Akiba's Beat

This combat system is a lot of fun. Each character does have distinct abilities and a role in the battlefield, and the action is fast enough that you’ll need to think quickly as you play. The crowning achievement of combat is the super attacks that you work towards (usually in time for the boss battles).

Akiba's Beat doesn't offer something different from other Japanese RPG games. However as the games progresses it becomes an interesting title and alternative in the genre.

All in all, Akiba’s Beat is a solid game that presents itself very well. Despite a couple of flaws here and there, the title offers a lot in the way of content and entertainment value. Whether it’s the interesting visuals, the great use of music, or the well-constructed story, it’s not hard to see how this game beats out the competition.

I’m torn about Akiba’s Beat. On the one hand, there are large sections of the game I simply didn’t enjoy. The character portraits for the visual novel sections move slightly during conversations, which just seems like a tease. The combat has a wide range of options for getting through some very simple battles. I really miss decking out my avatar in ridiculous clothing combinations. Yet, the writing is excellent, the voice acting is on par and the game’s tone is just right.

For all of its noticeable issues, Acquire’s risk to try something new in Akihabara pays off. Akiba’s Beat is a superb game for players who want an anime imbued, character driven experience that refuses to take itself seriously. The very enthusiasm that the makers obviously have for their subject pulses through the title, giving it a true personality that helps it stand on its own. It keeps the rhythm like me behind the drum set: the heart is absolutely in it but the sticks get dropped a few times. Fans of the Persona series and those who enjoy otaku culture and its trappings will find plenty of reason to groove to Akiba’s Beat. Just be prepared for the parts when it loses its tempo.

You'll spend far more of your time watching cutscenes then you will exploring dungeons and defeating enemies, so while the combat system is quite basic, the eclectic mix of characters and twisting storylines will hold your interest through to the end. Thus, if you think of Akiba's Beat as a visual novel with some light gameplay elements instead of thinking of it as an action RPG, then you'll probably enjoy it a whole lot more.

Although a tribute to the likes of Persona and the Tales of series, Akiba's Beat doesn't have quite enough substance to recommend another Sunday visit to Akihabara.

While I can most definitively say that Akiba’s Beat is a marked improvement over its predecessor, I can’t help but feel that in its aspiration to become like the much beloved Persona and Tales series, it has lost an identity of its own. Despite its improvements, with the stellar lineup of games all bidding for your time this year, it’s hard to recommend Akiba’s Beat over its superior alternatives.

Not the best JRPG out there but it could be entertaining enough for the real fans of the genre.

Akiba's Beat is a great game for the Japan fans and a very long experience, but it gets buried due to its similarities to the Persona saga and technical simplicity.

While art design and location are the same as in Akiba’s Trip the fighting system as well as the narrative have changed and take their inspiration from Atlus’ Persona-series on one side and Groundhog Day on the other. Unfortunately this mix doesn’t bode well.

Ultimately, Akiba's Beat is a poor sequel, a weak homage, and a lackluster game. The strong localization elevates it slightly, but it's crippled by its attempts to impersonate better games. With Persona 5 and Tales of Berseria still fresh on the shelves, it's hard to justify why you'd play this over those games, and once you do, you'll find it difficult to stop noticing the game's "me too" trait. It's not the worst JRPG on the market by any means, but it has very little going for it in terms of strengths. The humor hit enough to give the experience some value, but otherwise it's something for those who've burned through the other top-notch JRPGs on the PS4 and are desperate for a little more.

While it might be true that Akiba’s Beat presents an interesting premise with clever writing and a fun cast of characters, the game ends up failing at everything fans may want out of an action RPG.

Akiba's Beat is a generic, me-too JRPG that takes inspiration from both the Persona and the Tales of series, without adding any new ideas, failing to recapture the feeling and gameplay of both of them. Still, it can be a solid choice for the uninitiated to the genre.

Akiba’s Beat is in a strange position, having been released right after two other Japanese role-playing games dealt with very similar topics. While it doesn’t have strong enough writing to eclipse these titles, it does feature a few story beats that keep it from being a D-grade Persona. From a combat perspective, the game feels like a Tales game, but without any of the polish. There’s room for improvement in practically every area, but it’s still a decent RPG that is worth playing for those that somehow ran out of RPGs in their backlog.

