Titanfall 2 Uses a Slower, More Open Approach to Improve on Its Predecessor

Respawn Entertainment’s upcoming shooter Titanfall 2 is due out on October 28^th. The developer has taken several steps to improve the multiplayer from the first game, and though there has been a lot of attention paid to the new full-length single-player campaign, Director Steve Fukuda is keen to share two tweaks the team have made to improve the online experience.

In an interview with Shack News, Fukuda spoke at length about various improvements to the game’s design. In setting Titanfall 2 apart from its predecessor, Fukuda emphasized the differences in play: “We started by addressing the fact that you move so fast. You can’t shoot out of the air so easily. So we slowed things down just a touch.”

One of the key components of great shooters is of course the maps, and Fukuda expressed the importance of facilitating more flowing maps – maps that allow players to utilize different routes to success: “We started thinking more in terms of simplifying the concept and using what the designers call a ‘window pane’ effect, where we think in terms of lanes. Defined paths become the norm: the left, the middle, the right.”

When asked about new mechanics he revealed, “The progression system is much more in-depth. Now you’re leveling your weapons, you’re leveling your Titans, and you’re leveling yourself.” Titanfall had dwindling player numbers when it came to its PC release, while the Xbox One version thrived long after. When asked about Respawn’s efforts to retain numbers, the Director stressed both the online features and a better way of communicating with fans in order to improve the game.

“What I’m really excited about is the Networks and the social element of that. It’s the chat window, the IRC, the whole thing. It brings back memories of playing Counter-Strike…Traditionally, there’s been a ‘face of the company’ model at a lot of places, but a lot of places have evolved towards a more distributed kind of approach. And we’re going to start exploring that for pre-launch, post-launch, and we look forward to interacting with our fans.”

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