Akiba’s Beat will launch for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita on May 16 in North America and May 19 in Europe, publishers XSEED Games and PQube announced.
Here’s an overview of the game, via XSEED Games:
Story
NEET: Short for “No Experience, Education, or Training.” Typically considered to be underskilled shut-ins who live by themselves in humble yet comfortable apartments, NEETs are known to mooch off their parents’ good will to play video games and watch anime all day instead of looking for work.
Asahi Tachibana is a textbook NEET, living a lazy, cozy life in Akihabara, the infamous Tokyo suburb renowned for its proliferation of anime and video game merchandise, maid cafes, pop idols, and all other forms of counterculture indulgence. To him, every day is Sunday, and every Sunday is a fun day.
Little does he know, however, that every day is about to become Sunday for real! Caught in a temporal loop, where the day restarts as soon as it ends, Asahi is one of only a chosen few whose memories don’t reset with it. He and his merry band of time-displaced losers must now scour Akihabara for signs of “delusions” – people’s innermost fantasies made manifest, changing the cityscape and the behavior of its citizens alike. It is the duty of this ragtag team (whether they like it or not) to infiltrate and destroy these delusions, restoring the natural order of Akiba in the vain hope that this loop may be their last.
During the course of this increasingly improbably quest, Asahi and his companions will unravel a deep, twisted mystery that blurs the line between the physical world and that of mankind’s innermost desires. Can this band of misfits restore normalcy (or what passes for normalcy) to Akihabara? Or will they succumb to the will of the enigmatic pink-caped man, who seems to be the key to everything…?
Overview
Akiba’s Beat is a modern‑day satirical spin on a classic Japanese RPG formula. Set in a true‑to‑life recreation of Tokyo’s Akihabara ward (“Akiba” for short), players will take control of a party of characters led by protagonist Asahi Tachibana as they seek to rid the town of anything out of sync with reality. There are two sides to the gameplay: first, players will wander the streets and question the quirky Akihabara residents on a variety of subjects related to the mystery at hand, ultimately unlocking fantasy‑themed dungeons known as “Delusionscapes” which are infested with monsters called “deluseons.” These deluseons are encountered on the map and fought in a party‑based action battle system, putting players’ skills to the test and creating a uniquely challenging experience that seamlessly blends a real‑life locale with the secret delusory world of its residents’ true desires.
Features
- Real-Time Action RPG Combat – Touch enemies on the map to be transported into a party-based real-time combat scene where skill and reflexes alike are put to the test.
- Real-Life Setting with a Fantastical Spin – Explore a faithful recreation of Tokyo’s Akihabara ward, interacting with quirky locals and enjoying a taste of Japan’s otaku mecca before entering surreal “Delusionscapes.”
- Modern-Day Mystery with a Touch of Satire – Question uniquely caricatured persons of interest in hopes of finding the source of Akihabara’s many changes – before it’s too late!
Watch a new trailer below.