akiba's trip 2 review

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Review: Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed

Show me how you strip

The Akiba’s Trip series is one that I think many people know based on premise alone. It has never reviewed very well in the West, but it’s hard to ignore a game whose central mechanic is undressing people in Akihabara. Undressing people. Stripping them to the nude. Putting them in their flesh tuxedo. They’ve even contrived a reason to do so, but we’ll get to that.

We never got the original Akiba’s Trip over here in North America. It was originally released in 2011 on the PSP, which was close enough to the launch of the Vita to be ignored. Instead, we jumped straight into the sequel, Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed .

Now, however, we’re getting a chance to travel back to 2011’s Akihabara with Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed (oh, I get it, “HD”) and see how the stripping began.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed ( Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PC , PS4 ) Developer: ACQUIRE Corp. Publisher: XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc. Released: July 20, 2021 MSRP: $39.99

Let’s address the whole “HD” part of this package. Akiba’s Trip was a mighty fine-looking PSP game for its time. It is not, however, a good-looking Switch, PS4, or PC game. Models are angular, textures are blurry, and if you look too far off, you can see the cars disappear into the 2D backdrops. It’s an improvement over the original, don’t get me wrong. Textures and lighting have been touched up, but they didn’t go as far as even matching Undead & Undressed’s graphical fidelity.

Even still, the framerate tends to chug on the Switch version when you position the camera just right or there’s lots of stripping going on. I never found it too intrusive, but it was hard to ignore.

That’s not the end of the world, but it doesn’t bode well for any other upgrades. Indeed, the combat, which has been a sticking point for the series in general, is just as clunky as ever. The idea is that you have to damage the enemy’s clothing before you can rip it off, exposing their supple flesh to the world. There’s headwear, upper body, and lower body, and they are all worn down with their individual attacks. As such, you have high, mid, and low attacks, but they can’t be chained together in any advantageous way, so you’re stuck with just kicking them in the shins until their pants break.

The biggest issue is the targeting, which is essentially non-existent. You can’t lock on, so you’re at the mercy of your character’s attention span, and they’re easily distracted. Even when fighting only one enemy, you’ll often find yourself attacking off to the side for no reason, or striking behind your target. In groups, things can get hopeless, and kamisama help anyone who joins you as an ally. Just flail in the direction of the enemies you want to strip and start tearing every once and a while. See what you can catch.

The whole reason for the stripping? Akiba’s Trip tells you it’s because there are vampires preying on the citizens of Akihabara, but it gets a little murky. You’re turned vampire at the outset, so you’re just as susceptible to sunlight as everyone else. Lose your clothes, and you dissolve. Take off a vampire’s outfit, and they dissolve. Strip a bystander, and they just run off in embarrassment.

The weird thing is, the story isn’t all that committed to this concept. It plays along with the whole hidden threat angle, but often when you strip a character with a name, they’re just like, “Hah, I’m too tough to be killed by the sun!” Then they run off because no one has heard of restraints. You can also just strip down to a pair of headphones and be perfectly fine. As long as you’re wearing an article of clothing, the sun can’t hurt you. Your underwear doesn’t count. Thankfully?

Why are all these vampires out in the daylight, anyway? Have they never heard of coffins? I’m pretty sure Akihabara has a nightlife to prey on.

The story of Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed involves you investigating the disappearance of a friend and getting beaten up in an alley. A woman takes pity on you and shares her blood with you by way of a kiss, and you become a vampire — sorry, Shadow Soul — like her. An organization dedicated to the eradication of Shadow Souls, NIRO, recruits you by force to stop their diabolical scheme.

The plan? Vampire bites apparently turn people into shut-ins. It’s not very well explained, but from what I gather, I may have been a victim of these Shadow Souls. I’m also not really certain of the grand plan. Drive down human birth rates in Japan so vampires can thrive? I’m not sure they need help with that, especially not in Akihabara.

I poke fun at some of the more nebulous elements, but the foundation does a decent job of moving things along. While it seems from the outset that NIRO has you by the crotch of the pants, as the plot moves along, you’re given some agency in who you help. Your primary concern is protecting the people of the Tokyo neighborhood, but who has its best interests in mind? Is it really NIRO? Are all vampires bad?

Likewise, the characters are enjoyable, if not a fair bit archetypal. It does tend to get a bit overly wordy, especially towards the end. There’s a possible romance in the game that I enjoyed, but every so often she’d start to drop analogies that I just didn’t understand. I’m sorry, but an analogy is supposed to clarify a subject, not mystify it further. Poor use of poetic license is a turn-off for me.

At its core, Akiba’s Trip is about being an otaku, which I guess also means being a pervert. Throughout the game, you’ll be subjected to fetishes laid bare. I consider myself to be pretty open-minded, but I found myself feeling somewhat uncomfortable when I had to utilize the protagonist’s little sister to awaken a schoolgirl fantasy in him. Likewise, when I had to find a “cherry” on the street, deceive her, and deliver her to the local BDSM queen, I kind of felt a bit disconnected. But the game rewarded me for being a predator! Not sure what message that sends.

It’s nothing worse than you’d find in some of the lewder anime out there, just be ready to dip your toes into other people’s kinks. Some that you might not be into, but others that you might be! What’s your game, friend? Crossplay, maids, moe, catgirls, bunny girls, fox girls? You’re covered. Just don’t be surprised when it skirts a little near sexual assault territory, as if the core theme wasn’t close enough.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a horny game if nothing else. It’s not explicit ecchi, but it knows exactly what it’s doing, and it succeeds in a lot of ways. It’s an interesting satire of the otaku lifestyle, both poking fun at and embracing it.

Most of the time, though, it’s like playing a stripped-down version of Yakuza . You wander a Japanese neighborhood, shop, do side-quests, build up your character, much like in that venerated series. But then the combat sucks and the story is poorly paced. On the other hand, I can’t deny it grew on me. It feels like one of those janky, Japanese, early PS2 titles like Mr. Mosquito or Robot Alchemic Drive . It might not be the most fun to play, but it’s unique enough to captivate.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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Review: Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Almost Gets It Right

Akiba’s Trip is one of those games that’s hard to forget about, at least conceptually. It’s a game where the goal is to punch people in the jeans so hard that they fall off. It’s utterly absurd; a joke concept that may be tough to stretch to a full game, and yet the team at Acquire tried to do that.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is the second time they attempted the concept. The first game was a former Japan exclusive that eventually got a remastered worldwide release as Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed . Undead and Undressed , however, did get a worldwide release the first time around, releasing in the West for the PlayStation Vita in 2014. Now, almost 10 years later, it’s getting a Director’s Cut remaster for modern systems. So the question is, how well does the sequel hold up after all this time?

So let’s get this out of the way. Akiba’s Trip is weird. Not just because of its concept, but its execution is all over the place. One moment the game feels like it wears its concept on its sleeve, playing it up for all its absurdity. Then in the next moment, it’s tripping over its own pants with awkward dialogue and clunky gameplay.

Screenshot by Siliconera

If you’re unfamiliar with Akiba’s Trip , here’s a quick rundown of the plot. You play as a generic protagonist named Nanashi by default. He wakes up in a strange lab after responding to the reddest of red flag job adverts. He’s been turned into a Synthister, a violent emotional vampire. However, he gets rescued by a mysterious girl named Shizuku who helps him escape and shares her blood with him to prevent him from losing his humanity.

Now Nanashi, Shizuku, and his friends in the Akiba Freedom Fighters are heading out to stop the Synthister menace plaguing Akihabara. Of course, the best way to defeat them is to remove all their clothes so they can be burned away by their vampiric weakness to sunlight.

The process of doing this, however, is poorly executed. Combat involves attacking an opponent’s legs, torso or head in order to do damage to the clothing or accessories in that area. With enough damage, Nanashi or his friends can grab the shirt or hat or whatever and remove them. Remove all clothing items and they’re defeated.

This whole system is clunky to control. Fights are often against large groups, and limited dodge and inconsistent targeting can often make it tricky to position yourself in a way that you’re not getting punched in the back all the time. It’s also painfully repetitive. Every fight has the exact same rhythm, and I never really felt like I could mix up combos all that much. It says a lot that combat improves a lot when you unlock the team-up ability. This often causes so much instant damage it feels like it skips most of the fighting.

Not that things are much better out of combat. You get a decent chunk of Akiba to explore, including multiple real stores to visit and buy assorted items from. This would be great if you weren’t wandering into a loading screen every five seconds. Akiba has been split into multiple tiny regions all sectioned away from each other, with the most egregious problem being Main Street split into four separate corners.

These tiny locations also add to the problems with combat, as I frequently found myself backed into corners within the transition points. Thankfully, area transition is usually locked out while in combat, so this doesn’t lead to interruptions. However, the camera shift that indicates the transition does still happen, making it much harder to see what you’re doing.

While the first game had these problems, it could be attributed to its origins on the PSP. However, Undead and Undressed started out on the Vita, a system that boasted Gravity Rush as one of its most prominent games. That was a game with a seamless open world that Akiba’s Trip could have done well to emulate.

