Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (Xbox One) - Review.
As a massive fan of Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan manga and anime series, I’ve been keeping my eye on Tecmo Koei and Omega Force's video game adaptation. It’s hard to imagine the series’ trademark 3D manoeuvring gear translating well into a video game, but somehow Omega Force has managed to achieve just this, all while staying true to the source material and creating a highly replayable strategy/action game.
What really is AoT: Wings of Freedom ? Put simply it’s a Dynasty Warriors game set in the AoT universe, complete with combat mechanics based around manoeuvres performed in the anime, massive freaky titans, and as much challenge and strategy as you could want out of a battlefield-based game. The campaign is actually just a simple re-telling of the anime and manga, so the real hook is the ability to traverse the world of AoT using the aforementioned 3D manoeuvring gear - an accessory all soldiers in the AoT universe wear in order to grapple and fight around towns, cities, and forest areas when in combat with titans.
You could be forgiven for expecting such a system - one that allows you to rotate around 15 metre tall atrocities before quickly going in for the kill - to be unwieldy, but Omega Force has done a fantastic job of making battlefield traversal feel as natural as possible, which makes combat in AoT: Wings of Freedom consistently fresh and enjoyable.
The X button on your controller is used to grapple and the A button is used to dash as and when required. When you come across a titan that you want to take down you simply press the RB button to concentrate on them and you're then able to select which limb you want to focus on. This must all be done while strafing and avoiding the titan's attacks. Once you've become accustomed to the game's combat it can feel quite limiting, but as the story progresses it becomes increasingly challenging; for example, you'll need to take multiple titans down while avoiding obstacles.
It cannot be understated how powerful you feel rushing across rooftops to your next objective, all while slashing at titan limbs and delivering killing blows to the napes of their necks. Omega Force has done a fantastic job of making the combat evolve so that it continues to feel interesting and challenging each and every time.
Over the course of the campaign you’ll control different characters from the AoT universe, each with their own unique statistics and abilities. Some, like Mikasa for example, are extremely powerful, allowing for multiple attacks on a single titan with one sweep. Characters who are less powerful or skilled in combat take on different roles, such as being able to order units around and target selected enemies. This allows you to make minced meat of enemy titans without even having to set foot near them. These different play styles are hugely welcome and allow the game to throw different scenarios at you that require you to employ varied tactics.
These gameplay mechanics seem to fit perfectly with a Dynasty Warriors styled campaign. The battlefield is constantly alive with new side objectives to encounter, and you'll find yourself challenged to cover as much ground as possible before your main objective needs to be completed. At times multiple side objectives will appear at once, tasking you with taking down several large enemies simultaneously. In these moments you can’t help but feel pressured to push your skills to the limit. To say it’s anything but enthralling would be a disservice to the game.
Between each main mission there's a cooldown period where you can talk to and gain more insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters that inhabit the world of AoT . These segments expand the depth of the characters more than the manga and anime ever did, but perhaps just as importantly they allow you to take part in two of AoT: Wings of Freedom’s other key gameplay aspects - the upgrading of weapons and completion of side missions.
These side activities help to make AoT: Wings of Freedom one of the most replayable games I’ve played this year. Even after completing the main campaign (which is about 12 hours in length), I was still nowhere near acquiring the strongest weapons in the game, and had never even seen some of the rarer materials that are required to make them. One thing's for certain, players who enjoy the combat beyond the story are going to find plenty to keep them entertained, and plenty to collect.
Graphically, Omega Force has done a fantastic job of sticking to the source material, so much so that the characters seen throughout look as vivid and detailed as they do in the anime. Nobody looks out of place, and the transition to 3D has been done with such care that at times you’d swear this looks better than the anime, which is high praise considering adaptations usually fall well short.
Unfortunately, while the combat and game itself are both hugely enjoyable, there’s not much to be said for AoT: Wings of Freedom ’s story. The game literally takes the major plot points from the anime and manga and slots them into the battlefield. In some cases fantastic story moments are almost entirely lost in translation, with Eren’s attack on the colossal titan for example being simplified down to an uninspired cannon battle which is unworthy of the source material.
