Bulletstorm and Titanfall 2: Modern FPS With a Touch of Spice
The first-person shooter genre is one that has seen quite the evolution throughout the years, with trends constantly changing and reshaping its image in the gaming sphere.
These days, FPS games are arguably at their most diverse and expansive, with the resurgence of retro-styled “boomer-shooters” brought upon by comebacks of the genre’s pioneers now hanging out side by side with their more modern cousins.
It would’ve been absurd to imagine back then, the newest Call of Duty and Battlefield being released in the same decade as a new Doom and Wolfenstein. Two drastically different branches of the genre, previously divided by time, now co-existing and flourishing.
This outcome was inevitable though, as despite huge franchises like Call of Duty making great profit with their annual release schedule, fatigue was starting to set in, with players growing disillusioned with the oversaturated modern military shooter formula that every other company tried to hop onto. But among those soulless trend chasers, there were titles that took the familiar affair of cover-based gunplay with regenerating health and scripted set pieces, and decided to give it a creative spin.
The following two games are ones that generally fit into the mold of a typical modern first-person shooter, but unlike their brethren tried to spice things up with unique gimmicks and mechanics that made them stand out and more enjoyable as a result.
Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm was developed by People Can Fly in collaboration with Epic Games and published by EA as part of their partners program in 2011.
The version I got to play through was the remastered Full Clip Edition worked on by Gearbox Software of Borderlands fame.
On the surface, this game functions like any other first-person shooter from the era, with sprinting, health regen and cover-based combat.
However, early on in the prologue chapter of the campaign you acquire a key tool which the standard gameplay loop is entirely based around, the Energy Leash. This is the main gimmick of the game, a sort of grappling rope you use to pull enemies and various hazardous objects towards the player as they get suspended in the air for a couple of seconds after the fact. What makes this ability useful, aside from being able to freely blast a defenseless foe stuck in slow-motion, is its possible combinations with the use of your kick move.
Yes, you can kick things and people away with a single press of a button, so pair that up with the ability to pull stuff towards you and there’s potential for some fun hijinks. What really ties it all together is the Skillshot system, where you get instantly rewarded a fixed number of skillpoints based on the various different ways you dispatch your foes.
This incentivizes the player to get creative, as while any enemy kill earns you skillpoints, the more impressive and stylish maneuvers easily net a whole lot more. And you’d want to rack up those skillpoints as they are the game’s main and only currency you use to upgrade your weapons, buy new ones when they’re available, or simply stock up on ammo when you’re out. So not only is it the more fun way to play, it’s the most beneficial as well.
Stacking multiple skillshots at the same time or killing a group of enemies with the same one for extra reward, constantly looking to maximize your carnage and see those numbers pop, gives Bulletstorm’s gameplay loop this chaotic yet satisfying pace. Sure, you could just as easily gun everyone down, but it’s in your best interest to think outside of the box and utilize your skills and environment for the most extravagant festival of blood.
This player freedom of expression is the main reason I love character-action games as much as I do. You’re not told to do things the simple or most efficient way, but encouraged to experiment, improvise and just enjoy yourself.
Titanfall 2
From one EA published title to another, funny how that works.
Unlike Bulletstorm, you’ve probably already heard all about Titanfall, as it’s one of the most commonly cited “underrated gems”, even more so with its sequel whose single-player campaign is widely heralded as one of the best in the genre.
You’ve obviously already gathered I’m not here to go against the grain, so time to heap some more praise on Titanfall 2.
The main distinguishing quality of this game should be clear enough, as it’s evidently featured in both its title and cover art. You get to pilot a mech.
A talking mech, mind you, and it’s quite charming.
Your Titan has 8 total loadouts comprised of different weapon types and special abilities you get to acquire one by one throughout the course of the campaign. Each favors a particular playstyle with its own strengths and weaknesses, not too dissimilar to the function of RPG classes, lending the game a generous variety and freedom in approach to combat.
Actually piloting the Titan also strikes a good balance between it feeling like a genuine heavily armored war-machine without it being sluggish or awkward to control. It’s just as mobile and powerful as it should be, so the giant robot power fantasy is definitely done justice here.
Bosses are pretty easy though, not feeling much stronger than any other common Titan enemy, but they’re a fun spectacle nonetheless.
All of that being said, there is substantially more to Titanfall 2 than just the Titan gameplay, believe it or not. As a pretty even chunk of it is spent on foot like your average FPS, only significantly more.. acrobatic.
Your Titan isn’t the only one with a bag of tricks as when you’re simply controlling the pilot on his own you get to smoothly parkour around environments while and in-between shooting your foes in the face.
While the Titan gameplay sections fulfill the epic giant robot battle fantasy, the on foot gameplay turns you into an agile expert marksman using quick enhanced movement to your advantage in battle.
Unlike Bulletstorm, you can actually jump here, twice in a row in fact, and wall-run to your heart’s content. Keep in mind that the first game predates the Doom reboot, so this kind of free-flowing movement in a FPS wasn’t very common back then. Even today still, Titanfall’s fluidity of movement and platforming help make the regular combat encounters relatively fast-paced and exciting, despite maintaining fairly basic yet satisfying gunplay.
The campaign’s pacing is crucial in balancing both core aspects of gameplay, getting the best out of each and forming a well-rounded experience. Titanfall 2 does this just right, with the Titan and on foot sections getting exactly the appropriate amount of spotlight each, transitioning from one to another seamlessly and never feeling like either are overshadowing the other.
Alongside the core gameplay the campaign keeps things interesting by changing up areas and distinct gimmicks for each chapter, from traveling on and climbing over conveyor belts, to hot-swapping between past and present in order to clear the way forward, to having a Titan fight on top a currently flying spaceship, Titanfall 2 does a lot with its short length.
Both of these games show that it’s not the formula itself that’s broken, but the lack of innovation and creativity that the countless corporate manufactured military shooters fail to take into account.
Of course, nowadays we have Doom, Wolfenstein, Shadow Warrior and plenty of indie titles holding up the fort and keeping the old-school first-person shooter spirit alive and well. Call of Duty and Battlefield can keep doing their thing and they’ll be fine, but maybe there’s something to take in and learn from. Not just from “boomer-shooters”, but titles like Bulletstorm and Titanfall 2 as well. Regardless of genre conceptions, if you pour genuine passion into a game, it shows.
But hey, I’ve heard the newest Call of Duty single player campaign is actually decent, maybe they‘re already starting to head in the right direction.