How does this compare to freedom wars gameplay wise
eh.... I see where you're getting at with Freedom War's tethering (?)/hook mechanics and this, but they're really very very different games. But on that topic, let me say that Freedom Wars' controls when it came to that were pretty bad. Even for a Vita game. There were more things you could do with the hook mechanic, but it was just... it never feels like a core part of the game like the ODM stuff in Attack on Titan.
Also, Freedom Wars had a metric ton of issues as a monster hunter-type game. It was
never balanced, it was waaaaaaaay too repetitive for a game of that type, and it just never got the polish it needed gameplay wise. It was made by the same people who did God Eater and its just nowhere close. It did all the aesthetic stuff right, but mechanically it was a piece of shyt when it came to gameplay and the hunting/rpg aspect.
On the flipside, Attack on Titan is made by Omega Force, the Dynasty Warriors people. And it still maintains a lot of commonalities with Musou games - which is good and bad. The battlefield and requirements typically are the same as what you'd see there. The ODM stuff is WAY better than anyone expected it to be coming out of that studio. Like, by itself it is fukking good. That part of the game is almost perfect. My only complaint is the camera will sometimes blind you as you'll too close to geometry. But as far as movement comparisons between Freedom Wars and Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan completely destroys it.
Attack on Titan does a decent job of storytelling for a product like this too. You can get a good experience out of it without ever watching the anime or reading the manga - wasn't expecting that. The biggest issue with the game so far is the content. There are some light RPG mechanics in it like developing and upgrading gear, leveling characters and your camp, unlocking stuff, etc but its nothing amazing. Game could've added a ton of life to itself by adding a create a player, giving Titans more tools to fukk you up (they already manage to snatch your ass up with the quickness, but I mean things you'd see in the show like snagging your wire, throwing things, stuff of that nature to make them a bit more diverse), and maybe introducing scenarios/stories that aren't from the source material.
Like... I'm having a ton of fun with the game but again I just can't say its worth 60 bucks. Its fun as fukk, but I gotta be 100 about the amount of content and what people should expect for 60 bucks these days.