With the recent release of Titanfall in North America and the upcoming releases in the rest of the world, Microsoft is hoping sales of the Xbox One will catch up to the sales of the PS4. There's certainly been a fair share of buzz surrounding the game. Here's how you can maximize your engrossment in the game and play in style.
1. The Right Equipment
So you've got the game and you've got the system. You're all set up and ready to go. Now what?
Well, how about the limited edition Titanfall controller from Microsoft? The controller is designed after the weaponry in the game and you'll feel like you're holding a piece of the world in your hand. Talk about engrossment!
2. The Headset
Of course, if there were something that could make you feel more engrossed than holding an artifact that looks specifically like it comes from the world in which you're virtually roaming, it'd be a killer headset. A headset can add more to the gaming experience than perhaps any other accessories; this is especially true for the multiplayer experience. Since this entire game is multiplayer, a good headset is even more important. IGN has an article that reviews headsets from the low-end to the high end.
3. The Sound
There's a whole lot of work that goes into the sound design of any game, and with Titanfall, sound design is particularly impressive. A 5.1 or 6.1 surround-sound setup will make the game sound amazing, and this can actually give you a strategic advantage; surround sound allows you to detect players approaching from behind you.
If you opt to get a headset, though, you might not need to invest in a new surround sound system. Many headsets come with surround sound built-in.
4. The Graphics
The Xbox One version of the game - to the chagrin of many players - plays at 792p resolution, though there are plans to go to either 1080p or 900p. The gameplay experience shouldn't be negatively affected since, as Drew McCoy - the producer of the game - claims, "Frame-rate is king" and resolution doesn't matter as much. In contrast, the PC version plays at 1080p, though some report noticing little difference.
Either way, both resolutions are technically HD, so to fully take advantage of what the game has to offer, you'll definitely want to have an HDMI-capable display.
5. The Room
The environment in which you play any game can make all the difference. Some even go so far as to create a separate gaming room, also affectionately referred to by some as man caves or even woman caves.
The "Multi-player arena" room, in particular, is a perfect idea for a multiplayer game like Titanfall. And what gaming room would be complete without a comfortable, high-tech chair specifically designed for gamers? There's a good review of a few of these chairs on IGN that showcases chairs with features ranging from vibration support to Bluetooth connectivity.
6. The Lighting
The room is only half the story when you're trying to create the right environment. Proper ambient lighting ties it together. Some people prefer to play video games in the dark. While ambient darkness can increase the contrast and visibility of a TV screen, it's no fun to be sitting in an awesome, custom game room in the dark. At the same time, though, it's best to avoid extremely bright lights because of the effects light has on the aforementioned contrast ratio and black level.
So, for the ultimate Titanfall immersion experience, you don't want bright lighting and you don't want pitch darkness. Good thing there are many happy in-betweens. One lighting setup that works particularly well is LED light strips around the room.
If you really want to feel like you're playing in style, why not make the LED strips yourself? There are all sorts of videos on how to do this on YouTube. If you get good enough at it, you can even do cool things like wrapping the lights around the edges of your chair or your TV screen.
Honorable mention
It's not available yet, and it's going to require a patch to support the Xbox One, but the Kickstarter-funded Delta Six might make this game even more amazing. It claims to be the most realistic gaming gun ever. Either way, it sure does look cool, and it absolutely drips with style.
Conclusion
Fans have been anxiously awaiting Titanfall since it was announced at E3 in 2013. For Microsoft, it's considered a system seller. For gamers, it's an exciting beginning to what promises to be blockbuster multiplayer console gaming experience. Dedicated gamers know that focus and frags come from more than just hand-eye coordination; it's about immersing yourself in the whole experience.