When Titanfall launched on Xbox One last Spring, it was by far the most successful exclusive for the console at the time. However, while Respawn Entertainment's Mech vs. Pilot shooter was a fun change for FPS fans, it quickly shifted to the background as newer games hit the market.
Despite fading interest, Titanfall fans remain passionate about their game, and demonstrated that passion when Respawn confirmed Titanfall 2. This sequel is set to release on both PS4 and Xbox One as well as PC, and according to Respawn's Community Manager Abbie Heppe, may include a full-fledged campaign.
While discussing Titanfall 2 on The EXL Podcast, Heppe shared some thoughts on adding a campaign to the game:
"The nice thing about working on a sequel is we have established the core of what Titanfall is… We’ve definitely heard the feedback. There’s a lot of stuff that people are going to be excited about, and that’s all I can say.”
Last year's Titanfall incorporated a storyline into the game's multiplayer that felt a little like a campaign, but failed to capture strong gamer attention and ultimately fell flat. Despite that, players still enjoyed the multiplayer aspect enough that a sequel was an obvious move.
What's not an obvious move is adding a campaign to Titanfall 2. On one hand, there are many players who may prefer a campaign experience to multiplayer battles, so a campaign would help satisfy those players. It would also add a fun single-player dynamic that most other games offer players.
On the other hand, there are many gamers and even developers who question the inclusion of campaigns in FPS games like Titanfall, Call of Duty, and Battlefield, as most players focusing heavily on the multiplayer aspect. If a developer spends time building a single-player campaign, they put fewer resources on the multiplayer experience, where most players spend their time.
It's this type of feedback that drives developers like Respawn to try a different approach and incorporate a storyline or campaign into the multiplayer action. Although their fist attempt didn't produce the victory Respawn may have been hoping for, it still showed their creativity in doing something new and exciting for gamers. Hopefully the developer doesn't just play it safe and build a boring, run-and-gun campaign to Titanfall 2. Instead, we would love to see them keep pushing the envelop with new ideas and storytelling.
We'll see what Respawn does with their new game, and how much risk they take with adding a campaign, if they even add one at all. If we're lucky, maybe we'll get to see Titanfall 2, both campaign and multiplayer, at this year's E3.
Do you think Respawn should add a traditional campaign to Titanfall 2, or should they keep trying new things? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Titanfall 2 is set to release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: The EXL Podcast