There’s also a question mark over who this game is aimed at. Fans of the series are definitely going to enjoy experiencing the 3D manoeuvring gear, that’s for certain, but they’re not going to find anything substantially new on a narrative front. There were many times throughout that I couldn’t help but feel despair as story points I’ve seen time and time again were replayed before me, with nothing new added in the process.
Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with AoT: Wings of Freedom . Omega Force has really taken great care with the licence, ensuring that everything from the way the characters look and act to the feel of the combat are all in line with what one would expect from the series. Sometimes it feels the game is playing it too safe - I couldn't help but feel bored by the repetitiveness of the story and lack of original narrative elements - but these faults didn't prevent be thoroughly enjoying the game. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo should be fully commended - I didn’t think we would ever get a good Attack on Titan game, let alone a great one.
This review is based on a digital copy of Attack on Titan: Wings Of Freedom for the XOne, provided by the publisher.
More Articles.
7 Comments.
Lack of original story actually sounds like a plus to me. When I'm playing an anime game I want it to actually follow the story of the anime rather than some new story that I'm not really interested in.
Haha I had to find faults somewhere :P Nah, I get what you mean, but after watching the anime and reading the manga multiple times I couldn't help but feel they could have added some extra side missions to the game - say, play as lesser known characters whilst the key story points played out, seeing their take on battles for example. Still enjoyable, and does a good job of retelling the story though!
Even though im not interested in this game. Its good to see it available on more platforms. I did enjoy the cartoon series.
Nice review. I wasn't really paying attention to this game but now you've got me interested.
The cover has to be a homage to classic Castlevania games. It looks identical to the original Castlevania cover.
I thought this game was PS4/Vita only. Interesting.
It was originally only PS3/4/Vita in Japan, but they added Xbone and Steam versions for the West.
Surprised Xbox even got this. Rarely gets games like this.
AoT is popular enough outside of Japan so it had a chance. Just a matter of KT thinking if its worth it or not(took a while after the overseas announcement). Just a port release for Xbox casuals. You know the story.
Koei Tecmo are actually really good at releasing their games on both consoles.
Although with the sales figures of the Xbox One versions you've really got to wonder how much longer that will last :(
Koei Tecmo has been better about supporting Xbox One than most of the other Japanese publishers so far this gen. I wish the others would follow their example. Porting is pretty cheap this generation due to the shared x86 AMD architecture, it's not too hard to turn a profit on a port.
You can say that again. I actually hate Kecmo (except Team Ninja since they seem to be independent in all but name) but they've actually supported the XONE.
Yeah, it's easy and cheap this gen thanks to the shared architecture. One indie dev said their XB1 port only cost them $4,000, and while the porting costs for a AA or AAA are surely alot more than that, it still wouldn't take many sales to cover the costs of the port.
Comments below voting threshold.
Why not for PS4 - this review? The PS4 version is leadplattform.
Apologies, I only received a review copy on Xbox One, as stated at the bottom of the article:
I don't know why PS4 leading is important to this review but whatever makes you happy.
Latest Stories on VGChartz.
© 2006-2018 VGChartz Ltd. All rights reserved. US.
A.O.T. Wings of Freedom.
An international hit anime "Attack on Titan" has come to the Xbox One! Battle is joined between the man-eating Titans and Eren and his companions. Experience the illusion of being in the anime, and controlling the flow of the story. The story from the anime, with a few original twists, is yours to experience!
Thanks for your order.
We’ll try to push-to-install this on your home Xbox One. If you’ve blocked automated downloads, you might want to enable them. On your Xbox One, go to Settings > System > Updates > Keep my games & apps up to date . By the way, you can find this and anything else that you’ve installed in My games and apps .
Trying to install on your home Xbox One.
