by N1ntendo
(Playstation 2 version is being played in this review. Wii version is primarily the same except for conversations challenges using motions on the Wii Remote instead of the dual analogs sticks of the Playstation 2.)
Dating Simulations. Mecha Robot Strategy Games. Are these two genres of games you could see in a game…together? NIS America and Sega bring the highly anticipated first localized Sakura Wars game entitled Sakura Wars: So Long My Love, to the United States. Robots meet romance as you control Liutenant Taiga Shinjiro through his assignment working in New York City.
Graphics. Sakura Wars displays beautiful portraits of each character as you engage in conversation with them throughout the game. Action cut scenes help show how the inner workings of the New York Cmbat Revue operate, using their STAR division robots and saving the city from evil. The only disappointment I can spot is how the backgrounds look, especially when you are free to explore. The backgrounds come off a little blurry and could have benefited from the same high resolution treatment that the characters in the game display. Clever nuances, such as treating each chapter in the game like an episode of the anime, draw the player in and keep you playing until the end.
Control. Control comes in 2 forms. Interactive storytelling and Combat. In regards to storytelling, control is strictly simplified to choosing conversation choices, or inputing controller commands such as rotating the analog stick or pressing certain directions in order to complete a task. Tasks in the story range from playing an instrument to operating the master controls of theater lighting. Combat, on the other hands, is where the player will feel more in control. Sakura Wars borrows from another Sega title, Valkyria Chronicles, in terms of movement and actions, with amazing results. The player is not restricted to a grid and has total freedom of movement. More about combat I will cover in Gameplay.
Sound. Fan of Sakura Wars? Good. NIS America and Sega have made sure that all your favorite voice actors are reprising their roles for the game, and even the theme song is intact here. Voice acting is done really well and gives each character in the game a distinct personality to their moods and lives, which turns out to be very important. More on that later. Only downside here is that the music that plays during most of the storytelling sections is dull and repetitive and seems to endlessly loop after just a few seconds. Thankfully, the battle sections wake you right up and pump you up for the upcoming fight.
Gameplay. Here is where this game stands apart from the flood of shooters and eye candy role playing games (RPGs) out there. Lt. Taiga, the character that the player assumes the role of in Sakura Wars, must maintain a steady relationship with his female teammates at all times. Why? This is due to the fact that the happier your teammates are, the more powerful team attacks they will have in the combat sequences. The player (no pun intended) must keep the females in this game entertained and happy to maintain powerful attacks. A right or wrong decision in the storytelling sections is indicated by a little tune to tell you that you have said the correct response for that particular character.
But these changes in strength are not just limited to conversation choices. A radio station in the game will constantly update the player on what is the most popular event going on in the city, while dropping hints on what each character in the game might like. A camera is also given to the player to snap shots of evidence in certain story branches to help build up the character involved in the story, as well as to take scenery shots that would compliment each character. I could go deeply into the psyche and personality of each character in this game, but most fans know that this is a long running series and is best learned either by playing this game, watching the anime, or checking out wikipedia.
Moving on to combat, as previously stated there is total freedom of movement. An energy meter on the bottom of the screen displays how far you can move as each bar disappears as you move along the battlefield, and also indicates how much power must be preserved to activate defense and special abilities. Attacking also uses up energy as each hit in your attack combo will drain one full bar from your energy meter. Team attacks are done with no drain to your energy, but require proper placement of each character around the enemy so that the team’s line of sight crosses paths.
In boss battles, ground combat can switch to air combat as your units can transform into powerful ships as well! Here the player still has total freedom of movement on the grander scale as you can descend and ascend. Players have their own healing abilities that take up their skill points located below the energy meter, but can also pull off super moves. Super moves are sure to be a favorite part of the game for many players as they are done in cinematic fashion, filled with video of your current chosen character in battle uttering their battle phrase for the attack they are about to pull off with conviction and showing a huge attack effect that leave your enemies decimated.
Overall. It has been a long time coming, but Sakura Wars has finally arrived in the United States in video game form. Sakura Wars is sure to stand out in the crowd with its unique presentation of a dating simulation game mixed with some challenging combat sections as well. NIS America has given us 2 versions of the game, one for Playstation 2 and the other for Nintendo Wii. Interesting to note is that the Playstation 2 version, for about $40, comes in a collectible premium package, complete with the choce of Japanese voice overs, a poster, and a pamphlet style art book! The Nintendo Wii version is entirely in English but comes at a cheaper price of $30 due to the lack of a premium package. Either way gamers are in for a tour de force of Dating and Destruction in the city that never sleeps, New York City!
