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[Grand Theft Scratchy]

Perhaps as far back as the @PlayStation in the late '90s/early '00s, with the release of games like Resident Evil 2 and Parasite Eve 2, I've always liked seeing Japanese developed games set in the U.S. I could never really put my finger on why exactly this is the case but I guess the easiest explanation would be because it often isn't a 1:1 recreation which heightens the immersion factor. Furthermore, there is usually a supernatural theme in these games of which I am naturally drawn to - zombies, monsters, the accompanying dimly-lit hallways and, for its time, pre-rendered backgrounds and the juxtaposition of crude but charming 3D character models.

And this Americana continued into the PlayStation 2 generation as well as the PlayStation 3 and Wii . The most notable releases for me would be Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 4: The Room. Although Manhattan and the fictional Ashfield respectively, are used more as backdrops than actual fully-realized levels, you do get the sense that you're playing in a city set in America that wouldn't quite be the same if it were created by a non-Japanese developer. Also worth mentioning is Shadow Hearts: From the New World as I very much liked the atmosphere of the Prohibition era New York City. Deadly Premonition is one title I still need to play even though I did watch a gameplay walkthrough of it a couple years ago, a sequel was recently announced and is set in a contemporary Boston.

Furthermore, these types of games were what defined the PlayStation experience for me growing up. Fictional locations like Raccoon City that I would revisit in Resident Evil Outbreak that looked slightly more realistic but nonetheless immersive, having to choose between multiple characters and reading their character bios (under "information") and unique abilities and watching their individual cutscenes.

Sometimes I think I'm just easily amused because at the end of the day they're just locations in a video game. People can easily make the argument that more unique fantasy-themed locations are more interesting and I'm certainly not against that. But to steal and spin a quote from Square Enix, a "fantasy based on reality" is just as interesting - Raccoon City is a fantasy but it is somewhat based on reality, as Arklay County would be based in the Midwestern United States and I happen to live in the Midwest.

I hope this doesn't sound too weird. I usually play games for as much of the sight-seeing as I do the gameplay and story. It's a wonderful entertainment medium in that regard. What do you think about Japanese developed games set in U.S.?

 

[Birdo]

 

[brap]

Yeah me too for some reason.

 

[Danjin44]

Still best game in the series.

I like them because even tho it has western setting they still very much Japanese game, this true with Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, MGS and even Souls and Bloodborne.

 

[AlexxKidd]

I know you mentioned MGS2, but the original MGS was set in the US as well. Alaska is the US.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

Still best game in the series.

I like them because even tho it has western setting they still very much Japanese game, this true with Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, MGS and even Souls and Bloodborne.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

I know you mentioned MGS2, but the original MGS was set in the US as well. Alaska is the US.

Oh yeah, I know. It's just that MGS2 encompassed different sections of Manhattan.

So it comes to mind a little easier but you're right.

 

[Tesseract]

same, everything looks refined and foreign but relatable

 

[ROMhack]

Santa Destroy is great. Looks like something out of Repo Man:

 

[Myths]

I’m more interested in Square rebooting PE for PS5. Believe! OP, the setting of T3B was done pretty damn well. Check out this awesome promo art too.

Imagine a reboot with near that quality and fidelity set in NYC as it were. That’s a pre-order of the most expensive collector’s edition headed my way.

 

[Dane]

Funny that Raccoon streets doesn't match american towns, but rather japanese (and maybe european) ones.

 

[FeldMonster]

I assume Metal Wolf Chaos counts.

I haven't played it, but it intrigues me for some reason.

 

[jshackles]

Midwich Elementary School (Silent Hill) aka "The Kindergarten Cop School" aka John Jacob Astor Elementary

 

[Northeastmonk]

I agree. I feel like Japanese developers aren’t overly saturated by American culture, so they can take out interesting concepts and designs.

I think it’s not just US locations, but it’s American characters.

Sam Gideon and DARPA from Vanquish or going back to OP’s suggestions: Guile from Street Fighter II.

I’ve also loved going to lodges and camping grounds since playing Silent Hill 2. I’ve wanted to go stay at the same lodge that Twin Peaks was filmed at. It definitely had a huge impact on my creative imagination.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I agree. I feel like Japanese developers aren’t overly saturated by American culture, so they can take out interesting concepts and designs.

I think it’s not just US locations, but it’s American characters.

Sam Gideon and DARPA from Vanquish or going back to OP’s suggestions: Guile from Street Fighter II.

I’ve also loved going to lodges and camping grounds since playing Silent Hill 2. I’ve wanted to go stay at the same lodge that Twin Peaks was filmed at. It definitely had a huge impact on my creative imagination.

For me, setting and atmosphere don't work when a game/movie tries to have fantasy monsters, but then jam in modern day metropolis Earth.

Predator was a great movie. Aliens, a gross sweaty jungle (which is Earth but not skyscrapers). Sweet.

Predator 2 comes along and Danny Glover and swat teams are trying to shoot Pred in office buildings and meat lockers. WTF?

Assassin' Creed was the same. You're some dude scaling walls in ancient Egypt or wherever it was, then it's modern day HUD and a guy strapped into a time machine chair. WTF?