We’ll try to push-to-install this on your home Xbox One. If you’ve blocked automated downloads, you might want to enable them. On your Xbox One, go to Settings > System > Updates > Keep my games & apps up to date . By the way, you can find this and anything else that you’ve installed in My games and apps .
Get an Xbox Live account.
To play this game, you need an Xbox Live account. Get one here.
Friends who play this game.
A.O.T. Wings of Freedom.
Screenshots.
Description.
An international hit anime "Attack on Titan" has come to the Xbox One! Battle is joined between the man-eating Titans and Eren and his companions. Experience the illusion of being in the anime, and controlling the flow of the story. The story from the anime, with a few original twists, is yours to experience!
Available on.
Capabilities.
Online co-op Online multiplayer (2-4)
People also like.
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD.
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Storm.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 Full Burst.
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse.
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 2.
Prototype® Biohazard Bundle.
Prototype®2.
FINAL FANTASY XV.
Game clips.
Broadcasts.
Additional info.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LIMITED.
Approximate download size.
Install on your home Xbox One console plus have access when you’re connected to your Microsoft account.
Thanks for reporting your concern. Our team will review it and, if necessary, take action.
Sign in to report this game to Microsoft.
Top add-ons.
Episode All Set.
Weapon All Set.
Weapon "Japanese New Year"
Costume Set "Japanese New Year"
Costume Set "Summer Festival"
Weapon "Halloween"
Costume All Set.
Costume Set "Christmas"
Ratings and reviews.
To rate and review, sign in.
Your review.
Thanks. Your review will be posted soon.
There was an error posting your review. Please try again later.
All user reviews.
4 1\2 Stars, Love the combat but story is patchy.
If you've watched AoT you will enjoy the game. Combat is enjoyable - you can target individual limbs and sever them to obtain materials to upgrade you gear or go straight for the nape to kill them, you play a few different characters which are proficient in different areas such as Armin with Leadership (You can get others to follow you and the attack on their own but you can tell them where to attack with high Leadership) or Levi with Combat. The story misses big chunks out, if i had not watched Attack On Titan then i could easily find myself confused. Overall - Combat gets repetitive but i enjoy it, movement is enjoyable like a Spiderman game, Story is weak in places and doesnt do well in capturing and sense of emotion/urgancy, But overall i love it.
23 out of 23 people found this helpful.
Good and Simple.
Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom a game that is alittle bit lacklustre and simple but if you're a fan of the anime series and just want to kill some Titans then this game is perfect for you. Overall the game is enjoyable and I would recommend this too anyone those a fan of Attack on Titan.
17 out of 17 people found this helpful.
I absolutely love this game. Anyone who is a fan of the anime will adore this game. It seems a bit repetitive at first but there is things that will be awesome once unlocked. but for that you have to be prepared to get the characters to their max level.
47 out of 53 people found this helpful.
Really great game didnt know about AOT until this game.. got me hooked on the series and i just cant get enough of everything AOT now! a must buy if you enjoy feeling epic and saving the day.. oh and Levi is a god..
35 out of 39 people found this helpful.
This game it a must-buy for any fans of the anime!!
26 out of 30 people found this helpful.
Really fun.
The game itself is very fun to play although it can get repititive at some points, Another slight issue is that there are some changes in spelling of the names of some characters but this doesn't affect the gameplay at all, speaking of gameplay, this is exactly what an AoT game should play like, although, it isn't without it's flaws, A . I Humans are practically useless unless they are in your squad and the controls aren't as responsive as they could be in some instances, the game is fast paced and it feels great when you bring down a titan, The squad system could be a little more in depth as you don't really feel attatched to your squadmates unless they're characters from the franchise then again, maybe that's the point, anyway, these are just minor issues that don't really affect the overall fun and action filled expirience this game offers A must play if you are a fan of shingeki no kyojin. P.S. You can give Levi dusters for weapons :3.
54 out of 67 people found this helpful.
games amazing, i loved watching the film. graphics are crisp,love the game, defo worth buying and its also got multiplayer what more could you ask for.
