The Sakura Wars franchise is not well known to many people outside Japan. Having both a successful line of games, an anime series, and movie, Sakura Wars is one of Sega’s most popular and profitable series in Japan. Sakura Wars: So Long My Love first released back in 2005 on PS2, five years later it’s seeing a western release on Ps2 and Wii. So why has it taken so long for the series to see a western release? Surely if Sega could pump out bad Sonic game after bad Sonic game, why couldn’t they release Sakura Wars? Well that’s an answer I don’t think anyone will know, but thanks to NIS it’s finally found it’s way to the United States. However, this game is old, so does it manage to hold up against more current releases?
To start off, I’ll say this game starts off slow, very slow. This game is part RPG and part dating sim, so a lot of your time will be spent reading dialogue boxes and choosing responses. As you progress through the game you’ll encounter more characters, and you’ll have to build strong relationships with them in order to improve your odds in battle.
Shinjiro Taiga is sent to New York by his commanding officer and uncle. Once there, he has to prove himself before he can join the Star Division…by working in their theater. That’s right, Shinji starts off working as an usher/janitor in a theater. Like I said, it starts off slow. I won’t say much more for now, but after playing the game for well over an hour I FINALLY managed to get to the first battle.
That battle system is fun, once you get there that is. Each character has a certain amount of “spirit” which is used to move around the field, attack, heal, etc. Once out, you have to end that character’s turn. There’s a good amount of strategy involved, as you get deeper into the mechanics of the game. It’s a fun battle system and despite this game’s age, has a lot to offer to RPG fans. The control is very simple, making this game easy to pickup and play. I am playing the PS2 version, so I can’t speak for the Wii controls, but I can’t imagine they are much different.
The visual novel elements work well and are fun for those who enjoy that type of gameplay. Sure it’s nothing more than reading dialogue and occasionally choosing the best response, but trying to figure out which response will gain you the most friendship points offers some challenge at tines. While you may not think it, the visual novel portions are crucial to battle. Each girl will have conversations with Shinji, and the more proper responses you give, the higher your friendship rating will rise, making your team attacks and such in battle that much stronger. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but trust me when I say both portions of the game are intertwined quite well.
I still have a long way to go in Sakura Wars: So Long My Love, but so far, I’m enjoying the trip. The game is a bit slow at times, and if you aren’t a fan of the visual novel style of gameplay, you might be turned off just a bit by it’s heavy amounts of dialogue. Check back soon for the full review of Sakura Wars: So Long My Love.
Check out Sakura Wars: So Long my Love Official Website for more!
ashlar
January 28, 2010 at 5:12 PMI played through the Jap PS2 version of Sakura Taisen 5 and loved every minute of it. Sure it can be slow, and the story can’t meander a bit but overall it’s a fantastic way to whittle away some time. The emotional connection you build with the characters is fantastic, I just hope the English Voice acting doesn’t the experience.
ashlar
January 28, 2010 at 5:12 PMI played through the Jap PS2 version of Sakura Taisen 5 and loved every minute of it. Sure it can be slow, and the story can’t meander a bit but overall it’s a fantastic way to whittle away some time. The emotional connection you build with the characters is fantastic, I just hope the English Voice acting doesn’t ruin the experience.