Tokyo 42

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 413 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tokyo 42 Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
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"Tokyo 42" is a vibrant and stylish open-world shooter, where you must navigate a world of assassins and corporate intrigue after being framed for a crime. The city of Tokyo is your playground, filled with secrets, weapons, and AI-driven citizens. Use stealth, shooting, and parkour to complete missions and survive the technicolor bullet hell of this cyberpunk future.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 413 reviews
story67 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game features a stunning visual style and a vibrant, hand-crafted world that is a joy to explore.
  • The gameplay offers a mix of stealth and action, allowing for multiple approaches to missions, which keeps the experience fresh.
  • The soundtrack is engaging and complements the atmosphere of the game, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The camera controls are often frustrating, making it difficult to aim and navigate during combat, leading to many unfair deaths.
  • The AI is overly aggressive and can lead to situations where players are overwhelmed, especially during boss fights.
  • The game suffers from a lack of polish, with bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
  • story328 mentions

    The game's story is generally viewed as simplistic and unmemorable, serving primarily as a backdrop for the various missions, which often revolve around assassination and escape. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and the potential for character development, many criticize the narrative for being rushed and lacking depth, particularly in the later stages. Overall, the story is seen as a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.

    • “The story is interesting, characters are great, the aesthetic is beautiful, and the main story missions of just killing the person are fun.”
    • “I really enjoyed the game and its story until the last few missions since then it got to a point where I thought the developers didn't know better what to build in.”
    • “Without spoiling too much, the plot of this game is actually pretty good and keeps the player engaged in doing the missions.”
    • “The story is not very interesting and characters are forgettable.”
    • “A very sad 6% of people have beat the story, and it's blatantly obvious why that is.”
    • “Seeing that the story is the bare bones cliché just to give the missions some meaning, I sincerely hope the developer will build upon this potential gem of a game and turn it into something far bigger than it currently is.”
  • gameplay177 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a blend of engaging mechanics and a visually stunning aesthetic, reminiscent of classic arcade games, but it suffers from frustrating camera angles and clunky controls that can detract from the experience. While the game offers a unique combination of shooter and stealth elements, many players find the mechanics repetitive and lacking depth, leading to mixed feelings about its replayability. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable for some, but the execution of certain systems leaves room for improvement.

    • “The gameplay and mechanics are outstanding!”
    • “This is the game I have been looking for, stunning music and truly wonderful gameplay.”
    • “Visually stunning, extremely challenging and fun gameplay.”
    • “On one hand it gets me excited, on the other it feels like I've played the entire game already based on how little systems/game mechanics are implemented.”
    • “The gameplay is garbage.”
    • “Whilst it started out as being fun and interesting for the first couple of hours, the gameplay is marred by poor camera angles (especially on the bike and parkour missions) and soon became tedious and repetitive; all the while the controls soon started to enter that annoying stage where the only buttons I could be bothered pushing on my keyboard were alt + F4 so I could go and play something else more refined and actually fun.”
  • graphics145 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, particularly the isometric perspective and vibrant aesthetics that evoke a nostalgic yet modern feel. Many reviewers noted the visuals as a standout feature, often describing them as "eye candy" and highlighting the effective use of minimalist design that enhances gameplay. However, some players expressed frustration with gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall experience, despite the impressive graphics.

    • “The visuals are stunning and the audio work is remarkable.”
    • “Tokyo 42 has a unique and gorgeous art style that truly stands out amongst any other game set in this style.”
    • “The visuals will wow your eyes while bullets fly by over a very futuristic rendition of Tokyo in the skies.”
    • “It's a very weird game, and I wouldn't recommend buying this if you only care about the aesthetics.”
    • “I do love the art style, but unfortunately that's not enough to save it.”
    • “Many games try to pull off a 'stylized' look, and when they fail, the game ends up looking not-so-stylized, but instead like a lazy attempt at true-to-life graphics.”
  • music100 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric qualities and unique styles, such as lo-fi, ambient, and neowave influences reminiscent of iconic works like "Blade Runner" and "Cowboy Bebop." While some players found the soundtrack to be a highlight that enhances the overall experience, others noted that certain tracks felt mismatched or less engaging, leading to a few criticisms regarding its coherence with gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.