6 out of 6 people found this helpful.
great in everyway.
attack on titan is just what i expected to come out of the video game adaptation and let me tell you, i love the gameplay is like marmite you either love or hate (i dont like marmite by the way) the story is adapted from season one of the anime and if you think it stops there your wrong, it continues to reimagine great parts of the manga (i wont spoil anything) and if you think the action stops there your dead wrong, theres multiplayer with friends called expidition mode and let me tell you its alot of fun (its better to comunicate with your team mates) and all your favourite character are there to play as such a eren, mikasa, levi heck even connie. attack on titan: wings of freedom is one of the best games ive played all year and i hope you think so to, that is why i am giving it five out of five stars,
5 out of 5 people found this helpful.
Koei Tecmo AOT Masterpiece!
If you enjoy Koei Tecmo titles and like Attack On Titan then this is a must buy!
5 out of 5 people found this helpful.
It is an AOTs fans dream game combat is good the story is exactly like the anime multiplayer is sometimes glitchy but fun.
8 out of 9 people found this helpful.
I would like information, tips and offers about Microsoft products and services. Privacy Policy.
Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom.
Mikasa Mikasa Mikasa Competent Spidey-style slinging A fun first couple of hours.
Repetitious in the extreme Titan-slaying mechanics limited Slave to the anime.
Attack on TItan is a story about the horrors of war, the frailty of mankind and, most importantly, the terrifying nature of the incomprehensible. The human race has been all but wiped out by mysterious giants who devour their victims whole. For the first time the dominant species finds itself outmatched. The wildly successful manga series and an anime that preceded Wings of Freedom was engrossing because homosapiens were the underdog in a losing battle. Every small victory was celebrated, the countless losses mourned.
It’s here that Wings of Freedom is a bizarre inversion of the franchise status quo. Mikasa, the most talented member of mankind’s troops, is celebrated for having killed two dozen titans in the anime. Inside the reaches of WoF, players find themselves slicing and dicing more regularly than a high-street butcher – and, more worryingly, with as much ease.
Although the game captures an essence of aerial combat that’s true to its source material, and still somewhat satisfying in its ad nauseum mechanics, it suffers from repetition on the macro and micro scale. Titan killing quickly becomes a factory floor of identikit button presses, and the game almost exclusively consists, not surprisingly, of killing titans.
Typing each of these criticisms pains me, since the anime captured my heart back in 2013, and Wings of Freedom is a child of the show rather than the manga. With that in mind, let’s first focus on where the game succeeds, before we descend into my myriad complaints.
The piece of equipment that so captured the minds of viewers in the anime is known as 3D manoeuvre gear. It allows the soldiers of humanity to ascend to the skies and fight monsters that are often 20 times the size of a normal person. Think Spider-Man with 19th-century pressurised cable guns.
WoF manages to replicate this improbable equipment surprisingly well, allowing players to swing across the map semi-elegantly, and effectively removing all borders from the environment. Anyone who watched the anime’s Survey Corps with envy will undoubtedly spend their first hour delightedly “winging” their way from place to place. The system does tend to cause collisions with buildings and other objects with annoying regularity, but when it works, you’re a dual-bladed eagle of the skies.
All of the fee-fi-fo fighting is also conducted using the same gear. Players can attach themselves to one of five spots on a titan’s body: legs, arms, or nape, and enter its orbit, then moving in to deal damage when the appendage is vulnerable. At the same time, players must remain aware of a titan’s attempts to grab and gobble, as well as their cables, which become obstructed by other titans and the environment. You’re much more vulnerable on the ground than in mid-flight.
Sign up for the newsletter.
Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox.
There’s a rhythmic enjoyment to firing cables from position to position and feeling hyper-mobile. What could’ve resulted in clunky Tarzan fails is, in fact, a series of comprehensible swings. It’s here that Wings of Freedom delivers on the fantasy of being a titan-slayer. You glide, you circle, and then move in for the final blow on the creature’s only true vulnerable spot: the nape.
