The River City series is taking on hordes of the undead in a very different kind of brawl. Arc System Works has announced River City Survivors: Downtown of the Dead, a new “survivors-like” action game coming exclusively to Apple Arcade on October 1.
The game puts the familiar River City cast into a zombie outbreak, with players mowing down enormous waves of enemies while building increasingly powerful characters during each run. Naturally, the setup is considerably more chaotic than the series’ usual street fights.
The story begins after Hiroshi and Kunio return home from watching a zombie movie, only for Hiroshi to reveal some alarming news: actual zombies have appeared. The gang then sets out across the city to deal with the outbreak, with Arc System Works teasing a surprising development waiting at the end of their journey.
Gameplay follows the familiar survivors-like formula, with players defeating huge numbers of zombies to earn experience and level up. River City’s signature Special Moves can evolve throughout each run, gaining new effects and significantly more destructive power as characters become stronger.
Each level-up also presents a randomized selection of upgrades, allowing players to combine melee attacks, projectiles, and stat boosts to create a different build with every run. The game also features a gear system with six equipment slots, including School Jacket, Baggy Trousers, Belt, Button, Lining Button, and Accessory. Equipment can provide permanent stat increases as well as randomized effects, adding another layer of progression outside individual runs.
More than 20 playable characters will eventually be available, including series staples such as Kunio and Riki. Each character comes with their own stats and moves, giving players plenty of options for approaching the zombie hordes.
Players will not have to face the outbreak alone, either. Up to two allies can accompany the main character as AI-controlled companions, with their own equipment helping to build a customized team for each battle.
River City Survivors: Downtown of the Dead launches on Apple Arcade on October 1.