 

[lock2k]

I also love it. It's like they make better faux Americans than the real ones. I also love the weird ways they make Brazilian and Latin characters. They're better than reality for some reason.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

This thread touches upon many things I've thought about regarding Japanese games set in the U.S. No, I don't feel like you're being weird with the thread, it's one of the more interesting threads on here actually. I was thinking similar thoughts about this topic, but didn't think I'd see a thread about it so that's cool you made this thread.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

I also think it's kind of interesting how some character models don't remind you of real-life actors.

Emily Wyatt from Deadly Premonition might be modeled after a real person. Or maybe it's just a coincidence.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

I’m more interested in Square rebooting PE for PS5. Believe! OP, the setting of T3B was done pretty damn well. Check out this awesome promo art too.

Imagine a reboot with near that quality and fidelity set in NYC as it were. That’s a pre-order of the most expensive collector’s edition headed my way.

I'd love to see a new Parasite Eve or even a remaster of the first two games. Ideally if it were like Resident Evil for the GameCube where they update the graphics while retaining the use of pre-rendered backgrounds.

 

[Ballthyrm]

Do we have a lot of examples of the opposite ?
US games that are set in Japan ?

 

[Danjin44]

Do we have a lot of examples of the opposite ?
US games that are set in Japan ?

Well we are getting Ghost of Tsushima. But I'm sure there are western games out there set in Japan but I cant exactly recall.


Edit: doe this count?

 

[petran79]

I learned that New Yorkers can even keep horses in their apartments

 

[Vawn]

I learned that New Yorkers can even keep horses in their apartments

Americans are all cowboys. All cowboys own horses. This is some basic stuff.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

I like Japanese games that are set in Nova Scotia.

 

[ExpandKong]

Then you have the Ace Attorney games, which originally took place in Japan (not sure if it was supposed to be a specific city?) then when they started coming over here they changed the setting to Los Angeles and just kind of kept pretending that made sense and then you end up in the fifth game visiting that traditional Japanese village just outside Los Angeles you know the one.

Eat your hamburgers Apollo.

 

[xellos2099alpha]

Then you have the Ace Attorney games, which originally took place in Japan (not sure if it was supposed to be a specific city?) then when they started coming over here they changed the setting to Los Angeles and just kind of kept pretending that made sense and then you end up in the fifth game visiting that traditional Japanese village just outside Los Angeles you know the one.

Eat your hamburgers Apollo.

Precisely the reason of them have chinese translation in the remaster a god send. I admit i play the original on ds in english and then i just play 2 and 3 in chinese gba translation. The translation is better without localization.

 

[NiiloPielinen]

Americans are all cowboys. All cowboys own horses. This is some basic stuff.

 

[zenspider]

I feel the same way.

There's something about getting it all wrong in the right way that makes it feel more American - or that speaks to the sentiment more truly than a product of America like Call Of Duty.

It's like hearing a new story about ourselves that English hasn't the words for.

The "Holy Grail" for me has always been Tengai Makyou: The Apocalypse IV. It's unapologetically 'lensed' view of American history from the POV of Japanese adventure-romantics with little regard for facts or reality.

I've thought if I was ever going to learn Japanese, this would be the reason to try, but alas...

 

[Fuz]

Also worth mentioning is Shadow Hearts: From the New World as I very much liked the atmosphere of the Prohibition era New York City.

First time I heard about this. Saw some videos on YT, reminds me a lot of FFVII. Seems pretty good and I like the cast and setting. Is it worth the time to play it on an emulator?

 

[Durask]

I feel the same way.

There's something about getting it all wrong in the right way that makes it feel more American - or that speaks to the sentiment more truly than a product of America like Call Of Duty.

It's like hearing a new story about ourselves that English hasn't the words for.

The "Holy Grail" for me has always been Tengai Makyou: The Apocalypse IV. It's unapologetically 'lensed' view of American history from the POV of Japanese adventure-romantics with little regard for facts or reality.

I've thought if I was ever going to learn Japanese, this would be the reason to try, but alas...

Yeah, wish I could play it in English.

It’s a motley crew of weirdos you fight, each of them accompanied by ridiculous scenarios. Over the course of the game, you’ll be imprisoned in (and break out of) Alcatraz; command the Alamo, which is now a gigantic, mobile battle fortress; destroy a gigantic drinking bird in Minnesota, which is actually a factory that turns people into chickens; fight against a robotic Al Capone in an elevator in the Sears Tower; and control a giant robot assembled from smaller robots, all based on Japanese food.

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Engrish is my second favorite language.



That said it's most likely based off California or Florida but I'd visit South Town if it was real.

I'm sure it's still safer than Metro City.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

First time I heard about this. Saw some videos on YT, reminds me a lot of FFVII. Seems pretty good and I like the cast and setting. Is it worth the time to play it on an emulator?

Yes.

 

[Ceallach]

 

[Cleared_Hot]

I always hated the style and the cringy character designs. Super skinny dudes with bangs yet beat everyone up so weird. Kojima on the other hand always did a bang up job on American characters