Crafting the neon lights and crushingly loud music of Tokyo Underground Killer

Sharing is caring!

When it hits later this year, Tokyo Underground Killer will be the first completely original game from Osaka-based studio Phoenix Game Productions.

And boy will it be original.

The game, which received an Epic MegaGrant, drops players into a neon-saturated version of Tokyo as the supernatural-powered assassin Kobayashi, as he slashes and shoots his way through legions of deranged criminals inspired by a dead pop singer turned cult leader.

We chatted with studio head Daniel Hedjazi about how Unreal Engine helped the early team of two do quick-turnaround prototyping, why the engine’s Editor Utility Widget is the secret hero of the game’s development, and what Talking Head song became the single unwavering inspiration for Tokyo Underground Killer’s story.

To read the rest of this story, which first ran on March 14, 2023, visit the Epic Games Store.