Valve and Taito, a subsidiary of Square Enix, are currently collaborating on Left 4 Dead Survivors, a version of Left 4 Dead redesigned for Japanese arcades. We’ve seen brief glimpses of the game before, but now we know that it will not feature the groups of four from Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2, but an entirely new cast of survivors.
The game will still take place in the United States, but the characters are seemingly designed to appeal to a Japanese audience. According to Arcade Heroes, Kudo Yusuke is a Japanese university student visiting the U.S. when the outbreak starts, as is Haruka Hirose, a Japanese high school student, and Kirishima Sara, a travel guide. And then there’s Blake Jordan, the token American and hotel bartender who previously served in the Navy.
In 2006, Taito released Half-Life 2: Survivor for Japanese arcades. As you can see in this video, it added flashing arrows that point you in the right direction, points, and other elements that would complement a quicker arcade experience.
