Titanfall

Look, I take no pleasure in writing about Titanfall here in this list of d e a d franchises. But ya’ll, we’re nearing 10 years since Titanfall 2 came out and, you know, sometimes ya just gotta accept that something you really want in life just ain’t gonna happen for you.

I get it, in a world of repetitive, mindless shooters, Titanfall was (and is) something special. On paper, it could’ve easily been Just-Another-Shooter™ stock with gimmicks to try and stay unique, but its wall-running and titular Titans worked exceedingly well. The guns felt good to shoot and reload, and the extra jump kit abilities allowed for unique traversal and combat scenarios rarely seen elsewhere. Add in the Titans, and Titanfall skirmishes were dynamic and explosive. True, some of that still lives on in developer Respawn’s Apex Legends, but you and I both know that’s no substitute (though you should give indie title Sprawl, easily one of my favorite games of 2023, a shot as it contains some engaging wall-running action and so much more).

It would be wonderful to see another Titanfall, complete with a great single-player experience that takes everything learned from the first and second games, and Apex Legends, and delivers an energetic, gravity defying shooter punctuated by epic and engaging gameplay with mechs. — Claire Jackson