With the release of Titanfall in 2014, FPS fans everywhere were treated to a new type of online fun. With its huge mechanical robots called “Titans,” “Titanfall” quickly enthralled gamers fed up with . Unfortunately, the game’s popularity died off as quickly as it had come, as the lack of a good single-player campaign and updates failed to keep players hooked. With the announcement of “Titanfall 2” back in June, Respawn Entertainment promised a stellar campaign experience. However, if the beta reflects on the state of the game in October, it seems like multiplayer has now taken an unfortunate back seat.

First off, the graphics are only slightly better than that of “Titanfall.” Even with only two years between games, the visuals should at least look slightly better. The sound has improved, but what with the variety of sounds players heard, a definite conclusion cannot be made in this category. The frame rate is typical of what has become expected of the PS4 and Xbox One; frames drops when stress is being put on the system, and sometimes while loading animations. The controls, at least on PS4, felt extremely klunky, even when sensitivity was turned on high.

During beta, players were only allowed to test a handful of maps and three modes: bounty hunt, amped hardpoint, and pilots vs. pilots. Bounty hunt was a race to see how much money each side could collect by filing bounties, and was by far the most original and enjoyable mode. Amped hardpoint was just a classic point capturing match, as players had to stay in a certain zone to collect points for their team, and lost its zeal quite quickly. Pilots vs. pilots didn’t bring much to the table either, as it was just a team deathmatch game renamed and re-skinned. On a positive note, the sci-fi art style is wonderfully colorful in every way. Respawn definitely worked hard on designing the weapons, Titans, and look of the pilots.      

“Titanfall 2,” at least based on the beta impressions, is a decent game that won’t be worth its $60 price tag when it drops in October. The game had promise, but it looks like Respawn Entertainment has dropped the ball. If you are interested in a game that feels exactly like “Call of Duty,” just less polished, by all means, pick up a copy of “Titanfall 2.”  Otherwise,  just go pick up the original for $15 on Amazon.

Platforms: Xbox One, PS4

Reviewed on PS4

Price: Full game is $59.99. Releases Oct. 28, 2016.