Every day is the "End of the Week"

     Sometimes, when you play a game, you experience something so unique, and so different from the typical big games out there, that it lasts you for years. Then, when those years pass, you begin to wonder why that game hasn't received a sequel, or really just anything quite like it. For me, that game is Battlefield 2142, specifically the Titan mode.

     Now I know what you're thinking, they have made sequels to that 2006 game. In fact, they've made plenty, but from my research, they don't have anything even close to Titan mode (which is why I didn't really get any more Battlefield games).

     For those who don't know, Titan mode shares some similarities with other games that have objective modes, but this one takes it to a whole other level. The main objective is to destroy these flying aircraft carriers called Titans, each packed with four heavy cannons, two anti-air cannons, and spawn attack helicopters and transport helicopters. It's also protected by a shield that must be weakened and shut down before any damage can be done to the ship' hull. Once the shield is down, there are two ways to destroy it. The first is the opposing team storming the insides of the Titan, having to destroy four command consoles and then the reactor core before making a flashy and cinematic escape by jumping off the Titan and parachuting safely to the ground. The second is to capture and hold missile silos and then blast it to kingdom come. It's actually very similar to the space battles in Star Wars Battlefront 2, only about 1,000 times better (oh yeah, and the Titans can be moved by a commander, and placed over strategic locations).

Usual reaction: Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!

     These missile silos are also the only way to drop the enemy Titan's shields, and thus are the entire focus of ground combat. They act like command post, found in many other games, where players can spawn and usually find a tank or APC just lying around. This is where the strategy of this mode kicks in, as the entire team needs to be coordinated in protecting and attacking missile silos. Once a Titan's shields are down, a whole new strategy must be devised to protect/attack the Titan while keeping control of the silos. If one team focuses on just attacking the Titan (something that is actually rather easily defended if you know what you're doing), then there is nothing stopping the other team from taking all the silos. Battles inside the Titans usually end up as stalemates, but neither side can lighten up because its the constant push that gives the players fighting for the missile silos the advantage.

     What makes the Titan mode of Battlefield 2142 different than most objective based team games is the scale of the battle, the lack of specific objectives handed out by the game itself, and the balancing of the classes. If we were to take the Invasion mode from Halo Reach (a pretty fun game mode) we run into an early problem of there only being so many objectives. For example, the map "The Spire" starts off by requiring the Spartans to stand in an area to turn off the shields that is being defended by Elites. The problem is, to any observer, the game looks like a total mess. With such a small map and only two objectives (eventually whittling down to one main objective) players are really just charging head first, often to their deaths, and to me, it cheapens the experience when the most effective strategy is to simply overwhelm.

     In Battlefield 2142's Titan mode, squads are essential for tactics. Squad leaders act as moving spawn points (or they can make their own if they have a beacon), and as a designated leader, they can set simple objectives for their members to follows, such as setting attack points, telling you what to defend, or setting a place for all players to rally. A built in voice chat system also allows squads to communicate more effectively. It's different than most games like this because there isn't an attack or defending team, it can change any moment based on what you're squad leader or commander needs or deems more important. Having players be able to follow these kind of objectives, but not having them be preset by the game itself, makes for a much more dynamic experience, and less like lemmings running off a cliff.

Teamwork is about having eachother's backs.

     Another part of the game is that the battlefields are huge, often requiring vehicles just to get around. This means that dying and having to respawn, is very detrimental to the whole effort. For example, if you were defending a missile silo and you died, not only do you have a 15 second respawn time, but chances are, you aren't getting back to that fight. This also makes the medic class much more valuable, since they can heal and revive fallen teammates to keep the fight going. I usually, and by "usually" I mean exclusively, play as the assault class which doubles as anti-infantry and medic. Fallen players are often very grateful that they don't have to respawn. It also allows for some players to specialize in driving vehicles while still being incredibly useful to the team. When I first got the game, I wasn't much of a PC player and would die to often in a firefight, which was why I started specializing in piloting transport helicopters. Players were very grateful for having a mobile spawn point and I got assist points for kills they got while in the copter. The Titan mode just made every role important, and never ceased to be satisfying. 

     The class system in 2142, which has been present in all Battlefield games, also add an exciting sense of teamwork to the game. As an assault class, I'm virtually powerless (read: useless) against tanks, walkers, or aircraft. However, fellow EotW writer Andrew, is not, as he usually plays as an engineer, focused on repairing, supporting, and blowing up vehicles. Together, we're a pretty formidable team, but nothing really beats having some recon and support guys with you to help you out. Overall, everyone plays an important part in this mode, and it doesn't always require a gun to be useful.

Where medics keep their magic boxes is mystery unto itself.

     Recently, I was able to play Brink on Steam for free. I loved that the game was primarily objective based but didn't like how the type of objectives were forced onto the player. Sure, there were secondary objectives, but usually one or two set objectives that was absolutely essential to win. I definitely prefer the one overall objective of Titan mode, with multiple ways of going about it, rather than a game that gives set objectives where every single player just rallies and blows each other up.

     I do have to say, that I liked that Brink had class based objectives, where if a bomb needed to be planted at a door, you would need a soldier, or if a VIP needed to be protected, you needed a medic to get them going again after they been hurt. It was definitely something I want to see more of in the Battlefield series (unless it already is...again, I haven't really played any of the other ones since I heard there was nothing like Titan mode) but in Brink, the whole system just had this feeling of small, confined, clashing.

A scene from Brink, setting up the bomb.

     Overall, what makes Titan mode in Battlefield 2142 so great was that it was tactical on a large scale, and this resulted in a very cinematic and immersive experience. It really was one of the first games where at a young age and skill level I could be useful without having to be good at shooting. Now, I still play as an assault class with a personal policy of leaving no soldier behind. I've also taken up the mantle of a squad leader, which is loads of fun, especially when others are talking back and calling you "squad leader". I just hope and pray that Titan mode returns in some other incarnation of Battlefield, maybe 2143?


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