Pop culture, and video games in particular seem to have a fascination with giant robots. Coming along to scratch that itch is Titanfall from EA and Respawn Studios. The multiplayer version of the game is currently in Beta for both XBOX One and PC, allowing you to run, jump, shoot and punch giant mechs to your hearts contents.

My time with the game has been interesting so far. But before I get to that, a brief layout of Titanfall’s Beta. There are currently three match types available: Attrition, Hardpoint Domination, and Last Titan Standing. Attrition is a standard Deathmatch with teams competing for the most score. Hardpoint Domination is a Titan-centric take on the traditional “capture objectives and hold them for points” mode, while Last Titan Standing sees every player spawn in a Titan. There are no respawns, and the last team standing wins.

One thing that will immediately stand out to FPS veterans is the freedom of movement you have as a pilot in Titanfall. Your Titan is not immediately available, instead being on a two minute countdown before you can call it in. You can decrease this timer by killing enemy players and AI controlled grunts. During this time, you are merely a pilot on foot with a primary weapon (like a rifle), some form of pistol and an Anti-Titan weapon. Pilots are outfitted with gear that allows them to sprint, double jump and even wall run. It is entirely possible in Titanfall to come into an alley and spy a nice rooftop vantage point that you can access simply by wall running up one side of the alley, leaping to the other wall to continue your run and gain height, then leap off and grab the edge of the rooftop and heave yourself up.

This mobility is a key part of playing a pilot particularly when a Titan enters the field. These hulking machines are surprisingly mobile and are almost instant death to an unwary pilot. Being blown away in one shot from a chaingun three times your size, stepped on or just punched out of existence are all standard ways a pilot will die if he takes a Titan head on. Fortunately for the squishy pilot, he has an arsenal of tools to help deal with these behemoths. Anti-Titan weapons such as sidewinder missiles will put a dent in the offending mech. Also available is the ability – if timed right – to leap onto the Titan, rip off a panel covering some of it’s vital electronics and blast them to bits. Satisfying in the extreme, its a neat twist on the gameplay that keeps Titans from feeling all powerful.

While on foot, the game plays smoothly. Controls are snappy and responsive, shooting feels good and each kill is satisfying. Then there are the Titans themselves….

Call down a Titan and you are rewarded with a massive ball of fire raining down from the sky. Pressing the embark key will see your Titan pick you up in it’s giant metal paw and shove you into the cockpit. From here, everything changes. The sense of power that comes with a Titan is immensely satisfying. Armed with formidable primary weapons, offhand rapid fire rockets and the Vortex shields, these mechs are walking weapons of mass destruction. Firing down on offending pilots and grunts is satisfying as you exact revenge on the same people who moments ago were sniping you from third story windows. The real challenge is taking down another Titan. Combat is fast and fluid, particularly when you employ the shield mechanic of the Titan. Engaging it allows you to throw up shield that will catch incoming projectiles. Upon release, they can be fired back at your target. This ability has a short cooldown, so don’t expect to spam it. Even when a Titan is doomed, as the game calls it, not all is lost. You can eject, catapulting up and out of your Titan as it explodes. Landing safely will allow you to jump right back into the fight.

If I sound like I’m enthusiastic about the game, I am. It plays wonderfully and has enough balance to keep titans from becoming unstoppable juggernauts. The only times I have felt completely overpowered was in a handful of matches where my team was playing poorly and the entire enemy team ended up in Titans. Among my only complaints with the game is that the on foot shooting does feel a lot like Call of Duty. This is to be expected, considering that the developer of titanfall, Respawn, is comprised of many former Infinity Ward employees – the studio responsible for many Call of Duty games.

In the end, the one thing that has me impressed with Titanfall is the fun factor. Despite feeling frustrated after a bad match, I was never directing that frustration at the game.Instead, I was berating myself for poor play or bad decisions. All in all, I can’t wait to jump back into the game, call down my Titan and go unleash some hell.

Here’s some gameplay footage to hold you over till the game releases on March 11.