    • “The world is rich, vibrant and enticing with secrets and unlockables sprinkled throughout to encourage exploration and puzzle solving. Music is a great palette of lo-fi and ambient tunes that helps seal the deal on the texture of the whole experience.”
    • “Wandering through the gorgeous color-drenched city and listening to that sweet, sweet neowave soundtrack always makes me feel like I'm wandering the set of Cowboy Bebop 20 years after the end of the series.”
    • “This game is ambitious and polished, with an awesome soundtrack, and I'm impressed.”
    • “Environments aren't especially readable, the soundtrack is oddly mismatching and everything just seems to fall short and a bit too unfriendly to the player.”
    • “And don't bother with the soundtrack or DLC if you can help it; one is rather unexceptional and the other doubles down on the jumping stuff, when in fact the whole thing needs a bit of an overhaul.”
    • “I will not say it's bad music, but $18 is way too much for it if you compare it next to the $20 for the original game...”
  • humor14 mentions

    The humor in the game is polarizing; while some find the story unfunny and poorly executed, others appreciate its campy charm and unintentional comedic moments. The aesthetic and music are praised, and players who embrace the quirky mechanics, like using the camera for control, may find enjoyment in the humor, especially through silly actions like throwing bananas. Overall, the humor can be hit-or-miss, appealing mainly to those with a taste for the absurd.

    • “It has a neat aesthetic and music, and a setting that is simultaneously hilarious and serious.”
    • “Yet it's so amateurish and poorly done it gets to that campy level where it actually starts to become enjoyable again (for those of us inclined to that sense of humor).”
    • “If you can embrace using the camera as a part of your control system and often find humor in places they weren't necessarily intended, this game might be a winner for you.”
    • “The story was crap and unfunny.”
    • “The humor fell flat and didn't resonate with me.”
    • “I found the jokes to be forced and lacking originality.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised, with reviewers highlighting its impressive soundtrack, aesthetic design, and immersive style, particularly in relation to its futuristic Tokyo theme. While the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, some players noted that the initial gameplay experience may not meet expectations. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the game's appeal.

    • “The music, atmosphere, and overall aesthetic of this game is awesome.”
    • “The best thing about this game, hands down, is the atmosphere, design, style, music, and concept.”
    • “It adds a whole extra layer of atmosphere to the futuristic Tokyo theme.”
    • “The atmosphere in the soundtrack is carried over into the gameplay.”
    • “It adds a whole extra layer of atmosphere to the future Tokyo theme.”
    • “The best thing about this game hands down is the atmosphere, design, style, music, and concept.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with multiple users reporting frequent glitches, particularly with gamepad support and combat controls. While some players find the game runs well overall, the presence of clunky controls and problematic camera issues detracts from the experience, leading to frustrating gameplay moments. Overall, the game is described as bug-ridden, impacting its potential enjoyment.

    • “So much fun, cool story, runs great.”
    • “Possibly the most bug-ridden game I've played in recent years.”
    • “The gamepad support glitches out randomly.”
    • “Tokyo 42 has plenty of style, but unreliable combat controls and frequent glitches prevent it from being a hit.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with some players appreciating its aesthetic appeal and scaling difficulty, but feeling that it lacks the depth in game systems and mechanics necessary for a more engaging replay experience. While there are elements that provide simple fun, many users express doubt about returning to the game after completing the DLC, indicating a low long-term replay value.

    • “Simple aesthetic fun with good replayability and scaling difficulty.”
    • “Replayability is enhanced by the game's engaging mechanics and varied challenges.”
    • “The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, making it highly replayable.”
    • “I understand the pricing and I admire developers who don't just take the procedural route, but whatever this game has to offer in terms of visual beauty, it lacks in game systems and mechanics that make this a lot more of a replayable experience.”
    • “But based on the fact that I probably won't return to this game after I complete the DLC, I guess I'd say the replay value isn't particularly high.”
    • “Pricing (very short for a $20 US game, in my opinion) limited replay value.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with initial enjoyment quickly fading due to a boring story and frustrating gameplay mechanics, such as poor camera angles and limited control responsiveness. The need to slowly navigate levels and eliminate enemies in a monotonous manner detracts from the overall experience, leading some to abandon the game for more engaging alternatives.

    • “Whilst it started out as being fun and interesting for the first couple of hours, the story got increasingly more boring. The gameplay is marred by poor camera angles (especially on the bike and parkour missions) and soon became tedious and repetitive; all the while, the controls soon started to enter that annoying stage where the only buttons I could be bothered pushing on my keyboard were alt + f4 so I could go and play something else more refined and actually fun.”
    • “Which means tediously creeping through a level and meleeing every guard from behind, or finding a far enough vantage point you can snipe from (generally not supported in most missions) so that everyone's far enough away that they can't hear your gunshots.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users finding the story to be unengaging and lacking depth, leading to a dull overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

Buy Tokyo 42

Play time

7hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
6-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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