First-Person Shooters - I suck

First-person shooters are by and far, the most popular genre of video-game today. Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield - the list goes on. But here's the thing - I suck. Not like "oh my god, which way is up" but more like "I have no idea who just shot me". I have a good time though, and I really enjoy playing FPS' with my friends. That said, we've been doing the same dog and pony show for a while now. 2007 was the year the original "Modern Warfare" erupted from the Call of Duty franchise and it has since dominated the scene, overtaking even Halo in player mindshare. It's mainstream, it's fun but I'm bored.

I didn't realize how bored I was though, until I saw Titanfall. It was my own groundhog day scenario - playing the same thing, iteration after iteration with no concise thought as to my own malaise and distaste for the genre. And then Titanfall. For the uninformed, Titanfall is a new FPS game developed by Respawn Entertainment. These are the guys that did the original Modern Warfare and it's sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, before a schism with their parent company Activision lead to a studio exodus that would then become the foundation for Respawn Entertainment under new publisher, Electronic Arts (EA).  They bottled lightning once and from the looks of it, they've done it again.

Jeeez...

The video speaks for itself. What it comes down to is that it looks fun. So fun, that even someone who sucks could have a good time. It takes everything that made the post-Modern Warfare, Call of Duty titles amazing and ratchets it up to eleven.

Multiplayer is the focus rather than having a jaundiced single-player addition. You're not just moving fast - you're free running off walls. And then you add mechs into the equation and you've got gold. The "Titans" offer a whole new dimension to the FPS formula. Rather than slow and rigid mech-suits ala Aliens, you're getting something more akin to Avatar mechs.

Inspiration?

What's funny about this whole thing is that, initially, this game is coming out for the Microsoft ecosystem  (Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC),  which recently I have been less enthused with. So, my ETA to play this game is most likely longer than most. But from what I've seen, it'll be worth the wait because I believe Titanfall will be the disrupter that pushes the genre out of Modern Warfare's shadow. Regardless, the last thing I'll feel playing Titanfall is boredom. (All hail the new King!)

Check out www.titanfall.com for more info!