XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., revealed during its panel at AkibaFest in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles on October 15, 2016 that developer ACQUIRE’s highly-anticipated satirical JRPG headed to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, AKIBA’S BEAT, will receive dual audio voiceover support, including both English and Japanese language dialog options covering each of its nearly 22,000 spoken lines. Both voiceover languages will be present on-disc for the PS4TM system version, while “PSVita” system players will have English-language voiceovers available out of the box with the option to download Japanese-language voiceovers separately as a free DLC item.
In addition, the company announced that the game’s “cute little uggo” mascot character, Pinkun, will phase into reality as a 3.5” tall pocket plushie that will come with all pre-orders at participating retailers while supplies last.
“We’re pleased to support one of our most highly-anticipated games with dual voiceover audio, with the option to switch between the original Japanese recording and dialog from an English-language cast whom we’ve hand-selected,” said Ken Berry, Executive Vice President of Marvelous USA. “We know our fans will appreciate having the option to enjoy the game how they see fit, and we hope they love our AKIBA’S BEAT pre-order Pinkun plushie as much as we do.”
A spiritual successor to Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed, AKIBA’S BEAT is a modern-day satirical spin on a classic Japanese RPG formula. Set in a true-to-life recreation of Tokyo’s Akihabara ward (“Akiba” for short), players will take control of a party of characters led by protagonist Asahi Tachibana as they seek to rid the town of anything out of sync with reality.
There are two sides to the gameplay: first, players will wander the streets and question the quirky Akihabara residents on a variety of subjects related to the mystery at hand, ultimately unlocking fantasy-themed dungeons known as “Delusionscapes” which are infested with monsters called “deluseons.” These deluseons are encountered on the map and fought in a party-based action battle system, putting players’ skills to the test and creating a uniquely challenging experience that seamlessly blends a real-life locale with the secret delusory world of its residents’ innermost desires.
Developed by Acquire and published in North America by XSEED Games, AKIBA’S BEAT is headed to PS4TM and “PSVita” systems in Q1 2017. This title has not yet been rated by the ESRB.