Except that it’s almost never the “final blow”; it’s the first. Wings of Freedom incentivises the severing of limbs before the last strike at the nape by granting a player resources to buy weapons. Unfortunately, the economics of this system are broken, and most of the time it simply makes more sense to cut down the buggers as fast as possible.
I refrained from attacking anything but the nape for hours – with the exception of the odd boss-level titan who has to be slashed in a specific order – and still accrued enough resources to max out my current set of weapons. If the titans were quicker on their feet, then hacking off a leg might be a wise course of action, but they’re lumbering beasts who can, on the whole, be kept at bay with ease.
Inevitably, you’ll want to play efficiently, because you’re going to be killing a lot of the same enemies over and over again. This can only lead to one pattern of attack: grapple on nape, find angle, strike nape, move to next titan. Since most giants can be struck down with a single hit, combat feels more like a one-button slaughterhouse than a test of agility and guile.
Ease and repetition also plague the game’s macro elements. Almost every mission consists of the same pattern: get placed in an open area, slaughter titans near objectives, kill the last, extra-strong titan known as the “final subjugation target”. The game dresses up this pattern as “escort”, “set a trap” or “defend the objective”, but each one plays out in a similar fashion. And the game’s expansive environments are filled with the same old things: idiots who need saving from – you’ve guessed it – titans.
This makes it sound like I’m complaining that a game with “titan” in the title contains too many titans – this isn’t the case. Wings of Freedom was always going to be a giant-fest, but the game fails to make each encounter interesting.
There are so many other gripes to be had here. Variation in titan types – whether aberrant or normal – is minimal. It’s far too easy to avoid their grasp and escape. AI is often messy, leading to clusters of titans wrapped around one another in some kind of orgy, which is more hilarious than it is intimidating. Differentiation between playable characters is minimal, except in the case of Armin, who’s so personally ineffectual that all he can do is order companions to do the killing for him. It’s a long list of wasted chances.
One of the biggest opportunities Wings of Freedom throws down the pan is AoT’s fascinating universe, by slavishly repeating the events of the anime with little to no shame. The world of Attack on Titan is ripe for dramatic plundering. Its history is shrouded in mystery, and much of its lore still lies buried in the mind of Hajime Isayama, the manga’s writer and illustrator.
Where do the Titans come from? What happened in the first expeditions outside the wall? How do the politics between each of the military forces play out? Hundreds of options exist for telling stories outside of the central manga timeline, or even in parallel with the events of the main plot, but Wings of Freedom only occasionally deviates to follow its own path. Nowhere is this clearer than in the cutscenes, which are 100% direct lifts from the anime. Playing is like watching a B-movie version of a film you’ve already seen, and with most of the interesting bits cut out.
I’d be lying if I said that the feeling of playing Mikasa or Captain Levi wasn’t exhilarating at first. These are two much-loved characters that I desperately wanted in my hands, but I soon came to realise that I wanted something new from Wings of Freedom, rather than a rehash of the old. The game suffers from this problem throughout, desperately trying to stay faithful to the anime’s mechanics while forgetting that variation and progression are the spice of gaming life.
Without a doubt there are hours of fun to be had here, but disentangling my feelings of enchantment with the franchise and the merits of the game itself has been testing. If the WoF didn’t feature characters I already knew, or wasn’t attempting to fulfill a personal fantasy of mine, I’d likely have given up long before the end.
As Mikasa constantly reiterates in the anime, “the world is cruel”, and in Wings of Freedom this statement holds true – but mostly for the wrong reasons.
If you’re looking for a quick distraction that will stick a plaster over the gaping wound of your desire for Attack on Titan season 2, then Wings of Freedom may stem the bleeding. Unfortunately, extended play might cause a few injuries of its own, because for a game about giants and verticality, the game’s long-term experience is woefully flat.
