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Titanfall 2 Multiplayer Technical Test Impressions (XB1/PS4)

K

kevin1025

Banned
I played two matches earlier on PS4. Titanfall 1 was a game I kept going back to, and from the two matches I played, I can see this one being the same. The titan not timing down and rather being a perk unlock from kills is a little odd at first, but it's probably a better reward. The movement is a tiny different, I found in the first game I could gracefully pull off some cool moves; in this one it takes some more finesse. The visuals are a little sharper looking, almost literally... hard to describe, it had this weird effect to the graphics. But still, the game runs beautifully, and the moment to moment gameplay is still awesome.

I'll jump into the beta a bunch more tomorrow, but so far I really like what I've played.
 
W

Wubbys

Member
I am really enjoying this closed test. Keep coming in first on my team and in the match. Once they open the floodgates I will be relegated to averageness :,(. Switched from the grapple to the sonar knife i think it is pretty bad ass.
 
S

SomeOneInaHat

Member
I really like this Networking business. Was able to group with some Gaf dudes really easy.

Also, this game is fast and fun, especially with that grappling hook. Also, the hologram stuff is hilarious. If you are sprinting, the hologram sprints, if you walk or stand still, it repeats it. If you run it into a wall it falls backwards in pain; great little detail.

Sorry if I shot you.
You are welcome for the battery.
 
Golgo 13

Golgo 13

The Man With The Golden Dong
Not playing this tech test, but as a huge fan of the original Titanfall, many of these impressions are very disappointing. Getting a Titan is a kill streak reward now? Utterly terrible idea -- now people who can't get kill streaks are stuck getting clobbered by those that do, which is what made even the good COD games so unbalanced in the end. The ability for everyone to transform into this really cool super powerful being (Getting in a Titan) was one of the cornerstones of the first game. Bad choice, as is the lack of Titan customization. Really hope they fix it (they won't).
 
A

ATOMICJORGE

Member
Golgo 13 said:
Not playing this tech test, but as a huge fan of the original Titanfall, many of these impressions are very disappointing. Getting a Titan is a kill streak reward now? Utterly terrible idea -- now people who can't get kill streaks are stuck getting clobbered by those that do, which is what made even the good COD games so unbalanced in the end. The ability for everyone to transform into this really cool super powerful being (Getting in a Titan) was one of the cornerstones of the first game. Bad choice, as is the lack of Titan customization. Really hope they fix it (they won't).
Click to expand...

No is not a killstreak it just takes longer to get it and the timer has been removed
 
S

Soulflarz

Banned
SomeOneInaHat said:
I really like this Networking business. Was able to group with some Gaf dudes really easy.

Also, this game is fast and fun, especially with that grappling hook. Also, the hologram stuff is hilarious. If you are sprinting, the hologram sprints, if you walk or stand still, it repeats it. If you run it into a wall it falls backwards in pain; great little detail.

Sorry if I shot you.
You are welcome for the battery.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry I left our first match because I got invited 1/10th into it
 
C

ChasingComets

Member
Deputy Dangle said:
Finally got the chance to play a few matches and I'm pretty certain this feels fundamentally different with how design philosophies have changed. It still plays like Titanfall 1 on the surface, but I dislike how much the map design has shifted away from encouraging strings of wall-running.

I'd argue the titan battery system is more cumbersome in practice, despite it sounding interesting in concept. Bounty Hunter matches are chaotic as it is, which made me have to rely on myself to get out of my titan, retrieve a battery to regain some health, get back in my titan, and repeat.

I'm still eager to play more and see what the other modes are like, though. It's not the same Titanfall that I adored, but it could be a different direction that I'll take to with time. It's just not leaving me with the best of impressions right now.
Click to expand...

Regarding your point on the parkour-restricting map design, how does the grapple hook factor in? Maybe the design was changed so that you're expect to use it in place of just wall-running.

I never liked the sound of the battery system from the start, so no surprises to hear it is as cumbersome in play as I imagined it to be. And hearing about the slower speed of the game bums me out, when it's part of what made the original so much fun to play.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it this weekend.
 
