Here’s All You Need to Know About Sakura Wars
Old school anime brilliance and just the right dash of drama
Developed and owned by Sega, this Japanese steampunk version of a game set in Imperial Tokyo is one of the best old school brilliance you can get your hands on. Released in April 2002, Sakura Wars is an action-adventure role-playing game with just the right amount of drama in it.
The theater performers of Revue’s Flower division haven’t been doing well. They might be soldiers in wartime, but their theater legacy has been at risk for quite some time now, and they are on the verge of being shut down.
You play the role of Seijuro Kamiyama, the newly appointed captain of Revue’s Flower Division, and you need to do everything you can to bring the troop back to their former glory and revamp them completely. The work might seem like a simple task to accomplish, but is it really going to be that easy? Would your team of theater performers pay heed to what you have to say, or would they take you for granted and get the theater shut down eventually? After all, your team of female fighters are all blessed with magical abilities and can do as they please. It is now up to you to rally them as a team and get them to use their magical powers to achieve amazing combat abilities.
With visual novel elements and a hint of sims-like role-playing gameplay, Sakura Wars is often dubbed as a dramatic adventure. The beautifully animated and superbly designed game also offers numerous bouts of laughter here and there. The dramatic characters in this game also come with the LIPS dialogue system. This means that what you say to the character in front of you and your tone of saying so dramatically affects the other character’s reaction. This helps to avoid a predictable storyline and creates an exciting and dramatic battlefield sequence as well.
Sakura Wars features high-energy action-packed combat fights
This vibrant and exciting 1940s steampunk game features some really exciting dialogues and images that will send your adrenaline through the charts. The dialogues work amazingly to keep you at the edge of your seat and stay buzzed with energy, wondering what magical combat sequence will take place in the very next moment. The game also features hilarious sequences for a much-needed respite. You might find characters laughing away at an occasional appearance of underwear in the scene or having suddenly entered upon a funny scene taking place in the women’s bathroom.
The game also features a host of sexually ambiguous jokes, which might not be liked by some gamers, but has been a big hit with the majority of them. The game, its sequences, and dialogues have been developed keeping in mind the 1940s Tokyo and what elements the then-population found hilarious or exciting. We might not find a women’s bathroom scene hilarious in general. However, when this appears in the game and is tied together with the game sequence, it does make for a light-hearted break before venturing into the battlefield of magically-powered high-energy combat fight sequences.
The plot of the game is pretty simple, with barely any side plots to unnecessarily complicate the story and delay your game. What keeps the game going is the many ridiculous yet amazing reactions the characters have to your dialogues. A casual remark meant to be something simple and funny could lead to the character losing their mind and raging on a full-fledged war. This uncertainty and volatility of the characters are what makes Sakura Wars an exciting and adrenaline-pumping game. These gorgeous animated dialogues and fight sequences are also coupled with a set of amazing soundtracks that truly transports you to the 1940s steampunk Tokyo, enhancing your gameplay experience even more.
Anime game production doesn’t get better than this
Each mission involved in this game comes to a resolution in a very satisfying and exciting plot arc. What’s more interesting in this game is that unlike other games, you cannot do whatever you’d like and not be penalized for your actions. Like any other anime game or show there is, you are proactively encouraged to bring out the good in you and deal with scenarios accordingly.
Sakura Wars is action-packed, exciting, funny, and it definitely doesn’t get better than this. Some might find this over-the-top and immature; however, a true anime fan would know better to perceive this game than just this. The dramatic flair, simple story, yet mind-blowing graphics and animations of Sakura Wars makes it stand out of the crowd. It’s difficult to create games with such a steampunk flair, which is why Sakura Wars is truly one of its kind in the genre of action and adventure role-playing games.
Game Trailer
Video Credits: YouTube
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