Attack on Titan Tribute

The popular manga and anime series about creepy humanoids who invade a walled city is finally done justice in videogame form thanks to Attack on Titan Tribute Game. This fan-created game includes some of the series’ most daring stunts and mechanics, making it feel like one of the best interpretations of its source material to date.

Beginning its life as a simple browser project, this simple game has transcended the limitations of its medium. However, some of those limitations are definitely still in full display, leaving this Tribute Game feeling more like a demo than a fully-fledged experience.

Aerial Maneuvers

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Attack on Titan, the series’ plot is easy to follow (at least, at a surface level): humanity lives inside walled cities to defend themselves from the Titans. These creatures are giant humanoids that devour people, and the armed forces are the only ones that can stop them using advanced maneuvering equipment.

This equipment looks like harnesses that allow their wearer to pull off some intense aerial maneuvers, just what they need to kill the titans. Attack on Titan Tribute Game focuses on that aspect of the manga series: just pure, satisfactory aerial gameplay.

If you’re looking for a game that adapts the show’s plot, you won’t find that here. You’d be better off playing something like the show’s official game, Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom. That said, the sense of movement and gameplay simplicity are some of the strongest points of this Tribute Game.

Simple fun

In Attack on Titan Tribute Game, players have to repel attacking titans using their vertical maneuvering equipment. A counter informs players how many titans they’ve defeated and also highlights their current objective. Usually speaking, the game never gets too complicated.

Gameplay mechanics and overall objectives aren’t the only simple things about this game, however: the visuals could also use a fresher coat of paint. Character models use a basic “chibi” style that lacks definition, and let’s not go too deep into how plain the titans and the buildings look.

Even for a fan game, the visuals of Attack on Titan Tribute Game are severely disappointing. The game looks more like it belongs on an N64 rather than modern PCs, especially with its character models that look straight out of Harvest Moon 64.

Fight for Control

Sure, the titans are the main enemies of the game, but players will have to face a more daunting adversary if they decide to give Tribute Game a chance: the game’s wonky controls. Due to the aerial nature of the gameplay, it’s somewhat expected that the camera will have a hard time following your character, but here, it’s almost inexcusable.

The camera has a nasty habit of flying all over the place, and that, together with the unresponsive controls, sour the overall fun you could have with the game. That said, if you can overlook these major caveats, there’s still lots of fun to be had with the game, especially if you’re a fan of the show.

Furthermore, the sheer hilarity of watching your character flailing all over the place as you desperately fight the hordes of titans adds to the overall fun factor. It’s just that, maybe, that wasn’t the developer’s original intent.

Pros

• Fun and simple gameplay
• Good mod support
• Constantly updated

Cons

• Unresponsive controls
• Dizzying camera
• Lackluster visuals