At E3 2018, I just want to hear something, anything about Titanfall 3. I want someone from Respawn Entertainment, the developers of Titanfall, to let me know that “it’s going to be alright.” Now, I don’t actually expect this to happen, but I can dream.
Let’s start with some raw honesty: I don’t just like Titanfall 2, I adore this game. Put simply, I think it’s the best shooter released yet during this console generation. The fact that it flew under so many players’ radars should be considered some form of war crime.
I’m a man of simple needs. I don’t like multiplayer games where I need to “play a role” or actively work with other players on a grand strategy. I want to run on walls, shoot people in the face and ride around in a giant walking tank.
Let the other players strategize; I’m just here to turn my foes into chunky soup.
First and foremost, the gameplay loop is both thrilling and satisfying. In this series, everyone has a short Call of Duty-ish Time-to-Kill, and a near instant respawn time. Sure, you’re basically made of tissue paper…but so is everyone else. That means you’re either always in danger, or acting like a wrecking ball. Even though I’m not even a particularly skilled player, every round is an absolute blast because of its speed and pacing.
Second, tearing out batteries is one of the most fun activities ever added to a multiplayer game. In Titanfall 2, every bot has “removable” batteries. Basically, if a skilled pilot can mount an enemy titan, they can essentially rip out its heart. Then, battery in hand, they can hightail it across the map, and pop that battery into a friendly titan to offer it a quick energy boost. Now that is what I call a healing class.
Finally, mobility is key: slide, wall-run, slide, double-jump, slide backwards. More than any other multiplayer game, standing still in Titanfall 2 is a recipe for a quick death. You have to keep moving.
In the sequel, the titans became terrifying. In the first Titanfall, I always left my robot on autopilot because I found them sort of boring to control. In Titanfall 2, that all changed. The different titan choices and customization options make the giant mechs a force to be reckoned with. I don’t just “have a titan.” I’m teamed up with my Legion.
And make no mistake, I absolutely love my Legion. When I screw up and die, leaving him across the battlefield as he gets shot to pieces, I run in a raw panic to save my robo-buddy. And if I can get him clear…there will be hell to pay.
Every titan has a special attack. Legion’s is a “Smart Core,” which is a fancy way of saying “infinite ammo auto-aiming.” Just point your giant minigun at whatever you want to die and let the bullets do the work. Legion rules.
If standing still and mowing down all comers isn’t to your liking, there are plenty of other titans to choose from. More than anything, Titanfall 2 really excels at letting you play in the way that best suits you.
I have plenty of other reasons why I loved Titanfall 2, but I won’t gush for pages. Here’s a quick list of things I loved from it:
- Nuclear ejections. When your Titan has taken enough damage, you can eject and let your bot become a giant suicide bomb, killing anyone stupid enough to stick around.
- Jump-kicking enemy pilots off of friendly titans’ backs will never get old.
- Titanfall 2 is a game you play with your friends, but you don’t need to “stick together.” It encourages lone-wolfing. It’s more of an “Ooh, fancy meeting you here!” situation when you and your friend somehow end up on the same rooftop. Otherwise, your team usually separates immediately and only really meets up when you’ve earned your titans.
- You can choose your announcer. For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t pick Barker, the alcoholic commander.
Heck, the single-player campaign is great too, and it takes some surprising twists!
That’s why I loved the last game. But as for whether Titanfall 3 will appear at E3 2018…well, here are some unsubstantiated rumors (the greatest Internet currency of all!).
At the very end of last year, we reported that EA purchased Respawn Entertainment. Despite underwhelming sales, Respawn and EA have both claimed that they are committed to the series. Furthermore, some form of a Titanfall game is currently being worked on. Granted, this could easily be a mobile game. No one really knows yet. All I’m saying is that there’s a chance.
So with all that being said, if there does end up being an announcement for Titanfall 3 (which most likely would happen on the stage at EA’s conference), here are a few things I’d love to see from the game:
- Co-op, because why not?
- Another single-player campaign that’s as tight and fun as the one in Titanfall 2.
- Better pilot and titan customization options. The banners and cosmetics were cool in Titanfall 2, but could have gone a lot further.
- More of the same very-consumer-friendly DLC options as we saw in Titanfall 2. As far as I’m concerned, Respawn did right by the players.
That’s really it. This is my big hope for E3 2018. Hopefully, we’ll learn some substantial news at the conference. Standby for updates.
As we near E3, what do you want to see the most at this year’s show? What’s your dream scenario? Be sure to let us know in the comments. Lastly, keep an eye out for the final installment in our E3 Dreams series from the DualShockers staff.