Where Akiba’s Trip fares a little better, however, is in its writing. There’s a satirical edge to much of the game’s dialogue, acting as a celebration and brutal takedown of otaku culture in equal measure. After all, the game starts with the protagonist taking a sketchy job offer simply because they pay in figurines. This is just a fraction of the self-referential humor about the obsessive nature of otaku. An obsessive nature that makes them a perfect target for a surreal mission to turn their entire Tokyo hangout into a hive of energy vampires. It’s all delightfully silly and it knows it.

Of course, there are times where it walks the line between satirical and just bad. On one hand, the cosplay sequence where the normally serious and distant Shizuku gets super into the hottest anime is genuinely funny. On the other hand, the awkward dialogue of the protagonist’s little sister is generally obnoxious to put up with. It’s a huge tonal problem that runs through the whole game.

Akiba’s Trip is a real mixed bag of an experience. It’s clear there was potential here with some of the writing, and the combat has a solid foundation that it fails to build on properly. It reminds me a little of Deadly Premonition , a game that managed to do so much wrong and yet ended up being a strangely compelling experience. Akiba’s Trip doesn’t quite pull off the same feat, but frequently feels like it could get close. It just never quite comes together as a cohesive whole.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is not a game that has aged well. Its combat is repetitive, its map is too restrictive and its dialogue sometimes leans into the worst tropes too sincerely to be called parody. However, it’s clear that there is an audience for this out there, or it wouldn’t have gotten this remaster. If you can put up with the game’s many issues, it may be possible to lose yourself in the absurdity of its concept and enjoy its more successful satirical moments.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Director’s Cut is out now for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC.

• I will admit there was some nostalgia for me here, as I did visit Akiba around the time of the game's original release.
• There’s even a mission where Nanashi gets cornered by maids in a side street, which was alarmingly similar to a real experience I had.
• It was only one maid in real life though, not a whole squad of them. And no one got stripped in the street. Thankfully.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Review: Stripped Down Simplicity

A product of its time, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is an enjoyable experience that takes you through the streets of Akihabara, circa-2011.

My one and only trip to Japan took place in 2000, when I made the trek with my high school Japanese language class for ten glorious days, exploring the bright neon-lit streets of Fukuoka, the farming and coastal communities of Shimabara, and the industrial-meets-city life town of Sasebo. I have very fond memories of my trip and continue to save and prepare for a return trip to the southernmost part of Japan at some point. However, I also have every intention of making my way through the rest of the island so that I can visit other places like Osaka, Kyoto, Nagano, and, of course, Tokyo.

Ah, Tokyo. I’ve always dreamed of visiting the city that, to me, seems like heaven on Earth. I’ve even recently gone so far as to try to get a taste of the Tokyo city experience by playing games that are based in Japan . So, you can imagine my delight when I was offered the opportunity to check out the remastered Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed for its tenth anniversary – not to mention its official release in the West. Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed isn’t your typical remaster – this is by no means on the level of titles such as Resident Evil 2 Remake . Although the game has its moments of frustration and arguably feels like a product of its time, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is an enjoyable experience that takes you through the streets of Akihabara, circa-2011. TLDR: my nostalgic jet-setting Japanese heart is happy.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is technically a brand-new game that has been remastered and released for a Western audience. The original game – called Akiba’s Trip Plus in Japan – was initially released in May 2011 for the PSP, making Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed a near must-have for fans of the series. Can you play the game as a new player to the franchise? Speaking as someone who had never played an Akiba’s Trip game before, I can confirm that there really is no barrier to entry to diving right into Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed. Just make sure you know going in that the game's title is – in quite literal terms – telling you what sort of game you’re about to play.

Related: Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Preview: I’m Goin’ Back To Akihabara In terms of the game’s story, you’re a newcomer to Akihabara, commonly referred to as an otaku paradise. Trendy shops line up side by side, enticing anyone who passes by to peek in and see what material treasures await inside. Rather than it being a pleasure trip, however, your customizable character is thrown into the fray pretty much immediately, finding themselves on the losing end of a brutal encounter with a vampire-like humanoid. Eventually, you’re contracted to work with NIRO, a secret agency tasked with taking out these demons that walk among the rest of the population disguised as living, breathing human beings. And how exactly are you to rid the world of these monsters? Why, by stripping off the clothes that they are wearing, of course.

The aptly titled Akiba’s Trip series has maintained a focus on “strip-combat” mechanics, and Hellbound & Debriefed is no exception. You’re able to identify demons by using your mobile device, which typically results in a hand-to-hand brawl where your main goal is to strip all of your opponent’s clothes off before they do the same to you first – which effectively results in a game over.

The trick is to wear your opponent down by hitting and kicking them, or smacking them with a variety of random weapons (the loaf of bread being my personal favorite weaponized item). Once they take enough punishment, you can grab an article of clothing and rip it off of them, which becomes all the more satisfying when you gain the ability to string strips together in a combination of button-hitting quick-time events.

The combos are definitely the best part of the combat system, which often feels incredibly clunky. Hitbox inconsistencies, rough camera angles, no lock-on system… it all adds up to a somewhat frustrating experience, made even more frustrating by the sheer amount of fighting that you’ll be doing in the game. Perhaps the most frustrating part, though, is taking on multiple enemies at once. The length of these encounters can be exhausting, especially when you’ve been slain (stripped?) by the same group of enemies a handful of times already. Eventually, you’ll figure out the best way to approach each situation. It just might take you a few tries (or more) to get there.

Aside from any combat woes, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a fun romp through 2011 Japan – made all the more nostalgic thanks to the game’s graphics. As I said, this isn’t the typical high-caliber remake that most players have come to expect. It looks fine for what it is, but it still looks and feels like a step above a PSP or PS2 game. But you know what? It works. Maybe it’s the fact that the setting features all of the stores and scenery that were present in Akihabara in 2011, but there’s a comfortable, simplistic, and nostalgic feeling that courses through the streets and alleyways of Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed. I’m a sucker for those kinds of old-school, retro games , and Hellbound & Debriefed is a solid entry into that category.

There’s a ton of depth to the game’s RPG element as well, allowing you to build up your character with special skills, outrageous outfits and other cosmetic items, as well as steer the direction of the relationships you maintain with NPCs, which ultimately impacts the outcome of the game.

There’s a lot to love in Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed, whether you’re a veteran or newcomer to the series. It looks and plays much like the games of yesteryear, but that’s what gives it much of its charm. You can definitely add Akihabara to my list of spots to visit when I finally make my way back to Japan. I’m no vampire demon, but perhaps I’ll wear an extra layer or two. You know, just in case.

A PS4 copy of Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed was provided to TheGamer for this review. Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed will be available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch on July 23.

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Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Review — A Shadow of Its Former Self

The Akiba’s Trip series is such a unique one. When Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed came westward in 2014, I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a very shameless beat ’em game with stripping mechanics. More specifically, the main character explores the city of Akihabara and strips the clothes off of supernatural human enemies called Synthesizers, who are vulnerable to sunlight.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed essentially uses the same concept but with a different group of enemies. Debriefed is a remaster of the first game in the series that originally launched on the PlayStation Portable back in 2011, though it never made it outside of Japan.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Review — A Shadow of Its Former Self

This time around, the enemies are vampiric entities called Shadow Souls. These nefarious beings feed on the citizens of Akihabara, draining their souls and turning them into antisocial shut-ins. The main character, Tanaka, gets attacked at the very beginning of the game, and a mysterious girl saves them by utilizing her own bodily fluids to heal their wounds.

This grants Tanaka supernatural powers, but at the cost of being vulnerable to sunlight just like the other Shadow Souls. Tanaka then joins NIRO to take down the remaining Shadow Souls to uncover their ultimate plan.

Those who’ve played Undead & Undressed ( U&U) back in 2014 will certainly find themselves in familiar territory. While I’d say they’ll also enjoy Hellbound & Debriefed ( H&D) , it’s lacking in all of the many quality of life and gameplay improvements that U&U introduced seven years ago.

It’s almost as if the game was ported from PlayStation Portable onto modern platforms, but then nothing else was done to make it feel modern.

The lack of a lock-on system or any sort of manual targeting is an issue in U&U , and in H&D , the problem still hasn’t been solved. Combat feels as cumbersome as ever, with inconsistent, all-over-the-place hit detection.

In fact, gameplay has seemingly regressed here. 

You can hit your enemies in three areas: high, mid, and low, each corresponding to pieces of clothing, which are headwear, shirt, and pants, respectively. As you continue to hit your enemies, their clothing turns a different color, indicating that you can try and strip a particular piece of clothing off of them.

In U&U , you can try to strip off an enemy’s clothes by mashing a specific button. If you are unsuccessful, your efforts still contribute to lowering your target’s clothing HP meter. However, in H&D , that HP meter doesn’t go down at all, which effectively means that if you fail to strip an enemy’s clothing, your effort goes to waste. Furthermore, in U&U , you can see how much HP your clothing has. But that feature is completely gone in H&D , so it’s harder to gauge your own condition.

By putting away your weapon and adjusting your clothes, these two animations allow you to recover your HP. But it’s a laborious process, as the animation leaves you wide open to enemy attacks.  U&U does the exact same thing, except without having to put away a weapon, cutting the animation time in half.

