Second instalment includes a boss fight and a stop at Matsuya to fuel up on gyudon beef bowls.
Last week, we paused our games and put down our controllers to watch a video game play out before us on the real streets of Shibuya in Japan, thanks to a viral video created by Japanese YouTuber Komazawa Isolation.
The clip took us into the imaginary game world of “Grand Theft Gotoku Solid” which features moves and motifs from the following three video games: Grand Theft Auto, Ryu ga Gotoku (known as ‘Yakuza‘ in the West) and Metal Gear Solid.
After walking – and running – through the streets of Shibuya with all the jerky moves of a video game character, the first chapter of the game ended with the promise of a chapter two, and that video has now arrived, continuing where we left off with a new adventure around Shibuya past midnight.
Take a look at the new instalment of “Grand Theft Gotoku Solid” below.
This time, the game begins on the other side of Shibuya Scramble Crossing from the station, where late-night roadworks are underway. The task, on the top right, is to “Join Shimagasaki“, and as we set out to find him, the construction vehicles add to the game aesthetic as we run by them.
It’s not too long before we get to purchase some items from a masked character in a darkened corner, and the items on offer are: a harisen (paper fan used in slapstick comedy routines) for 500 yen (US$4.68), a bokuto (wooden sword) for 2,000 yen and a rocket launcher for 150,000 yen.
▼ Naturally, our protagonist purchases the paper fan and equips it for a laugh before switching back to the handgun.
As we continue down the street, the health and energy bars on the top left of the screen start to run worryingly low, and as the character pulls up to a real-life Matsuya beef bowl chain, he refuels by eating a beef bowl and stocking up on three to takeaway.
Then it’s time to take another left into a darkened alley, where our player encounters a drunk in the gutter speaking nonsense, and then there he is — Shimagasaki!
After a short exchange, where Shimagasaki says he’s finished his fight preparations, he joins our player and we’re treated to a double-dose of iconic video game character movements, showing them crouching, jumping, and running against the wall together. Then it’s time to set off, but not before taking a good, close look at Shimagasaki’s face — slightly blurred and out-of-focus like a real video game — and a long, hard look at his crotch.
After a brief stop at a karaoke joint, we run up to Shibuya’s Bershka store, where a cut scene loads. This is when we encounter the “mystery man” from chapter one, who fires a shot at Shimagasaki. “Are you alright?” Our protagonist asks. “I’m okay — hurry up and get him!” Shimagasaki replies.
The next task is to head towards the “mystery man”, and on the way we test out some of our moves in preparation for the big fight. Then, just as a perfectly timed bike whizzes by, we encounter the big bad boss and greet him with “Hey, don’t run away!” He responds with, “I’ll kill you” and the boss battle begins.
The fight moves here are top notch, and the action is just as suspenseful as a real video game as we watch our character’s health run dangerously low, prompting him to stop and refuel on Matsuya beef bowls at critical moments during the battle.
We come out victorious and return to regroup with Shimagasaki, only to have him double-cross us in the end. He whips out a gun and tells us that by beating the mystery man we’ve done his dirty work for him. And on this cliff-hanger, as Shimagasaki tells his mate not to do us in but dump us somewhere nearby instead, we await the arrival of chapter three.
People from around the world are now deeply invested in this faux video game series, with many saying they’d love to play the game themselves. It really is a riveting series that gives Shibuya just as much love as the starring characters, and we can’t wait to see if they’ll film in Kamurocho’s real-world setting of Kabukicho from the Yakuza franchise in future!
Source: YouTube/駒沢アイソレーション
Images: YouTube/駒沢アイソレーション
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