I've played about 1.5 hours so far on PC. These's are my impressions.
Graphics/Sounds:
---Feels like a Call of Duty game on the source engine, for sure. If you're expecting mind-blowing graphics, you're going to be very disappointed. I don't think it's because it's beta. I think it's just because it's a Source game. Having played Call of Duty: Ghosts on PS4 in November (some of you may have watched that stream), I would say that Ghosts looks slightly better in single player HOWEVER, Titanfall looks better than Ghosts' multiplayer.
---Stuttering issues. I shouldn't have any issues streaming and playing this game. It feels like something is hogging resources in the background. This is probably just because it's a beta. I've played enough betas to see this ironed out in the final product.
---When you first drop in a Titan, the sounds and graphics are awesome. Probably something I look forward to every time is just watching it crash into the ground. When you first experience it in-game, it's something to cherish. And the first time you get gracefully swooped up and tucked into it's chest is tear-jerking good.
---You can set you FOV in PC to 90!
Gameplay:
---The first time I ran into a hallway and a Titan dashed from out of view to right in front of me, my adrenaline pumped up and palms produced beads of sweat. Pretty awesome first match for me.
---Gunplay is very simple. There's no recoil at all. It feels a lot like Quake III in that sense. You see a pilot/titan and just hold down the fire until you get an XP score and see your name owning their name.
---The A.I. bots are boring and horrible. I've seen both sides of the argument and I'm going to say that they need to either remove them or revamp them. I wouldn't mind cannon fodder DOTA bots (which is what they are) but the real players... I can't ever tell if I'm chasing a pilot or bot until the name shows up.
---Not as twitchy as I had hoped for. I don't know if anyone remembers the "
Brink" game, but it feels as twitchy as that game. Nothing like old-school Quake/UT games. Nothing wrong with that though. I don't mind it being a little slower honestly. Feels perfect at it's current speed. But if you were expecting UT/Q3, look elsewhere.
---Parkour feels tacky. If my videos saved on Twitch, I'll take my examples and upload them. I've rocketed myself a few times into the air on accident using the parkour/double jump system. It doesn't feel like Mirror's Edge in fast motion, or even as smooth as other games that have parkour. I haven't really found my balance with it. Right now, I feel it's a gimmick and a bit cheap.
---Stealth mode is fair. Titans haven't seen me yet while stealth and I can get a cheap shot on them. Other players seem to always see me. I guess I know why. You can clearly see their slightly invisible bodies standing there or running around. Shotguns come in handy for those stealthy sons of titans.
---The strategic use of Titan and pilot is amazing. This is my absolute favorite part of the game. You have a few options to utilize your Titan and I really didn't know how fun it would be to just be a pilot. I'm currently preferring the pilot since one of the ways you can take advantage of the battlefield is to just have the Titan guard and while you (the pilot) runs around defending it. You basically get double the damage from everyone on the field. This is how I've seen myself increasing my kills. Otherwise, jumping in a Titan and keeping it healthy by using shields and managing your attacks will just keep you from dying from crossfire or another player (since bots are not going to really get a kill on you).
---Maps feel a little small. This might just be because I come from Battlefield 4. They're probably the same size, or slightly bigger, than COD's maps. Personal preference obviously.
---The auto-target gun isn't that bad. I first wanted to hate it but it's not too shabby. The assault rifle is arguably the best weapon to pick at my level (5).
Overall:
I'm giving this a shot the entire weekend. Some days I'm not completely feeling a game. After 1.5 hours, I'd say that I've seen Titanfall and it's not a system seller, but it's a load of fun with some gameplay issues. Again, this is just my initial reaction and my honest one. I just hope it's not what it feels like right now: just another Call of Duty with mechs.
Worst thing about the game so far, and something that will drive me away quickly, is the bots OR just the lack of finding pilots. I really don't like how this is put together. I feel if they're not in Titans, I am not running into them.
Helpful hints:
For those playing, try placing the Titan on follow until you clear out an area. I've had way more kills outside the Titan than inside. Them things blow up good. But they also do a lot of score increasing if you have it battling a Titan while you use anti-Titan guns.