The gameplay isn’t the only thing that’s gone backward here.  U&U  lets you open the Akihabara map at any time and go to a different location. In H&D , you have to actually run to the edge of the area to open up the map menu. Additionally, you can only save or change your clothes and equipment when the map is open, removing the change-at-any-time option found in  U&U .

There are side quests in Hellbound & Debriefed as well, and they help expand Akihabara’s worldbuilding. These are the usual fare, with you fighting enemies or fetching some sort of item. You can always pull up the To-Do list in your menu to read what’s next in the main story or a side quest, but one aspect that is notably missing is an objective tracker. At this point, you can probably figure out that U&U had one…

It’s just baffling to see how many quality-of-life functions are missing here. In 2021, we’ve seen many remasters improve on their forebears, such as  Nier Replicant and Shin Megami Tensei 3 HD Remaster . Unfortunately, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed  hasn’t overhauled combat — like the former — nor does it have an already solid combat foundation — like the latter.

But that’s not to say there aren’t any positives to this game.

XSEED usually provides quality localization, and H&D is no exception. The English voice acting is great, and it’s a noticeable step up from Undead & Undressed . The cast of characters is charming too, with my favorite being the main heroine, Rui Fumitsuki. XSEED’s stellar script really helps bring the main and supporting casts to life.

While the game’s 3D graphics are kind of ugly, I do really love the crisp 2D art style of the character portraits and special CG artwork that comes with the different endings. The music can be pretty good as well, particularly the battle themes.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed — The Bottom Line

• Top-notch localization and English voice dub from XSEED
• 2D art style and CG wallpaper artwork is crisp and clean
• Music can be pretty good
• Gameplay is entirely too cumbersome
• Lacking any gameplay or quality of life functions that were introduced in its 2014 sequel
• Graphics look ugly on the big screen

I can really only recommend Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed to diehard fans of the series. It doesn’t have any gameplay or quality-of-life improvements that its 2014 sequel introduced, and as a result, it feels like a relic of the past.

While there are some emotional moments in the game’s story and the cast of characters can be fun, the gameplay is a chore to get through. It’s just disappointing that this is such a barebones remaster.

[Note: XSEED provided the copy of Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed used for this review.]

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Review: akiba’s trip 2: undead & undressed – go on a stripping adventure.

Akiba’s Trip 2: Undead & Undressed

Akiba’s Trip 2: Undead & Undressed , by the same team responsible for the Way of the Samurai series, takes players into the famous Japanese electronic district Akihabara (Akiba for short), with over 130 real life Akiba shops that the player is able to visit. While the game is an action-adventure, it's quite a different experience compared to any other game out there in the market.

The story revolves around a conspiracy behind the Magaimono organization and the hero's ends up fighting against bloodsucking demon creatures that have taken over the area. To save Akiba from these demons, the player is required to defeat them by stripping off their clothes and exposing them to sunlight.

The game starts off with Nanashi, who was trapped in an unknown facility due to a job agreement he signed. Little did he know, the contract stated the organization was authorized to experiment on his body, which transformed him into a Synthisther, a being who exceeds ordinary humans in terms of motor reflexes and raw strength.

While the main cast is likeable, and behaves almost as if they came straight from an anime, the game lacks interactivity with all characters except the heroines of the game, in which you will have dialogue options which leads to different endings with each one, inciting the players to give the game another spin multiple times.

Akiba’s Trip 2 is full of references and stereotypes within the Otaku culture. Throughout the game, whether you’re completing the main story missions or the side-missions, you will stumble across different types of individuals such as anime fans, hardcore cosplayers or obsessive photographers chasing after girls in maid outfits.

The core gameplay is very simplistic, offering three buttons to attack. Each button is assigned to attack a specific part of the opponent’s body, and the key of the game is to inflict enough damage to all three clothing pieces to strip them off the opponent and expose them to the sunlight.

Even with the simple mechanics, the arsenal of selectable weapons adds another layer to the game’s combat. Depending on the type of weapons the player chooses, their fighting style will differ. Players will be able to equip weapons ranging from baseball bats to arcade motherboards to monitors. Sadly, when facing a crowd of enemies and especially in smaller areas, the game tends to lag a lot.

Similar to RPGs, players have the ability to change the apparel of their character, thus improving their performance. The type of clothing piece you use is very important as it will determine the character’s health, or in this case, the durability of the clothing piece, thus making it harder for enemies to strip off your clothing. But even if your clothing piece gets stripped , you will always obtained it back at the end of the battle. However if your clothing piece gets ripped off by the enemy, unfortunately you will not acquire it back.

With the help of the protagonist’s little sister, for the price of 1,000 yen, you’re allowed to fuse your clothes or weapons with the “Synthesis” feature. To begin you must choose a base item in which you wish to enhance, and after that you’re prompted to select other items to use for the synthesis. Once you’re done, your weapon or clothing piece will be better than ever. It is recommended that you mix the same type of clothing piece or same type of weapon for an added bonus.

Players can also take on some side-missions to earn some extra cash and boost experience points. The side missions you take are side jobs offered by the inhabitants of the district. While the given job description varies for each mission essentially they involve fighting an enemy or horde of enemies, which can get very repetitive. Some missions, however, require you to acquire items and take pictures of maids.

You can explore through the world of Akiba’s Trip 2 as if you were wandering around the real Akiba. The game does well to represent the city by replicating the locales and faculties, even including buildings for other game companies. Players will also stumble upon advertisements for other established franchises.

Sadly, you can’t fully explore the district since only certain sections of an area are assessable. Even shops are only limited to a menu with a clerk offering their service. Unfortunately, the loading times involved when traveling through different areas are too long, almost deteriorating the experience. After the long wait to travel to the next area, sometimes NPCs themselves take a while to load. This can get annoying if you’re trying to complete side-missions.

As a game that caters to anime enthusiasts, the developers did a good job at delivering at the graphical department. The city and character designs, including the main protagonists of the game and NPCs, work well with the JRPG/anime aesthetic.

Players have the option to choose between both English and Japanese audio. While the original Japanese audio track is exceptionally great, the English audio track is also enjoyable for players with an English dub preference. Sadly, the soundtrack in this game is almost forgettable but is very well used in the right circumstances.

Akiba’s Trip 2: Undead & Undressed had a lot of wasted potential but overall is a fun title. Be warned, though, that it’s the type of experience mostly aimed at enthusiasts of Japanese nerd culture so it may not appeal to everyone. It does get credit for managing to offer solid gameplay and enough story routes to incite a nice replay value.

Akiba's Trip 2: Undead & Undressed

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed (Switch) Review

by Alex Orona - July 20, 2021, 10:03 am EDT Discuss in talkback!

Akiba's Trip: Underwhelmed & Disappointed

Originally a PSP game, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is the first of the HD remakes in the franchise to be brought to updated consoles. The series acts as a love letter to Otaku trends, fan service, and Akihabara as a whole with the focal points emphasizing the culture surrounding what’s known as the electric town. The city is alive here with lots to find and explore but one thing I didn’t find a lot of was fun.

Akiba’s Trip follows a young “professional dork” named Nanashi, who is attacked in a dark alley trying to find a missing friend. After the assault, close to death, a vampire named Rui comes to the rescue but can only save him by turning him into a vampire as well. After turning, he’s recruited into NIRO, the anti-vampire task force. Straddling the line between human and vampire (or Kageyashi as they are called in the game,) Nanashi teams up with NIRO to rid Akihabara of the growing vampire threat. Armed with a team of Otaku (young pop culture enthusiasts) and a snappy fashion sense, Nanashi travels around Akihabara exploring the alleys of cosplayers while fighting vampire hordes that have infiltrated.

To combat the vampires, you have three attacks: A head attack, a body attack and a legs attack. Each one targets a specific article of clothing, and once you’ve done enough damage, you can grab and rip off that article of clothing leaving the enemies in their underwear. After you’ve removed all the top level clothes the enemy is exposed to the sun and disappears. This is a silly, fan service-y mechanic that feels a mile wide but an inch deep. Sure there are stats for specific pieces of clothing, or stat boosts to do more damage say to schoolgirl outfits, but it rarely feels profound.

The fashion aspect plays into Akihabara fashion culture, as it’s not uncommon to see cosplay displayed throughout the city. In Akiba’s Trip, it’s used as armor but some missions require specific real world outfits like school girl skirts or business suits so you better dress accordingly. Clothing can be found in tons of shops around the city or taken from enemies. Also there are skill books that will boost your stats against certain outfits so you can plan ahead. Outside of the gear, your stats improve from leveling up from combat encounters, and there are ALOT of those.

The flaw of the combat design is that being a vampire fighting for humans, you end up being attacked by both sides. This includes combat with any and all random NPC’s. At any given time you can randomly be attacked. This is super frustrating because it takes 2-3 seconds for your character to perform their intro combat animation and also combat will continue to occur in NPC conversations. You can get out of combat stance but that also takes 2-3 seconds and even after, you are still vulnerable to attack. The fact that these happen randomly may not be a big deal but I found myself in a combat arena 1 vs 1 story beat that was interrupted by roughly 15 random enemies joining into the frey. On the positive side, it was dynamic so they would accidentally attack and turn on eachother making it comedic but overall felt like a mess.

