AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed

What we have here with AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed is a remaster of a game that was a big hit in Japan around a decade ago and it also built up a bit of a cult following on the import scene too. Well, now the game has been remastered and it is coming to the West and I am very excited to get my hands on this. I would say that this is probably classed as a lewd game so it is pretty NSFW, but from what I understand there is no hardcore nudity or sex here.

Welcome To Akihabara!

I would say that the majority of people who are into video games, anime, and other “geek” culture will have heard of Akihabara. It is the gaming/anime mecca in Japan and it serves as the backdrop for the story that AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed is telling. The idea of the game is that this awesome part of Japan has been overrun by these vampire-type creatures called, Shadow Souls, you need to put them in their place to save the day.

The story will give you various choices to make as you play and then there are different endings that you can experience. So, I know that this looks like a hack and slash style game (it is) however, it is more story-driven than you would think.

Hacking, Slashing, And Stripping

This is a beat-em-up style of game and I would say that it kind of reminds me of Lollipop Chainsaw and the 2003 era, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games from Konami. AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed is all about action! As these are vampire type entities, you need to expose them to sunlight and the way that you do that is by putting a beating on them so big that their clothes fall off and the sun can damage them. The premise is great and so is the execution!

Nerdy By Nature

As this game is fully embarrassing the world of nerd culture, you have some pretty cool weapons to use that are made from all kinds of fun collectibles that you would expect to find in a place like Akihabara. The combat is very fast-paced and it is a bit button mashy, but that is something I have always liked. It is worth noting that as well as cool weapons AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed also has some cool geeky style clothing for you to wear that you can unlock as you progress through the game.

Remastered From The Ground Up

This is no quick re-release. They have put a lot of work into this game in every regard and that is first evident in the visuals. This game looks fantastic, it has a very anime kind of style and I love how quick and fluid the animations are. The game is nice and bright and then when the vampires get burnt by the sun it is a stark contrast as it is quite grotesque.

The sound design in this game is great and probably what surprised me the most about the game. The reason I say this is that they actually recorded full English voice acting for this game and from what I have heard it is or a pretty high quality too. This will certainly drive the story and help you get more connected to it.

Pros:

• I love the Akihabara setting
• This game looks great
• It features full English voice acting
• The whole premise of the game is a lot of fun

Cons:

• The gameplay might get a bit old if you are not a fan of beat-em-ups
• You may have to be pretty big into nerd culture to appreciate the references