Akiba's Trip 2 offering more Japanese nerd humor and clothes-shedding battles

The newest issue of Japan's Famitsu magazine has the first word on Akiba's Trip 2, a PlayStation 3 and PS Vita title that you could say glorifies everything that's leery, yet totally awesome about the otaku-laden neighborhood of Akihabara.

Set in a fictional version of the Tokyo district that's home to dozens of video game, comic and electronics shops, Akiba's Trip 2 begins with the hero (a typical nerd; male, of course) being turned into a "magaimono" by a shadowy organization, causing him to become extremely sensitive to sunlight. He's far from the only one, and it's up to him to figure out a solution to this, working alongside his assorted lady friends to rid Akihabara of the magaimono curse and make it safe to be an otaku once more.

Like the original game (which came out on the PSP in 2011), Akiba's Trip 2 is an action-adventure that allows you to explore a pretty detailed recreation of Akihabara itself. Acquire says that it's signed on more than twice the number of real-life shops to appear in this game over the last one.

As befitting the otaku theme, the battles are pretty outrageous: In order to fend off your fellow magaimono demons (i.e. pretty anime girls), you must engage in "Strip Battles". What's that mean? Well, since magaimono are weak against sunlight, the only way to beat them is to get all of their clothes off, thus exposing them to the sun and turning them into ash. Yes, really. (It's more funny than pervy, though.)

Akiba's Trip 2 is due to hit Japan on November 7. Preorder bonuses include special DLC outfits and a "drama CD", with the game's female characters heading off to the local hot spring and assorted harem-anime antics ensuing.