Recently, Luo Xiangyu, producer of the domestic game "Showa American Story," was interviewed by foreign media outlet AUTOMATON. He confirmed that all game content has been completed, and the team's current focus has shifted to polishing details such as combat feel. The game is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC and PS5 platforms, with no demo planned before launch.
Skipping all cutscenes in "Showa American Story" results in a main story playtime of approximately 25 hours. Watching all story sequences nearly doubles the playtime, while side quests and collectibles vary by player. Instead of traditional Easy-Normal-Hard naming, the three difficulty levels are called Reiwa Giant Baby, Heisei Otaku, and Showa Man.
Showa Man (High Difficulty): Combat penalties are intensified, with significantly increased damage taken when health is low, suitable for players seeking a hardcore challenge.
Heisei Otaku (Standard Difficulty): Most recommended by the producer, offering moderate challenge without getting stuck easily, allowing players to fully experience the combat system design.
Reiwa Giant Baby (Lowest Difficulty): Features automatic combos, jokingly referred to by the producer as "even cats can clear it," suitable for players who just want to watch the story or prefer holding down the basic attack button.
Completing the game on high difficulty only grants extra items; it does not lock achievements/trophies. All trophies can be unlocked on any difficulty.
The interview also touched on localization stance. Luo Xiangyu stated that they would not cut or modify local cultural references originating from the Chinese internet environment for overseas players, noting that if overseas players don't understand them, it is still part of cultural exchange. The development team is also aware of feedback regarding combat feel from offline demos and will continue to polish and optimize it for the full release, but no exact release date has been announced yet.