The best shooting games set in Japan, ranked

Key points

• Japanese video games featuring guns may reflect influences from Western cinema and are often set in Japan.
• The games here not only have great gameplay, but are well integrated into the Japanese setting.
• Games like Gal Gun, Sin & Punishment, and Yakuza: Dead Souls offer unique and sometimes fun experiences involving guns with a Japanese backdrop.

Japan is a relatively safe country because its firearms laws are strict. This means that when a weapon is used in a media outlet, it matters. For example, weapons pulled in Yakuza series usually create great trials because of how illegal and dangerous they are.

Their rarity in Japan may be why so many games made there feature them as they are almost like fantasy weapons. Western cinema influences may also have shaped the Japanese development landscape since the early 1980s. These games in particular not only feature guns, but are set in Japan, primarily in the Tokyo area. They will be classified according to their quality and their degree of integration in Japan.

Honorable Mention – Call of Duty: World At War

Call of Duty: World at War is not completely set in Japan as the game gave players two fronts to fight on during this time Second World War excursion. One group of heroes fought in the Pacific Theater against the Japanese, while another team joined the battle in Russia. Both sides of this war are not as represented Second World War games like the European front. This gives this call of Duty enter a special place in franchising.

The Japanese campaign was quite tropical as the levels were designed by going from island to island. It was usually pretty intense too, as flamethrowers were a devastating weapon. While not a highlight of the series, again, it can be thanked for including the Pacific Theater as a setting along with the zombie mode that has continued to this day.

5 The return of Gal Gun

Love is a powerful drug

• Developer: Inti Crea
• Publisher: PQube
• Release Date: February 12, 2021 (NA)

Gal Gun was originally released in Japan in 2011, while the remastered version arrived in North America in 2021. Based on the subject matter, it's easy to see why a game like this didn't originally arrive. The game features a young Japanese teenager who gets hit by Cupid's arrow, causing all the girls in high school to flock to him.

These girls are crazy with love, so players must take them down with what results in extra doses of love, sending them to the ground on their knees. It's a fun concept for an on-rails shooter, replacing monsters or soldiers with thirsty high school girls. It may not be a shooter for everyone, but there are laughs to be had with the silly premise. Additionally the developer, Inti Creates, is a solid developer having worked on a myriad of great titles including MegaManZero series for Capcom.

4 Sin and punishment

Japan's future is full of mutants

Sin and punishment is another game that was originally exclusive to Japan when it launched in 2000 for the N64. Funny thing is, most of the text may be in Japanese, but the spoken dialogue was in English just like in the Resident Evil games. I also like it Resident Evilthis dialogue is incredibly cheesy and not well executed, which adds to the enjoyment.

The game itself is set in the then future of Japan, 2007, where a young group of rebellious teenagers fight against oppressive mutant beings and soldiers. Players have a little more control over their avatar in this on-rails shooter as they can see their character and move to avoid objects or attacks. It's a short experience, and it's in the Switch's N64 digital collection, so it's worth an afternoon of your time.

3 Yakuza: Dead Souls

The dead are infiltrating the mafia

Yakuza: Dead Souls is one of the strangest spin-offs of the series. It takes place in regular haunts like Kamurocho in Japan, but with a big twist. There has been a zombie outbreak and instead of beating them to death like in the main games, players will be given a large amount of weapons, from pistols to assault rifles. Additionally, there are more characters to play as, such as the always entertaining Majima, giving players alternative perspectives in the story.

Players can expect to see the same quirky humor as the main games, but a lot of side content is missing in an open-world structure. It may not be as challenging an experience as the mainline games, but it's still a must-play for diehard fans. Even zombie game fanatics might want to give it a try and then get into the game Yakuza series as a whole by the end.

2 Binary domain

The Terminators are invading Japan

Binary Domain is set in a distant future where robots have integrated into modern day-to-day tasks, from shopkeepers to housework. However, there are still some problems in the system, and this is where the game begins. After an accident causes a group of robots to malfunction and rebel against humanity, a group of soldiers are sent to Japan to fight back. Think of it like this The Terminator meet Yakuza like the Yakuza the team has worked on this, which means it can be as cheesy as it can be badass.

Players will lead this squadron with Dan, and in each mission players will be able to choose two teammates to accompany him into battle. It is a third-person cover shooter with team-based mechanics. The better guidance players give to their team, the more they will appreciate Dan and, consequently, they will unlock bonuses. Some abilities and weapons can be unlocked and upgraded, giving players plenty of ways to dismember these killer robots.

1 Phantom Thread: Tokyo

Fighting demons with finger guns

Phantom Thread: Tokyo It's a first-person shooter, but you fight with magic and not weapons. It's also the most authentic Japanese experience on the list as it literally takes place in Tokyo. Parts of the city were sealed by ghost magic, and players were given magical abilities and psychic powers by merging with a deceased ghost hunter.

Players can collect Wind, Fire, and Water elements which have distinct control schemes. Water magic, for example, has a short range but is strong. In addition to magic, players can also throw talismans at enemies or shoot a magical bow, and there is a skill tree Phantom Thread: Tokyo as well. While some parts of the city are blocked off, areas will open up over time as players progress through the story or complete side missions. To experience modern Japanese city life without the busy crowds, Phantom Thread: Tokyo It's an unmissable game.