Akiba's Beat is an action RPG game based in a fictional version of the real-life district of Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan, known for providing otakus with everything they need. The game calls these otaku necessities "delusions," which become distorted and end up taking over parts of the district.

With Akiba's Beat coming west for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on May 16 in North America and May 19 in Europe, DualShockers had the chance to speak with the game's director Kohta Takano about these delusions and what his thoughts were on the ever-growing list of trends and fads that otakus seem to attach themselves too.

"In this game, we’re introducing Akihabara as a district that keeps changing with the times. I think lots of otaku tend to disbelieve these “changes,” trying instead to create their own perfect world based on delusions of the way things were before, and then attaching themselves to that world," says Takano-san, adding "I’m certainly not trying to contradict any such notions; in the game, the main character even says at one point that he and his friends will purposefully keep deluding themselves."

The director continues by providing details about the overarching narrative the game is trying to convey, as Takano-san says, "at the same time, the message that I would like to send through the game is that people should try not to dwell too much on the past, or stick with something just because they're used to it, since there's still so much to look forward to in the future. And I hope people will understand this message after playing the game."

It seems that fans looking forward to Akiba's Beat can also expect a rather personal premise, that hits close to home for some.

Furthermore, when we asked Takano-san about his own delusions that he gets attached to, he replied, "I do get attached to some delusions sometimes myself, and if I were to pick a delusion from the game, I’d say it would most likely be the nostalgic delusion created by the Akihabara Freedom Fighters (*editor's note: no relation to the Akiba Freedom Fighters in AKIBA’S TRIP*). I spent much of my youth in Akihabara, so whenever I go back to the shops that I used to go to, I feel so nostalgic for the way they used to be, and have to face the gap between my ideal and the reality of what they are now. And whenever this happens to me, I always try to tell myself to keep moving forward."

Stayed tuned for our full interview with Takano-san about Akiba's Beat's development and what the director has planned for the future.