Akatori is a game about memory, loss and the quiet terror of being forgotten. It asks players to wander through a broken city, gathering fragments of a dead friend’s life, and it does so with a visual style that is both striking and deliberately limited. The game is available on Series X|S, PS4, Switch 2 and PC, and it runs at a steady pace across all four platforms.
Trailer, via IGN.
The Ruined City
Akatori takes place in a ruined city that looks like a cross between a post-apocalyptic wasteland and a neon-lit cyberpunk nightmare. The streets are cracked and overgrown, but the buildings still stand, glowing with a faint, sickly light. The color palette is mostly blue and gray, with occasional flashes of red and green that signal danger or significance.
The world is small, and it repeats itself often. There are only a few distinct locations, each visited multiple times, and the game rarely introduces new areas. This could be a flaw, but it also creates a sense of familiarity that fits the theme of remembering and forgetting.
Losing the Past
The plot is simple. You play as Akatori, a young woman who wakes up in a strange place with no memory of her past. She soon discovers that she is being hunted by a mysterious entity that seems to be connected to her lost memories. Along the way, she meets a cast of characters who offer pieces of her history, but the game never fully explains who they are or why they matter.
The story is told through brief conversations and environmental clues, but it rarely goes beyond surface-level emotional beats. There is a sense of grief and longing, but the game struggles to make those feelings land. The ending is abrupt, leaving more questions than answers, which some players will find frustrating and others will find poetic.
Walking Through the Ruins
The core loop of Akatori involves walking, looking around, and interacting with objects. You can pick up items, examine walls, and talk to people, but there is very little combat or puzzle-solving. The game leans heavily on exploration and atmosphere, and it expects players to pay attention to small details in the environment.
There is a mechanic called “memories,” which allows you to see glimpses of the past in certain locations. These visions are the closest the game comes to storytelling, and they are often the most interesting moments. They show scenes of Akatori’s life before the apocalypse, but they are fleeting and disconnected, leaving the player to piece together the narrative on their own.
The controls are serviceable, though the camera can be finicky in tight spaces. On PC, the game supports keyboard and mouse, but the action is slow enough that a controller feels more natural. The frame rate holds steady across all platforms, which is a relief given the game’s reliance on visual effects.
The Look of Memory
Akatori is a beautiful game, but its beauty is constrained by its technical limitations. The art direction is clearly inspired by minimalist Japanese painting, with flat colors and simple shapes. The character models are stylized and expressive, but the environments are mostly static, with little variation in texture or lighting.
The lighting effects are the highlight. The game uses lens flare, motion blur, and soft focus to create a dreamlike quality that fits the melancholic tone. However, these effects can sometimes obscure important details, especially in dark corners.
Here is a rough breakdown of how the game looks across its platforms:
| Platform | Visual Style | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Series X | S | Sharp, detailed |
| PS4 | Blurred edges | Some slowdown |
| Switch 2 | Reduced detail | Jagged edges |
| PC | Customizable | Best overall |
Sound and Silence
The music in Akatori is sparse but effective. It is mostly ambient, with piano and synthesizer melodies that swell during key moments. The sound design is minimalistic as well, with footsteps, wind, and distant machinery providing texture. The voice acting is competent but limited, since most dialogue is delivered through text boxes.
The game also includes a soundtrack that can be purchased separately. It is a collection of the original compositions used in the game, and it is worth owning for anyone who wants to revisit the mood without playing through the entire experience again.
A Short Journey
Akatori is short. It can be completed in under five hours, and most players will finish it in less. This brevity could be seen as a strength, as it avoids overstaying its welcome, but it also means the game does not offer much replay value beyond collecting hidden items.
There are optional collectibles scattered throughout the world, including audio logs and diary entries, but finding them requires careful exploration. The main path is linear, and the game does not hide its objectives behind obtuse puzzles or complicated systems.
The Weak Spots
Despite its strengths, Akatori has several weaknesses that keep it from greatness. The story is thin, the world is repetitive, and the gameplay is shallow. The lack of combat or puzzle variety means that the game relies almost entirely on atmosphere, and while that works for a short stretch, it can wear thin over time.
The pacing is also uneven. Some sections drag, especially in the middle of the game, where the narrative stalls while the player wanders through empty streets. The game tries to build tension through silence and dread, but it occasionally lapses into tedium.
Final Word
Akatori is a game that is best described as a mood piece. It is not a sprawling epic, nor is it a deep exploration of its themes. What it does, it does well: it creates a haunting atmosphere and a sense of loss that resonates with players who are willing to sit with it.
The game’s strengths are its visuals and its music. The art direction is consistently strong, and the soundtrack complements it perfectly. The writing, however, is a weak spot, and the lack of depth in the gameplay means the experience is ultimately a niche one.
For players who enjoy contemplative games that reward patience and observation, Akatori is a worthwhile addition to their library. For those who want action, puzzles, or a clear narrative arc, it will likely feel unfinished.
Akatori scores 7.4 out of 10.
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