PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a challenging experience filled with plenty of memorable moments. If you’re a long-term fan of the Akiba franchise, you won’t be disappointed. Just be warned: it will get weird.

There’s a lot to love in Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed, whether you’re a veteran or newcomer to the series. It looks and plays much like the games of yesteryear, but that’s what gives it much of its charm. You can definitely add Akihabara to my list of spots to visit when I finally make my way back to Japan. I’m no vampire demon, but perhaps I’ll wear an extra layer or two. You know, just in case.

The first title of the Akiba's Trip franchise arrives in western markets with a remastered version that lacks improved graphics and its combat system is outdated.

AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed arrives in Europe, but the remaster is unfortunately not excellent.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed needs to played without any distractions from other games because the second you put it down, you may never care to return to it. Its lack of quality-of-life features solidifies it as a relic of the past, but its writing and characters make it out to be something that fits right in with your group of otaku friends. It’s not an easy game to get through, but its charm is enough to want a true sequel.

There's a fair amount of side-quest stuff to do such as playing mini-games in the maid café or helping out locals with their problems, although none of it is particularly innovative or memorable. There are also loads of different quirky weapons and hundreds of different clothing options to collect. Roaming around Akihabara while wielding a keyboard and wearing a Gundam cosplay made out of cardboard boxes is kinda fun, despite how average the game is overall.

Ultimately, it’s hard to recommend Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed to anyone but the most ardent of action RPG fans with a taste for Otaku culture. While its premise is genuinely interesting, as are the storylines that stem from it, the dated visuals and archaic combat will be big hurdles to overcome for most. For those who can see and work past them, however, there’s some fun to be had, albeit littered with some frustration. It’s just a shame that more hasn’t been done to bring this game up to today’s standards.

This is interesting game, in a very unique way, but offers very little as an ARPG and as a remaster to justify this version.

Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is a re-release of a ten year old portable title and it shows. Apart from being weak on a technical level the combat is basic, the story is lacking and the side quests are repetitive. Not a patch on the sequel, but major fans might get some joy out of it.

The idea behind AKIBA's TRIP is tasty and fun, but if in 2011 the product could work even with all its shortcomings and the limitations imposed by the PSP hardware, the same cannot be said for its re-release.