F.P.S. Testers Unite

F.P.S.+Testers+Unite

World War I or Giant Robots? The gamers of the world were recently graced with two sneak peeks at upcoming games. Now the question is, do they hold up?

For those who don’t know, an open technical test and an open beta were released within a week of each other. One was for Titanfall 2, the sequel to Microsoft’s exclusive first person shooter. The other was for Battlefield 1, the continuation of EA’s highly successful Battlefield series.

Both games are first person shooters, but they are by no means the same. They aren’t exact copies of their predecessor either. Both games are scheduled to release in late October.

Titanfall 2

(Xbox One, Ps4, Pc)

Open Technical Test

The purpose of a technical test is to test the limits of a game’s server. When a new multiplayer game comes out, it is usually played by millions of people at the same time through one set of servers.

The tech test gets the servers ready for the massive amounts of players while also making sure there are no network issues; if there are, they are easy to fix early rather than at release.

The tech test isn’t for making gameplay changes or fixing massive glitches. Titanfall 2 felt exactly as it should. It was smooth, and the gaming community experienced very few issues. It felt like it was ready for release.

The gameplay felt just like the first, but with a few changes. There is no longer the clunky burn card experience. Instead, there is a typical scorestreak-like system to activate new abilities such as exploding spider drones and making your weapon overcharged.

They also tweaked the movement in the game to allow you to keep your momentum longer. With the addition of the improved movement, there are new skills that go along perfectly with the running mechanics, such as the grapple hook and the improved Stim system. Both make for a faster experience while also switching up the firefights.

The Titans are still just the same behemoths as the first game, but with a little more oomph.  One is fire based while the other is ion (or laser) based. Perhaps the newest thing seen in the Tech test was the new rodeo system and the cool new game mode, Bounty Hunter. The full game is scheduled to release October 28th. Hopefully, it will be more successful than its predecessor.

Battlefield One

(Xbox One, Ps4, PC)

Open Beta

The purpose of an open beta is pretty much the same as a tech test, but it is also for fixing last minute glitches and bugs. When millions of people try a game multiple times, bugs and issues arise that the developers and designers wouldn’t have been able to find themselves.

Open Betas are perfect for that exact reason. You find all the issues before the game’s actual release in a controlled period and scenario while also bringing tons of publicity and hype to the game itself. Now, there were some hiccups in the game, but thanks to the test, they will soon be polished out.

Battlefield games have a distinct feel when you play them; Battlefield 1 is no exception. However, it was incredibly obvious that some changes were made since Battlefield Hardline and Battlefield 4. The first significant difference is the vehicles. They are very easy to learn. Never have the controls for battlefield vehicles been as intuitive as they are in 1. The new horses make a difference allowing for extra speed and more control than other vehicles, allowing for quick attacks and retreats. Planes fly with ease, and dogfights and bombing have never been as fun. Tanks are now war machines that will make a path for all your other soldiers while also destroying anything in its path. Don’t worry though, a few well-placed explosives and vehicles won’t be in your way.

The classes have also been revamped in Battlefield 1 to suit the World War I scenario. Medics are still mid-range shooters and the only healers. Support is perfect for the cover fire, setting traps, resupplying troops and just being plain intimidating. Assault is for the up close and personal situations, but if you want to blow up a vehicle, this class is perfect for you.

Finally, the Scout class is your traditional sniper, but with some new tools of the trade, like a spotter scope and a flare gun.

The full game is scheduled to release October 21st.

Both games look like they will be hard hitters. The only question left now is: which do you want?