Software:Showa American Story

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Showa American Story
Developer(s)Nekcom
Publisher(s)4Divinity
2P Games
Director(s)Xiangyu LuoTemplate:Two pixel space[1][2]
Jensen FangTemplate:Two pixel space[3]
Producer(s)Xiangyu LuoTemplate:Two pixel space[1][4]
Jensen Fang
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)PlayStation 5
Windows
Release2026
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Showa American StoryTemplate:Two pixel space[lower-alpha 1] is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by the Chinese studio Nekcom. The player assumes the role of the stuntwoman Choko Chigusa, who resurrects from the dead and navigates post-apocalyptic Showa America. The story explores an alternate history in which the United States has radically changed under Japanese economic and cultural influence. The developers drew inspiration from Japanese and American popular culture of the eighties and nineties, as experienced in Chinese society at the time.

Showa American Story is scheduled to be released for PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2026.

Gameplay

Showa American Story is an action role-playing game.[6][7][8][9] However, it is defined simply as a role-playing game by Nekcom.[4][10][11][12][13] It is played in single-player modeTemplate:Two pixel space[14][15] from a third-person perspective.[15]

The player controls Choko Chigusa.[9][16] She can wield melee and ranged weapons.[9] Rage builds up by dealing or taking damage, which results in rage points.[9] These points are used to perform ultimate abilities, rage attacks (a better variant of a heavy attack), chain attacks (an instant weapon swap followed by either an attack with a melee weapon or bullet time with a firearm), perfect dodges & super recoveries (a dodge followed by a counterattack), and super recoveries (a counterattack right after being hit by an enemy heavy attack).[9] Furthermore, stamina is consumed by light attacks and accumulated by landing rage attacks.[9] If the stamina is fully depleted, the defense will be lower and more damage will therefore be taken.[9] The enemy's stamina reduces by landing rage and chain attacks.[9] If it breaks, an execution is enabled.[9]

One of the enemy bosses is Gokou, the Governor of Texas, who is both an American cowboy and a Japanese samurai.[17]

The game takes place in a semi-open world.[4] It consists of multiple cities, each of which is its own sandbox.[3] A camper, a motorcycle, and other ways of transport are available.[4] The traversal between cities is done using the camper, either through fast travel or by driving.[3] The camper serves as the base of operations.[3][13]

The character is leveled up by obtaining experience points through combat.[9] This increases stats and provides battle points that are used to unlock skills.[9] Action points are obtained through looting, talking to non-player characters, and engaging in a broad range of other pursuits during exploration.[9] They are spent on activities, each of which increases specific stats, at the camper.[9] The stats are further modified by equipping accessories.[9] Furthermore, weapons are leveled up at the cost of United States dollars (the in-game currency) and enhancement parts, which increases their stats.[9]

There are different outfits to change the character's appearance.[9]

The game features a linear main story.[18] It also has side stories and minigames, which gradually become available as the main story progresses.[18]

Synopsis

Setting

Showa American Story takes place in post-apocalyptic Showa America.[19][20] Its events unfold in the 66th year of the Showa era,[3][4] which corresponds to the year 1991.[21][22][23]

The setting is presented as an alternate history.[17][24] In this world, Japan has bought out much of the United States through its strong economic power, while a surge of immigration by its people has led to an amalgamation of the two cultures into a new way of life in the United States.[19][20][23] The United States has essentially become an economic and cultural colony of Japan.[25][23][26][27] This scenario imagines a situation in which Japan's economic bubble did not collapse.[4][25][24][13]

Plot

Choko Chigusa, a 19-year-old stuntwoman, travels with her younger sister Aya to Neo Yokohama, formerly known as Los Angeles, to audition for an action movie. Shortly after arrival at the airport, Choko is assassinated and buried in the wilderness outside the city by a group of mysterious men in black. Meanwhile, Aya is taken away by the men. However, Choko resurrects from the dead and discovers that America has changed into a post-apocalyptic landscape populated with zombies, monsters, and other human survivors. In order to find her missing sister, uncover the truth, and exact revenge, she embarks on a journey across America.[28]

