Publishers 3DM Games and Gone Shootin released Tokyo Underground Killer for PC (Steam) on September 5. This stylish first-person action game is the first original title coming from Osaka-based Phoenix Game Productions (PGP), a studio previously involved in the development of Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake.
In a neon-lit, futuristic Tokyo, players step into the role of Kobayashi, a professional hitman feared as the “Shinjuku Vampire” for his blood-powered abilities. Working under Japan’s largest crime syndicate Gokuraku, you prowl the underworld, assassinating targets. In between missions, you get to spend downtime in Tokyo’s red-light Kabukicho district through minigames and apartment customization.
CEO and game director Daniel Hedjazi, originally from Germany, founded PGP in Osaka in 2019 after gaining experience at major Japanese developers like CyberConnect2 and PlatinumGames. Talking to AUTOMATON Japan, Hedjazi says he established Phoenix Game Productions with “three pillars in mind: ‘twisted,’ ‘edgy,’ and ‘meticulous.’ We’re small, but we have veteran developers on board who share a commitment to breaking conventions in game development.” His team includes both Japanese developers and staff from countries like France and Italy.
Playing as an overworked “salaryman” assassin
One of the things that stood out to us in Tokyo Underground Killer was the sheer number of things you can do. Hedjazi says that his team was intent on adding a range of hub activities like pachinko, arcade crane games, and hostess club bouncer gigs, even though this increased the scope of development. “We envisioned a hitman who’s like a salaryman working for a toxic company,” he comments. “I wanted to depict a protagonist who squeezes in his otaku hobbies to balance the grueling work. We knew we had to have those elements, because without them, Tokyo Underground Killer wouldn’t have its unique flair.”
Fighting dangerous maniacs with katana action and “Blood Skills”
At its core, Tokyo Underground Killer revolves around sword combat linked to a Blood Skill system, which powers 10 special abilities with blood drained from enemies. “You can steal enemy health, shatter armor in a single strike, or stop bullets mid-air,” Hedjazi explains. “Since Blood Skills require blood to activate, the core cycle is: kill enemies, draw blood, use skills. Right after activating a skill, if you press the button again in sync with a certain UI prompt, your blood gauge instantly replenishes, letting you chain skills together. We call this the Blood Refill mechanic.”
Tokyo Underground Killer feels like home for Suda51 fans
Hedjazi cites Hotline Miami and No More Heroes as key inspirations for the game, along with films like Ichi the Killer and Enter the Void. Players themselves have also noticed the lineage. “Some have said it feels like a Grasshopper Manufacture-style FPS,” Hedjazi recalls. “At one event, fans in Grasshopper Manufacture T-shirts came up and told us, ‘It feels like we’re part of the same family’ (laughs). That wasn’t intentional, but since we respect their work immensely, it made us really happy.”
After six years of development, Tokyo Underground Killer launched at the unusually low price of $9.99 USD. This seems very affordable, especially when considering that the game is fully voiced, with a cast of 25 Japanese voice actors, and tells its story through 100 full-color manga pages.“We debated a lot internally about whether we could really afford to sell it at that price,” Hedjazi admits. “If we kept releasing games at this price, we’d probably have to shut down (laughs). But since this is our first original title, we wanted it to reach as many people as possible. Think of it as a discount ticket into the world of PGP.”
Tokyo Underground Killer is available now on PC (Steam).