Adding to the frustration of the dynamic combat is that when facing multiple opponents in story encounters, it’s easy to find yourself stunlocked or encircled and unable to move being pummeled to your death. I found the best solution to strafe around constantly but that led to issues with the camera unable to keep up within the environment. Add in a lack of a targeting system and you are left wildly swinging your weapon and attempting to strip one enemy but accidentally grabbing another.There is a neat mechanic of using your flip phone camera to find hidden enemies but this was rarely used.

The graphics, while HD, do little to improve what clearly looks like a PSP game. The characters art is crystal clear but doesn’t help the muddy textures or lack of detail in character avatars. Each map represents a block of Akihabara, so they are smaller in scale and confusing to say the least. Stores are highlighted with yellow arrows which is sadly a necessity, as some stores were just building walls with no storefront. Other issues are NPC’s. They are numerous in number but sometimes it’s required for you to speak with a specific one and it isn’t until you are right on top of them that a name appears above their head. Details like this make missions obtuse and confusing.

There are tons of other issues that go along with the port such as music being louder than the voice acting, drowning it out, occasional frame drops or a dressing your underage sister for photos mini-game that feels uncomfortable and in poor taste. I know that there’s an implied sexiness to the game (yes I got the title pun) but still. Akiba’s Trip was a series I’ve always been curious about. I understand the fan service of finding quirky excuses to strip your enemies but everything around this just feels outdated. The mechanics have not aged well, the story rarely gets passed ‘eye rolling,’ and combat is frustratingly repetitive. From my understanding, there are many quality of life improvements that have occurred in later entries into the series but this remastered version keeps it faithful to the original, warts and all. Strip away the Akihabara charm, and there’s not much left to enjoy.

• Long awaited PSP port now on Switch for fans of the series
• Combat is frustratingly unresponsive
• Eye rolling story
• Muddy textures
• Plays like an antiquated PSP game

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Akiba's Trip 2 Is an Absurd, Action-Packed Supernatural Romance

It’s subtitled “Undead & Undressed” for a reason.

I thought vampire games needed something other than the fanged, pale-skinned bloodsuckers and gun-touting hunters to stand out. I didn’t think it would quite look like a high-school boy ripping the clothes off the backs of strangers, though.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed , also known as Akiba’s Trip 2 , isn’t a new game. However, Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed Director’s Cut is. The original game launched in Japan for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2013 and later migrated to North America in 2014. The Director’s Cut features much of the same content with an alternate route for a new romanceable character, Kati. I played it on the PlayStation 4 at PAX East and was delighted to find out how absurd yet satisfying the action was.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed stars Nanashi, a teenage otaku who was lured into a trap and turned into a vampire. These vampires, also called “Synthisters,” feast on humans’ social energy and will to live. A mysterious girl named Shizuku saves Nanashi with a kiss before he totally loses his humanity and recruits him to join the Akiba Freedom Fighters, a group hunting the Synthisters. It's up to the ragtag group to uncover the Synthisters’ plot and save Akibahara from the soul-suckers before it’s too late.

This isn’t your average vampire-hunting RPG where you run around slashing at enemies with silver swords or impaling them with wooden stakes. You identify Synthisters with a camera — because vampires look different than humans in photos — and confront them. Then, you expose them to the sun by forcibly stripping them down to their underwear. Then, their bodies melt in the daylight.

Nanashi’s superior vampire strength and reflexes enable him to go hand-to-hand with these bloodsuckers and, more importantly, punch and kick them until their clothes fly off.

Akiba’s Trip might sound like a perverted romcom (and it kind of is), but at least it has a surprisingly robust combat system. At PAX East, I played the demo on a controller where the right-hand buttons corresponded to high and low kicks and punches just like in a fighting game.

Behold, Nanashi is punching a pantsless enemy into the air.

You can’t rely on just one button because vampires have different clothing types that can only be removed with specific moves. For example, low kicks wear down their pants. Meanwhile, a headshot can eventually knock off any hats or headgear. It feels satisfying to combo vampires with fast-paced kicks and punches, especially with the layer of strategy that low and high attacks add. You also have to read whether the AI would aim high or low as you approached them.

You might notice a purple aura radiating off the enemy after you land enough hits. That’s the cue that Nanashi can pull off a super move that rips the enemy’s clothing clean off their body. The super move feels especially satisfying to pull off because of the over-the-top animation it triggers when you do it and how much faster it ends a fight.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed also delves into the realm of romance. I didn’t get to flirt with any of the girls because of the brief time I had with the demo, but the game leads to different endings based on who Nanashi chooses as his love interest. The new character Kati, an Akibahara maid, is only available as a route in the Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed Director’s Cut and downloadable content for PC and PlayStation 4.

If you’re even remotely titillated by the core premise and want something with a surprising compelling combat system, then this trip is definitely worth the strip.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Director’s Cut will launch for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on April 20, 2023. If you already have the original Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed on PC or PlayStation 4, you can download Kati’s route separately without buying the entire game.

This article was originally published on March 30, 2023

• Video Games

• Jul 21, 2021

Review: Akiba's Trip - Hellbound & Debriefed

By: Fernando Da Costa

Developer: Acquire

Publisher: XSeed Games

Available On: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

Review Console: Nintendo Switch Lite

WELCOME TO AKIHABARA! - Introduction

In 2013, North America was introduced to a strange little title - a game centred around the premise of stripping. Unbeknownst to me, it was actually the sequel to a Japan-exclusive game. Well, it’s the 10th Anniversary this year, and that unobtainable entry is no longer such, finally coming stateside with all its lunacy intact. We’re back at it again, battling creatures known as Shadow Souls, though they’re clearly vampires. Not only does the sun lead to their spontaneous combustion, but they’re also fans of nibbling on the neck - quite the romantics. The world is no longer enthralled with Twilight or True Blood , so bloodsuckers aren’t in as much as they once were. One might wonder how this PlayStation Portable port will fare in this day and age. Yup, a port, quite a scary thought for most, but we’ve seen those fears can be unwarranted. After 20+ hours of stripping and playing dress-up with my character, I have a few thoughts. So grab a cold one or make a hot beverage because, honestly, there’s a lot to say.

HELLO, FAN SERVICE! - Writing

So, there’s no sugar-coating how perverse the dialogue gets. It routinely ventures into taboo topics and does so rather nonchalantly. To its credit, though, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed tries to be progressive with implied LGBTQ+ romance. While that’s very much appreciated, it’s, bluntly put, presented like a teenager’s wet dream of a lesbian relationship. The execution leaves a lot to be desired, and that, sadly, persists. It’s important to note that no theme is off-limits. For instance, there’s an incest scenario that‘s, thankfully, inconsequential to the main narrative. It also doesn’t involve sexual activity of any kind. For anyone curious, the section in question tasks the protagonist with dressing his younger little sister in outfits - short skirts, sexy shirts, and so on. Many folks may find this creepy and, by proxy, be deterred, so please, be wary. Otherwise, sexual innuendo is scattered throughout, with one mission even hinting at masturbation. Up to this point, I’ve discussed how depraved the content gets. That said, none of it is ever detailed in a grotesque manner. This isn’t hardcore porn masquerading as a video game. Sure, the way subjects are handled will show their age, but it never delved into offensive territory.

The story, in general, is full of comedic elements, so, naturally, insanity will follow. Despite likely laughs, however, this serves as a detriment to Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed . First impressions are crucial as they can convince a person to stay or go. Needless to say, the first few hours here are juvenile and will probably bore most. It’s a shame, too since, if you do truck on, some genuine substance does slowly manifest. Even with its stereotypical cast, I still managed to grow attached to the core bunch of characters - The Freedom Fighters. They had a strange charm to them - maybe because it’s a group of misfits. It definitely gave them an air of reliability, and hell, I chuckled at a handful of interactions, especially with Nobu. He’s, by far, my favourite and is utterly infatuated with two-dimensional women. One particular relationship that’s especially wholesome is between the protagonist and Rui. The sincerity in their conversations felt real. She had such an innocence to her personality. There’s no denying the plot is generic, but the added spice of love stories and a few entertaining exchanges was welcomed.

HIT HIM WITH A BAT! - Gameplay

One word I liberally use in my review lexicon is potential. There're many titles that, while not fantastic, could be with a few tweaks. Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed sits firmly in that category - this game needs work.

My first major gripe is those clunky controls. The buttons aren’t as responsive as they should be, and the joysticks, at times, felt like they had a mind of their own. Before I get into it, I need to get into the nitty-gritty of combat. You see, it utilizes the standard three-button combination that most brawlers follow. As I pummeled my enemies into the ground, their clothing would flash red as a prompt appeared. As I’m sure you’ve surmised, this is to indicate that stripping is a go. Now, for, I assume, convenience, that same prompt is the exact button used when attacking. For instance, X is upper, Y is mid, and A is lower. Thanks to this, mistaken outputs happen far more than they should. A simple tap gets misinterpreted as being held down, thus resulting in going into the stripping animation, even if I meant to punch a face. It only lasts a second, but the thing is, because it happens frequently, it adds up. To pile on insult to injury, I died once or twice due to being vulnerable to assault. Sure, it was never enough to make me rage quit, but I’d be damned if it wasn’t frustrating.

