Warning: Full Spoilers for Attack On Titan season 1.
Based on mega-hit anime, and best thing since sliced bread, Attack on Titan: Wings Of Freedom is the latest game based on the top selling franchise. So have Omega Force and Koei Tecmo done the series justice? Or should we simply let the Titans in and give up?
Full disclosure for you guys now. I went into this game thinking it would be awful based on the previous AOT game so kept myself far removed from this release and had not watched any trailers or anything.
Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom follows the events of the first series quite closely but expects you to have at least a basic knowledge of the events that transpire; as some major plot points of the series are completely glossed over in favour of the more action heavy sections of the anime.
That being said, the story is FANTASTIC because the story of the first series is amazing, there isn’t much else that can be said in this respect.
The first thing I liked about Attack on Titan: Wings Of Freedom was the opening menus and how the background image shifts depending on which menu item you are hovering over:
Whilst not a game changing addition to the title, it was certainly a nice touch that stuck with me.
As we are playing this game on Pre release, I dive straight into the story mode and ignore the multiplayer element completely for the purpose of this review (Multiplayer review coming within a couple weeks of release and we have been able to test it thoroughly).
The game throws you straight into the tutorial on how to use the gear and take down a Titan in a wooded area. Firstly you are taught how to use the gear and zip around the games large levels, I wish I had way longer with this as flying about between the trees was incredible fun. You are then tasked with taking down a few wooden Titans in training and AOT starts to show its true Musou colours. In the tutorial mode nothing new or amazing really jumps out at me, but it is definitely a necessary evil.
Once this is complete however, Eren is finally trained to take down Titans and the game throws you straight into the action (Level 1 is the start of the Battle of Trost, see what I mean about glossing?) and you get your first taste of what the game has to offer and boy it tastes sweet! I found myself having way more fun flying around Trost and taking down Titans than I initially thought, the mechanic of being able to target certain areas of the Titan (cut off their legs to stop them moving, arms to stop them attacking) before going in for the kill was a real highlight.
*Final spoiler warning, don’t say we didn’t warn you*
Then, the first couple of missions come to an end and Eren is eaten by a Titan.
You then play as Mikasa (Fans of the series will know her as one of two best characters) as she follows a mysterious Titan around who is killing Titans, this mission is a little annoying as she has no equipment but again, is necessary to set up the games next mechanic.
The moment everyone waited for with baited breath, you take control of the “Eren Titan” as he stomps around Trost (and on Titans). This is such great fun as he is unbelievably overpowered in comparison to the other Titans and the developers have not tried to scale this down and remain close to the source material.
Between each of the missions, you return to a hub area (different for each mission) where you can upgrade equipment for the squad and buy new blades, gear and grenades to assist in taking down the games plethora of Titans and Abnormals.
There are the usual bugbears that comes with Musou games of playing the same map over and over again but there is enough happening to take your mind off this that I cannot fairly mark the game down much at all for it. There is also the, albeit minor, irritation of hitting the walls when you are at ground level and the camera going mental every now and then but these are all very minor issues.
Attack On Titan: Wings Of Freedom is the game that fans of the franchise deserve. Whilst it adds nothing to the lore of the franchise, there is enough happening that makes this title an absolute blast to play. Despite me going into this thinking I would hate it, I have come out the otherside forced to eat my words.
Wings of Freedom is a solid Musou title that I wholeheartedly recommend that fans of the franchise definitely pick up.
8.5/10