Attack on Titan 2 Review (PC)

Before starting the review, I have to admit that I’m a hardcore Attack on Titan fan, both of the manga and the anime series, so when I heard that they were attempting a new game with better combat mechanics, I was more than curious.

The premise

Because of the way the story is handled, Attack on Titan 2 is tailored towards both fans of the series and newcomers alike. As far as the story goes, the narrator stumbles upon the journal of a cadet from long ago (your character), and all the entries in it are in fact all the actions you are about to partake in.

I loved the unique approach to your character creation, especially given the fact that you act as a side character forever present in the lives of Eren, Mikasa and Armin, and you bare witness to the story as it unfolds, with you pitching in some help along the way. Because it would be exhausting to go through every minor detail of the story, the game only covers the most iconic scenes of the manga.

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Relive an epic journey

If you try the game together with the DLC, you’ll get the chance to relive the story spanning the first 90 volumes of the manga, or the first 3 seasons of the anime. This way of telling the story has both its perks and its cons. For one thing, you always know what will happen next (if you’re a fan), so the anticipation factor is indeed very high. On the other hand, you can’t experience some of the show’s greatest plot twists. But if you come to think of it, knowing who the baddie is beforehand makes you cringe when you see how they seamlessly interact with the protagonists you are rooting for from the very beginning. Of course, those that have read the manga or have watched the series know very well what I am talking about.

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The gameplay

Combat is probably the first thing that should be covered when talking about gameplay. Attack on Titan is probably best known for the unique approach to combat, thanks to the introduction of the ODM (Omni-directional mobility gear). Any fan of the series knows and has probably dreamed of fighting using an ODM at least once in their life, and now they have the chance. Mobility using ODM gear reminded me of Spiderman games, and actual combat can be described as having certain QTE moments. This is because not only do you have to maneuver around the battlefield, you have to do it while avoiding enemy attacks and targeting weak points simultaneously.

Of course, not everyone is Mikasa or Levy, and felling a titan isn’t your average walk in the park. Most of the times you’ll have to first chop off a few limps before going for the kill-shot. Timing attacks just right will mean massive critical hits, and will usually cripple or even instantly kill a titan if you’re lucky enough. Lastly, combat can be visually described as a visceral display of blood and gore, so those of you that are squeamish by nature will be glad to know that there is a gore filter which they can activate in case their stomach isn’t as tough as their blades.

Slice of life

Because this is a JRPG after all, they couldn’t neglect the social aspect of your character and how he relates to everyone else. As you fight alongside or talk to the characters, you’ll eventually increase your friendship levels with them. Once your friendship levels hits a certain value, you will gain certain bonuses with or from that character, such as new skills, stat increases, access to certain facilities and more. Of course, this will sometimes feel like a useless feature, especially since you can become friends with characters that die early on, and you end up wondering why you should even bother.

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The RPG in JRPG

Stats aren’t exactly explained within the game, but any RPG fan will agree with the following statement:

"More stat points are better"

As for the equipment, that’s a whole different story. Missions and performing certain actions will award currency and reagents which can be used to access new equipment, or upgrade the one you already have. This includes new blades, guns, and support items which will make combat a whole lot easier for you. While in theory you could roll through the game without ever upgrading your equipment, boss battles will be a real nightmare since they usually have large HP bars and you’ll be hacking at their limbs and napes like crazy.

The Good

The faithfulness to the source material
The ODM combat
Character point of view
You witness iconic moments from the manga

The Bad

Titan movements can be a big buggy
The story is way too scripted as far as the plot goes

Conclusion

Rarely have I ever played a JRPG that was so faithful to the source material you felt like watching an anime with brief moments of gameplay. You get to relive the same epic story that has yet to be finished, but this time you see it from the point of view of someone who was actually there, and not just a spectator. As such, if you’re a hardcore Attack on Titan fan, or you want to play something that will ease your introduction into the series, then I recommend Attack on Titan 2 wholeheartedly.