G

Gnome Scat

Member
Gnome Scat said:
Tech Test player here, played a few matches and as a huge fan of the first one I'm disappointed so far. I'll just bullet point some initial impressions:

  • Titan play is a lot slower and less satisfying. I don't think there were any shields on my Titan and couldn't tell to how they've adjusted the HUD. Titan dashing has been removed, Ion only has one and Scorch has none. Boosting feels a bit less effective. Scorch's primary weapon is a bit useless since it just fires one rocket before having to reload, but his abilities are very cool. Ion's are pretty standard.
  • Pilot mobility doesn't feel any slower initially, however the map design has made me feel less mobile. The only map I've been able to play on in Bounty Hunter, Homestead, is much much much too open for Pilot play. Titans dominate you too easily and there are few areas for effective wall running. It doesn't feel too bad with the grappling hook, but otherwise it feels more boots on ground.
  • Weapons feel fine, TTK feels a tad bit faster. The anti-Titan weapon is now a secondary alongside handguns, which is unfortunate. Weapons now have an optics slot and two weapon perk slots, which is alright. Apparently the Smart Pistol is now an ability, which helps balance it while keeping it in the game.
  • General gameplay has become too complicated with this Titan Core element. You can not longer just ride and shoot a titan, but instead are immediately ejected off of it after removing their core. The core then can be placed in friendly Titans to boost their health. If a core is removed, then you can throw in a grenade to do some damage to it. These steps have made Pilot-Titan gameplay flow less and its more of an annoyance because all I want to do is shoot the thing.
  • The only two game types in the Tech Test so far are disappointing. Pilot vs. Pilot - which I can't even find a game for yet - doesn't allow Titan usage, a core element of Titanfall. Them promoting this mode so quickly makes me fear they are trying to cater too much to the CoD fanbase and people who dislike Pilot-Titan gameplay. This catering is visible in the other mode, Bounty Hunter, because of how the map and gametype effect gameplay. Players need to kill AI in specific territories to gain currency, but all this does is kill the momentum and center gameplay around specific, often open, areas. Players become distracted by killing AI to help the team, which makes them easy targets for other players and Titans. It feels more like a griefing game type than anything else.
  • HUD is a lot more messy than in the first game, with notifications popping up slightly off center of the screen. It's not visually appealing but it's functional so not a big deal.
  • Sliding is a great addition to the player movement in the game and helps add to the player's momentum.
  • The first game I played I approached like the first game and ended up dying a few times. I had to change my style of gameplay, which was fun and effective, to a more reserved, CoD-like one in order to get kills and play the objective effectively, which is a very bad sign.
I'll definitely be playing more and will hopefully warm up to some of the changes, but it's not looking too great as of now for a fan of the old.
Click to expand...

Posted this in the other impressions thread. Nothing has really changed other than playing on the second map, which also feels too open with little room for pilot movement.
 
B

B3N1

Member
ATOMICJORGE said:
Playing this game with the Elite controller feels soooooo good
Click to expand...

With a regular, it does not. Anyone find the best way to have grapple and jump both in an accessible place?

What I did so far, was to use Bumper Jumper and swap the left stick with A. I could get used to this, but if its not implemented in the game, there's no way I'm going to fool around with this at release, as it makes navigating menus a lot harder.

Bummed about hearing stim is even more nerfed. I thought the healing was an extra on its previous speed boost to make it viable against grappling hook.
 
A

aravuus

Member
Much more negative impressions than I was expecting. Thank god there's an open 'beta' too, I'll get to see if the game's worth buying or not.
 
S

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
Sounds like 60 dollars saved :(

Titanfall 1 MP was some of the best MP ever, period. Real shame that it seems like they have opened up the maps too much.

I'll play the server test, but none of this sounds like what I wanted from TF2. The pilot stuff was the best part of the game. Half the time I was out of my Titan anyway and jumping too and fro because it was the best way to kill a couple of dudes on a rooftop then jump back in my Titan to bring the pain on the ground.
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
From a presentation standpoint, visuals, audio, it's wonderful. There are some great new weapons, the grapple hook is cool. The actual parkour for the most part still feels good.

But the game seems to have a much lower TTK and that (along with the floatier jumps) emphasizes a ground game much more than the first game.

Stim doesn't last nearly long enough or recharge quickly enough to be a very viable ability. It's not actually that much faster than the first game, but they increase the FOV when you pop it to give you an artificial sense of increased speed. I want old stim back.

The maps have far too much open space which neuters the mobility to an extent.

Then there are the titans. Titan combat is utterly one-dimensional now, it sucks. I actually even like the battery concept since it emphasizes team play, but the actual titan v titan combat is a shell of what it was in the first game. Even with only 2 loadouts (arc cannon and 40mm) the majority of people used, there was an elegant give and pull to the combat that's just missing here.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
I feel like the rodeo change is one of the best things about the beta for me. Titans were just too easy for the Pilots to take down in the original. The rodeo was too strong. To me, the change was absolutely necessary and is a nice middle ground without removing the feature completely.

