Sakura Wars Review

Sakura Wars is maybe essentially the most anime sport that I’ve ever performed. There are loads of video games on the market primarily based on widespread anime, sure, however relating to feeling such as you’re an lively a part of an ongoing, episodic journey crammed with quirky characters, dramatic motion, and satisfying melodrama, Sakura Wars has all the things else beat. Its construction, charming forged, and whirlwind story assist set it aside from different colourful anime-inspired adventures, and, very like the characters whose tales it tells, it manages to beat a lot of its flaws to turn out to be a satisfying expertise ultimately.For the uninitiated, all the idea of Sakura Wars is relatively offbeat. This explicit sport is a semi-reboot of a long-running Japanese sport collection of the identical identify, set in an alternate 1940s Japan the place steam expertise shortly surpassed electrical energy and historical past took a really completely different path. The world’s nations, relatively than combating one another in World Wars, took arms in opposition to demonic invaders with armies of steam-powered combating robots referred to as Spiricle Strikers. Oh sure, and these armies additionally function semi-covertly as theatre troupes whose members consisted principally of younger girls.It’s loads to soak up, and it is compounded by the truth that just one different Sakura Wars sport has made the voyage Westward, although some associated media (like anime and manga diversifications) have seen launch right here. Still, in the event you’re coming in completely blind to the Sakura Wars idea and mythos, you may end up relatively confused, significantly when references to earlier titles crop up.Sakura Wars does discover a approach to attempt to ease you into issues, nevertheless. You take the function of Seijuro, a disgraced navy veteran who has been shuffled off to handle the Combat Revue of the Tokyo Imperial Theatre… a crew consisting of principally inexperienced greenhorns who cannot act or combat their approach out of a moist paper bag. They’re so dangerous that they can not even correctly defend Tokyo from the demonic forces which have begun to ramp up assaults as soon as once more. On prime of that, there is a huge worldwide event among the many fight revues of different main cities occurring, and the entire dropping groups can be pressured to disband. And so you will need to flip issues round for the Imperial Combat Revue–and destroy the demons and perhaps discover romance within the course of.Sakura Wars presents its story in an episodic format, full with handy “intermissions” at key factors in every episode and “coming-up-next” type previews as soon as one of many mini-sagas wraps up. Each of the sport’s 9 episodes include sequences that blend story and character interplay to go together with motion portions–though, in many of the episodes, the previous takes appreciable priority over the latter, as you spend time connecting with the ragtag crew of the Imperial Theatre and the Combat Revue.It’s in these story-heavy parts that the sweetness and creativeness of each the sport’s distinctive setting–an anachronistic, steampunk early-20th-century Tokyo–and its creative imaginative and prescient handle to essentially shine. While there aren’t many places in Sakura Wars, all of them really feel distinct and full of life, giving the impression of a well-known but unusual place faraway from time. The character designs add to the sport’s distinct temper, too; apart from the younger girls of the Imperial Combat Revue, you additionally encounter fighters from London, Shanghai, and Germany, every with their very own character quirks and an interesting visible type that evokes the imagery of their respective nations.You spend most of your time with the ladies of the Imperial Theatre, although, guiding them by means of the assorted challenges and conditions all through the story. The 5 predominant Combat Revue fighters are Amamiya Sakura, an optimistic girl-next-door kind and Seijuro’s childhood good friend; Shinonome Hatsuho, a tomboyish shrine maiden with a violent aspect; Clarissa Snowflake, a shy bookworm with loads of secrets and techniques; Mochizuki Azami, a bizarre woman with ninja coaching and a candy tooth; and Anastasia Palma, a chilly, sultry girl whose performing abilities are identified worldwide. Other theatre crewmembers, like director Sumire, theatre retailer operator Komachi, and obnoxious mechanic Reiji additionally assist your group from behind the scenes, however these core 5 are the place many of the focus of the story and your interactions lie.Each of those 5 girls are distinct in each seems to be and character, and their visible designs (supplied by Bleach manga creator Tite Kubo) are superbly rendered and well-animated all through, although typically the movement seize can really feel a bit overdone. The Japanese voice performing (there may be, sadly, no English dub) additionally brings out the expressiveness of Sakura Wars’ character dialogue. Seeing and listening to Clarissa getting flustered since you discovered her embarrassing story drafts or Sakura lastly opening up about a few of her painful previous experiences makes for some nice, memorable moments.It’s in these story-heavy parts that the sweetness and creativeness