‘Attack On Titan: Wings Of Freedom’ Released: Here’s What Fans Can Expect Playing As A Titan-Slaying Spider-Man

The "Attack on Titan" video game just released in some territories, where the game may be referred to as "A.O.T.: Wings of Freedom," and many fans of the anime and manga may be itching to get their hands on their very own omni-directional mobility (ODM) gear; and so, here is a peek at and a first impression of the game.

Beginning the game, players will immediately realize that "Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom" automatically defaults to Japanese audio in dialogue. Looking through the settings and options menu, there is absolutely no way to toggle for the characters to speak in English. Though many anime fans will often decry the existence and perceived quality of English dubs in general, the fact exists that the game does not even provide an option.

Moving onto the campaign proper, the next thing a fan of the source material will realize that the game held true to prior advertising that it will retell some key moments of the first season of the "Attack on Titan" anime. For one, the first actual gameplay that players will encounter is a training sequence to get them accustomed to using the series' iconic omni-directional mobility gear; which they will use to lop off the napes of several wooden titan mockups.

The controls scheme for the game is simple, yet substantial enough that it can indeed make players feel like they are reliving an episode of the anime; one of the less horrific parts anyway. Moving around is simple enough; players can press a button to fire off their lines and use another one to fire off some gas for either increased speed or for an aerial boost.

Fighting against an actual titan is as simple as activating "Combat Mode" when close enough, by which players can then lock on and firing the lines will automatically anchor them to the titan. At this point, they can proceed to then violate the laws of physics and either chop the titan's limbs to bits before finishing it off with a slash to the nape or go in straight for the kill if provided the opportunity.

A titan has multiple body parts players can target in "Attack on Titan," specifically any of the limbs and the all-important nape of the neck which will kill most titans in one hit provided players can get enough speed going. Switching specifically which part to target is easy enough ,by simply flicking a joystick, though getting used to the system can be a little troublesome. New players will likely end up accidentally landing on the ground a good number of times despite the urge to stylistically keep slashing away at a titan because of the wonky camera angles. Speaking of landing, players will not actually suffer damage despite falling from great heights, even after boosting as high as possible into the air and just letting their character fall.

Though players can violate the laws of physics and gravity in "Attack on Titan," the game does have some realistic aspects; for one the ODM can only be used where there are conceivable places to anchor the lines. Wide open spaces will turn any slinging titan-slayer into a regular old walking human ripe for titan-munching, though boosting still works. Another is the often brought up fragility of the what are essentially oversized box cutters in the original story, as well as the limited number of gas able to be used for the ODM.

Omega Force, the game's developers, incorporated the above into gameplay mechanics by allowing players to upgrade their gear. For the blades; upgrading them can change their length, which increases attack range; their sharpness, which increases their attack power; and their durability, which determines how long players can use them.

Upgrading the ODM gear meanwhile increases its gas capacity, which dictates how long players can go into ODM mode; their reel speed, which essentially means how fast players can reel into a titan for that sure-kill hit; and their anchor strength, which determines how long players can stay anchored on a titan.

The gas capacity is arguably the most important of all, considering that most titans can be taken down in one hit by simply using a bit of gas to get enough boost for that sure-kill slash. Running out of gas however, means that players will have to stand still while their character goes to the trouble of replacing the canisters.

All in all, "Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom" allows for fans of the anime and manga to relive their ODM-boosting, titan-slaying dreams though with some limitations brought on by standard video gaming conventions.