Games that feel like Japan?

[Deleted member 434]

What games feel like you're in Japan?

-Chulip

-Boku no Natsuyasumi series

-Akiba's Trip 1 and 2

-Persona 5 Royal

-Simple 2000 Series Ultimate Vol. 17: Taisen! Bakudan Poi Poi

-Simple 2000 Series Vol. 88: The Mini-suke Police

-Mystical Ninja Goemon Zero (Prototype)

-Harvest Moon games, Animal Crossing games

 

[Aziamuth]

Persona 4 is the biggest example. I'm not the biggest fan of it but the vibes are immaculate.
The Shin Chan Summer Vacation games also encapsulate that feeling
Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts II

 

[DunkeyKong]

Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy games in general, I don't know why but it's probably a Square Enix effects. Got that kind of feeling from the buildings, environments, landscapes and characters.

 

[Smiley Cat]

The Yakuza games.

 

[omen]

Racing Lagoon made me want to go to South Yokohama at midnight. The game's vibe is immaculate.

 

[moonbits]

I've never been to Japan so I'm not really sure. My best guess is the Yakuza games or Shenmue.

 

[Sayo]

The first thing that comes to mind is Earth Defense Force, it encompasses the entire planet but most of the series

takes place in urban areas of Japan which are entirely destructible and often under attack bygiant bugs and monsters.






Another title that comes to mind is Robot Alchemy Drive, by the

same developer as EDF (Sandlot), it also happens to take place in Japanese cities and has a far more anime approach to its story and characters, you control giant robots in this game using every button in your PS2 controller, it takes a bit to get used to but its extremely satisfying to play.

Natsuiro High School for the PS3/PS4 is a game with an approach similar to that of Shenmue, focusing on a day to day's student life with a very unique mechanic that involves underwear and photo cameras
This game is sadly unavailable outside of Japan but getting a hold of it these days via other means should be relatively effortless, it's quite reminiscent of Akiba's Trip except it's a laid back experience.

Tetsujin 28-Go is based on the eponymous manga series, set during post-war Japan it offers a slightly different approach to Japan as a setting than the one you would

Gokinjo Boukentai is a cute little JRPG set in urban Japan reminiscent of MOTHER, if I am not mistaken it recently got a fan translation. I haven't played much of it nor have I touched this in several years but it definitely "felt" like Japan so to speak and it had really cute visuals.

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Mystical Ninja Goemon games.

 

[omen]

Tetsujin 28-Go is based on the eponymous manga series, set during post-war Japan it offers a slightly different approach to Japan as a setting than the one you would

This game looks so cool. Maybe I'll give it a try.

 

[Smiley Cat]

Jet Set/Grind Radio

 

[CRTRebel]

I love all those demented PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 video games that feature quintessential anti-heroes, such as Chōzetsurin Jin Bravoman, Kato-chan & Ken-chan (known in the West as JJ & Jeff) or even the Toilet Kids shmup... I have always enjoyed Japanese humor!

 

[Abecero]

If the game needing to be retro isn't a specific requirement, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth does have that Japanese feel to it, since it is set in Tokyo and all, lol. You get to explore the actual city some along with going in the digital world.

For another series, the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games should fit the bill too.

 

[Rukino]

Nothing is like Shenmue.

No game makes you feel like you're actually living and breathing in a small Japanese town like this one, it's just sooo cozy. If you have the right sensibility, it's just a masterpiece.

 

[berkough]

The Yakuza games.

100% this ^.

Jet Set/Grind Radio

Definitely.

Nothing is like Shenmue.

No game makes you feel like you're actually living and breathing in a small Japanese town like this one, it's just sooo cozy. If you have the right sensibility, it's just a masterpiece.

Except the Yakuza games . But, yes, great recommendation.

My recommendation was going to be the Yakuza series (already mentioned). But a newer game that does a surprisingly good job is "Little Kitty, Big City."

 

[Rukino]

100% this ^.

Definitely.


Except the Yakuza games . But, yes, great recommendation.

My recommendation was going to be the Yakuza series (already mentioned). But a newer game that does a surprisingly good job is "Little Kitty, Big City."

I would say Yakuza games are nothing like Shenmue, they lose so much minutia and mundane day to day moments, they don't have night and day cycles, and they stress you with the constant encounters.
It's a completely different kind of series. Maybe Yakuza 6 is somewhat closer with its Hiroshima map.

 

[Parasite_Steve]

The Onimusha and Tenchu series as well as Sekiro are great at getting across the feeling of walking through historical places like castles, temple districts, mountain paths and castle towns. All of them add differing degrees of folklore/fantasy elements to their setting but the atmosphere they convey is just pitch-perfect in my book. I used to live in Osaka before the pandemic and would often visit nearby Kyoto or the castles and castle ruins in Hyogo and I'd always bring the Tenchu soundtrack with me while I walked around. I highly recommend it should you get the chance, especially if you can visit one of the castle parks that are open at night.

I second Shenmue and the Yakuza games, but I find the former does a slightly better job despite being much more lo-fi by comparison.

On the other end of the spectrum from the feudal Japan games would be Jet Set Radio and the World ends with you. Super stylized of course but again they get across what it feels like to make your way through the busier modern districts of Tokyo much better than a game would that aimed for a more realistic visual representation.

On the more humorous side there's Hammerin' Hero on the PSP.

Some Final Fantasy titles, especially 7 also have a very distinct Japanese feel to them that I didn't pick up for years until I visited the country for the first time. There are definitely bits and pieces of Tokyo, Osaka and maybe Yokohama in Midgar.

 

[Stookymalarkey]

Gotta be Katamari Damacy. You can run around some Japanese person's house causing chaos, or out on the streets.

 

[spectresfrommercury]

twewy/neotwewy

 

[ElysiumGD]

Racing Lagoon made me want to go to South Yokohama at midnight. The game's vibe is immaculate.

I would also say the Tokyo Xtreme Racer (Shutokou Battle) series, it really shows the scale of Tokyo's highways, & Japan's highways as a whole given that Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (2003) includes the highways of Nagoya & Osaka.

 

[Cu-Neo]

Literally the Akiba's Strip Games. You are in akihabara fighting Vampires and also Akiba's beat also happens in Akihabara

Also the Siren games would count. The location of the first game is a rural japanese town called Hanuda

 

[Karnik]

Shin Megami Tensei series (SNES), Devil Survivor series (DS) and Persona series (psx).

 

[Virtuafighter]

I went to Japan two months ago and visited the locations of the Yakuza games. They have absolutely nailed them. Shenmue, from what I heard, also did a very good job.