Games that feel like Japan?

[Skeetos]

the fuuraiki series are traveling focused games that uses real footage and photos from japan unabashedly. and the fourth game practically makes you feel like youre going through all of gifuken in google maps lots of bike riding.
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toro to kyuujitsu also has the same style but its a point and click adventure
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I heard about that Toro game. It looks really cool. Might be one to try once I learn Japanese. Thinking about buying a subscription to one of those learning apps once i get more comfortable finance-wise.

 

[bjork]

Tokyo Bus Guide
Densha de Go
Japanese Rail Sim: Journey to Kyoto

 

[Num]

Thinking about buying a subscription to one of those learning apps once i get more comfortable finance-wise.

go for it if you want to keep tossing money into a bottomless pit. those services obsess over the control they have over you so that they can severely limit your progress. the last thing they want for you is to actually learn the language and walk away

 

[Skeetos]

go for it if you want to keep tossing money into a bottomless pit. those services obsess over the control they have over you so that they can severely limit your progress. the last thing they want for you is to actually learn the language and walk away

Good to know. I do gotta figure some way out. Once I start I need to find a pen pal for sure.

 

[Stingy Perry]

Samurai Warriors
Sengoku Basara
Genka Bancho series

 

[Gin]

Kuon, Although it is the Japan of another era

 

[Skeetos]

Shenmue has a vibe like no other. I had to restart though because I saw how much of the first little bit I missed and it frustrated me a bit. Once I get around to playing it again I'm just gonna use a walkthrough.

I kinda want to add a bit. I see everyone putting stuff like Samurai Warriors and Sengoku Basara down so it made me feel more comfortable using it as an example. Anyone play Ghost of Tsushima? That game is awesome. Really brings you into that Samurai Movie style. I bought 2 PlayStations for that game so I'm biased for sure.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I live in Japan. When I moved here as a teenager I saw a lot of stuff that made me feel very nostalgic for the first few generations of Pokemon (especially the anime and manga).

This is also the case for the Rockman EXE games.

Zelda is extremely Japanese but I think a lot of people don't realize it due to simply being unfamiliar with the references and just thinking the game is quirky.

Animal Crossing for the same reason as Zelda.

A lot of people say Akiba's Trip and I certainly agree but only in a Disney Land sort of way. The game is set in Akihabara and focuses around otaku subcultures, it's not like normal life in Japan. It's like going to Disney more than anything (especially today where you could practically count the number of Japanese people in Akiba on any given day using your fingers. Japanese otaku moved on).

Nothing is like Shenmue

This is true but Yokosuka is a shithole.

 

[RetroCasual]

I think there's nothing like the Yakuza series to feel like in Japan, but trying to not repeat, here are some more titles with a special japanese feel:

- Getsu Fuma Den (some kind of similar and contemporary game to the first Castlevania for the NES, only released in Japan).
- Kunio Kun games (Technos' most popular franchise with brawlers, beat'em'ups, sports games, RPGs...).
- Cho Aniki games (freaky shoot'em'ups where you handle a flying bodybuilder).
- Ranma 1/2 games (mostly fighters and RPGs in the SNES system from Rumiko Takahashi's famous manga, I can't understand why more videogames haven't been made from this series...).
- Pocky & Rocky games (A.K.A. Kiki Kai Kai in Japan, scrolling shooters, better in coop mode, recently got a very beautiful remake called "ReShrined").
- Incredible Crisis (funny PS1 title with extravagant challenges totally focused in the members of a family in modern Japan).
- Samurai Shodown series (I think there's nothing to explain here...).
- 428 Shibuya Scramble (a very complex thriller, uses a mix of photography and live-action footage, visual novel for Wii, PS3, PS4 and Steam).
- Taiko No Tastsujin series (rhythm games where you use a simple drum which can play just two notes, has lots of japanese songs even from anime series).
- Okinawa Rush (a neo-retro 2D beat'em'up with an excellent ambientation and frenetic action since the first moment, hard as hell for beginners).
- The Messenger (some kind of neo-retro title similar to the classic Ninja Gaiden series, but with a unique sense of humor).
- Ghost Of Tsushima (f-u-c-k GTA V, this is my favourite game to hang around, walk, ride, explore and enjoy the beautiful isle of Tshushima, and to slice some thugs and invaders too).

 

[jankusanagi]

So many great examples!

I'll add 7th Dragon 2020 and 2020-II, which have several settings (mostly whatever your home base is, and the Shibuya area) which have a very "Japan" feel to them.

 

[for.we.are.many]

- Getsu Fuma Den (some kind of similar and contemporary game to the first Castlevania for the NES, only released in Japan).

