Back in 2016, Koei Tecmo released the first Attack on Titan video game adaptation, which was primarily based on the first season of the show. While it did receive some mixed reception, no one can deny Tecmo established a foundation with its addicting and brutal combat against the ever fierce Titans. Now with its sequel, Attack on Titan 2, the series seems to have found its footing, with a few trips here and there.
The sequel takes a different approach to its storytelling this time around as our main (and silent) protagonist is player-created, whereas in the first game, we were put in the shoes of ongoing character Eren. Character customization is filled with many options that I can tell would make no one other player look the same. Everything from the scars on a character’s face to the size of their nose can be customized. Adding onto the fact that each clothing item is given multiple color options, this gives players multiple variations of their character. I took pride in the badass way I made my character look (even if it is a generic to give him an eye patch), and it was a joy to witness my avatar engage the Titans in such a ferocious way.
Players will require patience within the game’s first couple acts. Attack on Titan 2’s early tutorial sections, while somewhat necessary to learn the basics of combat, soon become stale and tedious. The game early hours continue this trend due to the fact that we have already witnessed these moments in the first game, only this time being from the perspective from our created protagonist. Many of the game’s first half is simply a retelling of its predecessor. While it is a unique approach to an established narrative, I found it came off as lazy. Once again, the story revolves around the 104th Cadet Corps, with our character taking center stage. It’s a shame that we have take the reins of a silent protagonist, because Attack on Titan’s character driven narrative is quite engaging. I grew attached to many of my comrades as majority of them had clear motivations driving them; I just wish I could say the same for my own character. Koei Tecmo had an opportunity to fulfill this wish, as right away we are introduced to a system where we can converse with many of our comrades, but sadly, this system ends up falling flat.
Between combat sections, the game will give players a breather from all the action to engage in conversations among the team. The dialogue choices the player makes determines the level of friendship they’ll have with each character. Ranking up the friendship meter will open up the player to new skills and gear. While this may sound like a deep, Bioware-style character progression, it’s entirely black and white. Each time I spoke with another character, it’s made fairly obvious what the correct choice of words will be to rank up the friendship. It comes down to either the friendship levels-up, or it does not. There is no in between or grey area, which essentially makes it feel pointless to implement it at all, aside from occasional character development. That being said, players will need to take part in this system to obtain new skills against the Titans. They will also need to make acquaintances to add to their party. Players can order their party members to attack the Titan’s specific body parts, which then leaves the player to attack another, adding a nice dynamic of teamwork. The party system isn’t exceptionally rich in mechanics, but it serves its purpose to make fights easier.
Once the combat gets underway, Attack on Titan 2 truly shines. While I will admit, the objectives of each combat section may seem repetitive, it was always just a ton of fun. This is in-part to the addicting traversal system. This game’s traversal has been compared to the past Spider-Man games, and rightly so. Using the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear (ODM for short), players will hold down one button and sling their character around the city. At first, movement was slightly frustrating; maneuvering my character in the right direction was not always clear. After about an hour though, I was used to it. The ODM is not just for movement, however. Its other purpose is for attacking Titans.
Combat is where Attack on Titan 2 brings all the joy out of all our primal gamer needs. Slicing off a Titan’s leg to bring them to the ground is just as satisfying as it sounds. The game is at its most fundamental when taking on the gigantic foes. Combat works similar to the first game: the goal is to aim at a Titan’s specific body part using the ODM. Once a body part is selected, players will reel in quickly and attempt a perfectly timed strike. It’s impressive how much the game’s physics take everything into account when attacking the Titans. The distance, angle, and speed all make a difference in how much damage they will do the Titan. Amputating these body parts will make it easier to dispatch the foes, giving players a better edge in the fight. The Titans do not go down with a fight, so the fast-paced and accurate combat make it a refreshing and rewarding experience. Every time I finished off a Titan in a brutal kill animation, I knew I earned my way to that victory. The later sections in the game made victory all the more sweeter, as the game will throw boss Titans at the player, requiring the entire party to take it down. I was extremely impressed by how well the game handled all the chaos in these fights, as all of my party members were constantly hitting body parts, and the game rarely ever had frame rate drops for that much action taking place.
Attack on Titan 2 is definitely a polished experience. Aside from the occasional chaotic frame rate drops, there were little to no glitches. The game also looks fantastic due to its dynamic color pallet. Even while each of the combat sections felt repetitive, the environments had their own distinct color or tone, which always made a new area feel different from the other. The cell-shaded art style enhances the colors, of course. Taking down a Titan and seeing the dark red blood cover a colorful section of the city is a beautifully macabre sight to see.
Overall, Attack on Titan 2 is an inconsistent experience to the say the least. When engaging in combat, the game is as fun as ever. On the contrary, all the in-between sections felt dull and boring. All I really cared about was getting to the next combat level, and this made the black and white friendship level system feel more like a chore before I could actually go outside and play. Fortunately, the narrative stands high on its own. There are some truly real moments that definitely got emotional. Even if players aren’t familiar with the anime, they can still jump into this game with little knowledge and become attached to this world. For the majority of the sequel’s playtime, I’d say it’s a real step-up from the first game. Fans of the series ought to do themselves a favor and experience this gory tale for themselves.
