Highlights
- Fans continue to hope for the possibility of Titanfall 3, as the success of Apex Legends has increased awareness and interest in the franchise.
- The inclusion of mechs and parkour mechanics sets Titanfall apart from other shooters, creating a unique gameplay experience that has resonated with players.
- Titanfall 2's storytelling quality and memorable campaign mode demonstrate the potential for even greater heights in a third entry, allowing Respawn to expand the world and inspire new content in both Titanfall and Apex Legends.
Titanfall 3 had long been written off as a near impossibility until recent teasers from the developer started to appear. While Titanfall 2 was a critical darling, the game was a commercial flop. This can be attributed partly to its release being sandwiched between the launches of Battlefield One and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. While the developer, Respawn, was made up of industry veterans behind some of the most popular games of the era, the studio itself was lesser known, and the Titanfall brand doesn't carry the same weight as the titans of the shooter genre. In spite of this, Apex Legends, which is set in the same universe, has taken the world by storm. Now is the time for Titanfall 3 to capitalize on this success.
The Titanfall franchise stands out from the competition in the shooter industry for several reasons. The first and most apparent reason is the inclusion of mechs that players can pilot. These mechs are large and powerful and can easily overpower a person on the ground. This is where the series' parkour mechanics come into play. Players can wall run and have incredible air maneuverability, allowing them to move quickly and counteract the lumbering robots that share the battlefield. This movement was simplified for Apex Legends but has still been a big part of the game's success.
Titanfall's Setting and Gameplay Is More Unique In The 2020s
When Titanfall and Titanfall 2 were released, Call of Duty and some other major shooter franchises were also dabbling in futuristic settings and advanced player movement techniques. While Titanfall's implementation was the most memorable and played better than other contemporaries, it struggled to stand out from the crowd. This memorability has likely contributed to its sustained player count and the recent release of Titanfall 2's new game mode. The success of Apex Legends, however, has created more awareness around Titanfall, and furthermore, its mechanics would be more unique now that other big shooters have embraced simpler movement again.
Call of Duty leaks have suggested that the series will spend the next couple of years on Modern Warfare titles and Cold War-era Black Ops games. While the series dabbled in futuristic settings and more advanced movement through much of the 2010s, Activision seems to have changed course and brought the series back to its roots. While Battlefield 2042 took on a futuristic setting, the game was controversial with franchise fans, so the series moving forward into the future again seems unlikely. Titanfall 3 would occupy a unique space with both its settings and gameplay if it were made and released at the present time.
Titanfall Has More Stories To Tell
One of the things that made Titanfall 2 stand out from other major shooters at the time was the quality of its storytelling. While campaign modes are a part of most Call of Duty and Battlefield games, the stories they tell tend not to be memorable when placed against more single-player-focused games. Titanfall 2, on the other hand, told the story of Jack and his mech, BT-7274. The pair's story is emotionally engaging, and the campaign crafted around it is filled with incredible setpieces and strong level design. Titanfall 2's campaign mode is excellent, and a third entry in the series could let Respawn push it to even greater heights.
Titanfall 3 teases have excited fans of Titanfall 2, which, despite its age, has a thriving community around it. While Apex Legends has provided exciting new lore for the shared universe of both series, the release of Titanfall 3 would allow Respawn Entertainment to deliver new single-player content and expand the world even more. New lore introduced in the game could even inspire new content in Apex Legends. There aren't many major sci-fi shooters out right now, and Titanfall's movement has always been a step above the rest, so releasing a new title could give the series the spotlight it has always deserved.
Titanfall 3 is rumored to be in development.