If you haven't played the first one, a encourage you give this one a shot ... unless you're hurting for money. Then I would say "get the first one, since it's really good."

I'm saying that because this game is bascially an asset flip in almost every sense of the term. The first half of the game so far has been "let's retread everything from the first game, only make it slightly different and from the perspective of a user-created character,"

Koei is even pulling the same shit where I have to endure survey missions as filler, which makes no sense this time because there is plenty of story to cover this time.

In any case, the primary focus is on a user-created character who was also present in Shiganshina Dist. and also present at every major battle. I actually rather like this, since you aren't stuck treading the exact same path as the source material. It's still close enough though.

Koei is really good with their character creation system, and it definitely shines in this game, since there are a ton of character parts to use, and you can squash and stretch them to your hart's content.

I actually mistekenly used what looks like a male head on a female body and just rolled with it, making a character very reminiscent of Hange in how androgynous they are.

Interestingly, it's Hange that scouts you for the ... ahem ... Scout Regiment after everyone witnesses your beastly skill at the Battle of Trost.

But yeah. The game still has the easy-to-get-used-to ODM gear control, though it's been changed in a way I don't particularly like. You used to be able to expel gas and reel simulataneously, but that's been removed. You also can't reel low to the ground for crazy speed anymore. You just drag now. I guess it's to discourage players that did that before.

You move around the battlefield and lock onto titans you want to take down, and you still have to choose body parts to hit like the last game, and it's still pretty bad. If you flick the analog stick even a little too hard, you're going to choose a different part.

And it matters even more now because there's a new mechanic added onto the Titan tracking system where, not only do they start staring at you (which makes it a little more difficult to hit their nape), but they can also focus on you and attack. And it prevents action from squadmates. Messing around with targeting in the middle of battle is just crazy now.

Titans also seemed to have more HP initially, but I may just be remembering the previos game wrong. After upgrading and strengthening weapons, learning to use the squadmates I find out in the field, everything feels like business as usual. Until you reach a threshold and the game increases titan HP beyond your current capabilities again. Still hate that.

might pick this one up at a bargain; I am tempted to create Hei from Darker Than Black

I mean, it's still a good game. Definitely worth picking up if you like musou style games and can endure what ultimately becomes a repetitive loop. It's just a really satisfying loop.

I think the graphics are better than last time, if only by a little. The screen tearing that I complained about in my video of the first game is nonexistent. Everything seems sharper. The cel shading is still top-notch.

The licensed music is gone though. Really miffed about that. All's left is the stuff from the previous game, and maybe some new tracks. I'd have to make a soundtrack comparison.

Really missed "DOA" from the forest training mission at the beginning of the game.

Going to get back to recording footage again. I'm in the middle of the scout filler missions.

There's actually much more added to the game, and it makes it worth a purchase. I'm actually wondering what the Switch version is like. Probably heavier outlines on the chracter models, or something.

In any caase, the PC port is on-point, just like the last game, and any game that the Sengoku Musou team work on. I actually believe it was them that made this one. Everything is just perfect.