It Sucks When Ultraman Lands In Your City

In Japanese superhero and monster movies, massive battles lay waste to cities. We rarely get to see what it’s like to experience that from the point of view of a regular citizen, but that’s exactly what City Shrouded in Shadow offers. 

Developed by Granzella, City Shrouded in Shadow is the spiritual successor to the Disaster Report games, the most recent of which let players’ characters go to the bathroom. 

Instead of an earthquake or natural disaster, this time players must contend with giant Japanese superheroes and kaiju. 

In the Tokyo Game Show demo, Ultraman has descended on the city, wrecking all sorts of havoc.

At the beginning of the demo, players must pick their character’s gender as well as select where they’re coming from when they step out on the street. (I picked that I was leaving my company.) You also have to pick your relationship to the character you’re going to meet. (I picked that she was my character’s girlfriend.) As you make these selections, the main character narrates in a voice over. 

Then, you’re free to walk the street for a minute or so, going up to random people or entering a convenience store. When you go into the convenience store, you actually have a shopping basket in your hand, but when you leave, it automatically disappears.

Once back out on the street, several cars blew up. It was hard to tell what was going on, but the explosions were so strong that they seemed to have blown my suit jacket clean off. I was also engulfed in flames, but I did not burn to death.

Ultraman was at the end the street, shooting beams at, I assume, a foe at the other end of the street. People were screaming, but I immediately ran over to Ultraman, who promptly killed me by apparently stepping near me. I respawned back at the game’s starting point and ran by the convenience store, only to be once again greeted by several exploding cars.

People were screaming, and instead of running towards the Ultraman, I ran the opposite direction to go and look for my girlfriend. However, I got stuck between some burning cars and got smushed again after Ultraman made his way up the street. And with that, my hands on time with City Shrouded in Shadow ended. 

The central concept of trying to survive a superhero or kaiju attack is merits much more time than the demo offered. 

City Shrouded in Shadow will be released in Japan on the PS4 this October. No word yet on an international release.