Bornstellar said:
Titan combat is utterly one-dimensional now, it sucks.
Click to expand...

Also disagree with this. With stuff like the precision laser, the Titans feel like they can just as easily take on the Pilots as they can other Titans. The first game always felt balanced to be Titan vs. Titan and Pilot vs. Pilot. This game feels more balanced for the two to mix and matchup well.
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
serenewarfare said:
I feel like the rodeo change is one of the best things about the beta for me. Titans were just too easy for the Pilots to take down in the original. The rodeo was too strong. To me, the change was absolutely necessary and is a nice middle ground without removing the feature completely.



Also disagree with this. With stuff like the precision laser, the Titans feel like they can just as easily take on the Pilots as they can other Titans. The first game always felt balanced to be Titan vs. Titan and Pilot vs. Pilot. This game feels more balanced for the two to mix and matchup well.
Click to expand...
This is so wrong I can't even. The first game managed the titan v pilot combat perfectly and this game shits all over it. As a ttan I have few options to deal with a pilot rodeoing. As a pilot, I have exactly one option when rodeoing and if I do so to completion, not only do I have a HUD marker tagging me but I have a perfectly predictable trajectory which a titan player can easily take advantage of.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
Bornstellar said:
This is so wrong I can't even. The first game managed the titan v pilot combat perfectly and this game shits all over it. As a ttan I have few options to deal with a pilot rodeoing. As a pilot, I have exactly one option when rodeoing and if I do so to completion, not only do I have a HUD marker tagging me but I have a perfectly predictable trajectory which a titan player can easily take advantage of.
Click to expand...

Between the beta and the final game I put upwards of 50 hours into the original. Unless I'm just completely misremembering, that's just the feeling I have of the two. The first game did not manage the interplay perfectly. Not even close. That was my biggest issue with it and why I fell out of it. The pilot rodeo option absolutely had to be changed. In my experience with the first, the rodeo was way too favored on the Pilot side and it made taking down the Titans too easy. Now it's less strong on the Pilot side, so the Titan having less ways to deal with it (while still having the cloud, which was the preferred way of dealing with in in the original anyways) seems balanced.
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
serenewarfare said:
Between the beta and the final game I put upwards of 50 hours into the original. Unless I'm just completely misremembering, that's just the feeling I have of the two. The pilot rodeo option absolutely had to be changed. In my experience with the first, the rodeo was way too favored on the Pilot side and it made taking down the Titans too easy. Now it's less strong on the Pilot side, so the Titan having less ways to deal with it (while still having the cloud, which was the preferred way of dealing with in in the original anyways) seems balanced.
Click to expand...

And I have put (and am still putting) 2000+ hours into the original. Pilot rodeos were perfectly balanced given the options at a titans disposal. Especially considering how much faster titans could move in TF1.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
Bornstellar said:
And I have put (and am still putting) 2000+ hours into the original. Pilot rodeos were perfectly balanced given the options at a titans disposal. Especially considering how much faster titans could move in TF1.
Click to expand...

I just disagree. The pilot vs. Titan interaction in the first game always felt like a quick "one is doomed or the other is doomed depending on who gets the immediate advantage" sort of deal. This game feels like it allows for a lot more nuance and variance, as neither side has a distinct advantage in any one way.

Now, maybe the first game changed once it was whittled down in player count to the hardest of hardcore, but to me the game should be built in a way that at any level it can feel like that. This one does. The original did not.
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
serenewarfare said:
I feel like the rodeo change is one of the best things about the beta for me. Titans were just too easy for the Pilots to take down in the original. The rodeo was too strong. To me, the change was absolutely necessary and is a nice middle ground without removing the feature completely.
Click to expand...

The Titans are without a doubt way easier to destroy in this one. The lack of shields means you can easily die from a thousand papercuts.
 
S

SlickShoesRUCrazy

Member
serenewarfare said:
I just disagree. The pilot vs. Titan interaction in the first game always felt like a quick "one is doomed or the other is doomed depending on who gets the immediate advantage" sort of deal. This game feels like it allows for a lot more nuance and variance, as neither side has a distinct advantage in any one way.

Now, maybe the first game changed once it was whittled down in player count to the hardest of hardcore, but to me the game should be built in a way that at any level it can feel like that. This one does. The original did not.
Click to expand...

