Games Like Titanfall 2 You Definitely Need To Try

Respawn Entertainment's 2016 sequel, "Titanfall 2," took everything revolutionary about the online-only original and added a thrilling single-player mode that highlighted the best elements of the game. Respawn fleshed out the story hinted at in the first game and even came up with some new mechanics to make the campaign consistently surprising.

Players who purchased "Titanfall 2" ended up with a game that was a fluid first-person shooter and mech simulator. The game offered a dynamic campaign that incorporated time travel and was set in an original sci-fi universe. While the game flopped sales-wise in the crowded 2016 holiday season, "Titanfall 2" was a critical success and was nominated for a variety of accolades, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2016.

Since its release, "Titanfall 2" has enjoyed an extended life through services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and new players are still discovering the diverse experience that it has to offer. Gamers wondering what to play after "Titanfall 2" might find that to be a tricky proposition, as there isn't another title that pulls together so many different elements in quite the same way, but there are some options. Here are some games like "Titanfall 2" that you can try next.

Gamers who want to experience more of the "Titanfall 2" universe and story have two options. They can either go backward to the original "Titanfall" or forward to the follow-up battle royale game, "Apex Legends." Considering that the original "Titanfall" lacks some quality of life improvements included in its direct sequel, "Apex Legends" is probably the easier switch to make.

Be forewarned, though, that the mechs that defined "Titanfall 2" are not present, and they likely never will be. Gamesindustry.biz reports executive producer Drew McCoy explaining, "We tried for months and months to make titans work in [battle royale], but they're the antithesis of what we were trying to accomplish."

However, even without mechs, "Apex Legends" is a uniquely thrilling experience. The game, which is one of the best battle royale games available, features elements of the dynamic movement that made "Titanfall 2" so fluid, in addition to many of the signature weapons players enjoyed in that title, including the Kraber, the Volt, and the R-97. Anyone looking to explore the "Titanfall" universe further, or looking for another intense, well-designed multiplayer experience, should give the free-to-play "Apex Legends" a try.

Anyone who has played "Titanfall 2" and found the slowed-down, crunchy mech combat to be a highlight is in luck, as there are some comparable games out there. In fact, one of the signature mech franchises recently made its return in 2019 with "MechWarrior 5: Mercenary."

The newest "MechWarrior" game was released nearly two decades after the last major title in the series, 2000's "MechWarrior 4." The new game looks and plays beautifully, but players jumping from "Titanfall 2" to "MechWarrior 5: Mercenary" should be aware that it is much more of an in-depth piloting game than they might be expecting. As PC Gamer puts it, "If you're here for a mech smashing simulator, this is the best new mech smashing simulator around." 

As such, players should expect a steeper learning curve from "MechWarrior 5: Mercenary" than they saw in the arcade-style mech combat of "Titanfall 2," but those who stick with it will be rewarded with a deep experience. 

While lots of attention is given to the mechs that create climactic moments both in the single-player and multiplayer modes of "Titanfall 2," it is worth remembering that most of the game is spent on foot as a pilot. While on the ground, players take advantage of the varied movement mechanics of the game, including wall-running, sliding, and climbing moves that make getting from point A to point B a joy.

Players who found that portion of the game the most rewarding will discover more of what they're looking for in "Mirror's Edge" franchise. The original "Mirror's Edge," released in 2008, was an innovative title that was inspired by parkour scenes from films such as "Casino Royale," according to a Video Gamer interview with DICE general manager Sean Decker. That game seemed to inform many of the free movement concepts seen in "Titanfall 2," and those very same mechanics would appear in 2016's open-world reboot, "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst." 

While "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst" was divisive among reviewers on Metacritic, it still offers an unparalleled free movement experience. Anyone who preferred the aspects of "Titanfall 2" that emphasized ground traversal might find something to enjoy in either "Mirror's Edge" installments.

Towards the end of the innovative primary campaign of "Titanfall 2," players have learned how to pilot mechs, glide through environments, and master a diverse array of firearms. What more could "Titanfall 2" possibly throw at a player? Perhaps a whole level built around some light time travel, used as both a puzzle-solving tool and combat mechanic? That's what gamers got in the fifth level of the game, about which Game Informer said, "it was difficult to find a more well-designed level than Titanfall 2's 'Effect and Cause.'" 

Fans can find more first-person time manipulation in 2010's "Singularity." This underrated shooter revolves entirely around time travel and gives players a time manipulation device to age or de-age objects and enemies.

One of the best uses of the tool comes when the player must explore a ship by de-aging it, a process that doesn't last for long. As players move through the boat, it re-ages, adding even more atmosphere to the game. Eurogamer said, "It is beautifully choreographed, one of the unsung highlights of the scripted FPS, and the fittingly named jewel hidden in Singularity's oyster." Anyone who is looking for more time-bending madness should investigate "Singularity."

While there are ways to experience specific elements of "Titanfall 2" in similar titles, sometimes gamers just want another well-rounded shooter that offers solid single-player and multiplayer experiences. Gamers looking for another modern shooter that matches the quality level of "Titanfall 2" should consider "Doom: Eternal," which was nominated for five awards, including Game of the Year, at The Game Awards 2020.

On the surface, the two games appear to have very little in common. While both take advantage of sci-fi settings, "Doom: Eternal" is far more interested in its series' demonic and supernatural elements. Gamers won't find anything in the way of mechs or time travel here, either.

What they will find is one of the most interesting, well-designed (and hardcore) shooters available to gamers today. The game's movement mechanics will be familiar to "Titanfall 2" vets, with double jumps and wall grabs helping players maneuver through some of the hellish environments. The game also features a competitive multiplayer Battlemode and what IGN's Ryan McCaffrey described as "one of the best first-person shooter campaigns I've played in years." Anyone finished with "Titanfall 2" who needs a new high-octane shooter should definitely give "Doom: Eternal" a look.