Development

File:Golden Gate Bridge by night.jpg
One of the reimagined American landmarks is the Golden Gate Bridge adorned with Japanese lanterns and shimenawa.[29]

Showa American Story is a game developed by Nekcom,[3][16][29][30] and published by 4Divinity and 2P Games.[5] Nekcom is based in Wuhan, China.[30]

Nekcom started the development of Showa American Story in 2016.[31] The conceptual design happened from 2016 to 2018.[32] The project involved up to five people during this stage.[33] The development entered its official phase in the second half of 2018.[33] The game was built initially on Unreal Engine 4 and subsequently on Unreal Engine 5.[17]

Showa American Story was based on Japanese and American popular culture of the eighties and nineties, as approached from a Chinese perspective.[21] At the time, these foreign cultures were introduced to China and appeared in distinct ways within its society.[21] The developers derived cultural references from their own memories, rather than from research or consultation.[21] Xiangyu Luo commented that "I used Japanese manga, movies, and the like that were popular in China as my base. I thought it would be more interesting to show people a unique take on Showa style as seen by a Chinese person than it would be if we depicted it faithfully. While I was confident that Chinese users who experienced the same timeframe and creative works as me would understand the charm, I never imagined I'd get this big of a reaction from Japan and the West."[3]

The developers set out to create a game that depicts a version of the United States that has been radically changed under the influence of Japan during the eighties, a concept that inverts the dynamic of the era in the opposite direction.[10] They intended to convey a sense of nostalgia for the Showa era.[34] Although they considered a cyberpunk theme, they concluded that science fiction elements would detract from their portrayal of a setting rooted in the period and decided to exclude elements deemed extraneous to the nostalgic tone.[34] Furthermore, they adopted a style inspired by B-movies.[35] For instance, the combat was shaped after the straightforward violence commonly found in such films.[18] As another example, the story incorporates elements of dark humor found in such films.[13]

The developers created a game prototype with a 45° top-down perspective, but concluded that it lacked the expressiveness required for the game's subject.[35] Therefore, following an assessment of the costs and feasibility, they shifted the direction toward a game with a third-person perspective.[35]

Each character design was either drawn by hand or based on a 3D facial model.[17] The protagonist Choko Chigusa was featured with a mosaic effect over her face in the 2024 trailer, because her design was not finalized and thus could not be shown at the time.[29]

The Japanese voice cast features Yoko Hikasa as Choko Chigusa, Hideo Ishikawa as Michael Hero, Hōchū Ōtsuka as Bubba, and Hikaru Midorikawa as Akitora Mutsuki.[36][37]

The developers chose "Sorega Daiji" by the Daijiman Brothers Band as the game's theme song.[25][34] Luo randomly came across the song on a playlist, which brought back nostalgic memories and led to the realization that this was what he had been seeking.[34] He had listened to the song a lot in the past and remembered it as a powerful song that encouraged people who were left discouraged following the collapse of Japan's economic bubble.[25] He therefore felt that the song was a great fit with the game and ideal as its theme song.[25]

The development cost of Showa American Story was about US$20 million, a preliminary figure given by Luo in late 2024.[38]

Release

Showa American Story is scheduled to be released for PC and PlayStation 5 in 2026.[39][40]

In January 2022, Nekcom unveiled Showa American Story.[6][41] At the time, the game was announced for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.[42] Starting a few days earlier in that month, the studio teased the project under the title Project SAS with a daily countdown toward the reveal.[43] In November 2024, the studio revealed that the game would be released for PC and PlayStation 5 in 2025.[44] However, in November 2025, the studio stated that the release was moved to 2026.[40][45][46]

Reception

Accolades

Showa American Story won Phenomenon of the Year, and was also nominated for Most Anticipated Game and Surprise of the Year at the UCG Game Awards 2024.[47][48]

Notes

  1. ↑ Simplified Chinese: 昭和米国物语; traditional Chinese: 昭和米國物語; Japanese: 昭和米国物語.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "欧米の人が日本のゲームを作るとサムライや忍者ばかり。でも日本はそんなもんじゃないでしょう？―――「昭和米国物語」のプロデューサーの経歴から探る，中国でいまB級コンソールゲームを作るということ" (in ja). December 28, 2024. https://www.4gamer.net/games/613/G061307/20241223023/. 
  2. ↑ "1stトレーラーの予想外の反響にも冷静に対処し、当初の目標通りに鋭意制作中！『昭和米国物語』開発者インタビュー" (in ja). September 11, 2023. https://jp.ign.com/showa-beikoku-monogatari/70327/interview/1st. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Krabbe, Esra (April 29, 2022). "Showa American Story Is a Wild and Sexy Chinese Depiction of America as Set in Showa 66". https://www.ign.com/articles/showa-american-story-wild-sexy-chinese-depiction-america-showa-66-interview. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "『昭和米国物語』インタビュー。昭和66年、日本はアメリカを経済支配した。80年代とガオガイガーを愛した中国生まれオタクからのラブレター【初解禁画像も突っ込みどころ満載】" (in ja). December 19, 2024. https://www.famitsu.com/article/202412/26090. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Showa American Story". https://www.gematsu.com/games/showa-american-story. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Torres, Josh (November 1, 2024). "Showa American Story releases in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and PC" (in en). https://www.rpgsite.net/news/16492-showa-american-story-releases-in-2025-for-playstation-5-pc. 
  7. ↑ Handley, Zoey (November 5, 2024). "Showa American Story proves it's still on its way with an absolutely bizarre new trailer". https://www.destructoid.com/showa-american-story-proves-its-still-on-its-way-with-an-absolutely-bizarre-new-trailer/. 
  8. ↑ Adam, Khayl (September 2, 2024). "Showa American Story Reveals Texan Governor's Majestic Body Hair". https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/09/showa-american-story-reveals-texan-governors-majestic-body-hair. 
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 Lin, Wesker (26 August 2026). "《昭和米国物语》上手前瞻" (in zh). https://www.ign.com.cn/showa-american-story/62193/zhao-he-mi-guo-wu-yu-shang-shou-qian-zhan-ign-zhong-guo.  Translated in "Showa American Story: The First Hands-On Preview" (in en). 26 August 2026. https://www.ign.com/articles/showa-american-story-the-first-hands-on-preview. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "子供時代に触れた日本文化への愛を込めて。「昭和米国物語」チーフプロデューサー・羅 翔宇氏インタビュー" (in ja). December 27, 2024. https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/1648765.html. 
  11. ↑ "我采访了《昭和米国物语》制作人，他说可以多来点创意工坊" (in zh). January 8, 2022. https://www.3dmgame.com/original/3743402.html. 
  12. ↑ "『昭和米国物語』の世界は“80年代の中国”で育ったからこそ生まれた！反響への感想や体験版の予定までプロデューサーに聞いてみた" (in ja). November 26, 2024. https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2024/11/26/147240.html. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "《昭和米国物语》开发者采访：方向是对的 现在只需把它做好" (in zh). 20 January 2022. https://www.a9vg.com/article/177687. 
  14. ↑ Janca, Ben (November 1, 2024). "Showa American Story | Official Story And Gameplay Trailer". https://www.gamespot.com/videos/showa-american-story-official-story-and-gameplay-trailer/2300-6465461/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "日本殖民美國為背景《昭和米國物語》有美少女動作RPG、殭屍腳踏車發電、還有「那個泳池」" (in zh). January 10, 2022. https://www.4gamers.com.tw/news/detail/51578/showa-american-story-backgrund-setting-is-way-too-funny. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "「日本がアメリカを植民地化した世界」を描く『昭和米国物語』は、やっぱり凄そうなゲームだった。タンクトップ美少女が返り血を浴びまくりつつ世紀末ギャングをボコボコにする戦闘がトガりすぎだし、CV：緑川光の忍者が強すぎる【gamescom 2026】" (in ja). 3 September 2026. https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/2609032s. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Robson, Daniel (August 30, 2024). "Exclusive: Meet Showa American Story’s New Boss Character, Texan Samurai-Cowboy Gokou". https://www.ign.com/articles/exclusive-meet-showa-american-storys-new-boss-character-texan-samurai-cowboy-gokou. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "《昭和米国物语》制作人坦言：不是故意“装死”，是把精力都放在了开发上" (in zh). August 2, 2025. https://news.17173.com/content/08022025/145439202.shtml. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Romano, Sal (January 7, 2022). "Post-apocalyptic action RPG Showa American Story announced for PS5, PS4, and PC". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/01/post-apocalyptic-action-rpg-showa-american-story-announced-for-ps5-ps4-and-pc. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Vitale, Adam (January 7, 2022). "Post-apocalyptic RPG Showa American Story announced for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC". https://www.rpgsite.net/news/12206-post-apocalyptic-rpg-showa-american-story-announced-for-playstation-5-playstation-4-and-pc. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 "中国团队开发“日本文化殖民美国”游戏：讲好中国故事，不一定要讲中国的故事" (in zh). January 12, 2022. https://www.guancha.cn/internation/2022_01_12_621991_s.shtml. 
  22. ↑ "《昭和米国物语》：当我们把外国网友的评论分享给开发者". January 28, 2022. https://www.chuapp.com/article/288500.html. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "鈴空遊戲公布 RPG 新作《昭和米國物語》 以日本文化殖民的 80 年代末世美國為背景" (in zh). January 9, 2022. https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=226460. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Torres, Josh (November 1, 2024). "Showa American Story releases in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and PC". https://www.rpgsite.net/news/16492-showa-american-story-releases-in-2025-for-playstation-5-pc. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Kataoka, Ryuichi (December 29, 2024). "『昭和米国物語』では、なぜ昭和日本とアメリカが融合しているのか。奇想天外世界が生み出されたルーツは、開発者の“青春”" (in ja). https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/showa-american-story-20241229-323693/. 
  26. ↑ "游民独家！《昭和米国物语》宣传图抢先看" (in zh). November 1, 2024. https://www.gamersky.com/news/202411/1838209.shtml. 
  27. ↑ "『昭和米国物語』日本の文化的植民地となった昭和66年アメリカでゾンビと戦うアクションRPG。PVの楽曲は大事MANブラザーズバンドの『それが大事』" (in ja). January 11, 2022. https://www.famitsu.com/news/202201/11247476.html. 
  28. ↑ "Showa American Story". https://www.showaamericanstory.com/.  Romano, Sal (25 August 2026). "Showa American Story – Gamescom 2026 trailer, screenshots". https://www.gematsu.com/2026/08/showa-american-story-gamescom-2026-trailer-screenshots. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "『昭和米国物語』開発会社社長兼クリエイティブディレクターのXY.Luo氏が語る、開発秘話と昭和への熱い想い【インタビュー】" (in ja). December 27, 2024. https://gamewith.jp/gamedb/11551/articles/38801. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "日本に文化侵略された「昭和66年」のアメリカでゾンビと戦う中国産ゲーム『昭和米国物語』が正式発表。主題歌は大事MANブラザーズバンドの「それが大事」" (in ja). 8 January 2022. https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/220108b. 
  31. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 2, 2022). "NEKCOM Games to announce new RPG Project SAS on January 6". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/01/nekcom-games-to-announce-new-rpg-project-sas-on-january-6. 
  32. ↑ "对话铃空游戏CEO罗翔宇：当《昭和米国物语》项目组被传解散" (in zh). August 16, 2024. https://www.chuapp.com/article/290150.html. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 "《昭和米国物语》制作人专访：乐子人的胜利！". January 14, 2022. https://www.ucg.cn/newsinfo/2346367.html. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 "日本の植民地になった「昭和66年」のアメリカでゾンビと戦う中国産ゲーム『昭和米国物語』開発者インタビュー。全ての描写には意味がある、中国のスタジオにしか作れない“私たちの昭和”とは" (in ja). April 26, 2022. p. 1. https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/220426t. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 "39岁的罗翔宇，和赌上公司命运的《昭和米国物语》" (in zh). January 26, 2022. https://youxichaguan.com/archives/153988. 
  36. ↑ "《昭和米国物语》豪华日配阵容曝光！多位知名CV加盟" (in zh). 26 August 2026. https://www.gamersky.com/news/202608/2196581.shtml. 
  37. ↑ "『昭和米国物語』主人公・千草蝶子の声優は日笠陽子。緑川光、大塚芳忠、石川英郎など豪華声優陣発表。新映像のナレーションは中田譲治【gamescom 2026】" (in ja). 26 August 2026. https://www.famitsu.com/article/202608/85590. 
  38. ↑ "游民专访《昭和米国物语》制作人：“我们是村里第一个街溜子”" (in zh). November 1, 2024. p. 2. https://www.gamersky.com/news/202411/1838215_2.shtml. 
  39. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 12, 2025). "Showa American Story delayed to 2026". https://www.gematsu.com/2025/11/showa-american-story-delayed-to-2026. 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "『昭和米国物語』発売時期を2026年に延期。“昭和100年”には間に合わず。「プレイヤーに悔いのない作品をお届けするため」苦渋の決断" (in ja). November 13, 2025. https://www.famitsu.com/article/202511/57691. 
  41. ↑ Krabbe, Esra; Robson, Daniel (November 1, 2024). "Exclusive: Showa American Story Gets Dramatic New Trailer, Release Window". https://www.ign.com/articles/exclusive-showa-american-story-gets-dramatic-new-trailer-release-window. 
  42. ↑ Vitale, Adam (January 7, 2022). "Post-apocalyptic RPG Showa American Story announced for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC". https://www.rpgsite.net/news/12206-post-apocalyptic-rpg-showa-american-story-announced-for-playstation-5-playstation-4-and-pc. 
  43. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 2, 2022). "NEKCOM Games to announce new RPG Project SAS on January 6". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/01/nekcom-games-to-announce-new-rpg-project-sas-on-january-6. 
  44. ↑ "《昭和米国物语》引爆玩家激情：村里第一个gai溜子" (in zh). November 1, 2024. https://www.gamersky.com/news/202411/1838263.shtml. 
  45. ↑ "昭和66年のアメリカを描くゲーム『昭和米国物語』の発売が2026年へと延期 プレイヤーに悔いのない作品を届けるため" (in ja). November 13, 2025. https://jp.ign.com/showa-beikoku-monogatari/81618/news/662026. 
  46. ↑ "日本に文化侵略された“昭和66年”のアメリカでゾンビと戦う中国産ゲーム『昭和米国物語』が発売時期を2026年に変更。ゲームを理想とする最高の形にするため、情報量がさらに増えてしまう可能性も" (in ja). November 13, 2025. https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2511132c. 
  47. ↑ For the nominations, see "UCG游戏大赏2024全奖项提名公开！" (in zh). December 27, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250404235352/https://www.ucg.cn/newsinfo/7900806.html.  For the winners, see "UGA2024圆满结束！全奖项获奖游戏和厂商公开！" (in zh). January 15, 2025. Archived from the original on April 5, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250405172533/https://www.ucg.cn/newsinfo/7965353.html. 
  48. ↑ For the winners, see "「UCG 游戏大赏 2024」颁奖典礼圆满结束" (in zh). January 16, 2025. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250121094404/https://gouhuo.qq.com/content/detail/0_20250116184721_pWIjG7Ok3. 



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