I have a long and storied history with Attack on Titan, having fervently watched the first season as it came out when I was at the end of my high school career. The seemingly endless (to a 17-year-old) wait between the first season and the second made me forget to fully return to the series until, coincidentally, the beginning of this year. This made me feel a new level of hype for the series, which made the announcement of Attack on Titan 3 perfectly timed for me. I got the chance to check out the early portion of Koei Tecmo’s latest foray into the intense world of Hajime Isayama’s masterful manga and anime series.
Credit: Koei Tecmo
Unlike the previous two games that continued the plot, Attack on Titan 3 takes you back to the start to retell the entire series with a twist. This time around, you’re experiencing the story from a new avatar character’s perspective – that of a former Survey Corps engineer who has left field duty after the Scouts’ disastrous last mission. Though you can customize the character to look like yourself, they have their own story, which I found intriguing from the get-go.
Playing as a former Scout who is, understandably, traumatized from their time fighting Titans is an angle ripe for emotional storytelling. The opening cutscenes of your squad being decimated by Titans are chilling and add a new dimension to the expedition at the start of the series. Plus, your new role as a trainer for the group of Cadets that includes all the series’ main characters gives your avatar a convenient way to experience the plot alongside Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the rest.
Credit: Koei Tecmo
Back in the day, I was incredibly skeptical that a game could nail the fast-paced, scale-based action of Attack on Titan, but Koei Tecmo proved me wrong. Once again, Attack on Titan 3’s gameplay is every bit as exciting and high-flying as it should be, with the addition of some dandy extra features. Maneuvering through the air with your EDM gear feels even smoother than in past games, as techniques like Boost Slides and Focus mode let you move your character with more freedom than before. As such, killing Titans is a visceral blast that truly emulates the intensity of the source material, further emphasized by the gore that sprays as you slash them.
Attack on Titan 3 makes killing Titans more exciting than ever.
Chain attacks are an especially fun mechanic that lets you hack away at Titans in an aesthetically pleasing way, giving you the feeling of being an effective and badass Scout. Even outside of battles, swinging around or riding on horseback is a blast, and with mobility being such a major part of Attack on Titan’s action, I’m glad it stays ridiculously satisfying in Attack on Titan 3.
Credit: Koei Tecmo
The social system is back from Attack on Titan 2, letting you speak with and befriend many characters from the series. This takes on a different vibe than in the second game, where you were a fellow Cadet, as you’re now their teacher. This mentor role adds a fresh spin to the system, diversifying it from the last take, and keeping the full plot in mind also informs some of your interactions with characters who will take on greater importance down the line. This is the most immersive take on Attack on Titan so far, and I’m excited to see how the avatar reacts to some of the massive plot twists later in the series.
I’m looking forward to experiencing the intense final arcs of Attack on Titan when Attack on Titan 3 launches next month on December 10. I already dug the first two games quite a bit, so I can’t wait to experience the series’ massive battles firsthand. My time previewing the sequel gave me even more confidence in Koei Tecmo nailing this massive project, so I’m itching to play it as much as I can in the chilly winter months.
