Five years after its initial reveal, Showa American Story is finally showing more of its eccentric, pop-culture-infused self. This action-RPG presents a unique premise: an alternate late 1980s where Japan's economic and cultural influence has led to the colonization of the United States. Players control Choko Chigusa, a girl resurrected to embark on a road trip across this bizarre yet strangely familiar world, engaging in combat, exploration, and character growth.
Our preview offered a glimpse into four distinct gameplay segments: a linear combat and story section, a camp exploration phase focused on rest and progression, an open-map exploration sequence, and a challenging boss encounter.
Combat Mechanics and the Rage Cycle
Showa American Story blends melee and ranged combat, featuring four distinct melee weapon types—Bare Hands/Gauntlets, Katanas, Drills, and Polearms—alongside firearms like shotguns and assault rifles. Each weapon category offers unique playstyles and move names, ranging from high-speed gauntlets to Katanas with deep stance-based combos. The Polearm category even includes a literal American flag as a weapon, excelling at wide-sweeping attacks but consuming significant stamina. Drills, while harder to master due to their linear attacks, boast immense damage.
The combat system revolves around a strategic "Rage Cycle." Dealing or taking damage builds a Rage meter, which converts into Rage Points, capped at five. Weapon types generate Rage at different rates, with barehanded weapons building it the fastest, encouraging strategic swapping. Rage Points can be spent on powerful Ultimates, enhanced "Rage Attacks," or "Chain Attacks." These Chain Attacks allow for seamless weapon swaps with zero recovery frames, crucial for juggling an arsenal and exposing enemy weak points when transitioning to firearms.
Furthermore, the system incorporates "Perfect Dodge" and "Super Recovery" mechanics. A Perfect Dodge, activated by holding R1 and dodging, costs one Rage Point and enables a high-damage follow-up. Getting hit by a heavy attack can trigger a brief slow-motion window, allowing a "Super Recovery" by spending a Rage Point for an immediate counter-attack. Successfully depleting an enemy's stamina allows for a devastating Execution. The ideal combat loop involves quickly building Rage, spending it strategically, and always retaining one point for quick weapon swaps to rebuild the meter.
Stamina also plays a critical role, influencing combat pacing. Heavy attacks and sprinting consume stamina, and running out does not paralyze the player but significantly lowers defense. Interestingly, landing a Rage Attack restores stamina, reinforcing the need to weave these powerful moves into combos to maintain health.
Areas for Improvement
Despite the depth of its combat systems, the game's current state reveals shortcomings in combat feel and enemy interaction. The hit-stop on melee strikes can make combat feel sluggish rather than impactful, and interactions between player and enemy often lack a tangible connection, with both sides appearing to swing through each other. Choko is easily staggered, yet enemy attack timings are difficult to read. The Perfect Dodge window is particularly perplexing, sometimes requiring evasive action before an attack even lands. These clunky interactions can lead to players panic-rolling, accidentally triggering Super Recoveries and depleting valuable Rage points. The game's visual presentation, especially its combat effects and blood, can also be overwhelming and distracting.
RPG Elements and World Design
Showa American Story features a robust RPG progression system with real-time leveling and core stats like Health, Stamina, Rage, Defense, Melee, and Shooting. Battle Points earned from leveling can be used to unlock character skills. Weapons are upgradeable to level five using in-game currency and parts, providing clear percentage-based damage boosts and offering seven buff slots. Players can also equip accessories for further stat enhancements and change outfits.
The player's base of operations is an RV named "Guren," which can be explored in first-person. An Action Point (AP) system is used for various activities within the RV, such as drinking soda or working out, which grant XP and build resistances to status effects. These activities often require specific base facilities and consumables that must be acquired.
Visually, while character models and facial animations are somewhat stiff, the environmental detail is impressive, with realistic foliage and water at a hot spring inn, and a nostalgic atmosphere in the Neo Yokohama climbing section. The open-map shopping streets are meticulously designed and populated with NPCs, offering unique items and weapons in various shops.
Tone and Presentation
The game's tone is reminiscent of the Yakuza series' substories, blending dark humor, internet memes, and absurd concepts like a "Zombie Human Rights Association." Even difficulty settings are presented humorously, with "Heisei Loser" for Normal and "Showa Boy" for Hard. Some cutscenes employ a PPT-style slideshow reminiscent of Yakuza 0, featuring static poses with voice acting, aiming for a retro B-movie aesthetic.
The developers have invested heavily in art assets and music licensing to capture the era. Combat and RV exploration tracks are heavily Showa-inspired, and licensed music, such as Hiromi Go's cover of "Casablanca," is featured. Boss fights are described as bizarre and gory, with one encounter on a waterfall suspension bridge shifting into a 2D side-scrolling brawler. Fully playable retro arcade cabinets, paying homage to classics like Space Harrier and OutRun, further showcase the game's dedication to its theme.
Ultimately, Showa American Story is shaping up to be a deeply unique experience. Its deliberate "jank" and niche style mean its polish currently lags behind modern AAA titles. While the density of cultural parodies is impressive, its ability to sustain this tone and overcome its combat and mechanical shortcomings over a full campaign remains to be seen. It promises an incredibly unique, highly flawed, yet undeniably fascinating journey.