Well, you can get the first Getsu Fuma Den here in the West, but only as a bonus to the Digital Deluxe Edition of Getsu Fuma Den: Undying Moon. And it's still in Japanese

- 428 Shibuya Scramble (a very complex thriller, uses a mix of photography and live-action footage, visual novel for Wii, PS3, PS4 and Steam).

Love love LOVE that one! I wish they'd release Machi here as well

 

[RetroCasual]

Well, you can get the first Getsu Fuma Den here in the West, but only as a bonus to the Digital Deluxe Edition of Getsu Fuma Den: Undying Moon. And it's still in Japanese

Love love LOVE that one! I wish they'd release Machi here as well

As far as I know, the physical release of Getsu Fuma Den Undying Moon for the Nintendo Switch has the Japanese release of Getsu Fuma Den for NES within the cartridge, and yes, it sadly is in total Japanese except for the arranged menus (Save, Load, Controller Settings, etc.). Fortunately there are some fan translations in the Repo that will make more people enjoy the title, which is really good for its age (1987).

And well, for 428 Shibuya Scramble, it got a 40/40 score in Famitsu (most prestigious gaming magazine in Japan) so if anyone likes thrilling visual novels and gives it a chance by following your advice, will probably love it too. :)

 

[Raidou Kuzunoha]

I'm gonna deviate a little bit, but I'll throw my two cents in either way. If you're ever feeling like the Edo period, Okami.

If you're ever feeling like 1930's Japan, the Raidou games.

 

[for.we.are.many]

As far as I know, the physical release of Getsu Fuma Den Undying Moon for the Nintendo Switch has the Japanese release of Getsu Fuma Den for NES within the cartridge

Ah, didn't know that because I only have the digital version, thanks!

And well, for 428 Shibuya Scramble, it got a 40/40 score in Famitsu (most prestigious gaming magazine in Japan) so if anyone likes thrilling visual novels and gives it a chance by following your advice, will probably love it too.

Probably the best 10€ (sale price) I ever spent on Steam ? Also one of the few games where I got the best ending without looking up a guide

 

[thanonyx]

The game that captures Japan's unique brand of "weird" perfectly.

 

[Ian Naxieas]

Well I've never been to Japan and while I haven't played the entire series, I'm gonna go with Fatal Frame (Project (Zero)). The feeling of exploring a Japanese mansion and a small village feel like how I assume it feels like in real life. Hopefully there's no ghosts for real though. D: I don't normally find ghosts to be particularly scary, but the Fatal Frame games do it right.

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

-Boku no Natsuyasumi series

For sure those games, but I'm not sure about if Animal Crossing or the Harvest Moon games made me feel like I was in Japan.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

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

TWEWY is obvious. There's also Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Onimusha, Okami, Pokemon Conquest, the 7th Dragon franchise, the first Etrian Odyssey specifically, Shin Megami Tensei and so on

 

[OrionP]

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.

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I've visited Yokosuka on a trip to Japan. I think people thought I was nuts, as I was having my picture taken in front of a car park, or buying something from a vending machine LOL.

Shenmue is indeed a great indicator of Japan.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I do gotta figure some way out

The best way (and fastest way) to learn any language (including your native language) is through reading. Lots and lots of reading. Of course that reading could be anything from books to comics to RPGs or even eroge (the broader your variety of materials, the better). But the most important thing is reading, and how much time you invest into reading.

Of course, if you don't know any Japanese (or whatever language you want to learn) than you're going to have to start small and work your way up. Start by memorizing lists of common vocabulary, buy a beginners textbook and learn basic grammar. And once you have finished that stuff, start reading some easy materials and work your way up. For example you could play Pokemon in Japanese, and any time you find a word you don't know just look it up and make a flash card. When you're first starting out you will find lots of words you don't know, but as time passes you will find that the number of words you have to look up decreases as your ability grows.

Language learning is purely a matter of time investment, but thankfully that time will often be spent doing enjoyable things like playing games, reading books or watching TV. Stuff like textbooks is only to help you get started as a beginner, it hardly defines your journey in the long term.

As for stuff like apps, there are some helpful ones but as was already said watch out for anything that requires a subscription. Stuff like Duolingo, Memrise, LingoDeer, etc. Their business relies on you not learning the language as that's how they earn money. But some stuff can be useful, for example paying for the Anki app on iOS (flash card app) is money well spent. I also like Bunpro, it's sort of like a digital grammar textbook.

