Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed for the PlayStation 4 brings the cult favorite hybrid sandbox brawler-RPG to the new generation. And with the jump to the current console generation, the game continues to celebrate everything that is Akihabara and otaku to first timers  while bringing something new to the table for veteran players wanting more. One thing is for sure, whether you are a newbie or an experienced player, there is something waiting for you to do within the confines of the world’s geekiest district.

For those who may be new to the series, Akihabara, the centerpiece of otaku culture, is filled with vampire-esque creatures known as Synthisters, out to hunt down as many visitors and otaku as possible and suck out their preppy vitality, leaving them in a more “depressive” state than usual. And as the main character, you suddenly turned one of these Synthisters by an unknown organization, but not completely as a mysterious girl arrives and busts you out before you fully become one of them. And with the visitors of Akihabara still having no idea of the dangers that await them, you join the Akiba Freedom Fighters, a group of like-minded otaku who maintains peace and order in the district in their own vigilante way, in an effort to uncover the mystery of the Synthisters and how to stop them.

The name of the game is, as the title will imply, stripping the clothes of various Synthisters and opponents while protecting your own, lest you end up being fried by the sun. And to do that, you beat them up through various weapons, skills, and some much needed teamwork and tandem attacks with your chosen partner, in an effort to weaken their clothing so you can take off their clothes in style. In the process, you will have to upgrade your equipment and level yourself up to make life a little bit easier for you, and with so many opponents hunting you down (especially in overwhelming situations), you will need all the help you can get. The game did such a great job in incorporating the brawling genre to such a quirky mechanic such as stripping your enemies, which is in line with the overall oddball theme of the game and its setting.

Besides the main missions, there is so much to do and explore in possibly the most faithful recreation of Akihabara there is. With side missions, you can gain more rewards and level up your character faster. And to the game’s credit, doing so will give you a good grasp of how modern-day Akihabra feels like to veteran visitors and those who intend to visit there soon. It is a testament to the developers who wanted to make sure that every detail possible is taken into consideration. In fact, most shops and establishments (i.e. Go Go Curry, Kotobukiya) featured in the game are 100% real and serves as a great way to replicate the Akihabara of today. And to further delve in the feel of modern day Akihabara, you can also check out the in-game social media and e-mail to give you some story hints. Granted, the graphics may be a little outdated by today’s standards, but the game’s look and feel of the real Akihabara makes up for this.

As far as the PlayStation 4 version is concerned, many enhancements and additions were included to further enrich the gameplay experience even further, the most obvious and given being the graphical improvements that come along with it. More enhancements and NPC’s are added in the PS4 version, making the Akihabara feel even more evident while addressing previous frame issues and making some positive adjustments to the design, like the lighting and the effects. In fact, at 1080p, frame issues were not even existent and would play wonderfully on the PS4 without any hindrances.

With the system’s live broadcast function, those who are watching the game can send comments while affecting the gameplay experience in a number of humorous ways. In fact, it feels so interactive, viewers can directly help your character when the need arises. The user’s comments may end up disrupting your gameplay, or help you gain a distinct advantage while fighting. Whatever the case may be, it is a tremendous jump in terms of player-viewer interactivity that is rarely seen. If anything, it feels like an interactive invasion.