ROLEPLAYING A BRAWLER! - Gameplay

For those unfamiliar with this franchise, it combines Brawler and RPG. Of course, with such a genre split, one would expect grinding and rightfully so. The good news is the Protagonist has a paltry two stats - attack and defence. The optimal way to bolster these isn’t by levelling but, instead, by retrieving your opponent's clothing. You see, everyone wears apparel that can be snatched and, in turn, worn yourself. These come in three different forms: headgear, a top, and a bottom. On a related note, I just want to point out that every piece is visually represented on the character model - a nice detail.

Now, you won’t be stealing shirts off the back of your enemies from the get-go. It’s only through playing that the capability to do so is unlocked. As you play, unique books will pop up in the shops of Akihabara. Purchasing these is the ticket to obtaining new clothing. Keep in mind that those books only affect certain fashions that directly correlate with their content. For example, if it focuses on police uniforms, then it allows that very thing to be grabbed in an unscathed state, but nothing else. So while there’s still a degree of level grinding, the real meat and potatoes lies within the hunt for apparel.

At its core, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed could be classed a collect-a-thon for the more than 300+ articles of clothing. That sounds like a stellar idea on paper, but in practice, it demands patience. To get everything, it requires multiple play-throughs. The previously touched on stilted movement and clunky controls, however, doesn’t incentivise doing so. In fact, I’m not fussed about jumping back into New Game+, and that’s a damn shame. To complement the play-throughs, there are several endings waiting to be uncovered. I’d, typically, be all for discovering them but that uninspired gameplay is my main deterrent. It legitimately boggles my mind that this 10th-anniversary release is so lacklustre. There’s minimal care or refinements made to bring this into the modern era. The reports claim that a brand new game engine was built for this, yet it still resembles a decade-old game. I applaud the English dub because it’s well done. That doesn’t negate the fact that more resources should’ve been allocated to polishing Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed and bringing it into the new decade.

AVOID THE SUNLIGHT! - Accessibility

One thing I won’t ever take for granted is the ability to remap buttons. Due to my extensive nerve damage to the right side of my body, my reflexes are abysmal - being in my thirties likely doesn’t help. Additionally, my brain doesn’t always communicate well with my fingers. These two factors are troublesome, specifically for pressing the shoulder buttons - more so R1. It’s especially problematic because that very button is used to dodge, meaning it’s frequently called on. The awkwardness of tapping R1, let alone doing so consistently, feels like an unnatural movement. In cases like this, I tend to favour both triggers because of my hand positioning. Both pointer fingers hover directly over each, thus making continuously tapping feel more natural in comparison. That’s why it’s very unfortunate that Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed doesn’t offer the option to alter the control scheme.

It’s well documented I love pixel art, and part of that is because I struggle with depth perception. The atrocious camera in this game doesn’t help that. Thanks to it, it was difficult to discern my exact position in regard to my enemies. The way I normally fix this is a lock-on system, but, unsurprisingly, there is none. As a result, there were various occasions of me aimlessly flailing around to no effect. What further added to my growing frustration was not being able to adjust my trajectory mid-combo. If I wasn’t aligned from the start, I had to allow the sequence to play out before I could correct my positioning. As my character cycled through, though, I was vulnerable. This is not only archaic but also stilted the combat itself. Sure, I could just shift the camera to mitigate my perception of the action, but that’s a bad idea as it contributes to slow-downs.

TAKE IT OFF! - Performance

From a technical standpoint, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is, without a doubt, certifiably terrible. Not only does it suffer from stutters, but also lock-ups, the aforementioned slow down, and worst of all crashes.

The stutters and slow-down usually occur simultaneously. It‘s especially noticeable in large groups of enemies. The console had difficulty displaying all the clothing being ripped off. This issue is exacerbated further by those atrocious camera angles. It had a horrible habit of bouncing around and occasionally being obstructed. This, in conjunction with zipping around to try and adjust it, caused frame drops. Thankfully, this is easily circumvented by steering clear of enclosed spaces. Although, the stutters will continue no matter what. There are a few sections of town that by simply entering can cause these hiccups too. Okay, the game was never unplayable, but that doesn’t hide how unacceptable this is.

While the lock-ups are also egregiously annoying, they, at least, seem concentrated. I suffered most in a specific area - the rooftop. While I don’t know what triggers it, I have a guess. As you make headway through the journey, more and more Shadow Souls confront you. This can devolve into an endless funnel of battles in smaller areas. After defeating each one in sight, the protagonist holsters their weapon. Enemies, however, keep on coming, meaning it’s possible to enter a constant cycle of perpetual sheathing and unsheathing. That’s when it usually happens, and, thankfully, it sometimes can solve itself. That, however, requires either the opposing NPC to hit you or Lady Luck to smile. Neither option is great because the AI is horrible and it actually sorting itself occurs randomly. Note that I suffered this elsewhere but never to the same frequency as I did on the Rooftop.

ANIME IS COOL! - Sound Design

I’m impressed by the voice acting. It won’t compete with bigger titles, mind you, but that’s irrelevant - it doesn’t have to. The delivery was much better than I expected, proving that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. It gave life to an otherwise bland script and injected the cast with charisma. It’s because of this that Nobu resonated with me so much. I understood his awkwardness because of his cadence and mannerisms. The passion he exhibited for his anime hobby was more than evident. It was impossible not to be amused by his ramblings, even though it incited a headshake. They were, however, accompanied by a smile, so there’s that. As for the emotive performances - the majority were average, but I must acknowledge the tiny glimmers of authenticity. As you’ve assuredly, noticed, I single out the Freedom Fighters as exceptionally done in the writing section, and this is why. The voice acting gave them so much life.

AND THE STRIPPED VERDICT IS…

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed wants to tap into nostalgia. As a result, however, they sacrificed updating the graphical fidelity and leaving in clunky gameplay. With word that this engine was built specifically for this re-release, I expected more, perhaps foolishly. It’s a real shame because the sequel on PlayStation 4 is tons of fun. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as the voice acting is a real treat - far better than I anticipated. There are a few genuine moments mixed in with all the perversion of the story. Nobu is, no question, the best character - I chuckled because of him. Every Freedom Fighter has this odd charm, and some other characters , like Suzu, are friggin adorable. Speaking of hers, as well as the others, all have beautifully drawn portraits. I now leave you with this: I’ve always believed a bad story can be ignored if gameplay is great. This game, sadly, is an example of the complete opposite and showcases how, unfortunately, it doesn’t have legs to stand on with a serviceable story but bad gameplay.

Wait for a sale on Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed . While its genre is a recipe for dumb fun, the game fails to nail it. Maybe check out reviews on the PlayStation 4 version. For the Switch, I give it a 5.

Thank you to XSeed, who provided a code for the purposes of this review

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Review – Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Director’s Cut

Plenty of years ago, I owned an obscure game known as Akiba’s Trip . There’s really no way I can mask how ludicrous the premise is, but it managed to intrigue me. I’ve got a soft spot for stupid romps like this one. Plus, I’m a weeb, and as a weeb, of course, I’m partial to the anime aesthetic. The quirkiness speaks to me, and the focus on silliness lends itself to the simple notion of fun. Yeah, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea targeting a specific niche. Hell, when this site covered the first iteration back in 2021 , the writer, Leo Faria, wasn’t thrilled. Clunky controls and a terrible aiming system plagued the release, and that’s on top of the controversial subject matter. Yet, I found the script to be fairly decent – the duality of journalists.

With a name like Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed , it’s not exactly promoting confidence. All it does is highlight the inherent stigma burdening such a style. I can’t even pretend that fanservice isn’t a prominent feature, because anyone with a pair of eyes can immediately refute that. There’s quite a healthy amount of it, but the question I’m looking to explore today is if tits and ass are the sole selling points.

Wait, did XSeed somehow hack into the WTMG’s group chat?

The answer is an emphatic nope; there are other facets I enjoyed. Much like with the prequel, this sequel bathes in a humor-driven script. It’ll be subjective, and I reckon several will find it cringey, but I appreciate how Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed leans into that craziness. It’s self-aware, often calling the sheer absurdity of the shenanigans out. In a game with a concept that revolves around stripping your opponents to their skivvies, degeneracy is a guarantee. Characters will also break the fourth wall, noting how damn perverse that act is. It almost shames the player for what they’re doing, and that tickled me. I actually smirked a fair bit during my session, if I’m honest.

I’m not trying to claim the hilarity is off the charts because it’s exceedingly juvenile, and a teenage funny bone is required to embrace this sort of comedy. Serious adults need not apply because I can promise that after one or two hours, you’ll be booting up Pikmin 4 . Most crucially, if you’re not entrenched in nerd culture or role-playing, you won’t be privy to the charm. In fact, a favorite scene of mine sees a group of three girls watching a box set of a fictional series. They binge it before ultimately cosplaying. As they throw on their skimpy outfits, the preceding interaction is one of embarrassment and encouragement, which perfectly nails the friendship dynamic.

Speaking of, I’ve got to applaud how well the cast is written. Sure, nothing about it is going to win awards, and I wasn’t feeling my heart being torn. When it came to the entertainment factor, though, it was high. I was delighted by a few of the personalities (like that of the little sister of the protagonist), I couldn’t get enough. Her peculiar habit of adding “Bro” to other words, creating an amalgamation, like, well, Brotagonist, was a hoot. I was always taken aback by what she came up with, which brought me to a fatal flaw.

