Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle Review for Xbox One

I don’t usually like video games based on television shows, anime, or manga, but Attack On Titan 2: Final Battle by KOEI TECMO America grabbed my attention and kept me engaged for hours. If you like the anime, then I’m really sure you’ll want to play this title. Or like Erwin always yells: “The fate of humanity will be decided in this moment!”

Most of my time has been spent in the single player story mode, where you create your character that serves as your model throughout the series. You can customize with features found on characters throughout all three seasons. Kenny’s hat and Levi’s scarf? You got it. How about Mikasa’s iconic scarf? Yep, we’ve got that too. I really liked how my character came out, because the character designs are well made. I don’t usually like the 3D anime figurines, but it’s really working for me here.

The campaign is the anime/manga story, but it’s framed in such a way that you get to be a part of it. It doesn’t feel forced, aside from the goofy moments among the other cadets. That’s just good old anime humor though! You, the protagonist, come from the same district as Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. You even take the same path in joining the 104^th cadet class, but no matter how awesome you are, you can’t graduate to be among the top ten. So, it’s really the story we know and we’re in the background.

You make friends with characters along the way, and you get to monitor your progress with them in your journal. Funny enough, Jean became my best friend in the cadet core even though I was training to join the Scouts. As you develop your relationships, you can earm skills that you can actually equip and use to improve your gameplay experience (I.e., extra gas or blades). You can further cultivate these relationships on the battlefield or in one-on-one conversations.

Now for the addictive part! Gameplay is amazing. You’ve definitely wondered about how it would feel to use 3D maneuver gear, right? Let me tell you, it can be really hard to master, just like how Eren struggled with it in season 1. Once you get that down, it’s so cool to shoot cables into building and gas your way through Trost. It’s like intense Spiderman webbing. Combat, as far as I’ve played, obviously involves battling titans. You can target limbs and use a combination of attacks to get a perfect execution. You can also take on squadmates, some being just nameless cadets, and issue commands. Other than that, you can construct small structures around the battlefield to support the war effort, like a supply depot or a turret.

After the first encounter with the titans, we unlock other modes. We can play as unlockable characters like Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Armin, or mostly anyone you can think of that has used 3D maneuver gear. A lot of these things appear to be unlocked while progressing through the main story. In between missions, you can upgrade weapons and equipment in camp. You can perform crafting and additional small talk in “town” scenarios where you roam around without any gear.

Overall, I think the environments are solid, the enemies are freaky, and the story kept me engaged even though I knew what was about to happen. I wouldn’t say that the enemies are varied in appearances, just in height. There is the occasional abnormal titan, though, and it is treated like a mini boss. The random cadets are not as varied either. I’ve even seen one girl walking into a wall for a solid minute. The pathfinding was weird for that random moment in a non-combat zone, but squadmates stay with you wherever you go. I don’t think the game will have much more to offer other than a great story mode experience and exceptional gameplay to complement it. I think a fair rating for this game is an 8.5 out of 10.

Check Out the Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle Trailer:

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is available on the PlayStation 4 Computer Entertainment System, Nintendo Switch, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, and digitally on Windows PC via Steam.

For more information, check out the official site.

John Pruitt

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I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.

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