Video game publisher XSEED Games tend to release all but their major localization projects with the original Japanese dub exclusively. Their upcoming PlayStation Vita / PlayStation 3 release of Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed is not only one of the “major” titles but will also be the largest voice-project from the company to date, with nearly 10,000 individual lines recorded using a cast of English voice actors / actresses. The game will of course feature dual-audio, meaning that players of either preference can enjoy the virtual Akihabara as they see fit.
In other localization news, there will be some better gender equality in regards to assets, will the inclusion of illustrated “strip portraits” for all prominent male side characters in lieu of them only being available for female characters. Once these have been viewed during normal gameplay, players may also use them as wallpapers for their in-game smartphones.
Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed is set to be released internationally in the coming months exclusively on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita platforms. Only a North American release has been confirmed at this time, with no PAL region publisher coming forward. A PlayStation 4 edition is also scheduled for release in Japan.
In AKIBA’S TRIP: Undead & Undressed, players work to repel a brooding malevolence that has suffused Tokyo’s popular electronics district, Akihabara (Akiba for short), which has been painstakingly remodeled in the game to resemble its real life counterpart. Akiba has been invaded by creatures known as “Synthisters” who prey on the otaku patrons of Akihabara like vampires, but feast on their will to live and energy to socialize rather than their blood. Only direct exposure to sunlight can destroy the Synthisters, and it’s up to players to ensure that that’s just what they get. If only it weren’t for those pesky clothes protecting them from the sun’s harmful rays…
That’s where the protagonist and his companions come in. It’s their task to roam this sanctuary of anime and gaming fanatics, identify the outwardly human Synthisters with the help of a handy smartphone app, then beat and pull at them until they’ve been relieved of their clothes, exposing them to sunlight and sending them to the netherworld. Everyday objects from baseball bats to comic books to motherboards can be used as weapons, and players can take their enemies’ unique clothing for their own personal use as well.
AKIBA’S TRIP: Undead & Undressed tells the story of a young man named Nanashi who was lured into a trap and transformed into one of the walking undead. Lucky enough to be spared the worst of his fate by the kiss of a mysterious Synthister hunter named Shizuku, Nanashi is sworn to rid Akihabara of the Synthister threat. Together with his friends from an organization unofficially dubbed the “Akiba Freedom Fighters” (as well as his cute yet socially awkward little sister), Nanashi and Shizuku must uncover the truth behind the Synthister plague and save Akiba from being overrun by their kind.
