Attack on Titan 3 was the one game I was determined to check out at Tokyo Game Show 2026. I didn’t have an appointment with Koei Tecmo because I’m bad at my job, so I ran straight to their booth the moment the showfloor opened on the second day and was first in line to play. And yeah, it was worth it. I loved Attack on Titan 3. I can’t wait to play even more of it.
The hands-on demo got me acquainted with the basic controls, which you’ll be familiar with already if you’ve played either of the previous two games. You play as a new unnamed Scout zipping around the forest, taking down a bunch of regular titans. The first two games were lauded for really nailing the Spider-Man-like feeling of zipping through the air with the omnidirectional mobility gear, and Attack on Titan 3 continues that tradition too.
The game looks much more polished and visually appealing too, and the verdant forest really came to life even as I rushed through it. Combat remains largely the same, requiring you to zip around a titan and aim at its limbs before pressing a button to rush towards it and slash. As you weaken a titan, you’ll eventually be able to aim for the nape of its neck, taking it down for good.
Attack on Titan 3 introduces a focus mode where you can slow down time, allowing you to really pinpoint your strikes. To make things more interesting, the game also hides a titan’s weakpoints from you while you’re focusing, so you do need to be somewhat conscientious of where you’re aiming. As you perform more regular attacks, you’ll also be able to execute cool aerial abilities that deal more damage, and call in a buddy attack, where you and another character attack at the same time.
For this demo, I got to team up with Levi himself, and we made short work of the regular titans in the forest. Before the demo ended, I got to face off against the Beast Titan, and I had three minutes to beat him. The Beast Titan proved to be quite the formidable adversary. Just like in the anime and manga, he’s able to pick up rocks, grind them up, and toss them at you with a cool baseball throw. His attacks deal insane damage, and his ability to jump around the map also makes him a pain to try to target, compared with the regular titans who are usually just lumbering around.
Even just keeping up with the Beast Titan’s movements took all the concentration I had as I was trying to get used to the controls and struggling to read the tutorials and pop-ups, which were all in Japanese. So no, I did not manage to beat the boss within the three-minute time limit, though I do think I could’ve gotten it done with just a bit more time as I finally got into the groove towards the end. When the timer ran out, a cutscene played with Levi jumping in and telling me we need to leave and continue the fight another day. At least, that’s what I assume he said. It was in Japanese, after all.
Overall, I do enjoy what I played here, though I wish I could’ve gotten to see the other gameplay elements of Attack on Titan 3. I would’ve liked to see more of the character interactions and the activities you’ll be able to engage in during your free time, but for now, I suppose I can be content with just a taste of the combat. From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think Attack on Titan 3 moves the needle too dramatically in the gameplay department, but the fact that it’s going to cover the complete story from the anime and manga is exciting enough on its own.