 

[Skeetos]

The best way (and fastest way) to learn any language (including your native language) is through reading. Lots and lots of reading. Of course that reading could be anything from books to comics to RPGs or even eroge (the broader your variety of materials, the better). But the most important thing is reading, and how much time you invest into reading.

Of course, if you don't know any Japanese (or whatever language you want to learn) than you're going to have to start small and work your way up. Start by memorizing lists of common vocabulary, buy a beginners textbook and learn basic grammar. And once you have finished that stuff, start reading some easy materials and work your way up. For example you could play Pokemon in Japanese, and any time you find a word you don't know just look it up and make a flash card. When you're first starting out you will find lots of words you don't know, but as time passes you will find that the number of words you have to look up decreases as your ability grows.

Language learning is purely a matter of time investment, but thankfully that time will often be spent doing enjoyable things like playing games, reading books or watching TV. Stuff like textbooks is only to help you get started as a beginner, it hardly defines your journey in the long term.

As for stuff like apps, there are some helpful ones but as was already said watch out for anything that requires a subscription. Stuff like Duolingo, Memrise, LingoDeer, etc. Their business relies on you not learning the language as that's how they earn money. But some stuff can be useful, for example paying for the Anki app on iOS (flash card app) is money well spent. I also like Bunpro, it's sort of like a digital grammar textbook.

Thanks for the recommendations man! I appreciate that. I'll have to see if my library has some textbooks, or online like a pleb. I figured it'd be good to just try to read the language. Might have to try some Visual Novels I've been looking at recently lol.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

Thanks for the recommendations man! I appreciate that. I'll have to see if my library has some textbooks, or online like a pleb. I figured it'd be good to just try to read the language. Might have to try some Visual Novels I've been looking at recently lol.

Your library might have some. Just be careful, always get something that's written by native speakers who are licensed Japanese teachers. To get the license to teach Japanese you need to pass the top level of the test that learners take (JLPT) as part of the licensing process. Many textbooks are commissioned by schools and written by teachers, so there's some good stuff out there but unfortunately there are many books which don't fall into this category and those a lmao often have lots of mistakes. It should have that info inside of the book itself so don't worry too much about it. Basically just make sure the author names are all Japanese and you'll probably be fine.

Nothing wrong with downloading some PDFs from nyaa or something instead also.

Visual novels are a great way to learn if you're okay looking up everything. Set up textractor to get the text into your browser window and use yomichan to look up words you don't know, it can automatically generate high quality flash cards for you with just a single click. There's a guide for how to do this on learnjapanese.moe

Post automatically merged: Feb 16, 2025

Tokyo Bus Guide
Densha de Go
Japanese Rail Sim: Journey to Kyoto

If you like Densha de Go, I recommend the official Japan Railways train simulator game on Steam. It's kind of expensive if you want all of the DLC but it uses real video footage instead of computer graphics so the game looks fantastic. It's also compatible with the Densha de Go controller for Switch.

 

[Skeetos]

Your library might have some. Just be careful, always get something that's written by native speakers who are licensed Japanese teachers. To get the license to teach Japanese you need to pass the top level of the test that learners take (JLPT) as part of the licensing process. Many textbooks are commissioned by schools and written by teachers, so there's some good stuff out there but unfortunately there are many books which don't fall into this category and those a lmao often have lots of mistakes. It should have that info inside of the book itself so don't worry too much about it. Basically just make sure the author names are all Japanese and you'll probably be fine.

Nothing wrong with downloading some PDFs from nyaa or something instead also.

Visual novels are a great way to learn if you're okay looking up everything. Set up textractor to get the text into your browser window and use yomichan to look up words you don't know, it can automatically generate high quality flash cards for you with just a single click. There's a guide for how to do this on learnjapanese.moe

Post automatically merged: Feb 16, 2025

If you like Densha de Go, I recommend the official Japan Railways train simulator game on Steam. It's kind of expensive if you want all of the DLC but it uses real video footage instead of computer graphics so the game looks fantastic. It's also compatible with the Densha de Go controller for Switch.

I bookmarked this website. Definitely gonna use this when I'm ready. I'm gonna wishlist that game too.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I bookmarked this website. Definitely gonna use this when I'm ready. I'm gonna wishlist that game too.

Just be careful on their discord, there's a lot of annoying elitists there and interacting with them too much will kill any sense of motivation you have for wanting to learn Japanese. But also the server can be helpful because if you clear the first quiz rank you can access a channel where people upload ebooks for free.

 

[PlayerJuan]

City Shrouded in Shadow/Kyoei Toshi

Post automatically merged: Feb 18, 2025

Attack of the Friday Monsters on the 3DS