Like the first game, Attack on Titan 2 is an exciting and addictive action game that really makes you feel like a high-flying monster slayer. Though flying between buildings can be glitchy at times, the gloriously gory action and surprising breadth of content makes Attack on Titan 2 a fantastic and worthwhile action game.
Attack on Titan 2
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Price: $59.99
Platform: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, and PC
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS4 code for review
Back in 2016 I reviewed the first Attack on Titan game. Though I’ve had my grievances with the series itself, I found the game to be an exceptional, blood-pumping action game that perfectly captured the idea of Attack on Titan. It’s only natural that I would go into the sequel with high hopes, and while not much has changed between games, Attack on Titan 2 still gives you one hell of a ride.
The story of Attack on Titan 2 is largely the same as the first, but with additional plotlines from Season 2 added on. For those who don’t know, humanity has nearly gone extinct after the appearance of Titans, large humanoid creatures that seem to exist purely to eat people. The remaining humans build a city behind a number of huge walls, and train young men and women to battle Titans. Since the game covers Season 1 and 2, you’ll get to defend Trost, fight the Female Titan, battle Zeke, and partake in most other major events. The best part of the story is that it’s from your own perspective.
At the beginning of the game you make your own character. You essentially serve as a glorified side-character in the world of Attack on Titan, which is a huge plus in my opinion. Lots of anime games let you have a custom character, and I’ve never been fond of them shoving their way into the story while becoming the ultimate Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu. I’m of the belief that being a random cadet in Attack on Titan 2 is far preferable to being the saviour of humanity who was definitely always friends with the main character. While you can still become a rather respected soldier, you never end up being Levi’s best friend who dates Mikasa, turns into a super Titan, and is loved by every character ever. The story ends up being quite a lot of fun, largely thanks to this unique first-person perspective and its surprising restraint in how much the narrative focuses on you.
Attack on Titan 2’s gameplay is fairly unchanged at its core. From a distant third-person perspective, you soar around the skies using 3D Maneuver Gear, a waist-mounted apparatus that shoots cables at walls while propelling you forward at high speeds. Whizzing through the sky is a great deal of fun, especially since aerial movement provides an endless amount of mobility. This mobility does come with some issues, however, as you will occasionally get stuck grappling against walls. It’s not a frequent occurrence, but it happens enough to kill your momentum once in a while.
As in the source materials, Titans can only be killed by slashing their nape (the back of the neck). While you can slash the arms and legs of enemy Titans, the only way to finish them off is to slice their necks. Trying to get at a Titan’s neck while they’re running around and swiping at you is incredibly exciting, especially when you have a number of allies simultaneously swiping at them. Different Titans have different behaviours as well, so while simply swinging around a regular Titan may prove to be a sufficient strategy, abnormal Titans that run around on four legs will require a different method of execution.
Targeting specific limbs is done with the right stick, which can be a bit finnicky. Nonetheless, it is indescribably satisfying to slice a Titan’s neck, as you get to watch them plummet to the ground as Evil Dead levels of blood shoot from their cut. For the more pacifistic player, you can capture Titans to bring to your base for further research, which gives you new abilities and items. This is more challenging, as you have to cut the Titan’s legs off before shooting a huge net at them. It’s worthwhile to catch Titans not only for the skills, but because you log the different Titans in a database. Picture a more disturbing version of Pokémon’s Pokédex, though not quite as addictive.
Outside of combat you get to experience “Daily Life”. This is where you can create equipment, take on side-missions, and bond with the characters of Attack on Titan. Developing relationships with your teammates can be fun, as you get to learn more about them while obtaining skills that can be used in combat. Interacting with the more minor characters is especially fun, as it gives you the chance to learn about characters that even the manga and anime skim over.
There are quite a few side-missions in Attack on Titan 2, which primarily provide more gameplay while giving you money and rewards to be used on new equipment. There’s even the aptly named “Another Mode”, which lets you play through missions as the actual Attack on Titan characters, which provides a nice change of pace from playing as your avatar throughout the entirety of the story. There are all sorts of swords, scabbards, and maneuver gears that can be made, all with different stats and abilities. Since you get materials from defeating Titans, the amount of customizability gives you incentive to kill as many Titans as possible in each mission, especially because some of the equipment looks really cool.
Visually, Attack on Titan 2 actually improves upon its source material. The manga’s art is notoriously wonky, so the game uses the essence of the manga’s style while improving upon the overall quality. Character models look great, but it’s the Titans that really stand out. There’s an uncanny quality to the Titans, each with their own skewed proportions and physical features that make them difficult to look at but easy to battle. There are a ton of different Titan designs throughout the game, meaning you’ll get plenty of fresh macabre creatures to wince at.
Attack on Titan 2’s soundtrack doesn’t really stand out, as it’s primarily made up of verbose tracks that make you want to kill Titans. In that regard, it’s certainly effective, it just isn’t very memorable. The sound effects are visceral and sharp, which adds to the over-the-top hyperviolence that the game revels in.
The Final Word
Attack on Titan 2 is a thrilling action game that fans of the series and newbies can both enjoy. Though the game’s stellar mobility can lead to some frustrating glitches, the remarkably satisfying combat, solid amount of content, and the creative retelling of the anime’s story make Attack on TItan 2 worth swooping up.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
