ATTACK ON TITAN 2: FINAL BATTLE

ATTACK ON TITAN 2: FINAL BATTLE / DEVELOPER: OMEGA FORCE / PUBLISHER: KOEI TECMO / PLATFORM: PC, PS4 (REVIEWED), SWITCH, XBOX ONE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Final Battle is an expansion to last year's Attack On Titan 2, available either as an all-in-one package for new players or as a paid update for owners of the original game.

AOT2 gives a different perspective on the first two seasons of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan anime, and features everything a fan of the series could ask for. Zipping through the air like Spider-Man with your omni-directional mobility gear and hacking away at gigantic nudey Titans never gets old thanks to the abundance of new tools and upgrades available throughout the game, and there are plenty of familiar faces to keep players engaged with the story. Crafting weapons and gear and building up relationships with other characters between levels result in bonuses that make fights a little more manageable. Early missions might feel a little simple, but things get extremely hectic later on, and there are some truly heart-pounding moments that will keep players on the edge of their seat until the last Titan falls.

The Final Battle update adds content from season three of the anime, which understandably wasn't included on AOT2's initial release as the third season hadn't aired at the time. The main update is found in Character Episode mode, where players follow season three from the viewpoint of various characters from the series. These missions retain AOT2's core gameplay, but there are plenty of extra additions that make it feel fresh, even after playing through many hours of the main game. Players can now use guns during battle for the first time, and the ultra-powerful "thunder spear" has the potential to take out multiple Titans with a single shot.

On top of this, there are also five new playable characters as well as “Territory Mode” which adds a tactical layer to exploring beyond the city walls. A new “control assist” option makes combat much more straightforward for those who struggle with trying to keep track of too many inputs (you can pretty much boil it down to just a couple of button presses now, if you want), and online has had an overhaul too, with an expanded suite of competitive game modes.

All in all, there's plenty for returning players to sink their teeth into, and newcomers are well-served by the simplified control options and, of course, having the entire base game and the new content to play through. Fans of the manga and / or anime should definitely look into picking this up ASAP.