Illusion City

About

Illusion City is a 1991 RPG that trades large wilderness for a massive metropolis split into distinct districts. You explore Hong Kong’s crumbling neighborhoods as Tianren, a demon-hunter figuring out a corporate conspiracy. The story unfolds through dialogue and investigation rather than open-world traversal. Combat arrives in turn-based waves with visible enemies patrolling the screen, no random encounters to stumble into. You manage a rotating trio of party members, each with weapon proficiencies that improve through repetition. Gunplay requires tracking ammo types, adding strategy to firefights. The city itself feels like a character, with decayed architecture rendered in a gritty, Western-inspired style that contrasts sharply with typical anime aesthetics. What sets it apart is its deliberate pacing and resource management. Every bullet and potion matters, and avoiding combat is often smarter than engaging. The lack of random battles forces you to read enemy movement patterns, making encounters feel earned. While its 90s visuals haven’t aged perfectly, the moody atmosphere and blend of Chinese mythology with corporate dystopia still resonate. A niche title ahead of its time, it rewards careful planning over brute force.

Storyline

In the beginning of 21th century a terrible disaster, called "demon-coming crisis", devastated the Asian continent. Hong Kong was most affected by the mysterious demonic attack. Terrible diseases turned the once prosperous city into a pale shadow of itself. But once people came back to see what happened to the isolated city, they saw it was ruled by a new order - a corporation called SIVA. The new order proclaimed New Hong Kong to be an independent state. People's Republic of China and United Kingdom signed an agreement in which they both renounced their claims over the city. The player takes on the role of Tianren, a "diver" (demon-hunter) who lives in Hong Kong. His place of birth and the identity of his parents are unknown. Together with a girl named Meihong, he was brought up in the house of a wise Master. Traveling through the huge city, gathering information and fighting demonic forces, Tianren will have to unravel the mystery surrounding the corporation SIVA and the supernatural beings from Chinese myths.