Game On: The stale shooter genre needs another ‘Titanfall’

“Wolfenstein 3D” may have created the first-person shooter in 1992, but it was the release of “Halo: Combat Evolved” in 2001 that made the genre what it is today. While there have been numerous innovations tacked on here and there, the essential mechanics have stayed the same across hundreds of shooters for two decades now. That’s not necessarily a negative, but it does leave the genre crying out for some changes.

In lieu of true innovation, many ideas have simply evolved or grown up. “Team Fortress” brought class-based gameplay into the multiplayer FPS space in 1996, and, in recent years, we’ve seen that concept taken further with heroes designed to fulfill a variety of highly specialized roles in teams a la “Overwatch” and “Valorant.”

The genre isn’t entirely stale, but new ideas come along at a snail’s pace. The parkour obsession came and went, spurred on by 2008’s “Mirror’s Edge.” 2019’s “Borderlands 3” was functionally identical to its 2012 predecessor, and that series is held in high regard.

“Halo” has struggled to add meaningful changes since 2010’s “Halo: Reach.” In 2020, “Doom Eternal” dared to add platforming and sparring elements, to mixed reception. But one series that pleases almost everyone who plays it – yet often flies under the radar – is “Titanfall.”

Before its 2014 release, “Titanfall” was hyped to be “the Call of Duty killer.” Despite its mech-centric combat and science-fiction setting, the comparison made sense. The developer, Respawn Entertainment, was co-founded by Jason West and Vince Zampella, the same individuals responsible for co-founding Infinity Ward to create the “Call of Duty” franchise.

West and Zampella were ousted from the company after using the success of “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” to renegotiate their contracts. The pair sued Activision, who countersued – this real-life drama set up “Titanfall” to be an underdog story to consumers, and the gaming media hyped it to high heaven, with its E3 2013 reveal receiving more than 60 awards.

It was intended to be the Xbox One’s killer app, a system seller like “Halo: Combat Evolved” had been for the original Xbox. “Titanfall” launched to positive feedback, but its lack of a true campaign paired with a small sampling of game modes and zero custom game options caused its player base to taper off within weeks. Released with a $60 price tag, I picked it up on a steep sale for just $12 mere months later. That sort of discount so early on is never a good sign.

Already spurned by numerous lackluster releases in the past, I was a jaded gamer immune to the hype from the beginning. No matter how good the trailers look, you just can’t decipher a game’s quality until it’s in the hands of critics and fellow players. Perhaps it was this pessimism that allowed me to enjoy “Titanfall” for exactly what it was – a straightforward, smooth and bombastic multiplayer shooter.

Although “Titanfall” didn’t grab most gamers for long, a year later the studio announced its sequel, which was released in late 2016. Respawn Entertainment overhauled a plethora of multiplayer mechanics and crafted a traditional single-player campaign that was praised for its focused story and varied gameplay.

For all its virtues, “Titanfall 2” suffered a fate similar to the first game on account of being released one week after “Battlefield 1” and one week before “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,” two AAA releases in the same genre.

Because it was pitted against two established and renowned franchises, it is the belief of many – myself included – that “Titanfall 2” could’ve been the best thing since sliced bread and still undersold.

“Titanfall 2” is pretty close to being exactly that, and revisiting it was the best decision I could’ve made. The combination of smooth movement and gunplay as a foot soldier coupled with the high-stakes mech combat provides nonstop thrills. And, yes, the “Half-Life”-esque single-player campaign is a treat too.

Clearly, I’m not alone in thinking the series deserves another shot, as the game’s online community successfully rallied to turn May 1 into a “Titanfall Day” of sorts. Across PC, Xbox and PlayStation, the game hit a record peak of 50,000 concurrent players, attracting the attention and appreciation of Respawn Entertainment, who made the game temporarily free-to-play on Steam in celebration.

That window has already closed, but for any fan of shooters who may have overlooked “Titanfall 2,” I highly suggest grabbing a copy. Despite being released in 2016, its action-packed gameplay hasn’t aged a day. And with Respawn’s “Titanfall” spinoff “Apex Legends” being a consistent source of revenue, maybe we’ll see “Titanfall 3” someday.

Riordan Zentler can be reached at riordanzentler@gmail.com.