongside the maps can make something of it, especially when you’re on the map “Boneyard”, which is set on Planet Leviathan, and the planet’s resident aliens skeletal remains provide the backbone for the world. Personally I'd have to say that the campaign isn’t really a success, and I think if Titanfall didn’t have the campaign in the game, it wouldn’t make a difference to those who play it.
Overall, Titanfall for the Xbox 360 is absolute brilliant. It’s a hugely impressive use of Last Gen technology, and is probably one of the best first person shooters of the last few years. All the maps are visually great and are fun to navigate around. The pilots and their parkour antics keeps the game fast paced, and using a Titan for the first time will make you want to use them over and over again. Although the weapon variation isn’t the best, and the online campaign mode doesn’t add anything to it, Titanfall is one of the best games I have played in quite some time.
Titanfall on the Xbox 360 gets a 4/5.
[★★★★☆]
Sam Terry
Titanfall at CeX