You can’t deny how gorgeous the hand-drawn portions are.

The biggest appeal of  Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is how outrageous the dialogue gets. While the majority of lines are soaked with goofiness, the luster does dwindle if you go for a second playthrough. It’s not doom and gloom all across the board, because retreading waters did mean I picked up on jokes I previously missed. The thing is, I also found I was skipping text windows often, and by that, I mean 95 percent. For that reason, it doesn’t do a fantastic job of incentivizing the player to want to jump back in, which is counter to what’s in place.

Essentially, there are branching paths. Or in other words, the women aren’t romanceable in a traditional way, but y’all can become closer. Depending on who is chosen, the ending will be affected. I have to say, the differences aren’t substantial. While I only got one, the others are available online since this title is largely a port. When you consider the above paragraph with what I just mentioned, it doesn’t bode too well for replayability from a literary standpoint. Unless you genuinely enjoyed the general vibe, it may lose its allure.

To add to that criticism, it’s rather disheartening to see that nothing was done to better Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed , and to earn that definitive moniker. Granted, a DLC chapter has been plopped in to sweeten the deal, but I would have loved to see more, particularly with reactions. You see, I have a minor bit of leeway when it comes to my rebuttals. I can be stern, neutral, or absolutely bonkers. Unfortunately, if I were to make an overly sexual remark, it doesn’t alter the answer I receive much. Yeah, there’s a slight variation, but it’s so minute that it might as well not exist. It’s a nitpick, but it’s such a missed opportunity to right all the original’s wrongs.

It’s bad when even your own flesh and blood thinks you’re hopeless.

If what I’ve rambled on about is piquing your interest, then I’ll always champion that Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is a worthwhile play, at least once. The characters, while stereotypical, have charismatic energy because of how over-the-top they are. Their banter, especially that of the protagonist’s little sister, is mint. The presence of teasing between the siblings made my experience that much more pleasant. Everything comes off as a faithful mirroring of life – the verbalized jabs and playful insults between friends also. Likely the one facet I’m lukewarm on is the choices I can select when it’s my turn to speak. There’s no sugarcoating how try-hard they sometimes read.

Look, we need to have a discussion. I have painted myself as patient and always seeing the good qualities in subpar literature. I’d say my tolerance is quite high, but to be frank, it was truly tested with this game. Sporadically sprinkled throughout are references to other franchises, with The Legend of Zelda being a common one. My gripe, and what had me shaking my head with disappointment, is how I didn’t find those responses to fit naturally into the conversation. It felt forced, as if the localizers wanted to include those jokes and would do so no matter what. I do admit that it sparingly occurs, but it causes the worst kind of eye rolls.

After devoting roughly twenty-five hours to this naughty adventure, I couldn’t shake the looming sense of familiarity. Out of curiosity, I dug up my old coverage for the initial Akiba’s Trip , and, wouldn’t you know it, a lot of what’s here is a refinement of what once was. If you think about it, it’s oddly poetic how the problematic themes of the past were stripped, like, for example, the fetishizing of a little sister. Otherwise, this title exists in a parallel universe, with a cast that’s reflective of the first – dude that prefers 2D waifus to their 3D opposites, a childhood friend, and so on. In other words, it heavily flirts with anime tropes but isn’t as brash as before.

I swear, this photo isn’t what it looks like. Nanashi is only trying to rip the skirt off. Forcefully. Um…

The gameplay is straightforward in that it’s a 3D brawler. I’m running around Akihabara, kicking ass and taking names. Combos are simple to execute, too, demanding I button mash. There’s no complicated sequence, and as someone with an atrocious memory, I’m thankful. The face buttons are what I’m using, with each one corresponding to a body part. If you’ve played the previous entry, you’re acquainted with the system – by tapping X; I hit the head, and A targets the legs, while B is, appropriately, the body. The goal is to brawl with whoever until their apparel is shrouded with a cloudy aura; then, I disrobe them.

Now, to address the clunky controls I skimmed over at the beginning of this coverage, I can report that it’s not as dramatic a problem. See, to tear off shirts or pants, I just hold down X, A, or B. My character will then grab at the enemy’s clothes. The stumble I frequently faced in the past was that, at times, while tapping away at the controller, I’d randomly lunge too early, causing my momentum to shift. It occurred often, to the point of unbridled frustration. Well, those blunders have been greatly reduced, although they’re known to still happen. It’s nothing compared to before, and frankly, my session was infinitely smoother for the entire duration.

This statement may sound insane, but the mechanic I truly relish is the grinding. I earn experience from pummeling anyone that I cross. As an aside, I’ve got to say that I was surprised by the names a few have, such as the privileged skank, but let’s get back on track. By default, peeling the layers off NPCs is typically followed by everything being torn. However, by continuing my rampage, I can build up a meter that, once filled, I no longer shred that article of dress, tossing it into my inventory instead to later adorn. In a way, it feels like a collectathon, trying to gather the various attire options that Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed offers, explaining why I’m pretty keen on it.

Breaking News: Netflix is doing an anime adaption of The Matrix!

What helps that addiction further, and will differ from person to person, is my fascination with seeing numbers increase. I’m smitten by the idea of tangibly witnessing myself getting stronger, be it through strength or defense. Well, the equippable items I obtain as drops, be it weapons or, in a way, armor, are capable of being fused. Essentially, I can choose a skirt I like the look of, and by picking it as the base, imbue it with the raw power of any extras I get. By doing so, it raises the protective properties of a wearable while boosting the lethality if it’s a baseball police baton or whatever I smack fools with.

Apart from the main story, I also gain access to side-quests early on. The objectives range from playing fetch to getting into a tussle with delinquents or a huge group of female performers. It’s a fantastic way to build up your technique, as well as the inventory. That said, the variety of missions available isn’t there. On the one hand, they’re fairly quick to complete; on the other hand, though, it isn’t long until a semblance of repetition begins creeping in. As I neared the final act, doing these became a chore. I suppose you could take solace in knowing it took hours for me to be bothered. In that same breath, I’m also tolerant. Whereas I endured the tedium for this long, it may affect other players sooner.

Another contributing factor is the absence of a minimap. There are no waypoints to provide guidance forward. Upon accepting those side quests, I’m given the general location before being left to my own devices. I have to look for the individual I’m required to meet manually. Let me tell you, there were a plethora of examples where I’d aimlessly meander. The one indication I’ve found who I’m searching for is that the box housing their identity floating over their head is colored red. To see it, I have to be modestly close. Basically, they’re hidden – it feels like the developers are artificially prolonging Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed ’s length with this.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed doesn’t discriminate. Both males and females are losing their clothing, or even undergarments!

The graphical fidelity isn’t poised to astound. Yeah, it’s acceptable, but there’s an oddity that I can’t ignore. Before I go off on a tangent, it’s important to note I’m playing on the Nintendo Switch OLED. Theoretically, that means the vibrancy of the colors should pop. Well, they don’t, and the textures also fail Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed . Whenever I gaze towards signs of shops, there’s a distinct blurriness. It’s something that has been present since the first. The character models suffer, as well, with subpar resolution. What rockets to the top of my list, though, is how damn lifeless the NPCs look – they’ve got a thousand-yard stare. The main cast fares slightly better, but the soullessness is lately intact.

I’ve got to say optimization is a grand slam when it comes to performance. From beginning to end, I didn’t suffer crashes, consistently or rarely. Animations also maintain peanut butter smoothness. The movements are silky, like a delicious cordial of créme liquor. Framerate isn’t going to peak at 60fps, but I also never noticed a drop below 30fps. I tested it, though, throwing on an item that made me walk like I was intoxicated, crisscrossing my legs and everything. I would prowl the streets as fast as I could, cranking the left analog stick, and yet, as I drunkenly stumbled, the motions remained fluent.

Truth be told, I’m pretty indifferent to the music. I like a paltry number of tracks, like those with lyrics but nothing else. The instrumental bits weren’t anything to write home about; I didn’t find them especially memorable. For what it’s worth, however, I was jamming to the opening theme, but then again, I’m unreasonably infatuated with those musings. Genericism isn’t the only hiccup, either, as the overall mixing is bad. The volume levels constantly jumped, and I always had to adjust, particularly when connected to speakers. I did toy with the settings, but doing so didn’t fix it.

The old gutteral one-two jab. That makes no sense but I’m going with it.

What I’m positive will be the most contentious aspect of  Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is the dub. To put it bluntly, it’s alright, at best. The best showcase of the voice acting was the protagonist’s sister – she did fantastically to illustrate the sarcasm that’s lace throughout her dialogue. Sure, one could argue that it’s monotone, but there was the tiniest sliver of inflection that was enough to help amplify the emotion, no matter how one-note it is. Shizuku, the heroine of the plot, proves to be the real head-scratcher. Her personality is there, and I saw it in a few scenarios, but there’s an underlying reluctance to commit. She’s at the cusp of breaking free, but for whatever reason, she’s held down.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed feels less like a sequel and more like a reimagining. Although, the quality-of-life additions made aren’t sufficient to stave off redundancy. There are big ones, like a pseudo-lock-on mechanic keeping me from punching the air. Still, when it comes to the absence of waypoints, it makes missions of any kind tedious as hell. The combat is quite fun, and the occasional quips from my friends helped ease me through my session. I don’t regret investing twenty-five or so hours into this game, but I’m in no hurry for a New Game+ playthrough. There’s no question that $39.99 would be my sweet spot.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Director’s Cut is available now on Nintendo Switch, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and PC.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Director’s Cut was provided by the publisher .

