Buzz. The sci-fi triple screens in the IndieVibe X2 cabin lit up, BT-7274's UI flaring to life.
Inside the cockpit, Yin saw the battlefield through BT's visual system. On the Typhon cliff, dozens of IMC soldiers unleashed a hail of gunfire at him.
This moment felt like déjà vu—but the roles were flipped.
"Hah! Take that, grunts!" Yin laughed, watching the bullets ping off BT's energy shield, not even scratching it. "No damage, chat? This is a breeze! Y'all need to step it up!"
He raised his hand, and BT's massive mechanical arm synced, hoisting a glowing blue energy shield. Bullets froze in the gel-like field, suspended like flies in amber.
With a flick of his wrist, Yin slung them back. Whoosh! Bullets retraced their paths, kicking up dirt and rock. IMC soldiers screamed, blood spraying, some tumbling off the cliff.
Chat exploded:
"Holy crap, that mech texture is nuts!"
"Energy shield from the trailer? Nailed it!"
"WindyPeak's trailers don't lie!"
"Gus Harper's a legend for this."
"Calling him Director Gus now."
"That ricochet is wild."
Amid the hype, another wave of IMC reinforcements rolled in—infantry backed by buzzing drones.
Rat-tat-tat!
Whoosh!
The firepower ramped up, but BT's cluster missile system came online. Ch-ch-ch! Missiles launched, no ammo limits, just a cooldown. Maybe not realistic, but—
"This is freaking awesome!" Yin roared.
Whoosh! Boom! Missiles screamed, explosions lighting up the canyon. Drones shattered, soldiers flew back in clouds of smoke.
"Seriously, chat," Yin said, goosebumps rising, "if you've got an IndieVibe X2, get Titanfall. The missile recoil, bullet feedback, the steel—it's unreal. One word: buy."
He wasn't hyping for clout. WindyPeak Games tuned every haptic detail to perfection. The sensory overload—recoil, vibrations, the clang of metal—was groundbreaking.
Cool didn't cut it. Yin was out of words.
Next up? Restore BT's movement system for mobile combat. Gus Harper, the mastermind behind WindyPeak, knew exactly what players craved.
"Main weapon and movement systems online," BT's voice rumbled.
Ch-kk! The Titan's massive rifle locked into place, its steps splashing through Typhon's shallows. Rumble.
"Hell yeah, I'm mobile!" Yin shouted, nearly leaping out of the cabin. The mech's weight, the thud of each step—it sent shivers down his spine.
He squeezed the trigger. Boom-boom-boom! The rifle spat fire, bullets tearing up the ground, blood mist erupting from IMC grunts.
"This is insane! They're dust!" Yin cackled. "Ashes in the wind, chat!"
Pure joy flooded him, like a kid with a new robot toy. That joy spiked when he found BT could sprint and slide. The 40-ton Titan barreled through, crushing IMC soldiers like ants.
Machine guns, cluster missiles, energy shields—Yin cycled weapons, mowing down enemies, grinning ear to ear.
"Invincible, chat! Who's stopping Jack 'Iron' Cooper today?"
"Enemy Titan detected, Pilot. Engage," BT said.
Yin froze. "Uh… what?"
Chat lost it:
"Sweating yet, boss?"
"Mastered the basics, now try the boss fight!"
"Here comes Big Daddy."
"Bet you lose those batteries."
"BT: Trial's over, kid. Renew?"
"WindyPeak's roulette event says pay up."
"Gus is such a troll."
Yin gulped. The memory of an enemy Titan ripping out BT's battery during the breakout haunted him. With Gus Harper's chaotic design streak, would he really yoink the Titan back?
A dialogue prompt popped up on the UI. Titanfall's AI let players chat with NPCs for immersion, but key story beats used scripted choices. Yin, as a streamer, leaned into it, picking a line that matched his nerves:
"Uh… can we actually do this?"
BT paused. "Believe me."
The calm, steady tone hit hard, boosting Yin's confidence. This was his first Titan-on-Titan fight alongside BT, the first step toward finding Major Alex Anderson.
"Let's roll!" Yin shouted.
The music tensed. Rumble—BOOM! An enemy Titan, Beast, crashed onto the battlefield, its orange-red shield glowing—the same model that nearly crushed him before. Back then, Captain James "Jim" Lastimosa threw it down and blasted it.
Not the sword-wielding one, Yin thought, relieved. That's probably a later boss.
The Beast dropped its shield. Ch-ch! Three spinning missiles screamed in. Yin slid BT, dodging. BOOM! One hit, shaking the cabin, dropping BT's shield by a fifth.
"Damn it!" Yin cursed. "You tried to stomp me yesterday, now you're back?"
He locked cluster missiles and fired. Whoosh! Explosions engulfed the Beast, flames licking its hull. Yin's rifle roared, bullets hammering it back.
The Beast fought back, spraying bullets and missiles. The valley turned into a gladiatorial arena, Titans circling, dodging, and unloading firepower.
Rumble. Boom! Sand flew, steel clashed. Yin felt every jolt, every recoil, fully immersed. The force field caught stray rounds, the rifle's kick vibrating his hands.
Buzz. The shield glowed orange, catching three missiles. Yin flung them back, rocking the Beast. Seizing the moment, he locked another missile salvo. Beep-beep!
Ch-ch-ch! Missiles swarmed, shattering the Beast's defenses.
"Now!" Yin charged, BT's rockets flaring. The Titan grabbed the smoking Beast, Yin gritting his teeth. "Stay down, pal!"
Buzz—BANG! BT slammed the Beast into the shallows, water exploding. Yin aimed the cluster missile launcher at its cockpit. Boom-boom!
A perfect echo of Lastimosa's execution. Missiles rained, flames roared.
"Enemy Titan defeated," BT said.
Chat went wild:
"YO, that was SICK!"
"Lastimosa would be proud!"
"My dream mech fight, nailed!"
"IndieVibe X2 order placed. I'm broke now."
"No BT for a day, and I'm dying."
"WindyPeak's trolling, but I'm hooked."
The fight lit up the gaming scene, streamers hyping their Titans, viewers buzzing.
Meanwhile, Lucas "Luke" Sterling, editor-in-chief at Tate's Gaming Scoop, sat in his Seattle IndieVibe X2 cabin, dissecting Titanfall.
One of six escort titles for the new-gen cabin, Titanfall's $170 million budget and underdog status against Nebula Games' giants made it a long shot. Luke called it a pipe dream.
Sure, WindyPeak's trailer outshined Nebula's trio, shifting market hype toward IndieVibe X2. But Luke saw it as a fluke. Real competition hinged on gameplay.
As a veteran reviewer, Luke got early access to both IndieVibe X2 and Polar Bear 3 cabins. While players waited for shipping, he tested Nebula's three FPS titles:
Gunsmoke (StarWolf Interactive): A CrossFire upgrade with better graphics, dynamic effects, and new biochemical and arms race modes. Stable but stale, with a rigid co-op mode. Luke scored it 85/100.
Special Operations (Radiant Studios): A shameless PUBG rip-off, toned down for ratings. Poor visuals, clunky controls. Luke gave it 60/100, barely passing.
Insect Tide 2100 (Zenith Studios): A story-driven FPS with epic insect battles, tragic losses, and a double ending. High production, but repetitive plains-based combat. Puzzles and exoskeletons added flair, but it dragged. Luke rated it 90/100, top-tier for story FPS.
Nebula's lineup was meh. Luke expected Titanfall to match Insect Tide 2100 at best, not surpass it.
Then he played it.