''Akiba's Beat'' is an

action role-playing video game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

for the

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...

and

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

video game consoles A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a ...

. It is the third entry in the ''Akiba'' series, after the Japan-only ''

Akiba's Trip ''Akiba's Trip'' is a Japanese video game franchise by developer Acquire. The franchise consists of five games and an anime television series adaptation by Gonzo that aired between January 4, 2017 and March 29, 2017. Video games ''Akiba's Trip ...

'' for

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 200 ...

and the worldwide release '' Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed'', though it is the first entry that plays as a

JRPG While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia come from Japan, many have also been developed in South Korea and in China. Japanese role-playing games Japanese computer role-playing games O ...

. The game was released on December 15, 2016 in Japan, and on May 16, 2017 in North America and May 19 in Europe, published by

Marvelous USA Xseed Games is an American video game company founded by former members of Square Enix USA. It later became a subsidiary of the Japanese game company Marvelous, providing the localization and publishing services for video games and related mater ...

and PQube.

Gameplay

The game is considered a follow-up to the two ''

'' games, but does not share any of its gameplay mechanics, instead focusing more on JRPG related features and structures. The game plays as an

action RPG An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

, with battles initiated once the player moves the

playable character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...

into an enemy character, sending involved characters into a separate battle screen.

Story

The game takes place in

Akihabara is a common name for the area around Akihabara Station in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan. Administratively, the area called Akihabara mainly belongs to the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts in Chiyoda. There exists an administrative district c ...

and stars

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

and

NEET NEET, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", refers to a person who is unemployed and not receiving an education or vocational training. The classification originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, and its use has ...

Asahi Tachibana, living a regular life after deciding to drop out of college. Transfer student, Saki Hoshino, recently moved to the area and runs into Asahi. Other main characters include

Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements ...

Riyu Momose, and the very young looking Yamato Hongo. The game involves the party getting stuck in a world of delusions, trapped in a repeating day-long cycle on a Sunday. The party also keeps coming across a strange, unidentifiable man in a pink sash, that always seems to be around when unexplainable incidents occur.

Development

The game was first announced on May 30, 2016, as developer Acquire's first

. Information on the title, such as it being a game for the

and

, was first revealed in an issue of ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the ...

''. The game was 75% complete as of the time of the announcement. On June 7, 2016,

Xseed Games Xseed Games is an American video game company founded by former members of Square Enix USA. It later became a subsidiary of the Japanese game company Marvelous, providing the localization and publishing services for video games and related mate ...

announced they would be releasing the game in English on both platforms. The game is the second of three ''Akiba'' games to be translated to English; the original ''

'' for

was never translated or released in English, but the second game, '' Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed'', was translated and published by Xseed Games. The game's story was announced to be more serious in theme than the prior two games in the series. Despite this, similar to the prior games, it will still take place in a realistic recreation of Japan's

, coupled with surreal dungeon areas more akin to games such as ''

Persona 3 released outside Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3'', is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It is the fourth main installment in the '' Persona'' series, which is part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise. Atlus or ...

''. Key staff for the game include director Kohta Takano of ''

Divine Gate is a 2013 Japanese smartphone game developed by Acquire for iOS and Android devices. An anime television series adaptation by Pierrot aired from January 8, 2016 to March 25, 2016. Plot The living, heavens, and underworld become connected a ...

'', character designs by UCMM, and a theme song titled "Again", sung by

ClariS Claris International Inc., formerly FileMaker Inc., is a computer software development company formed as a subsidiary company of Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) in 1987. It was given the source code and copyrights to several programs that were ...

. On October 27, 2016, PQube confirmed a European release. The game was originally scheduled for release in Japan during the fall of 2016, but was later delayed to winter of that year, before the release was narrowed down to December. The PlayStation 4 version launched on December 16, 2016, with the PlayStation Vita release pushed back to March 16, 2017. Both PS4 and PS Vita versions were released on PSN digitally and retail on May 16, 2017.

Reception

Upon the

version's release, the game failed to chart in the weekly

Media Create is a Japanese company that gathers and analyzes data from the digital entertainment industry, specifically focusing on the Japanese console gaming market. Business operations include publishing, market research and consulting. It is a popular we ...

Top 20. In

's Top 30, ''Akiba's Beat'' ranked as the 26th best selling of that tracking window with 5248 units sold, for a 20-40%

sell-through Sell-through refers to the percentage of a product that is sold by a retailer after being shipped by its supplier, typically expressed as a percentage. Net sales essentially refers to the same thing, in absolute numbers. Sell-through is calculated ...

. This figure was roughly a tenth of what '' Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed'' sold in a similar period of time on

and

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

back in 2013. The magazine's reviewer gave the PlayStation 4 version of the game a 27/40. The western release received mixed to negative reviews with Cory Arnold of

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ...

awarding the game 3.5 (out of 10) citing "If Akiba's Trip is the shirtless jock who kicks the door in with beers in hand, Akiba's Beat is the timid cocktail-drinker standing in the corner with one hand in his pocket. Technically functional, but spiritually dead."

References

External links

* * {{in lang, en 2016 video games Action role-playing video games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Vita games Post-apocalyptic video games Single-player video games Video game sequels Video games developed in Japan Video games set in Japan Video games with cel-shaded animation Akihabara Video games set in Tokyo Xseed Games games Acquire (company) games PQube games