Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed Reviews
At the end of the day, the game’s poor gameplay and dragging dialog outweigh the game’s narrative. If you are looking for a vampire tale or want to revisit the game, it would be better to watch a YouTube playthrough than spend your time or money on this game. For the game itself, we give it a 4; if we were to doc points for censorship, we’d drop it to a 3 maybe a 2.
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed has not aged well, but if you can put up with the game's issues, you can lose yourself in its absurdity
AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead and Undressed Director's Cut is a gift for all otakus, being more an eccentric city simulator than a masterpiece, but still, its unique gameplay system, destroying enemies through strip, is interesting and strangely funny. The references to the electronic city are the game's charm and, although I've never visited Akihabara, I was able to capture several points of otaku culture represented in the game. It may not be the best within its genre, but if you're an otaku and want to feel a little nostalgic for the past, AKIBA'S TRIP might be a good choice to spend a few afternoons relaxing uncompromisingly.
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There being now waypoints in the sidequests brought the score down considerably. If I’m relegated to just stomping around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find whoever I’m looking for, it’s boring. I have to wonder why more effort wasn’t put towards modernizing Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed, and making it the true definitive edition.
If you can hunt down a demo or rental, giving it a chance isn't a waste of time. There are enough positives so it's worth a look, even if I doubt most will want to see the game through to completion. I'd love to see developer Acquire refocus its efforts into something more substantial, and I hopefully the lackluster combat here remains the exception, and not the rule, for future Acquire-developed titles.
Although not the most aesthetically appealing game, the strong writing and weird non sequiturs make Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed an engaging enough experience. The combat system could use some refining but you'll plow ahead just to reach the resolution of the story. The RPG elements aren't as deep as some may like but, for someone who comes from a Final Fantasy/ Legend of Zelda background there's enough here to keep gamers invested for the game's duration.
The PS4 version of Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed does carry some extra features (like Twitch chat integration, and modifiable visual filters), but none of it alters the core – a funny idea embedded in mediocre combat. Endearing character interactions allow you to overlook some of the mechanical elements, but the rampant sexualisation drags the whole thing down.
If you really want to play Akiba's Trip, you've probably already picked it up. The PS4 version does improve, but the limitations of previous systems really hold it back from being the best it could be. If I could go, Basque, I would play this on a handheld, it just doesn't feel right on a home console. Is it a good game? Corset is! It just doesn't warrant a premium price for a portable game. It's still a great nod to otaku culture and is filled with both clever and not-so-subtle jokes, and if you can look past its flaws as a PS4 title you'll enjoy its depth and atmosphere.
It's got its quirks, it has its strong points and downfalls. It's a fun game definitely geared towards a more mature audience, there are some areas that could use some work but overall it's definitely a strong purchase. You might not get as much enjoyment out of this if you can't stand anime or Japanese culture or if you're the type of person that can't laugh at bizarre, impossible situations. I could see this being a hidden, dirty gem. I like it.
Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed on PlayStation 4 is a far better game than it probably has a right to be. With a unique combat system that works well and a story that has some genuinely laugh out loud moments, it is an enjoyable ride whilst it lasts. It is a more enjoyable experience if you take your time with it and explore some of the side-missions and the Toybox mode where everything is unlocked from the start is great fun.
Akiba's Trip is a funny old chestnut; it manages to have a lead mechanic that would make most discerning gamers turn their noses up in air, and yet it delivers that mechanic in a fun story shell that fully understands where the decency line is while working hard throughout to successfully lampoon most tropes and stereotypes of otaku culture that you could probably think of. It's certainly not a joke game, and the writing quality does elevate it for those who have an appreciation of the material that is being targeted, but the whole combat mechanic becomes so tiresome so quickly that you can't help but wish the game could have been shorter, the story more focused, instead of the more positive elements of the game losing some of their sheen from hiding behind the rest of it.
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.
Akiba's Trip is a weird game. Bringing it to the PS4 didn't change that, in fact it just made it more peculiar. There is certainly an audience for this type of brawler, but it is a niche one for sure. If Pantynado sounds appealing to you, this game might be in your wheelhouse. Otherwise I would steer clear of its mediocre combat, and limited world to explore.
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is a strange game that might satisfy the anime faithful. The technical elements are mediocre at best (even worse when compared with the best the PlayStation 4 has to offer), the story is absurd, and the gameplay mechanic is original yet flawed. I'd say the game was only about a 5 on PS3 or Vita and the better frame rate and new features in the PS4 version are worth another point.
This is not necessarily an experience for everyone, but the light-hearted stripping mechanic makes it an enjoyable romp all the same, and a worthy addition to your PS4 library if you haven't played it already.
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is not anything other than a decent game that offers nothing special beside otaku jokes and a fast visit to the Mecca of Japanese pop culture. The game could have performed so much better if the fighting system was more fun and the story did not rush through important parts. As it does do that, though, a higher score cannot be given. For any otaku out there, this is a title worth getting for its comical value and the great spot on jokes. For anyone else, however, this is a title to avoid.
Despite the lack of tightening up the original game's flaws, the PS4 version of Akiba's Trip is without question the definitive version, thanks to a smoother graphical performance and a few other extras to round out the already robust package.
Enhanced visuals and broadcast interactivity easily make this the definitive version, but it's disappointing that Acquire didn't do more with the console's more powerful hardware. The developers have somehow managed to play it safe with what seemed destined to be a zany, inappropriate and devilish experience.
Combine Undead & Undressed's disturbing sexuality and sexism with its poor graphics and combat and $50 price tag, you get a game that not only should definitely not be purchased, but probably never should have been made in the first place. If you want to spend money on the PlayStation Store this week to take part in the spend $100, get $15 back deal that is currently going on, I would advise you to spend money on anything at all besides this game. You'll thank me later.
Akiba's Trip is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. What was marketed as shameful fanservice is actually an anarchic, innovative, big-hearted and even-handed love letter to all things Otaku and geeky, propped up by stunning localisation and a great cast of characters, and that makes up for a fair few clumsy shortcomings with its uninhibited cheeky sense of fun.