Sakura Wars

Sakura Wars has its drawbacks, and it is not only a weak combat system with forced battles in the championship, but also some templating, the length of some elements and spoilers-announcements between episodes. But all this is offset by deeply developed characters, beautiful animation and good humor. It is one of the best games of the genre in the last few years and the best that could happen to the series.

Sakura Wars is the return/presentation of one of the most iconic series in the Japanese videogame industry. Dating simulator, visual novel, interactive anime and real-time combat system are the basics of this unique project. Sega is ready to captivate the world with its most daring game until the date. But, is the world ready?

Those who already enjoy the series or this style of action-RPG meets dating simulator will still have a fun experience and find a good game to play here. Despite the faults with pacing or mechanics I may have discovered along the way, it won’t be enough to scare away this existing audience. But in a more general sense, unfortunately, Sakura Wars fills a need for a part of its player audience that, no matter how I look at it, isn’t something that feels right. Especially when you consider the decades of hard work the women of Takarazuka have put in, only to be attributed to this. It makes me hope that somewhere, someday, there can be a Sakura Wars without so much of those other moments. Maybe it could still be a dating simulator, just a more consensual-feeling one.