Let’s Strip’em in Akiba!

I won’t be reviewing many video games here, not to say that I don’t enjoy video games but I am more of a casual gamer than anything serious, but I just really wanted to talk about this game that it seems none of my friends have even heard of, which is a shame because this game has been so much fun to play!

Vampire-like monsters known as ‘Synthisters’ are attacking those who love Akihabara and it’s up to the protagonist; who has been tricked into being turned into one himself, to protect the town he loves along with his friends of the Akiba Freedom Fighters to defeat these foul creatures and there only weakness is direct exposure to sunlight so to defeat them you have to strip them down!

If you think that premise sounds ridiculous you are right it is a ridiculous premise, but sometimes the most ridiculous of ideas can be the most fun. I have had a blast just chilling out and just playing as well as laughing at this fun game. That being said the gameplay is not perfect, though it does have some brilliant replayability which I will mention later in this review.

The inability to skip scenes and dialogue can be a bit jarring when all you want to do is get back to the action part of the game, especially once you’re replaying the game again. Also the in battle mechanics I found to be though fun for a beat em up style game lacked a proper targeting system against enemies which at times made it hard to set up for ‘strip combos’ which are needed for certain achievements in the game so if you are chasing those it can get difficult.

The real star of the game however for any anime fan I think though is the setting itself, Akihabara. It is made obvious as you walk around the environments in the game that the creators have a real love and appreciation for Akihabara and as you can see on the official website for the game the areas really do recreate a lifelike district, just look under Akihabara life.

All different types of anime culture are featured in the game as well, from Idols and their obsessive fans to figurine collecting, manga, maid cafes and even Yaoi Fangirls. As well as the main story which can, unfortunately, get very predictable at times if you know your anime tropes, as well as a fan, should the side stories bring welcome excitement, at times tension and sheer hilarity!

Now as for fun extra’s for anime fans, well I don’t know if it is included in any of the other releases but for those with the PS4 edition of the game you have the option upon finishing the game for a very interesting alternative skin for your character.

(One side note that slightly annoyed me I must admit, even when your playing with a female as your main character the story and characters will still progress as though you are male, even NPC’s will still call you he)

All in all, I found Akiba’s Trip as a fun gaming experience and would recommend it to all anime fans to get a fun glimpse into something a little stupid and zany but sometimes stupid fun is the best way to just chill and relax.