Review for Attack on Titan 2. Game for PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 15/03/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 20/03/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 20/03/2018 The version for Xbox One came out on 20/03/2018
The attack of the giants, a very famous work by Hajime Isayama, is now approaching its conclusion. With all due respect to the fans, in fact, the manga (and the anime), serialized from the now distant 2009 in the magazine Bessatsu Shonen Manga, will end shortly, thus writing the final word to one of the most fascinating and loved stories of the panorama of anime and manga. In recent weeks, the third season of the anime has ended, which has opened the doors to one of the most important narrative arcs, waiting for what will be the fourth and final season of the animated, which will arrive only next year.
Fortunately, to delight the palate of all fans of Isayama's work, Koei Tecmo took care of it who, in conjunction with the end of the anime, released Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle, an expanded version of Attack on Titan 2, landed a year ago on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Final Battle, also available as DLC of the aforementioned second videogame iteration dedicated to the brand, expands the story with the plot of the third season of the anime, livable from multiple points of view. This, of course, is the main theme of the juicy expansion, but not the only novelty. Our test, however, focused mainly on it, for obvious reasons. How did it go? We tell you about it right away… Before our transformation into a giant begins!
As already mentioned above, the nature of the stand alone version of the title opens the door to different playful solutions to the gamer. With Final Battle it is possible, in fact, to directly select the new game mode, the one that, to be clear, covers the entire narrative arc of the third season of the anime, thus "jumping" what is the actual campaign. The "Character Episode Mode"Allows us to relive the whole story of the anime, with a care to say the least maniacal, both in the dialogues and in the general representation. Through increasingly difficult missions, whose degree of difficulty is listed with a star, it is possible to vanquish hordes of giants, but also of human enemies, for the first time included in the title.
During these missions, which can steal up to fifteen hours from you, it will be possible to impersonate the various protagonists of the series: Eren, Levi, Mikasa, Armin. But we can also impersonate the bad guys, like Zeke, Bertholdt, Annie and Reiner, with variations in giant form. Not only that: the modality in question also offers us the possibility of reliving some important moments of the Research Corps, moments that, for better or for worse, have indelibly marked the history of all the unfortunate inhabitants of the walls.
Although characterized by single missions and all in all separate from each other, completing the missions in question brings several advantages to the player. Among all a hefty reward in terms of materials, which are in common with the other modalities. A functional system, designed to please everyone a little, but it is alien to what is the other novelty in terms of game modes: Reconquer territory. In this mode, which can also be used online, which combines a minimum of managerial and, if you want, managerial mechanics with classic fun on the field, you will be called to regain, in fact, to fight on increasingly vast and difficult territories to be cleared from the presence of very dangerous titans. Once you have completed the missions, you will be rewarded with various items, such as materials and items for the enhancement, but also with the increase of the inevitable degree of combat.
La Territory Recovery Mode it also makes it possible to insert various new features in terms of gameplay, such as various super-technological weapons and equipment, otherwise inexplicable if contextualized with the total fidelity that we find in the other modes. The two modes added with Final Battle essentially stand as a highlight of the package and we feel we can promote them, being able to offer many hours of fun, albeit not necessarily accompanied by a variety of situations, always and in any case reduced to the bone.
Giant killing is simple and fun… but not always!
If we were to find a nit in the aforementioned Character Episode Mode, it would certainly be the impossibility of putting your hand to the role-playing component of the game. During the numerous missions, in fact, we will not be able to change the equipment supplied, nor improve the one in possession by exploiting the materials acquired, but only to decide - and not always - with which characters to complete the task. It turns out something that, frankly, we didn't like very much, and that once again makes the classic Story Mode the highlight of the course. By impersonating a totally new hero, as well as in the "base" game, it will be possible to get to grips with the real game experience, but in general the nature of the title still manages to manifest itself in each of its variants. In truth, the full-bodied Final Battle DLC has also added the possibility of making everything more accessible, since it will be possible to set the game at "Ultra Easy" level which, as the word itself says, makes clashes with difficult enemies a simple formality. .
Overall, however, the level of challenge, the game mechanics and all the variables of the case, remain almost intact, with the exception of the presence of two innovations: the thunder lance and firearms. Yes, you got it right. Leaving aside the so-called "Thunder Spear", already seen in the anime recently (used to defeat the good old Armored Giant), the two guns that can be used as a new weapon of destruction of giants are really very pleasant to use. Although without being able to return the same enjoyment that is felt in attacking the back of the neck of the mammoth opponents, wielding the double pistols offers a completely satisfactory and above all new feedback, capable of changing the gaming experience in a considerable way, an experience that , as we said above, it does not differ much from the original formula, not even for what it allows in terms of variety of enemies or situations. The gameplay therefore remains very fresh and accessible, albeit without disdaining that "pro" vein that makes the conquest of a higher degree of evaluation an ever-heated challenge and difficult to overcome.
The new additions work properly, but the technical sector remains obsolete
Graphically and artistically, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle brings practically nothing new. Excluding small additions, such as the cartoons in the dialogues, the aesthetic sector of the title remains almost unchanged, for better or for worse. The general polygonal modeling is really very poor, especially as regards the rendering of the environments, all subject to an all too evident recycle of the assets. Nothing too negative, of course, but still out of place - and quite a lot - when compared to the great quality with which the various characters and, above all, their gigantic counterparts are made. On a technical level, as well as its "predecessor", the game gives its best in depicting the heroes we have learned to love over the years, masterfully replicated with total fidelity to what is the work of the master Hisayama .
Not only the features are commendable, but also the movements and the feedback that each of them can give back is of the highest level, although the same cannot be said in terms of attack strength. If we exclude the fact that the levels of strength seem practically canceled and that all the various characters are moved by the same offensive ability - which is not true, of course, in the anime and manga counterparts - everything lets you breathe deeply the same unmistakable style of the original material. I also applaud the audio and sound sector: leaving out the splendid interpretation of the voice actors, the same ones in the anime, even the soundtrack that accompany the livable events in the company of the title of Koei Tecmo are commendable, for an overall positive judgment. All the surrounding elements are also very precise: from the sound of footsteps to the metallic din of the blades, everything manages to involve us in a perfect way, a commendable representation, from this point of view, of a fantastic, complex and multifaceted imagination.
Final Battle is an important added content (also in economic terms), capable of adding several better ones to the already all in all winning game formula of Attack on Titan 2. Koei Tecmo has managed to replicate, with this update, in a masterly way all the very important vicissitudes of the third season of the anime, which have forcefully paved the way for a highly anticipated series finale and more compelling than ever. In addition to the possibility of replicating the exploits of Levi, Erwin, Eren and all the other protagonists, engaged in the fight against the giant Beast and the other ruthless members of the kingdom of Marley, the package also adds the interesting mode Reconquest Territory, capable of bringing you away several hours. The grafting of new weapons is also good, albeit relatively an end in itself and unable to revolutionize the overall economy of a title which, for better or for worse, remains the same as a year ago. In short, if you are super fan of the saga you must not miss this expansion, perhaps waiting for a price drop.
► Attack on Titan 2 is an Action-Hack and Slash game developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo for PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 15/03/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 20/03/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 20/03/2018 The version for Xbox One came out on 20/03/2018
