What you need to know about Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a fairly comprehensive game. It takes people through a post-apocalyptic world where the last remnants of humanity are attempting to survive repeated assaults from gigantic, voracious titans. While the console installment does take you through a truncated version of the series’ mythology, summarizing some of the series’ earliest arcs, there are a few important things to remember before tackling this titanic game.

What are Titans?

The short answer is, we still aren’t sure. The Attack on Titan manga is still running in Japan. What we do know is that the Titans have existed for over 100 years and nearly wiped out the human race after they appeared. As far as we know, the remaining humans retreated to a massive city divided into 10 districts and surrounded by three walls, Wall Maria, Wall Rose and Wall Sheena. Wall Maria is the outermost wall, Wall Rose is in the middle and Wall Sheena is the last line of defense, protecting nobility and the royal family.

These Titans are gigantic creatures that are between three and 60 meters tall. They’re deformed creatures with exaggerated proportions, no genitalia and unusual appetites. However, they are only driven to devour humans. They’ll eat them until full, then regurgitate them. The only thing needed to sustain them is sunlight.

Despite their size, Titans aren’t invincible. If struck at the back of their neck, the monster will be incapacitated and disintegrate. This means the last remains of humanity have formed Military forces prepared to handle encounters with them. Primarily, the Scout Regiment directly attacks Titans, using omni-directional mobility gear to soar through the skies and get up to their level, attacking the nape of their neck. This group attacks Titan threats both inside and outside the walls.

What brings us to Attack on Titan?

The Attack on Titan game picks up at the end of the series’ second story arc. All of our main characters are in the 104th Training Corps, preparing to enter the military. The tutorial begins as the group prepares to graduate and choose their assignment, determining if they’ll join the Scout Regiment, Military Police or Garrison Regiment, but the first missions take place at the Battle of Trost District third story arc.

This means we don’t get to see much of our major heroes’ motivations for joining the military. Brief flashbacks offer insight into the first arc of Attack on Titan, but we don’t really get to understand why Eren is so determined to annihilate all of them, Mikasa is dedicated to him and Armin supports him.

Years prior to Attack on Titan’s tutorial, Wall Maria fell. A 60-meter tall Titan, known as the Colossal Titan, knocked a hole in the wall. Titans came in, overtaking the Shiganshina District. This was Eren, Mikasa and Armin’s hometown, each lost friends and family in the attack. In particular, Eren and Mikasa were forced to helplessly watch as a family friend and member of the Scout Regiment carried them away as Eren’s mother was killed by the Smiling Titan.

The Scout Regiment was unable to drive the Titans back; the hole in Wall Maria remains when Attack on Titan begins. The remaining people have been driven back behind Wall Rose. One of the goals in the series to eventually retake the lost Shiganshina District, patch the hole in the wall, deal with the Colossal Titan when he reappears and perhaps even defeat all titans.

Who matters in Attack on Titan?

Attack on Titan has a massive cast. Which works out pretty well, because it’s a pretty bleak series where quite a few people end up dying. The game has plenty of important characters. There are cadets in the 104th Training Corps, soldiers in the Scout Regiment, and even some members of the military in other important divisions. However, you really only need to know who Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Levi are to start enjoying the game.

Eren Jaeger

Eren is determined to defeat the Titans. Even before his father disappeared and his mother was killed by the Smiling Titan, he was determined to join the Scout Regiment. He has never been content to remain complacent in the town walls. There are some mysteries in his background, as his father, a doctor, isn’t a Shiganshina District native and gave Eren a strange key to his home’s basement. He was the fifth best member of the 104th Training Corps.

Mikasa Ackerman

Mikasa is an orphan, but not because of Titans. Other humans killed her parents, and Eren was the one who attempted to save her from human traffickers interested in a rare member of the Asian clan. She ended up being the saving Eren from the third kidnapper. Eren’s family took her in and raised her, and she’s devoted herself to Eren ever since. She graduated at the top of the 104th Training Corps’ class.

Armin Arlert

Armin isn’t the strongest soldier, but he’s one of Attack on Titan’s most brilliant characters. He’s an avid reader who’s always wanted to go beyond the walls and see the ocean. He joined the army to prove himself, help make the world a better place and finally see the things beyond the wall that he’d always read about in books.

Levi Ackerman

Levi is considered to be humanity’s strongest soldier. He’s the Scout Regiment’s Special Operations Squad captain. A dedicated and capable leader, Levi is renowned and revered. Originally a criminal from the Underground city below the capital, he became a soldier after Erwin Smith, the Scout Regiment captain, captured him.