E3 2016: ‘Attack on Titan’ Delivers On The Action From The Anime
What happens when you need to keep making games about a popular anime series that hasn’t made a new episode in years? Apparently, you pass it between developers! After Spike Chunsoft’s 3DS effort disappointed last year, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, (the team behind Dynasty Warriors and its spin offs), are trying their hand at the giant slaying franchise with Attack On Titan. By turning the tables on their usual formula and putting the player in a mob of soldiers that serve as fodder for the Titans, our hands-on time at E3 gave us glimpses of the series done justice.
Attack On Titan is split up into two major gameplay sections. The primary play mode is when you’re in control of one of the human characters, who traverses the smoldering towns with their 3D Maneuvering Gear. As you would expect from a game bearing the anime’s name, movement was the most exciting part of the time I played, feeling like a Survey Corps bad ass as I swooped in and out of the Titan’s range. Of course, you’ll have to get the controls down first, which had a moderate learning curve before things felt natural.
Once they did however, combat was fast and fluid. Following the story of the anime, (which might look familiar since it’s the only story we’ve had animated for a long time), I made it my personal mission to make Mikasa look like as much of a pro under my control as she does in the source material, which I met with mixed results. Allowing us to target any limb on Titans both big and small that are powering through the towns allows you to get special advantages depending on the situation, whether you need to stop their movement or take away attacks with a successful amputation. Of course, the only way to finish one off is to slice off the nape of their neck, which is where I focused on most of the time. While it sounds simple enough, there’s a lot to take into account when lining up your perfect slice. You’ll need enough distance, momentum and timing to pull off the kill, and failing could lead to you being caught by one of the monsters. Running out of steam for your Gear and your blades going dull can also become a problem, forcing you to find new items to help you regroup. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than thinking you killed a powerful opponent, only to see your swords bounce off of them. To make matters worse, every kill is ranked, only furthering the embarrassment when you screw up.
But being a great Survey Corps member is about more than being able to kill enemies, because like Dynasty Warriors, there will be many times when you have to protect allies and key points on the map. Allowing too many of your comrades to die or letting Titans run wild will eventually lead to your game over’s, which is why it’s important to play to your character’s strengths. Mikasa for example, has a special ability that lets her slice up multiple limbs at once after it builds up. How other characters will play wasn’t shown as of now, but we’re looking forward to finding out as the game’s release draws closer.
When not slicing up your enemies, you’ll be able to punch them really hard instead. Taking on Eren’s Titan form, you’ll be able to give the opposing giants a taste of their own medicine. Perfect for when you want to set aside the technical gameplay of the core mode for some old fashioned button mashing, playing as a Titan allows you to jump far across the map with a single leap and charge into enemies at high speeds when not punching and kicking them to death. Sure, you’ll probably level a few houses in between, but let’s face it. Those people probably would’ve been killed one way or another.
Overall, I’m impressed by what we’ve seen so far, and can’t wait to dive deeper into this universe once again. With multiple missions and characters to discover, let’s hope the full version continues to deliver when it releases for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PC and PlayStation Vita on August 30.