I rarely got taken down by pilot rodeo in the first.

Though I usually rolled with electric smoke and/or cluster missle in order to force pilot off me and get the kill.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
Jarmel said:
The Titans are without a doubt way easier to destroy in this one. The lack of shields means you can easily die from a thousand papercuts.
Click to expand...

I think the battery mechanic (once people actually learn to use it) alleviates that to a great degree. The shield you get from that makes you pretty formidable.
 
Golgo 13

Golgo 13

The Man With The Golden Dong
ATOMICJORGE said:
No is not a killstreak it just takes longer to get it and the timer has been removed
Click to expand...
Oh really? So everyone still automatically gets a Titan in a match? Do kills speed it up? Why the fuck did they remove the timer, if it still times? Lol
 
O

OdysseusVA

Banned
Why you gotta limit the pilot level to 10, respawn? :p

Also, capping Bounty at 1000? C'mon, Im just waiting for the banks to come back online lol
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
serenewarfare said:
I just disagree. The pilot vs. Titan interaction in the first game always felt like a quick "one is doomed or the other is doomed depending on who gets the immediate advantage" sort of deal. This game feels like it allows for a lot more nuance and variance, as neither side has a distinct advantage in any one way.

Now, maybe the first game changed once it was whittled down in player count to the hardest of hardcore, but to me the game should be built in a way that at any level it can feel like that. This one does. The original did not.
Click to expand...

Here's an example of the elegance of Titan v Pilot in the first game.

https://youtu.be/peEPSV8IKdI?t=29

Pilot wins, but only because I was extremely on-point and the titan made several early mistakes. TF2's version is much more crude.
 
A

ATOMICJORGE

Member
Golgo 13 said:
Oh really? So everyone still automatically gets a Titan in a match? Do kills speed it up? Why the fuck did they remove the timer, if it still times? Lol
Click to expand...

Yeah well without the timer the only way to not get a Titan is to be AFK the entire match which of course it's never going to happen, yes grunts spectres and pilot kills speed up your percentage towards your Titan like the first one
 
B

B3N1

Member
SlickShoesRUCrazy said:
I rarely got taken down by pilot rodeo in the first.

Though I usually rolled with electric smoke and/or cluster missle in order to force pilot off me and get the kill.
Click to expand...

Yeah, smoke and cluster was a must for me too in TF1 and anytime I heard the sound cue, I popped the smoke before the pilot could do any harm in the titan. In extreme cases, shot the cluster to a wall, then crouched under it.

Here, once a pilot is on top of me, I can't really do anything against them.
 
J

Jangowuzhere

Banned
I really like the battery mechanic.

It adds a nice risk and reward to keeping your titan alive. Getting out of your bot is the only way to recharge its health, but doing so opens you up to the various dangers in the area. It also adds a team element to the game. If you're busy in a fight, other players can pick up batteries and bring them to your titan to recharge its health. I think the concept is way more interesting than the simple recharging shields of the past.
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
Also, Respawn has straight up capped momentum building. So while it's still there, it seems like you stop getting returns after basically one wall bounce. I don't feel nearly has nimble anymore. It really does feel a lot more like CoD which is probably why a lot of CoD vets like it more, but it just feels like I'm wearing shackles.
 
B

Bornstellar

Member
serenewarfare said:
I feel like TF2 makes things more competitive. More even. Now you can argue it shouldn't be that way, but I think that makes for a more fun game. Just how I feel.
Click to expand...

It doesn't make it more even. Being in a Titan you will die by a thousand paper cuts no matter how skilled you are. That's shrinking the skill gap, and it's shitty.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
Bornstellar said:
It doesn't make it more even. Being in a Titan you will die by a thousand paper cuts no matter how skilled you are. That's shrinking the skill gap, and it's shitty.
Click to expand...

In my experience it's just not true. I'm making use of the battery mechanic and I feel like I am surviving just fine. Batteries are marked on the map. When I feel I'm getting low, I find and grab one. Then I survive for longer. It's just a different system.
 
A

Angel_DvA

Member
ok i'm a little disappointed about it, it feels more like a Titanfall 1.5 than a real sequel BUT the game is still fun and if you loved TF1, you'll love this one for sure, I won't talk about graphics and framerate because it's a real technical test and not a marketing beta...

it'll be a good game for sure and with the single player that look very good, it'll be a solid title for titanfall fans, for others shooter fans, with Gears of war 4 and BF1 in the corner, I'm not that sure...
 
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