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Akiba's Trip 2+A – Reviews

Playstation 4 pc playstation 3 playstation 4 playstation vita, detailed reviews.

• 6 If you can't beat 'em, strip 'em! VITA 08/26/2014 By BigReed *Review of the Month Winner*
• 7 What the?! ...Is that the Successor to the Akiba Shinken?! PS3 09/10/2014 By Eric037

Quick Reviews

• 8 Unique, to say the least... PS3 08/15/2014 By neosuduno
• 8 Strip em' up! VITA 09/04/2014 By fubuki211

Video Reviews

GameSpot Review

• 7.4 User Score Based on 77 user reviews.
• 50 GameCritics Huge fans of Japan or Japanese games might find more to appreciate in this Akihabara-centered experience than I did, but as someone who looking for a quirky story or interesting combat, I came away feeling quite unsatisfied.
• 70 PlayStation Universe A flawed, but enjoyable RPG that pushes the limits of taste in western culture. Over-sensitive gamers of the social justice persuasion will hate it, but for those who are only looking for fun can pick this up and enjoy the humor and setting, and appreciate it for what it is: A piece of otaku fandom.
• 40 TheSixthAxis Although there’s a niche that will no doubt revel in the game’s eccentricity, those who cringe at otaku culture will find very little value here. Even looking past its more tasteless tendencies, the game’s combat is average and its design is repetitive. Still, it’s a complete write-off by any means, in part thanks to its vibrant depiction of Akihabara and the surprise inclusion of English voiceover.
• 55 ZTGD At the end of the day, the humor alone can’t carry this title away from the chains of its boring, repetitive combat and poorly designed world.
• 7.0 User Score Based on 68 user reviews.
• 60 COGconnected If you’re accustomed to the themes and genres that the anime world offers and you want a humorous and customizable beat ‘em up game, feel free to look into Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed.
• 70 DarkZero It may not be a must-have remaster such as other PS4 re-releases, but fans of the Vita version and especially newcomers should have no issue double-dipping on this latest port.
• 65 Everyeye.it To enjoy this game you really have to love Japan culture, and forget the graphics, especially on PS4.
• 50 Multiplayer.it Akiba's Trip is a mediocre beat'em up with scanty RPG traits which relies heavily upon nudity and softcore humor to make up for its shortcomings.
• 7.7 User Score Based on 46 user reviews.
• 60 4Players.de The concept is interesting, the story is remarkably light-hearted and quirky. But technical issues and control problems make the trip to a accurately remodeled Akihabara a chore.
• 60 Game Informer Though it technically succeeds as a piece of functional software, Akiba’s Trip fails to be fun. Bland combat, unremarkable missions and sidequests (which are mainly fight/fetch requests), and an abundance of hollow cartoon characters in their underwear don’t deliver any thrills.
• 50 Gamestyle A colourful tribute to an amazing city crossed with some unbelievably bad ideas.
• 60 GameTrailers Akiba’s Trip is largely a wasted opportunity. For as much as it tries to honor the Electric Town, the attempt is undermined by severely limiting exploration. It’s amazing that a game about tearing clothes off can be so consistently dull.

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Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Reviews

Most of the time, though, it’s like playing a stripped-down version of Yakuza. You wander a Japanese neighborhood, shop, do side-quests, build up your character, much like in that venerated series. But then the combat sucks and the story is poorly paced. On the other hand, I can’t deny it grew on me. It feels like one of those janky, Japanese, early PS2 titles like Mr. Mosquito or Robot Alchemic Drive. It might not be the most fun to play, but it’s unique enough to captivate.

Read full review

Hellbound & Undressed has elements fans will enjoy, and if you dig, you can find quirky and interesting things here, but if it catches you having too much fun, be prepared to have that stripped from you like a finely quaffed set of Shadow Soul clothes. This game is a constant chore to enjoy and should be reserved for the folks that really want to see where the series began.

Between lackluster combat, outdated graphics and the horrendous stripping mechanic, it's very hard to think of a reason to recommend Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed.

There’s a lot to love in Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed, whether you’re a veteran or newcomer to the series. It looks and plays much like the games of yesteryear, but that’s what gives it much of its charm. You can definitely add Akihabara to my list of spots to visit when I finally make my way back to Japan. I’m no vampire demon, but perhaps I’ll wear an extra layer or two. You know, just in case.

I can’t imagine anyone so desperate for content that they would find value in this only marginally improved ten-year-old game. Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is and has always been, awful and no HD remaster will fix its terrible story, lackluster combat, primitive graphics, and creepy tone. Some games are broken or bad in a kind of fun way, but Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed isn’t broken, it’s just bad and decidedly, aggressively not fun at all.

There's a fair amount of side-quest stuff to do such as playing mini-games in the maid café or helping out locals with their problems, although none of it is particularly innovative or memorable. There are also loads of different quirky weapons and hundreds of different clothing options to collect. Roaming around Akihabara while wielding a keyboard and wearing a Gundam cosplay made out of cardboard boxes is kinda fun, despite how average the game is overall.

The idea behind AKIBA'S TRIP is delicious and fun, but if in 2011 the product could work despite all its shortcomings and the limitations imposed by the PSP hardware, the same cannot be said for its reissue. The one made by Acquire is in fact a remastered only in name, it is no coincidence that the product has preserved all its historical technical problems, such as the mismanagement of the camera, the inaccurate pointing system, the very slow response times of the commands, the cumbersome animations, and so on.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Akiba's Trip is a poor attempt at creating a tantalizing video game, and it's only the strength of its humor and writing that makes it even worth a look. This is actually the first official English localization of the original Akiba's Trip, though after spending time with it in 2021, it's a mystery why anyone wanted to remaster it in the first place.

I appreciate Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed for spawning a sequel that I fondly remember. I just have an extremely hard time overlooking so many glaring problems that were glossed over to repackage and sell it in this state. Unless you really loved Undead & Undressed or just don't want a hole in your collection, this is one to pick up on sale.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is a rudimentary port that certainly shows its age, but the stripping-based combat and crazy story/quests are unique enough to provide a refreshing experience for action gamers who are open to its mature content.

Before beginning to play Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed, plans to write a screed defending the game while poking fun at the pure stupidity of the gameplay were already in motion.

I can already tell that this is going to be a cult game in the west. Something that may be too frustrating and outdated for some, but just the thing for those who are looking for that specific comfy feel. That memory of youth, hanging out with friends on a weekend in your local downtown area, a place you know better than the back of your hand.

An intriguing plot coupled with a focus on questioning morality and who is truly an enemy, Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed brings the original story to a new generation of gamers. Bugs, the lack of autosave which does seem a little odd for a remaster and some clunky game mechanics aside, there are easily over twenty hours of game time in the fairly realistic portrayal of Tokyo's Akihabara region. Replay value for those who played the original will vary depending on nostalgia feel, but a second playthrough is highly appealing for completionists and those who want to make different choices in their gameplay since supporting a faction does influence in the end story.

It’s hard to really see who Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is aimed at. People that were put off by some of the issues in Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed aren’t going to play its even jankier predecessor, and £34.99 is a steep asking price even for someone that might be interested in trying this out. If you’re desperate to see the series’ origins, then this might be worthwhile — just go in with appropriately low expectations!

As confusing as it is that this game happened at all, I loved having the chance to play it. Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed might look like a game that should have stayed on the PSP, but the satire and humour is there, the grainy rendition of Akihabara is still enough to make this homesick otaku miss Japan, and the action remains on the right side of simple and entertaining that you can enjoy it while it lasts. Akiba's Trip isn't going to win GOTY awards, but I sure enjoyed collecting a big pile of skirts.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a fun and even impressive title considering its origins, but one that needed more of a remake than a remaster.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

The mechanics have not aged well, the story rarely gets passed 'eye rolling,' and combat is frustratingly repetitive. From my understanding, there are many quality of life improvements that have occurred in later entries into the series but this remastered version keeps it faithful to the original, warts and all. Strip away the Akihabara charm, and there's not much left to enjoy.

Ultimately, it’s hard to recommend Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed to anyone but the most ardent of action RPG fans with a taste for Otaku culture. While its premise is genuinely interesting, as are the storylines that stem from it, the dated visuals and archaic combat will be big hurdles to overcome for most. For those who can see and work past them, however, there’s some fun to be had, albeit littered with some frustration. It’s just a shame that more hasn’t been done to bring this game up to today’s standards.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a remaster of the original Akiba's Trip. However, its Western debut leaves a lot to be desired.

This is a title I find quite difficult to describe in traditional terms since I've played few games like it...