of each the sport’s distinctive setting–an anachronistic, steampunk early-20th-century Tokyo–and its creative imaginative and prescient handle to essentially shine. Character-to-character interplay is the meat of most of Sakura Wars’ gameplay. During conversations, you may usually be offered with a alternative of dialogue choices, however there is a twist–these interactions are timed, and taking too lengthy to search out the best phrases (or saying one thing dumb with out pondering) can have an effect on the belief different characters have in you. Has Seijuro discovered himself in an ungainly scenario by stumbling into the dressing room at a nasty time? You’d higher provide you with a very good clarification, stat! And in the event you attempt to be a creepy weirdo, you are going to flip off the ladies you combat beside actually quick, so you will need to learn to deal with every particular person character nicely.Once you attain a sure level of belief with the principle 5 girls fighters, you can begin to pursue a extra intimate relationship. You could also be supplied an opportunity to speak and work together one-on-one in a first-person, non-public setting the place she’ll begin to disclose extra private emotions and worries, full with sparkly auras, blushing cheeks, and faces typically coming very, very shut collectively. It’s over-the-top in the very best type of approach.Eventually, nevertheless, you’ll attain factors in every chapter the place fight must happen–either by means of a portal opening to the demon realm, a random small-scale demonic invasion, or a showcase duel in opposition to one of many different international Combat Revues. The bonds you will have constructed by means of the story come into play right here, because the morale of the group straight impacts the combating prowess of all the person members by way of harm dealt and acquired.That needs to be a cool little bonus, however sadly, Sakura Wars’ motion fight is not something to put in writing residence about. It’s not a depressing expertise, however it’s not a very thrilling one, both. Taking management of one of many Spiricle Strikers (normally with a CPU-controlled companion at your aspect), you blow by means of waves of enemies with preset assault combo variations, sometimes dodging with exact timing to enter a slow-motion counterattack mode or initiating a superpowered talent when a particular gauge is full. It’s commonplace stuff in the event you’ve performed 3D motion video games, and it controls and flows nicely sufficient, however there’s additionally nothing noteworthy about it. It’s additionally very straightforward in the event you’re skilled with motion video games; few of the encounters put up an actual menace apart from battles the place you are pressured to combat solo, and even these aren’t that difficult. The greatest annoyance in fight sequences usually includes random platforming sequences, which might drag the sport down much more in the event that they weren’t pretty uncommon.Ultimately, fight appears like one thing of an afterthought–less of an important sport element and extra of a approach for the characters to get into conditions the place they’ll ship riveting speeches in regards to the energy of friendship and believing in your self to beat enemies. Combat (and the story beats it delivers) works nicely as a part of the general over-the-top melodrama the sport’s going for, however it’s not significantly enjoyable to really play these parts of the sport.Ultimately, fight appears like one thing of an afterthought–less of an important sport element and extra of a approach for the characters to get into conditions the place they’ll ship riveting speeches in regards to the energy of friendship and believing in your self to beat enemies.The story’s twists and turns culminate in an enormous climax, and whereas there are plot holes and “surprises” seen coming from a mile away, it would not matter as a result of it is simply so darn entertaining to see this loopy factor unfurl. At about 15 to 20 hours for a primary playthrough, Sakura Wars is transient, however there is a honest quantity of replayability available in redoing sure scenes with completely different outcomes, discovering alternatives for interactions you could have initially missed, or making an attempt to bond with completely different characters. I loved replaying the sport to woo a brand new paramour, although there aren’t extra substantial New Game+ choices like superior problem ranges for fight sequences.My time enjoying Sakura Wars mirrored the best way the Combat Revue grew and altered by means of the sport. Much like Seijuro seeing his group for the primary time, I used to be skeptical that Sakura Wars might adequately pull off what it got down to do. But as I stored enjoying and the ladies grew into their roles, I started to heat to it. By the time the curtain fell, I used to be cheering for the group simply as arduous as everybody in-game was. The flaws of Sakura Wars are apparent, although a powerful give attention to melodrama and spectacle makes it loads simpler to gloss over the sport’s weak factors. There’s nothing on the market fairly like Sakura Wars, and in the event you follow them, there is a good likelihood this forged of oddballs will worm their approach into your coronary heart too.