Genre: Brawler
Developer: Acquire
Publisher: XSEED
American Release Dates: August 12, 2014 (PS3/Vita), Winter 2014 (PS4)
European Release Dates: October 10, 2014 (PS3/Vita), 2015 (PS4)
MSRP: $40 (PS3/Vita), Unknown (PS4)
ESRB Rating: M (Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence)
Audio Languages: English, Japanese
Text Languages: English, Japanese
English-Language VO Studio: Cup of Tea Productions
Official Website: akibastrip.com
Akihabara Japans own national treasure of (begrudging) sorts, serving as a hotbed for both the fantastical and the fanatical
Dubbed Akiba by its most devout patrons, it is the quintessential haven for rampant consumerism. Otakus geeks of all interests, obsessions, and walks of life treat these sacred grounds as a second home, always on the prowl for the next Gunpla figure or idol group CD. With no passion too niche and no medium underrepresented (for better or for worse), this humble district of Tokyo is truly the mecca of Japanese media the perfect source of escapism from the troubles of everyday life.
Enter the Synthisters: a race of bizarre vampires preying on the many denizens of the district, threatening to turn every last one of them into parasitic shut-ins otherwise known as hikkikomori to people with Japan itself. Though many would rejoice at the prospect of never leaving their homes again, those afflicted by the attacks observe all of the tell-tale symptoms of vampirism namely, a weakness to sunlight and a bad case of irritability. With more and more attacks mounting by the day, this inexplicable race of creatures threatens to devastate Akibas business faster than the 2020 Olympics.
That is, if there wasnt a group opposing them every step of the way. Lead by a bonehead who almost succumbed to an attack himself and for the prospect of a figure, no less the Akiba Freedom Fighters acts as the districts final stronghold against the evil scourge. Armed with little but the ability to strip someone to their unmentionables to expose these creatures to sunlight, these heroes aim to exorcise Akibas populace from the inside-out. As Akibas last hope, if they fail, the maid cafes may disappear forever.
Akibas Trip may seem like your standard brawler, but its otaku influences have rubbed off on the gameplay in more than a few ways. For starters, the entire game is a faithful recreation of the real-world Akihabara, with the districts essence reflected in many of the advertisements and billboards littering the virtual city. On top of that, the game features an astronomical degree of customization and collection, allowing you to fight and look however you please. You can switch your style of attack up on the fly, alternating between baseball bats, motherboards, comic books, and rocket ships alike.
Not only that, but you can assume multiple strip and movement styles, changing your running and attack animations to give your character a fresh feel. When youre about to finish an enemy, you can then strip them of their clothes to expose them to the sunlight, purifying what ails em while taking their duds for yourself. With multiple endings and divergent paths, too, Akibas Trip allows for a lot of experimentation, freedom, and replayability, thanks to the sheer density of love and attention poured into it.
Nanashi
Voiced by: Ryota Osaka (Japanese), Spike Spencer (English)
Tricked by the allure of a rare figure, Nanashi (whose name means Nameless) almost fell prey to vampire experimentation before being saved by the kiss of a mysterious girl. Now he leads the charge of the Akiba Freedom Fighters, hoping to liberate his home of their nefarious threat.
Tohko Sagisaka
Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese), ??? (English)
Though she may not know the ins and outs of the otaku lifestyle, Tohko will proudly defend their right to celebrate what they love unabashedly. As Nanashis longtime friend, she was among the first to join the Akiba Freedom Fighters.
Shizuku Tokikaze
Voiced by: Sachika Misawa (Japanese), ??? (English)
Rescuing Nanashi moments before becoming a full Synthister himself, Shizuku clearly has a vested interest in combatting the Synthisters. She may be the dictionary definition of taciturn, but there is an undeniable warmth to her actions, which motivates her to protect Akiba.
Soga Kagutsuki
Voiced by: Ryota Takeuchi (Japanese), ??? (English)
A mysterious individual who appeared in Akiba out of the blue. Virtually nothing is known about him.
Shion Kasugai
Voiced by: Eriko Nakamura (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English)
As the haughty hotty CEO of Daishihon Pharmaceuticals, Shion radiates elegance and eloquence, never wavering in confidence or certainty. She openly supports the Akiba Freedom Fighters, though with rumors of her company dabbling in the unscrupulous, this leaves many of the AFFs members doubting her true intentions.
Rin
Voiced by: Hisako Kanemoto (Japanese), ??? (English)
Flaunting an air of dignified aloofness, Rin and her powerful vocals are set to be Japans next biggest hit. However, once you take the microphone away, her personality takes a turn for the squalid, becoming crasser and demanding. Not only that, but she may be hiding more than just a few personality quirks.
Nana
Voiced by: Aya Suzaki (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (English)
As someone so thoroughly inundated in Japanese video games and anime to the point where she talks like a character lifted from them, Nana revels in Akibas claim-to-fame on a daily basis. However, if you look past her referential style of speech, theres a person who truly loves her older brother Nanashi, as a human or otherwise.
Kihachi Pops Sugiyama
Voiced by: Toshitsugu Takashina (Japanese), ??? (English)
As the founder of the Game Bar MOGRA, an establishment rife with delicious drinks and arcade cabinets, Kihachi has a love for Japanese media typical of someone far younger than his age belies. It is this love and support for all things Akiba that makes him offer his bar as the AFFs primary base of operations.
Zenya Amou
Voiced by: Daichi Kanbara (Japanese), ??? (English)
Fancying himself as the crème de la crème of otaku, Zenya draws umbrage from any filthy philistines who would dare share in his own interests. When hes not directing his ire towards the general population, however, he seems to be at home converting people into Synthisters, though his exact motivations and degree of involvement are unknown.
q. There was an Akibas Trip game for the PSP. Whats the deal with that?
a. This is actually the second game in the Akibas Trip series. However, both games feature entirely self-contained stories and different characters, so you can start this game with no fears of missing any story details.
q. Will this game have full dual audio?
a. Yes! The game will feature complete English- and Japanese-language voice over.
q. Does this game support cross-buy/cross-save?
a. Unfortunately, no. Likewise, there probably wont be any such functionality for the PS4 version, either.
q. Given the games subject matter, was there any content cut or censored for the international releases?
a. The biggest offenders the portraits displayed when you strip a main character are completely intact, and in fact, this game has what might qualify as reverse-censorship. XSEED approached Acquire about creating additional strip portraits this time for the male characters so that fans of that persuasion could receive representation, too. In addition, all of the tie-in and promotional material for other franchises and media are entirely intact. However, some of the restaurants and pamphlets had information about their businesses listed in-game things such as store hours and the like. There are a lot of issues and headaches with translating that information from a legal standpoint, so XSEED had to omit all of it, but the pamphlet illustrations still remain.
Game Informer: 6/10
PlayStation LifeStyle: 5/10
GameTrailers: 6/10
Hardcore Gamer: 3.5/5
Niche Gamer: 8.5/10
Huge, HUGE thanks to Dakkumauji for helping out with all of the graphics in this OT, especially when I couldnt physically move a mouse for a good two months.
