Titanfall

Much fuss has been made over the game's low, 792p resolution (mostly 60 fps). Too much, in my opinion, but it is noticeable. 'Titanfall' is no 'Ryse: Son of Rome.' Minute details are in short supply- You won't see metal chips flung off your titan's exterior, but what it lacks in visual fidelity it more than makes up for in presentation and flair.

Each titan chassis has a different finishing melee strike. The Ogre rips another titan's arm off and smashes the pilot within, where as the strider yanks that pilot out and simply squeezes him into a bloody fountain. Much of 'Titanfall's' personality emerges through animations vicious and exciting, all presented seamlessly in first-person. Respawn is endlessly adamant that the player remain in the first-person view, and the results are admirably immersive. It's a wonderfully direct philosophy that pays off, especially when you're erupting from your exploding titan or leaping into the evacuation vehicle during an end-game sequence. You always feel the motion of your pilot's actions. It keeps your eyes peeled to the screen.

Environmental design varies pretty widely from map to map, and not in the typical military shooter revolver of disaster zones and neighborhoods. A massive carrier rests atop a lagoon. Pterodactyl-like creatures pick off NPCs as you rush through a desert. A city becomes a vertical mouse maze with titans acting as massive, deadly bowling balls crashing through. It might've been nice to embrace a larger spectrum on the color palette, as titan battles can get a little muddled visually now and again.

The audio plays a surprisingly important role in the moment-to-moment gameplay of 'Titanfall.' Within your titan, an on-board CPU will often warn of enemy titans in the area, even going so far as to tell you you're outnumbered. Warning buzzers and clanking sounds tell you if an enemy pilot is "rodeoing" your titan, giving you ample opportunity to react. On the ground, approaching a hardpoint, s radio squawk will let you know if enemy pilots are nearby. The natural and immediate delivery of this information makes listening integral to success.

Of course, the sound design goes beyond dialogue and warnings. The titans, in all of their motions and abilities, sound massive and dangerous. Their weapons are even more intimidating, the rail-gun, in-particular, audibly intimates its looming threat as it charges up.

Guns shrieking, pilot jetpacks purring, NPCs fist-fighting in the corner. It all combines to deliver context and atmosphere which the campaign missions only to detract from.

Zip-lining, jump-kicking, dash-crushing and punching pilots into nothingness with metal fists. These are all things I didn't mention, but they're just a few of the many details that add to the game's allure and make those emergent moments happen. You might chain some of those things together after wall-running across an entire map or leaping into your titan from a rooftop. You might prefer to equip a sniper rifle and climb the highest possible point. Just remember, an enemy pilot might follow you up there and snap your neck. You're a camper, so you deserve it.

But, and here's the important part, you'll be laughing on either side of that exchange. That it all comes together in a way that makes us enjoy our time, rather than fluster over missed opportunities and sub-par performance, is a miracle in today's market. 'Call of Duty' players are among the angriest people I know. 'League of Legends' players are among the nastiest. There's an anxiety to online gaming that, up to this point, I assumed was just a part of it, a part of people. Respawn proved that wrong. 'Titanfall' is so explosive, so surprising, so intuitive and so rewarding, in and out of the titular beasts, that you'll only ever be screaming at the screen in glee.

Well, maybe that's just me. At the least, 'Titanfall' is the next-gen shooter to beat.