How Titanfall 2 Made Movement the Star of the Show - Art of the Level
Titanfall 2 is a giant among shooters thanks, in part, to its near-flawless depiction of the ultimate power fantasy: causing untold destruction with a massive, gun-toting mech. But Titanfall 2’s very best moments occur when you’re stripped of your walking tank and must survive its industrial sci-fi universe as a mere squishy human.
Into The Abyss, Titanfall 2’s fourth mission, is one of these moments, and marks a monumental achievement in mission design for developer Respawn Entertainment. Set in a factory suspended above an infinite void, a gauntlet of deadly fabrication machines acts as a thrilling and creative showcase for Titanfall’s ambitious movement systems.
To find out how Into The Abyss was put together, IGN spoke to game designer David Shaver, who co-designed the mission with three other developers at Respawn. With his insight, let’s take a look at how this level defies shooter traditions, teaches and reinforces first-person platforming skills, and builds contrasting experiences around movement abilities, all to create one of the most exhilarating FPS campaign missions of all time.
While perhaps not as famous as the time-hopping Effect and Cause, Into The Abyss is one of Titanfall 2’s most complex and demanding missions. A level almost wholly focused on the incredible mobility of your pilot, it’s made up of three distinct sections: the continually shifting assembly line of the World Foundry; the Simulation Dome live-fire training facility, and an escape set piece that culminates in a titan vs titan smackdown. Together, these three segments form a fascinating, memorable mission with a unique approach to movement and momentum.
Into The Abyss is the product of Respawn’s ‘action blocks’, a prototype system in which
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