A look inside the new Art of Titanfall book, received today by PC Gamer, reveals that the finished game may include NPC animals that add to the chaos of the battlefield. Some animals “will walk or fly around levels harmlessly until people interfere. Others will attack when you just stare at them.” Our own Cory Banks snapped a few photos of the creature concept art.
Along with confirming the existence of NPC monsters, several sections of the book also confirm the names and styles of Titanfall's many levels. Locations such as the Lagoon, a peaceful oasis before a mega-carrier crashed there, will shoulder the burden of explaining Titanfall's story background, an aspect of the game that hasn't gotten as much attention as the giant walking robots. Most interesting is the Boneyard, a map set among the skeletons of giant, long-dead animals.
Still-alive animals will also be a hazard for pilots and their Titans, as explained by the book. “Gun-toting Titans might fall from the sky with alarming regularity,” it says, “but the planets of the Frontier are also populated by bizarre and exotic animals that are equally dangerous, and often strike with the least provocation.”
The addition of hostile animals should finally put to rest the overblown worry that Titanfall's six-versus-six matches would feel small compared to the 64-player battles found in other online shooters. Between players, their Titans, NPC soldiers, and now animals, Titanfall will likely be every bit as chaotic as a fully packed Battlefield map.
Titanfall ends its open beta tomorrow, February 19, and the final game launches on March 11 in North America and March 13 in Europe. The Art of Titanfall is available next Tuesday, February 25. Hat tip to IGN .
