The development of Shibuya Scramble Stories, the planned sequel to cult Japanese visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, might finally be back on track after countless setbacks, following a new presentation that showcased fresh gameplay as the team continues to navigate unexpected legal drama.
For a planned sequel to a thriller set in Tokyo’s bustling cultural heart, the story of Shibuya Scramble Stories’ development has had almost as many twists and turns. First, the game was revealed to a flurry of excitement by Japanese audiences, earning 55million yen (roughly $340k) on Japanese crowdfunding platform Ugboe, only to then be told the money had been sent to the wrong account by accident, with half of the promised funding now lost. A legal case regarding the missing funds remains ongoing.
In order to deal with the fallout, the team launched a new crowdfunding campaign to cover the lost funds while development continued, earning 436 percent of its requested 10 million yen in additional fan backing (43million yen, or roughly $260k). But then the project’s lead director, Jiro Ishii, had to be rushed to the hospital.
After all of this drama, however, the planned ensemble piece featuring five characters from different walks of life who get wrapped up in a plot that threatens the city is back on track. There’s new gameplay being showcased at a talk event in Shibuya that suggests fans of the original 428 will be in familiar territory with this new title.
Joining the cast of famous actors featured in this game are two new characters played by influencer Namae wa Mada Nai and professional wrestler Unagi Sayaka. Indicative of the game’s balance between the dramatic and absurd, the former plays a college student aspiring to be a journalist, while the latter is a member of a so-called Banana Cult.
The announcement coincided with further crowdfunding to add additional characters to the game as the team broke down how hoe the currently attained funds were being spent as it continued to seek to recover the withheld funds. According to 4Gamer, for the footage shown at the event, they partnered with the owners of the Tokyu building on Shibuya Scramble Crossing in order to attain full access and support for the shoot, something that will carry to the full game as official supporters of the project.
The original 428: Shibuya Scramble remains one of the most beloved 2000s-era visual novels for its unique mix of live-action photography with a story that today feels like a time capsule of what Shibuya was at the time of its development. While its development so far is a showcase of the perils and insecurity of crowdfunding, that dedicated support has allowed them to keep going as they seek compensation, with the game so far shaping up to be something unique.