Why Titanfall’s Weapon Shortage Isn’t A Bad Thing

As I continue to play Titanfall, I become more and more content with what the game has to offer. The lack of singleplayer grates a little, as does the lack of variety in online modes, yet the core gameplay is never dulled by these omissions. I’ve already talked about Respawn’s debut shooter and how well I find it strikes a balance between regular foot soldiers and its deadly walking tanks, but my admiration for the game goes further than that.

This time I want to discuss Titanfall’s loadout system. On the surface it really doesn’t do anything spectacular – you have your primary and secondary weapons, coupled with ordnance, Anti-Titan gear and the odd perk-like ability. It does nothing new or ground-breaking yet, for some reason, Titanfall’s loadout system resonates with me more than Call of Duty, Battlefield, or any other online FPS.

Respawn’s special ingredient here is simplicity. No matter where you look in the military shooter genre, there is always an expansive spread of weapons on offer, sometimes making customisation an exhausting process. In-game arsenals are often broke down into categories and padded out with several different variations for each weapon.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a prime example of how in-depth loadouts can become. From the get-go, players are given credits to unlock a whole variety of firearms, perks, and other gear, meaning they can craft their dream soldier straight off the bat. However, for those who don’t obsess over the popular FPS franchise, choice can sometimes feel counter-intuitive.

In Ghosts I found myself experimenting with a whole variety of weapons before settling on one or two for each classification. When playing Titanfall, that process of trial and error is practically eradicated, thanks to game’s limited array of weapons.

Instead of spending tokens and hoping some new assault rifle was going to be the one for me, I’m simply given a default fully automatic assault rifle and that’s that. There are still attachments to be unlocked and challenges to beat, but in Titanfall I don’t have to worry whether that guy who just mowed me down was packing a “better” machine gun than myself.

The same applies to each of the game’s weapon-types with one in each classification including SMG, LMG, burst rifle, bolt-action sniper, shotgun, and others, including the rather bizarre Smart Pistol.

This little doohickey is a step ahead of your regular six-shooter, automatically targeting on-screen enemies before spraying shots with pinpoint accuracy. It’s an odd idea for a new weapon and one that is only really effective against Titanfall’s ranks of AI Grunts and Spectres. Yet it fits within the game’s balanced arsenal, because it takes extra time to lock on and fire enough shots into a real-life player, which often gives them time to turn the tables.

One last nuance that bolts onto the loadout system is Titanfall’s Burn Cards. Up to three of these unique collectibles can be taken into battle at any one time and activated when respawning. Each Burn Card has its own function, from granting stat buffs, charged weapons, or other bonuses such as double experience or reduce build time for your Titan.

To keep things balanced these cards are perishable. Get shot down while a card is in play and, as the name suggests, it gets burned and wiped from your stash. Arguably, a well-timed Burn Card can turn the tide of battle but the flipside is that you often won’t always know when to use them, let alone how long you will survive for, creating an unpredictable yet fun paradigm.

I suppose, looking at my recent comments about multiplayer vehicles and balance, there is a noticeable pattern occurring. Perhaps the reason why I like Titanfall’s scaled-back variety of weapons is simply because I sometimes find other online shooters demanding. Not only that, but with the abundant of AAA FPS titles out there, I’m always flitting from one to the other, so it’s refreshing to leap back in Titanfall without worrying which loadout does what.