REVIEW: ‘Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle’ is a Near Perfect Expansion (PS4)

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is an action hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by KOEI Tecmo based on Hajime Isayama’s manga series of the same name. The updated expansion includes Parts 1 and 2 of the anime’s Season 3 adventure, featuring all of the conflicts from the popular franchise like never experienced before. The new Final Battle expansion includes the other following features Character Episode Mode, five new playable characters from Season 3, new equipment to enhance battle tactics, and Territory Recovery Mode. Final Battle is available for purchase as an Upgrade Pack for fans who already own Attack on Titan 2, and also available as a special digital or physical bundle. Merging the experience of Attack on Titan 2 with the new content from Season 3 content in one package.

The expansion takes place during the third season’s timeline, with Final Battle’s story mode plays through selected characters’ viewpoints. Now making characters that were active major heroes and villains in Season 3, playable for the first time. This has increased the total number of playable characters to over 40. In addition to the increased amount of playable characters, the game’s content has also increased dramatically.

Similar to how the TV series took a lengthy break before Seasons 2 and 3 the game did as well. Which, in my opinion, is what hurt the content for the original Attack on Titan 2 the most. Granted, there were restrictions with where the game’s content could go since the anime had not yet aired major storylines. Now that Season 3 has concluded, there’s a whole lot more content from the series to explore in the game and the developers, Omega Force, make excellent use of it. In addition to this content, the developers also included some original episodes to provide an even more rewarding experience for Attack on Titan fans to enjoy.

One of my favorite things about the game overall is the gameplay. Similar to the predecessor players can roam freely through the vast open-world levels. Swinging, flying, and boosting their way wherever they want to go, then engage in combat with the various types of Titans. If you’re new to the game, it may take some time to get used to the mechanics and maneuvering during combat.

I even felt overwhelmed at one point because of how quick all of the instructions are given felt so complicated in the beginning. However, if you take your time and pay attention, the tutorial will have you slashing and tacking down Titans like a pro Scout in no time. I thoroughly enjoyed how the combat effectively captures the violent, gory, and heart-pumping action sequences from the anime. Another feature I liked was the Character Episode Mode. In addition to the primary story mode, Final Battle extends it with Character Episodes that allow players to enjoy the story from the latest seasons from the viewpoints as select characters from the series.

Players that may not have been interested in playing as the original character, and want to play as one of their favorites, like Mikasa or Levi, will most likely enjoy this feature a lot. Especially when they have over 40 playable characters to choose from. While I enjoyed creating and playing as my own original character, I had, even more, fun playing from the point of view of my favorite character, Mikasa, and with the new playable characters, such as Kenny Ackerman who was one of the main antagonists in Season 3.

Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed the Territory Recovery Mode. It extends the game’s playtime by a lot more. In this mode, you can take command and build your own squad of the Scouts with your favorite characters to go beyond the walls and recover territories that are overrun by titans.

This mode also allows for a significant amount of item collecting, inventory management, and upgrading similar to the other modes. Players that enjoy a more vast open-world experience of gameplay will find this feature enjoyable. However, if you’re the type of gamer that prefers a more straightforward experience, then it is nice that this mode isn’t a required part of the game and you can easily ignore it.

Overall, I enjoyed this game and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys open-world games filled with action and adventure. Furthermore Attack on Titan fans, whether they’ve been invested in the game’s franchise before or are new to the game. Especially if they are fans of the franchise and eager for more content to watch and or play, then this is a game they will want to check out.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is a fantastic video game adaptation, and sequel fans have been waiting for, that nails the gameplay mechanics for combat, and captures the core aesthetics of the anime series. I will say that the price for the DLC is pretty high at $39.99. However, the amount of content and new features you get is well worth it.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC now.