XSEED Games has released a new trailer introducing the characters of Akiba’s Beat.
The trailer introduce the game’s seven main characters:
- Asahi Tachibana – A textbook NEET who came to Tokyo for college, but quit during summer vacation of his freshman year after deciding there was no real place for him in higher education. He now lives alone in an apartment in the Akihabara district, his rent paid through an allowance provided to him by his parents. He has no desire to find employment or return to school, and generally does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He has a tough time saying no to people, however, so he often gets roped into helping others, whether he likes it or not… assuming he can wake up on time, anyway.
- Saki Hoshino – A native of Sendai in northeastern Japan, Saki recently moved to Akihabara to attend classes at a fashion design institute. Though generally cheerful and energetic, she’s made it her life’s mission to destroy people’s manifested delusions together with her familiar, Pinkun, since long before meeting Asahi at the start of this story. As a result of spending so much of her time on such seemingly supernatural work, she considers herself a “chosen one,” and tends to get rather obstinate with those who question her motivations. She regards anyone else she meets who can perceive delusions as either a fellow chosen one… or as one of those responsible for the spread of delusion, who needs to be stopped.
- Riyu Momose – An up-and-coming junior idol singer who’s suddenly gained near instantaneous popularity in Akihabara. Goes by the stage name “Mippity Mop,” as a reference to her bunny rabbit-themed outfit and her catch phrase: “Let’s hippity-hop straight to your hearts!” Though she’s only in junior high, she comes across as extremely mature and well-spoken for her age, likely due to the lessons in public speaking and public relations she’s learned from her attempts to make it big as an idol. Always polite and courteous, Riyu serves as a voice of reason for the party and is generally both well-liked by everyone, and accepting of everyone… sometimes to a fault.
- Yamato Hongo – A “too cool for school”-style teenaged brat who’s very self-conscious about how others perceive him. As with most kids his age, he’s really into anime and collectible card games, with a specific fondness for those with dark, edgy themes. He’d prefer others not know about these “childish” preferences of his, however – nor about his family life, which sees him at his most caring and nurturing – so he tries his best to hide his true feelings behind a mask of unenthused disinterest. When push comes to shove, however, he always lets his inner nerd show… whether he wants to or not.
- Kotomi Sanada – A well-to-do high school-aged girl who dresses in typical “Gothic lolita” style and has a decidedly abrasive personality. Her parents work overseas, only returning home once per year at best, leaving her to be raised by her live-in housemaid. As a result, Kotomi endures a somewhat lonely existence, befriending paper dolls before other people and utterly refusing to go to school. This has given her something of a complex, ensuring that the majority of her public interactions end up with whoever dared address her getting chewed up and spit out. Deep down, however, all Kotomi really wants are flesh-and-blood friends… though she’ll never admit it.
- Reiji Shinomiya – A tall “old” man with a mysterious past. Though he’s still in his 20s, he’s often the oldest person in the room, and definitely has the “get off my lawn” mentality to match that status. He’s returned to Akihabara after a lengthy absence in search of answers to questions only he can ask, though he’s not particularly forthcoming on the details of that search. He seems to understand better than anyone else what’s going on with the delusions, though he’d rather not get anyone else involved with them out of concern for their safety – and perhaps, a bit, out of fear that he might actually find the answers he seeks… and he won’t like them.
- Mizuki Aihara – A childhood friend of Asahi’s who, at times, acts almost like his guardian, always keeping close tabs on his health and safety and trying to snap him out of his NEET lifestyle. Mizuki has a knack for hard work and dedication, and shows this through his school life, remaining active on campus while still maintaining good grades and even tutoring on weekends. This has made him a very popular student with a very good reputation, yet he still chooses to spend most of his spare time with Asahi… assuming Asahi can ever keep to Mizuki’s schedule.
Akiba’s Beat is due out for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita on May 16 in North America and May 19 in Europe.
Watch the trailer below.