Forget BF6, This Award-Wining 2016 Sci-fi Shooter Proves FPS Stories Can Still Be A Game-Changer For the Genre

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It’s clear that Battlefield 6 was a huge commercial success. While its single-player campaign received a lot of criticism, most people recognize it was simply included as a standard feature, not a major selling point. The game’s fantastic multiplayer is what made it the best-selling title of 2025, and it will likely continue to attract players for a while. However, once the multiplayer servers are empty or shut down, interest in Battlefield 6 will probably fade. In contrast, Titanfall 2 remains popular even now, despite issues with cheaters, because of its incredibly well-regarded campaign. This makes it a timeless game that people will revisit for years to come.

Spoilers ahead for Titanfall 2.

While Titanfall 2 has a fantastic multiplayer mode, it’s tough to recommend to new players in 2025 because of ongoing cheating issues and the fact that Respawn won’t be adding any new content. However, the single-player campaign—which won a Golden Joystick award in 2016—is still excellent almost ten years later. It’s comparable to other highly-regarded FPS campaigns like Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and Doom Eternal, boasting strong level design, memorable boss fights, compelling characters, and engaging gameplay. When you consider newer games like Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7, it really highlights how exceptional Respawn’s last single-player FPS experience was.

As a huge fan, it really felt like Titanfall 2 just got unlucky with its release date. It came out squeezed between Battlefield 1, which everyone was playing, and the latest Call of Duty games – including the remastered Modern Warfare. It’s a shame, because I think that definitely hurt how well it sold and how many people got to experience it.

Titanfall 2 vs. Battlefield 6 — The Importance of Characters

Though Titanfall 2’s characters might not reach the iconic status of figures like Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 or Ellie from The Last of Us, the game excels at portraying the bond between Jack Cooper (voiced brilliantly by Matthew Mercer) and his Titan, BT-7274. From the moment Cooper inherits the mech to BT’s poignant sacrifice, their connection transforms what could have been a typical soldier story into something truly engaging. The relationship feels like that between a person and a cherished pet, but with BT’s advanced AI adding a unique intelligence. Players will likely find the Titan endearing thanks to its lively interactions with its Pilot. Respawn cleverly designed distinct gameplay styles for both characters, keeping the action fresh and further highlighting the story’s leads.

Unlike some other games, Battlefield 6 doesn’t create characters players connect with. Most of the soldiers feel forgettable, lacking the personality of memorable characters like Frank Woods from Call of Duty. The game attempts an emotional opening with a tragic mission where the main character, Dylan Murphy, loses their squad, but it doesn’t land because players haven’t had enough time to form a bond with anyone. Titanfall 2 successfully builds emotional moments, even with a simple plot, while Battlefield 6‘s story feels disjointed and forced.

As a huge fan of games with compelling stories, I was a little disappointed with the dialogue in Battlefield 6. It just felt…flat. It really stood out to me because Titanfall 2 did something so clever with its characters, BT and Cooper. They had multiple conversations, and you could actually influence how their relationship developed – making it more playful or serious. It wasn’t a huge thing, but it added a lot of replay value to an already fantastic single-player campaign, and it’s something I really wish Battlefield 6 had.

Titanfall 2 vs. Black Ops 7 — The Importance of Setting

As a huge fan of the Black Ops series, I loved how Black Ops 2 pulled off having two really distinct settings. But honestly, the newest game just didn’t do it for me. They never really let you experience the 2025 locations; it felt like we were stuck on the old Warzone map, Avalon, running through pretty generic futuristic cityscapes. Compare that to Titanfall 2, which always kept things fresh! Every mission took you to a completely different part of Typhon – one minute you’re in a gorgeous forest, the next you’re on a simulated farm – and everything felt specifically designed around the amazing wallrunning the series is known for. It just felt so much more thoughtfully put together.

While the Black Ops 7 campaign does attempt some variety by switching locations in missions outside of Avalon—even revisiting familiar spots like Vorkuta—these areas ultimately just remind players of better games. Unlike Black Ops 7, Titanfall 2 really used its sci-fi setting to create something special, like a clever time travel section where players change the environment to move forward. This thoughtful puzzle design is a stark contrast to the simple, repetitive hacking puzzles in BO7, and highlights how one game effectively utilizes its setting while the other doesn’t.

The gas that sends players in BO7 to past campaign settings isn’t a new addition meant to highlight the 2035 timeline. It’s actually an updated version of ‘The Cradle’ – a feature originally from the 1990s storyline in BO6.

Image via EA

The boss battles in the two games differ significantly. In Black Ops 7, these battles seem forced, as if they were added to support the cooperative campaign, though some players did enjoy them with friends. However, fighting a massive human feels out of character for the Call of Duty series and has become a running joke online, with fans accusing the game of becoming ridiculous. While the game tries to explain it away as a hallucination, it’s a stark contrast to the compelling, character-driven conflict between Raul Menendez and David Mason in Black Ops 2. Titanfall 2, conversely, features battles against the Apex Predators that fit perfectly with the game’s core concept of Titans fighting each other. Each fight feels unique thanks to the varied environments and Titan designs, and some, like the one against Viper, offer a real challenge on higher difficulty settings.

Titanfall 2’s Campaign Strengths Don’t Stop There

Despite already excelling in areas like its world, levels, and characters, the campaign of Titanfall 2 offers even more reasons to play it. Here are just a few of those strengths:

  • Top-notch gunplay featuring iconic weaponry that would go on to feature in the hit battle royale game Apex Legends.
  • A story that doesn’t overstay its welcome, as there’s no filler in the 4-5 hour experience.
  • A gorgeous art style that still sees the environments holding up a decade later, even if the character models are showing a little age.
  • An enjoyable achievement list for Trophy hunters looking to get more out of the game.

Although fewer players are completing the single-player campaigns in games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, preferring to jump straight into multiplayer, Titanfall 2 demonstrates that first-person shooters can successfully cater to both types of players. Older titles in those franchises, such as the original Black Ops and Bad Company, also offered strong campaigns alongside excellent multiplayer. It’s disappointing that recent games seem to focus almost entirely on the multiplayer experience. Titanfall 2 could have served as a great example for these series, as a more engaging campaign could have elevated them from good to truly outstanding.

Image via EA

I honestly think Titanfall 2‘s story is amazing. It really built up the world and got me hooked on how the game played, but it was just a blast from start to finish, even if I wasn’t planning on playing the multiplayer. Honestly, if someone picked it up just for the campaign – and you can find it pretty cheap now – they wouldn’t be disappointed. I still think about levels like the Time Gauntlet – that one was incredible. Compared to that, Battlefield 6‘s campaign just didn’t have those standout moments. I keep hoping to hear news about Titanfall 3, but it never seems to happen, so I’m starting to think we might not get one. Still, Titanfall 2 is a classic, and if the series ends here, it’s a pretty amazing game to go out on. It really proves that a good story can make an FPS special and stick with you for years, and it’s a reminder that shooters can actually deliver fantastic narratives.

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2025-12-09 14:05