Akiba Beat’s biggest failure is, undoubtedly, its disconnect with what makes Akihabara so enticing. It is missing the heart of what you’d expect a game of its kind to have.

Quotation forthcoming.

We don't really think Akiba's Beat is a bad game, but it isn't very good either. It's too simple and has lost its own identity, which was one of the keys of the franchise.

If you're in the mood to watch a cast of charming characters have often humorous conversations for lengthy periods of time then Akiba's Beat is a game for you. However, those looking for a satisfying JRPG will be better off searching elsewhere.

Despite a great localization and plenty of solid aspects, Akiba's Beat's strengths never manage to overshadow its glaring problems. Its copy-paste combat system, constant revisiting of dungeons, and other minor problems all add up to a bland and occasionally irritating experience.

Akiba’s Beat is a generic and mediocre videogame. Instead of improving the flaws of its predecessor, it loses its personality. It is a standard JRPG that gives no satisfaction when playing it.

Overall, “average” is the perfect descriptor for Akiba’s Beat. While there is nothing particularly bad about it, it does little to stand out among the most recent releases that truly revitalize the JRPG genre. It is both baffling and disheartening that the developers chose to rob the very things that made Akiba’s Trip stand out among the sea of Japanese games only to have it conform to a pale imitation of more polished JRPGs. If you haven’t done so already, consider passing over this game in favor of seeking out its more unique (and entertaining) predecessor for cheap.

In retrospect, that Akiba's Beat was going to be a bland mass of forgetability should've been obvious from just the name. Akiba's Trip doubled a not-too-subtle reference to what you were doing in the game: "Akiba strip." Akiba's Beat does nothing of the sort, and has only a tenuous connection to a not-that-interesting battle mechanic. It's a clear sign of how little this game has to say, and it should've served as a warning that anyone hoping for Akiba's Trip to have an equally bonkers sequel shouldn't bother looking here.

Akiba’s Beat is a disappointing follow up to what was a flawed but entertaining game. The majority of gameplay involves walking to a location to button through some dialogue or progressing through tedious and repetitious dungeons. What content is here is stretched to breaking point as you’re asked to do the same thing over and over. If you enjoyed the characters from the last game you may find some joy here but others may struggle through the fifty hour playtime.

Akiba’s Beat is a bad game, but it’s an even worse sequel. So many aspects of the previous game, Akiba’s Trip, are abandoned or watered down in this title, from the downgraded graphics, to the lack of customization, the poor characters, and more. Akiba’s Beat abandons it’s roots, instead trying so desperately to fill shoes far too big for it. Like the Chinese knockoff Transformers toys in my local deli, Akiba’s Beat attempts to emulate many big franchise without the budget, skill, or style of any of them.

Akiba’s Beat is a tedious action RPG that has very few redeeming factors and one that has made me appreciate Akiba’s Trip even more and that is saying something.

Well, let us put it this way... Akiba's Beat isn't good. In fact, it's quite bad. It all starts with a lead character impossible to empathize with and ends with a general feeling of repetitiveness.

Even if Akiba's Beat had a higher budget and more time, it lacks any unique features, mimicking what other games do, but worse. For 40 hours you'll mash X through slow dialogue, then run around a dead environment, and then do more dialogue until you get to mash square against sponges. If Akiba's Trip is the shirtless jock who kicks the door with beers in hand, Akiba's Beat is the timid cocktail-drinker standing in the corner with one hand in his pocket. Technically functional, but spiritually dead.

Akiba's Beat is, quite simply, the worst kind of disappointing. A great niche title like Akiba's Trip was weird and not for everyone, but what it did right should have been easy to replicate for a proper sequel. Instead, everything that was good about the original game was tossed right out the window. The gameplay, the world, the collection-frenzy and side quests, the bizarre plot and out-there interactions... all of it gone in favor of a dull Persona clone with next to no soul. Akiba's Trip was well worth taking (over and over again) but Akiba's Beat is just that - beat. Save your money on this one.

Akiba's Beat is a poor game, with poor combats, poor RPG mechanics and poor customisation. Acquire forgot everything that made Akibas' Trip such a great game.

Akiba’s Beat is a step down from its predecessor on almost every level. A bland, soulless JRPG that yearns to emulate more successful titles without any of the style, grace, or nuance.