Capable movement mechanics can’t save this game from its endless grind, and lack of variety. Wings of Freedom has its had its feathers clipped, and never manages to get off the ground.
A.O.T. Wings of Freedom.
An international hit anime "Attack on Titan" has come to the Xbox One! Battle is joined between the man-eating Titans and Eren and his companions. Experience the illusion of being in the anime, and controlling the flow of the story. The story from the anime, with a few original twists, is yours to experience!
Thanks for your order.
We’ll try to push-to-install this on your home Xbox One. If you’ve blocked automated downloads, you might want to enable them. On your Xbox One, go to Settings > System > Updates > Keep my games & apps up to date . By the way, you can find this and anything else that you’ve installed in My games and apps .
Trying to install on your home Xbox One.
We’ll try to push-to-install this on your home Xbox One. If you’ve blocked automated downloads, you might want to enable them. On your Xbox One, go to Settings > System > Updates > Keep my games & apps up to date . By the way, you can find this and anything else that you’ve installed in My games and apps .
Get an Xbox Live account.
To play this game, you need an Xbox Live account. Get one here.
Friends who play this game.
A.O.T. Wings of Freedom.
Screenshots.
Description.
An international hit anime "Attack on Titan" has come to the Xbox One! Battle is joined between the man-eating Titans and Eren and his companions. Experience the illusion of being in the anime, and controlling the flow of the story. The story from the anime, with a few original twists, is yours to experience!
Available on.
Capabilities.
Online co-op Online multiplayer (2-4)
People also like.
ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD.
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Storm.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 Full Burst.
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse.
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 2.
Prototype® Biohazard Bundle.
Prototype®2.
FINAL FANTASY XV.
Game clips.
Broadcasts.
Additional info.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LIMITED.
Approximate download size.
Install on your home Xbox One console plus have access when you’re connected to your Microsoft account.
Thanks for reporting your concern. Our team will review it and, if necessary, take action.
Sign in to report this game to Microsoft.
Top add-ons.
Episode All Set.
Weapon All Set.
Weapon "Japanese New Year"
Costume All Set.
Costume Set "Japanese New Year"
Costume Set "Summer Festival"
Costume Set "Christmas"
Weapon "Halloween"
Ratings and reviews.
To rate and review, sign in.
Your review.
Thanks. Your review will be posted soon.
There was an error posting your review. Please try again later.
All user reviews.
Good stuff.
10/10 would weeb.
13 out of 14 people found this helpful.
Great Game but.
love the mechanics of this great anime game but still having trouble going online to join other players as soon as it starts conecting it crashes and sends me to my dashboard please fix this and then ill give this great game the 5 stars it deserves.
16 out of 19 people found this helpful.
Death 2 the Bon.
My 2 cents worth.
If I had to write what I like don't like. I'd need more than a 1,000 english characters. Playable characters need more skill sets and variety of attacks. Not to mention more playable characters and outfits. Even on hard difficulty Titans are so easy to kill they need to be more violent, faster and all around difficult to kill, as well as more new titans like the Beast titan he was cool. More quick use items but also make them easier to access. Needs a Sequel and or spin off. Also If someone genuinely care about my opinions I'd prefer them to ask me directly not through some automated census.
34 out of 46 people found this helpful.
STARS 4 DAYZ.
Great game mechanics.
8 out of 9 people found this helpful.
TITANFALL + Beavis and Butthead.
all jokes aside this game is very good. very creepy in a japanese way.
9 out of 13 people found this helpful.
I love the game mechanics and the gameplay.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
You have to realy pay atention to what their saying to understand but other than that i love the game it keeps you occupied FOR AGES.
Translate to English.
Язык Microsoft Store: Australia - English.
Вас интересует язык Microsoft Store: Россия - Русский?
Перевести на русский.
You are shopping Microsoft Store in: Australia - English.
Are you looking for Microsoft Store in: Россия - Русский?
I would like information, tips and offers about Microsoft products and services. Privacy Policy.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий