# Preview: Forget the Soulslikes, This Bizarre New PS5 Game Is Channelling Shenmue Instead

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/preview-forget-the-soulslikes-this-bizarre-new-ps5-game-is-channelling-shenmue-instead/
- Published: 2026-08-30T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-30T15:33:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Push Square
- Original article: https://www.pushsquare.com/previews/forget-the-soulslikes-this-bizarre-new-ps5-game-is-channelling-shenmue-instead
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Offbeat, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- NEKCOM's Showa American Story is a PS5 exclusive inspired by Shenmue
- Set in an alternate 1980s where Japan bought America
- Investors initially struggled to grasp the game's unusual concept

## Summary

At Gamescom, Push Square previewed Showa American Story, a bizarre new PS5 console exclusive from Chinese studio NEKCOM that draws heavy inspiration from Sega's cult classic Shenmue rather than the wave of gothic Soulslikes currently emerging from Chinese developers. The action RPG's premise stems from an urban myth from Japan's 1980s economic boom, imagining a world where Japan became wealthy enough to buy the United States, reimagining Hollywood as "Neo Yokohama" and populating it with Japanese immigrant gangs inspired by the film The Warriors.

Players take on the role of Chigusa Choko, an aspiring actress who is kidnapped, killed by gangsters, and resurrected in a zombie-infested world seeking revenge. NEKCOM founder Xiangyu Luo, who cites Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki as a major influence, revealed the game drew on an eclectic range of sources including No More Heroes, Yakuza, Dragon Ball Z and Kamen Rider, and admitted investors initially struggled to understand the game's unconventional concept. The preview build offered both exploration and combat demos, featuring Shenmue-style minigames reminiscent of Space Harrier and OutRun, a Japanese-style town setting, and a character design and script that was originally written in Chinese before being localised into English with Japanese dialogue.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.