Screen Rant

Akiba's trip: hellbound & debriefed switch review - a boring brawler.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a brawler that involves ripping off people's clothes out in public, in a poorly-made attempt at fanservice.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed  is a brawler developed by Acquire and published by XSEED Games. The game's flimsy pretense for fanservice is one of its primary selling points, but unfortunately it can't prop up its repetitive gameplay, poor combat system, and ugly visuals.

Akiba's Trip  is set in Akihabara, which is a hub for otaku culture in Tokyo. The area is home to vampiric creatures called Shadow Souls , which drain blood from people, as well as their will to live. Unlike regular vampires, Shadow Souls can survive in the sunlight, so long as only their hands and head are exposed. If their clothes are torn off and they're exposed to the sun, then they disintegrate. The main character has his life saved by a female Shadow Soul, which also results in him receiving a portion of her power. He is drafted into an organization called NIRO, which wants to destroy all of the Shadow Souls in Akihabara. The player soon learns that there is more to this conflict than meets the eye, and they can choose to battle the Shadow Souls or join them.

Related:  Why Nintendo Switch Otome Game User Reviews Are So Important

The protagonist is given a camera that can detect Shadow Souls, as they won't appear in pictures. Once unveiled, the player can battle the undead menace on the streets of Akihabara. In order to rip off their clothes, the player needs to damage the enemy's clothing with melee attacks. The clothing will eventually breakaway, but players can tear it off with a grab attack, followed by hitting the button before the enemy breaks free. If the player is fighting a group of enemies with damaged clothing, then it's possible to tear them off sequentially with a QTE. The Shadow Souls will disintegrate once their clothing is removed, while humans will usually run away in embarrassment.

The combat system in  Akiba's Trip  is dreadful. The environments in the world are 3D, but the fights switch to a 2D plane, like the  Street Fighter  games . When there is only one opponent, it's easy to just spam attacks and stunlock them. Once multiple enemies enter the fray, then the system falls apart. The game's controls don't accommodate for multiple opponents, so it's easy for a group of enemies to surround and stunlock the player with constant attacks, as there is no easy way to switch focus from one enemy to another. The player has to disengage from combat completely, which takes way too long and leaves them open to attacks.

It's also nearly impossible to target a specific foe in a group of enemies, leading to wasted grabs against a healthy foe. This means most combat encounters are either mindless or rely on running around and picking off enemies as they try to keep up. It doesn't help that the camera has trouble keeping up with the action, or that being knocked into the exit of an area will send the player to the map screen, barring a few boss arenas.

There is also the unavoidable creepy factor that is rampant through  Akiba's Trip,  ranging from undressing people against their will in public to paying the main character's younger sister to try on outfits (which comes with its own free camera mode, in order to ogle her better). The game's attempts at titillation aren't even well-executed, as  Akiba's Trip  is a remaster of a PSP game. This means all of the character models look like dead-eyed PS2 sprites. The only saving grace for  Akiba's Trip 's visuals is the character artwork, which is of a far higher quality than the 3D models.

Related:  Space Jam: A New Legacy - The Game Review - Free Is The Right Price

Akiba's Trip  is aware of how silly its premise is and the localizers did a great job with its writing. The game's script loves to poke fun at nerd culture and fandoms, with the protagonist's allies each being preoccupied with their own fictional obsessions. The side missions that the player can take on for extra cash/items also play up the silliness factor of geeks.  Akiba's Trip  has several different endings/story routes to take, for those who want to squeeze some more runtime out of the game. If there's a saving grace in the game, it's a surprising quality in the writing.

Akiba's Trip  is a poor attempt at creating a tantalizing video game, and it's only the strength of its humor and writing that makes it even worth a look. This is actually the first official English localization of the original  Akiba's Trip,  though after spending time with it in 2021, it's a mystery why anyone wanted to remaster it in the first place.

Next:  Ys Origin Review: No Switch Up With Another Port

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed  will be released for Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS4 on July 20, 2021. A digital code for the Nintendo Switch version of the game was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.

Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed Review

Stripped bare.

By Josiah Renaudin on September 10, 2014 at 9:41PM PDT

The fact that a game called Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed isn’t completely tasteless might be its greatest accomplishment. This is a beat 'em up in which the ultimate goal is to strip all enemies of their clothing--a premise that proves a difficult hurdle to leap. The camera draws attention to the skimpy underwear and bouncy breasts of your bloodthirsty foes as you methodically expose their bodies, but--believe it or not--it goes beyond simple eye candy. The goofy story does its best to justify the sheer volume of bare skin, and the equal spread of male and female characters means you'll see just as many lacy undergarments as you do tighty whities. Unfortunately, Akiba's Trip just isn't any fun to play, and that makes the incessant panty shots and uninspired humor even more difficult to stomach.

Bear with me as I explain the convoluted narrative. You enter Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district, during an outbreak of vampiric foes called Synthisters. These powerful enemies were once human, but now roam the streets hoping to suck the life energy from the city's unsuspecting residents. Your customizable protagonist, along with a medley of colorful freedom fighters, commit themselves to cleaning up their home the only way they know how--by stripping the opposition down to their undergarments. Like actual vampires, Synthisters are sensitive to the sunlight, so revealing their skin causes them to burn and return to human form.

The yarn unravels to expose seedy corporate involvement and a series of unlikely villains, but it isn't enough to mask the disquieting nature of Akiba's Trip. You spend the bulk of your time ripping off as much clothing as possible to expose nearly naked anime bodies to the world, which is intended to be the real draw here. Stripping bosses will often lead to more detailed views of their often unrealistic, hand-drawn figures, so if it's scantily-clad anime bodies you're looking for, you'll find them here in spades. The unremitting innuendos within the dialogue only weaken the already thin narrative justifications for the partial nudity, and while the focus on bare skin isn't the only attraction, I still felt uncomfortable with what was being asked of me.

You can party up with both male and female freedom fighters when patrolling the streets, but most of your time will be spent impressing your buxom allies. How you choose to respond during conversations determines whose affection you garner, and there's even a set cast member who can provide updates on which woman in your life has become the most smitten with you. It's a mostly shallow mechanic that leads to extraneous exchanges during otherwise heated scenarios. Talk of how you're going to save your city or discover the source of the Synthister menace is often followed by awkward complimentary phrases aimed at your busty childhood friend.

Even if you manage to overcome the fact that Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is about stripping enemies down to their skivvies, you won't be rewarded with much more than a mindless brawler.

The carnal themes and prosaic dialogue would be a bit more palpable if the game played well, but repetitive combat and a painfully inconsistent framerate muddy the action. In battle, you're often surrounded by five or more enemies at once, swinging a weapon at each foe's head, body, and legs in order to score a knockout. A combination of high, mid, and low attacks damage the different pieces of clothing to their breaking point, making it easier to strip them right off of someone's body.

You can combo these strips together if multiple articles of clothing are weak enough to remove, but this strategy isn't enough to spice up an otherwise tedious process. Breaking down the pants, shirts, and hats of a swarm of foes as you protect the durability of your own wardrobe is a chore, and your ability to restore your clothes to full strength during battle by holding down a single button removes any semblance of tension. The systems aren't broken, and less populated arenas tend to produce smoother, more enjoyable action, but I had less and less fun with the mechanics as additional enemies flooded the screen.

The combat's lone saving grace comes in the form of upgradeable weapons, each of which has its own set of unique combinations. Heavier objects like arcade monitors deal serious damage, but your character lumbers with each swing. Boxing gloves, on the other hand, allow for more nimble striking--though you'll often focus on a single enemy at a time instead of the full group. It's enjoyable to find, buy, and upgrade different objects with varying attributes, and the same can be said for your clothing. Whether you prefer to go into battle sporting a three-piece suit or nothing more than a tattered pair of brown slacks, you’ve got options.

There's little to do outside of the nonsensical story and lackluster battles. The main quests often take you from the home base to a different segment of Akihabara that's been invaded by Synthisters, while the side missions drag you through dull fetch quests and additional combat scenarios to earn extra spending money. There's a New Game Plus feature that opens up fresh character customization options, but I had more than my fill of Akiba's Trip well before the story’s resolution.

Even if you manage to overcome the fact that Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is about stripping enemies down to their skivvies, you won't be rewarded with much more than a mindless brawler. The monotonous combat only grows more tiresome as you progress, and it's almost too easy to predict the twists and turns of the formulaic plot. Akiba's Trip has a bizarre concept that might turn a few heads, but once you strip away the promiscuity, there's little left to keep your attention.

• Leave Blank
• Equipment upgrades greatly vary combat
• Action often grows tedious
• Stripping mechanic is just uncomfortable
• Story beats are easy to predict
• Poor framerate kills flow of battles

About the Author

Josiah Renaudin

• @JosiahRenaudin

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Content for this game browse all (7), about this game, key features, mature content description.

The developers describe the content like this:

This Game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: Some Nudity or Sexual Content, General Mature Content

System Requirements

• OS *: Windows Vista (SP2)
• Processor: Intel Core i3-530 @ 2.93 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 810 @ 2.60 GHz
• Memory: 6 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 / ATI Radeon HD 5870 (1GB VRAM)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 3 GB available space
• Sound Card: Compatible with DirectX 11
• OS *: Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7, Windows 8
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 (4GB VRAM)

©2013-2023 ACQUIRE Corp. Licensed to and published by XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc.

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