Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is a Dungeon RPG developed by Experience Inc.'s Team Muramasa and the next entry in their "Empty Epic" series. It was published by Aksys Games in 2021.
In 1954, a giant structure suddenly appeared in Tokyo, seemingly displacing with Suginami City. Nearly 1 km length on all sides, it was discovered it houses a enormous labyrinth filled with monsters, traps and, most importantly, argen - a new natural resource with incredible potential.
1979. The structure, now dubbed Yomi, is the central place for the Undernaut industry - manual laborers that venture into Yomi's labyrinth and mine for argen. To fend off the creatures skulking within, every Undernaut underwent surgery and were administered a strengthening supplement. Thanks to that they gain superhuman powers and abilities while in Yomi. However, the Yomi's usual grounds' argen output is on a downtrend, necessitating exploration of areas that remained untouched due to several concerns.
You are a field chief for a small mining company Cassandra Co., that got rights to mine the newly opened District 99. However, just as you ventured in, tragedy strikes - your team gets slaughtered by a girl clad in a red dress and the only way to the surface gets cut off with no way to inform the surface on the situation. Your only hope lies in Luci, a wheelchair-bound girl with miraculous powers and a a voice on your receiver promising you escape... if you venture deep into Yomi and slay the monstrous beings known as the Sinners.
This game provides examples of:
- Alternate History: The appearance of Yomi in the 50s and the breakthroughs that ensued really changed several events. For example, the Director of Yomi Public Corporation was able to end the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 by declaring it will cut both USA and ZSSR from all Yomi technology if they go to war.
- Always Need What You Gave Up: Yomi Corp got tired of undernauts using two-way radios to coordinate smuggling operations, so they disabled the "send" function on their transceivers...leaving no way to contact the outside world if the Chinowa gate should somehow fail.
- "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: The money Hanba gives you in exchange for finding Yomi cup noodles is part of his discretionary fund as a supervisor and a reward for your hard work. It is not, repeat not embezzling, got that?
- Clone Degeneration: Most failed clones created via the Wombs have blue skin along with degradation sickness. They are the lucky ones.
- Death Is Cheap: Thanks to the Blessing of Regeneration bestowed by Luci, if your party gets wiped out while exploring, you will return to Camp 1 alive, though you will still need to pay to resuscitate your fallen teammates.
- Dungeon Crawling: As fit for a Dungeon RPG, even more since you get trapped in Yomi and spend the game trying to get out.
- Eyes Out of Sight: The Young Protagonist appearance has bangs that completely obscure the upper half of his face. The alternate isn't better, as it gives him a hood on top of that.
- Fantastic Racism: The Yomians have a strong disdain for "Demon Children" - people that look like regular humans. It's this treatment that kickstarted the Mad King's Start of Darkness.
- Japanese Delinquents: Delinquent Bulwark and Gangster Tactician appearances fill this to T.
- The Main Characters Do Everything: Justified. Due to it being the first day of mining for their company, the President and CEO of the Cassandra Co. mining company herself came into Yomi to supervise operations...and got trapped when the gate outside broke down.
- Never Bareheaded: Cassandra, CEO of the mining company always wears a miners' helmet to show her solidarity with her workers.
- Non-Action Guy: The CEO makes it clear that she and Supervisor Hanba are unable to fight.
- Oddly Small Organization: The Cassandra Mining Company only has six full time members. They hire freelance undernauts for jobs.
- Portmanteau: The Cassandra Company is named after the nickname of its president, Kaori Sandra.
- Powered by a Forsaken Child: Basically every piece essential to argen mining - fusion reactors, Chinowa gates and even the strengthening supplements required to become an Undernaut - are derived by using the Divine Child's clones as resource.
- The Power of Blood: Luci dips each Sinner relic you bring her with her blood, with she then throws into the fusion reactor's furnace to enhance its capabilities.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Apart from the main character, who's always a Section Chief (Manager), there's a wide variety of backgrounds among those desperate enough to become an undernaut for a company as desperate as yours is for recruits. You might get a fallen idol singer sorceress, of a kid detective hunter, or a laid off office lady fencer among others.
- Retired Badass: Supervisor Hanba used to be a Ninja-class undernaut, but retired after starting a family. Yomi Corp hired him afterward as a mining supervisor due to his experience. Apparently, he can't fight anymore, though he carries his sword nonetheless.
- Sarashi: Several varieties are available as equippable undergarments. The Gangster Tactician appearance sport the "over the chest" variant.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: President Cassandra's connections are so good, she even has a personal argen trade route. It's also implied she used her connections to get Cassandra Co. their first solo mining gig in spite of being such a tiny company.
- Skewed Priorities: Cassandra, The President/CEO of Cassandra Co. is business-focused to the point of being a bit insensitive. After hearing 5 of the underminers under her employ have died, she complains about what a financial blow it is, including the inconvenient death notices and compensation she'll have to pay out, and after Camp 2 (run by a rival company) is destroyed by a monster she notes how that means all the argen in the area is her company's for the taking now. You can upbraid her for this, and she's actually a somewhat impressed and pleased by it, pointing out (paraphrasing) that your concern about people is what makes you a good Chief and her concern about the business is what makes her a good CEO.
- Two Beings, One Body: Both Luci and Red Luci share a body after the former is revived using the purified corpse of the latter. They are fine with this arrangement, as this way none of them will be alone anymore.
- You Can't Go Home Again: After the fight against the Director, you and your Undernaut team leave for the surface, only for Kuzedo's final gambit to reveal itself with Yomi Corporation labeling your group as terrorists. While Cassandra manages to relocate you to a secluded island with a fortune due to selling your argen, it's stated it can't be shared with any of your loved ones.
