Although it’s described as a, “fast-paced strategy combat game”, with the emphasis so far on large-scale zombie-slaughtering chaos like Dead Rising it seems not very “strategic.” Except the “bullet hell” shooter segments reminiscent of Nier Replicant & Automata games. The mix of enemies and weapons/abilities you unlock as you progress and personal play styles gamers develop most likely will govern how strategic this game ultimately is.
We follow our hero Choko Chigusa, described as “a teenage girl miraculously revived from the dead, on a journey of truth and revenge.” The world she wakes up to is a reimagined America that finds itself as Japan’s unofficial colony a la “The Man In The White Castle” alternate history.
Familiar American cultural landmarks are now Japanese, the Hollywood sign now reads as Neo Yokohama, dragon gates appear on long stretches of desert highways, and chōchin lanterns decorate the Golden Gate Bridge. Small traditional Shinto shrines line the highways.
Apparently, this new world isn’t just a an American -Japanese fusion. A mysterious catastrophe caused this post-apocalyptic world inhabited by zombies, monsters, and human survivors “of different backgrounds and beliefs,” according to its Steam page, which is arguably more frightening than the threat of the undead.
The trailer is a glorious banquet of ridiculous anime references, tropes and the combat exudes a sleek, real-time Final Fantasy XV style, and post apocalyptic Americana almost Falloutesqe spin and humor that I can’t get enough of!
The mood of the trailer dives into full tonal dissonance as narration about the game’s global incident is accompanied by DaijiMan Brothers Ocrhestra’s upbeat song “Sore ga daiji.” Footage of Choko lounging in her sweet over-sized customizable RV, hoop rolling, and walking on stilts is intercut with her flash-stepping around hordes of zombies, men and beasts mowing all down with an impressive array of trick shots with blistering gun and sword techniques!
Further doubling down on how much this game looks like a crack fanfic come to life, the trailer shows off some Nier Automata-esque bullet hell boss fights as well as an enormous satellite crashing into a desert. Even the zombies have some characterization, with some shown riding bicycles to crank up some sort of generator and one brandishing a giant drill on its waist.
Choko embarks on some sort of Kill Bill-style revenge quest. They had me In the trailer’s opening moments when an unseen male narrator Choko calls “Boss” who laughs at her before spoofing Lucy Liu’s iconic Kill Bill line about her being an American girl playing with swords.
He ends up with a shotgun at his crotch for his trouble. Choko aiming casually, “Allow me to scratch your itch, boss,” Choko says, right before shooting his junk into pixelated smithereens. Hilarious!
Can’t wait until Developer Nekcom Games and publisher 2P Games release this potential hit action role-playing game Showa American Story for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC later this year!
I’ll be following it until release so stay tuned for updates!
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Art credit – Nekcon Games / 2P Games
