Attack on Titan 2 is not a perfect game, but it does a great job in bringing that world to life. From the terror of being grabbed to the excitement of making that perfect attack, it can be exhilarating. If you have ever wanted to kill naked, sexless giants to save mankind, Attack on Titan 2 is your game.
The story is a shortened version of season 1 and season 2 with all the high notes and none of the filler. It puts you into the ODM gear of another kid whose life was destroyed when the titans broke through the wall. Conveniently, he is from the same town as Eren and Mikasa, and he joins up with the Scouts to take revenge on the Armored Titan.
As a fan of the anime, Attack on Titan 2 does a good job of condensing the most important elements of the story. It’s narrated from the perspective of the person who finds your leather journal. You can open it and flip through the information to review or learn about the characters or titans from the show.
Another way the game puts you in the show is with a very robust character creator. I was able to pick from eyes, nose, skin color, hair type, and so much more to make very different avatars. No matter what you decide, that model is used in all the in-game cutscenes.
The gameplay is split between two modes. Daily Life is a chance for you to talk to you comrades, walk around the city, or develop upgrades for your weapons and gear. Different characters have their own personalities and stories, and you can choose from different responses to become closer to them and watch how they change throughout the game.
Game Info
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Release Date: March 20th
- Price: $59.99/£59.99/€59.99
Maximizing those relationships will unlock new skills. You can increase your basic stats with dexterity or health boosts, but you can also learn new skills that can make your blades and gas last longer. This is a big help in combat, because, without weapons and mobility, you could be surrounded by hungry titans who will smash you, grab you, or eat you.
Unfortunately, acquiring these skills can be a chore. In Daily Life, people who want to talk have an icon over their heads. You can choose a response or even have a little cutscene with them demonstrating that you two have become closer.
The problem is that you may have to talk to them three separate times, before you are done. This includes being dropped into another part of the city, going back to them, and talking to them again.
I can see how you are increasing your rapport and acquiring new skills, but, even with a fast travel system, there should be a simpler way to do this instead of it being so much busy work. If it’s harder to make imaginary friends than real friends, it’s a problem.
The combat is not a problem. It’s intense, and I am thrilled to say it is the highlight of the game. Whether you are fighting in towns, plains, forests, or castles, the biggest moments from the show are well-represented here.
There are a variety of terrifying titans, and even the smaller titans are huge. The AI behaviors are limited, but you won’t notice as you face armies of regular, abnormal, and even bizarre titans who could kill you at any moment.
Your agility boosting ODM gear will let you swing through the air, and you can speed up for a more deadly strike at the expense of gas. I loved being able to quickly maneuver through the air, line up my strike, and zoom toward the towering titans. Each kill is graded depending on whether you failed to have a successful strike, and you can receive bonus materials for a kill.
The basic mission structure usually starts in a large area, and you have objectives that can change as you advance. It consists of killing titans, rescuing people, and building bases with a rinse and repeat over the course of the game. You can choose to rescue other scouts by riding toward their green smoke and icon, and I would recommend it.
When you rescue other soldiers on the field, they will join you, and you can order them to attack the titan or use a flash grenade or other item. If they are a known titan, they will transform, and you can use them to punch and kick your way to victory.
Just like the show, the only way to kill a titan is to slice the nape of its neck, but you can target each arm and leg individually. Cutting off a leg slows it down and cutting off the arms lowers the chances of you being fast food. Some body parts contain materials for upgrades, so it can be worthwhile to dismember your foes.
Upgrades include new ODM gear, new blades, or a better scabbard. Some of the upgrades are more balanced, and others emphasize certain attributes to match your playstyle. Since building bases during the mission will help you to replenish your supplies, so I went with fewer but sharper blades and faster reel speed at the expense of gas.
If you want to take a break from the story, Scout Missions give you some action, let you build relationships, and give you materials. These short scenarios move you from battle to battle without returning home. They also give you Wings of Freedom points to upgrade bases or for an experience or morale boost for the next battle.
They are fun, but Attack on Titan 2 forces you to play through many of them early, before it lets you go back to the story. I am not sure why. I would have played them anyway, and, for a short time, it took away my choice in how to play the game.
The visuals are a bit of a mixed bag. The destructible environments are fine, but they can be a bit drab and the textures are not great in some places. You don’t really notice it as much as you are flying around the battlefield or riding your horse (also upgradable).
I thought the titans look great. They all have roughly the same complexion, but the different faces and expressions were mostly clear.
For the rest, there is some clipping and a wall or two will disappear for a couple of seconds depending on where you look, but there are times when I couldn’t see what was happening at all. With cannons firing at a titan I just dispatched, I would be falling to the ground only to get lost amidst the smoke, dissolving remains, and other titans looking to avenge the guy I just . It normally only lasts for a few seconds, but good luck seeing anything until it clears.
Another Mode gives you and other titan slayers across the world a chance to battle each other or team up to make your world safer. It works really well, and real people take a titan down much faster than your AI companions. The challenges are much higher as well, and you can work together to revive a downed friend to keep slashing.
Anyone you have unlocked in single player is available to use as an avatar, and you can level up and gain materials to continue unlocking and improving your gear and characters.
Even with some repetitive gameplay and less than stellar visuals, I had a lot of fun with Attack on Titan 2. It works very hard to put you in that world and let you do everything you have seen from the anime. It presents the familiar drama from a slightly different angle, and the presentation is very good.
If you have ever dreamed of making the world safe from the titan threat, you are going to enjoy Attack on Titan 2.
Review Disclaimer: This review was carried out using a copy of the game provided by the publisher. For more information, please read our Review Policy.
Reviewed using base PS4.
