Hold a Trigger, Let the Gear Do the Flying
The first thing the writer at Japanese gaming news site 4Gamer noticed is how much less work the ODM gear asks of you. According to the 4Gamer hands-on report, holding the left trigger (L2) hands most of the grappling and swinging over to the game, so you can thread through a forest using the left stick alone. 4Gamer's own headline bills it as a more intuitive take on ODM movement. The demo also offers two camera presets, one built around cinematic flair and one around stability, so you can pick how much the camera whips around during a swing.
Combat splits by titan size. A direct hit to the nape drops a mid-size titan. Anything 15 meters or taller needs a plan: cut into the legs or another load-bearing part to bring it down, then pull the right trigger (R2) to enter "Focus," which slows time so you can pick out the weak point and strike cleanly.
There is also a timed-dodge mechanic. When a titan's attack flashes, hitting dodge at the last moment sends you whipping around behind it, and following the on-screen button prompt lands a heavy hit. Hitting the same body part repeatedly eventually destroys it, and chaining several of those puts the titan in a "Break" state, giving you a safe window for the nape kill. Blades dull over time and need swapping. Gas refills exist in the full game, though 4Gamer didn't run into them during the demo. The demo also heals damage automatically.
The Demo Recreates Levi's Forest Chase
The playable mission is built on the scene where Levi corners Zeke in the forest, and it includes Zeke's exasperated "not this again" outburst from the source material. The climax has Zeke transforming into the Beast Titan, who lobs boulders from long range. Attacking his arm before the throw cancels it. 4Gamer notes that several other players at the booth only managed to bring him down right at the demo's time limit, and calls the balance a tough but fair challenge given the auto-heal.
That mission choice fits what Koei Tecmo has been promising for the game overall. Attack on Titan 3 is billed as the culmination of the series, adapting the original story from start to finish, which means the battles against the Nine Titans and the story's climax are being adapted into a game for the first time. Players take on an original character who earns a spot in the Survey Corps after impressing Levi and Hange, and who at some point ends up instructing the 104th Training Corps.
Developer Omega Force (Dynasty Warriors, Attack on Titan 2) is back for this one, and the game carries a CERO D rating (17+) in Japan. The standard edition is priced at ¥9,680 including tax. It is also the first new entry in a while: 4Gamer points out that roughly eight years have passed since Attack on Titan 2. Demo players at the booth walk away with a film-strip-style bookmark, one of five random designs.
Looking Ahead
The next beat is a TGS stage presentation streaming September 20 at 3:40 p.m. JST, with voice actors Yu Kobayashi (Sasha) and Shiori Mikami (Krista) on hand to walk through new story and gameplay footage.
The December 10, 2026 release date applies worldwide. Koei Tecmo America has confirmed a physical Steelbook launch edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition that adds a digital artbook, customization packs, and 72-hour early access. Players with save data from Attack on Titan 2 or Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle on the same console will get in-game bonuses, though specifics haven't been detailed yet.