Popping, Locking, and Attacking with Weapons – Akiba’s Beat Gameplay Detailed
Because it’s due on this Friday, Acquire have given a good look at the Akiba’s Beat gameplay we can expect in the full game. It takes some elements from their popular Akiba’s Trip series, and mix it with some other action RPG elements we know and love. Take a look at what you’re in for!
Kick Back and Explore Akihabara
Akihabara, where Acquire’s offices are actually based in real life, has been lovingly recreated with a tonne of attention to detail. Anyone who has visited the “otaku mecca” that is Akihabara in real life will be able to pick out some key landmarks, from the station, to Electric Town. In Akiba’s Beat you’re free to explore as you please. Akihabara acts as a sort of hub world from which you can discover and explore the Delusion dungeons from, but it’s more than just a level select. It’s the bones of the story and of the game’s structure, and you’ll come to love the time you spend just chilling out in Akihabara.
Dispel Delusions of the Mind!
Asahi is trapped within a repeating version of a Sunday in Akihabara, just like in Groundhog Day. A malevolent force has corrupted Akihabara, bestowing the power on certain individuals to be able to warp and distort the city to their whims – to create “delusions”. These Delusions are the game’s dungeons, and take the form of how they wish the district was. For example, one antagonist yearns for the days Akihabara was less otaku-centric and more of a music mecca, so their Delusion reimagines it as it once was; another is J-Pop idol obsessed and everything is pink and poppy.
Real-Time Action RPG Combat
Fight the delusions of your enemies in real-time with Akiba’s Beat’s ARPG system. Set strategies for your allies to follow, switch characters, and get slashing and dodging as you move around the arena. Performing combos and aerial combos increase your AP, allowing you to unleash devastating moves with the right analog stick. Build up the Imagine Meter and then unleash Imagine Mode, blasting Japanese music and powering you up as you strike to the beat!
Attacks and special movesare mapped to the face buttons and direction input. Stronger moves use AP, and you can combo together normal attacks and special attack, creating your own playstyle depedning on the moves you choose to map to the inputs. You can spec to be more physical, more elemental, more ground-based or more aerial focused. The choice is in your hands.
Combat With a Musical Twist
Build up the Imagine Meter and then unleash Imagine Mode, blasting Japanese music and powering you up as you strike to the beat! You can customise the music different characters experience in Imagine Mode for different effects!
Unleash Maid Powers
Using the “maid system” non-combat characters can be used both during battles and outside of battles, effectively as a 5th member of your party. While they don’t jump into combat themselves, they can still help out with navigation and highlighting dangers. For instance they can call out when an enemy boss is about to use a big attack, or alert you to any party members that are in imminent danger.
Customise Your Characters
Characters can be equipped with new skills, weapons, enhancements to your weapons, clothes, and even trading cards. New skills are unlocked as you level up to spruce up each character’s four skill slots. Weapons can also be enhanced to upgrade a piece of equipment’s stats too. While wearing something nice will also improve stats, it can just be nice to freshen up a bit. On top of all that, trading cards can also be found around Akihabara that provide a whole host of benefits, giving you brand new abilities – whether it’s increase defence against an element, or reducing the AP cost of skills. You’ll want to keep your eyes open for these bad boys.
Akiba’s Beat is out 19th May 2017 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Don’t forget to grab the Rice Exclusive Akiba’s Beat NEET Edition!
