Any Sakura Wars fans that could help a guy out?

[MrChester]

I know of Sakura Wars but I don't know diddly about it and was just curious what the deal was?
I know it exists but I don't know anything about it other than very surface level stuff. I know it's a dating-sim/trpg/visual-novel but realistically you could say that about Fire Emblem, and whenever I've done a Google image search I don't get much to work with. I played the untranslated spin-off horse riding game once for like 20 minutes but I must have been hella wasted because I don't remember a single thing other than the fact I didn't want to play it anymore.
Anyway yeah, I don't really know what kinda answer I'm looking for here, I've just never heard a single person talk about it so any informed opinions would be much appreciated - or maybe even a specific game to start with or something idk

 

[TheWanderer]

I played some of the first one and some of the PS2 one
So for the first one you should not expect anything in term of gameplay it's very bare one and quite frankly very easy ,as for the story it's also quite basic ,what makes the game good for me however is the banters between characters ,and how they feel very 90ish wish is almost nostalgic and fun (I consumed a lot of anime as a child because that was the cartoon channel broadcasted) there is some gooning moments however ,but kinda very light .
For the PS2 game however the gameplay is much more interesting and quite fun ,as for the characters are kinda worse? But not really bad ,again the main story is very basic and the highlight of the game is the banters and interactions

 

[AncientBehemoth]

Ever played Bloody Bride for PS1? Kinda like that plus theater minus city exploration.

 

[barbacha]

It is a beautiful game with an easy gameplay and quite nice story. You cant go wrong with it, just play it and experience it.

 

[RageBurner]

All you need to know is Sumire is wonderful.

 

[UnDubious]

A good way to get an idea how a game works is to look up a longplay on youtube and skim through it. From what I can tell having done that, Sakura Taisen is about 75% visual novel and 25% SRPG. Which means you usually have about 45 minutes of VN and dating sim stuff and then a simple strategy RPG battle that might take about 15 minutes. I'd like to give it a real go as I'm a big Sega fan and it was one of their flagship series in Japan for a good while, but I don't know if I have to patience for a VN and I have no interest in the dating sim aspect. But one day I'll put an hour into it and decide from there.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

Think the main character as a mood manager of the group, you can't exclusively focus in a specific girl if you want balanced stats in your units.
Also remember that silence is a choice in the lips system, more often than not the best one.

 

[barbacha]

All you need to know is Sumire is wonderful.

Oh yeah! Damn wonderful and beautiful.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

I know of Sakura Wars but I don't know diddly about it and was just curious what the deal was?
I know it exists but I don't know anything about it other than very surface level stuff. I know it's a dating-sim/trpg/visual-novel but realistically you could say that about Fire Emblem, and whenever I've done a Google image search I don't get much to work with. I played the untranslated spin-off horse riding game once for like 20 minutes but I must have been hella wasted because I don't remember a single thing other than the fact I didn't want to play it anymore.
Anyway yeah, I don't really know what kinda answer I'm looking for here, I've just never heard a single person talk about it so any informed opinions would be much appreciated - or maybe even a specific game to start with or something idk

Honestly you can probably start with any game you can. Most people already started with the fifth entry after all

 

[TheWanderer]

All you need to know is Sumire is wonderful.

Cap

 

[ShinVicBoss]

I don't want to be reductive but I also don't want to keep you for too long, so I'll say this:
Sakura Wars is the logical evolution of Japanese PC Adventure games and strategy games of the late 80s and early 90s, mixed with the then-burgeoning dating sim, with all the design sensibilities of a mid-90s Japanese console RPG.
The adventure segments are punctuated by light SRPG gameplay and both feed back into one-another through the party's affection systems; engaging with characters during adventure portions and performing well will enhance their moods during combat, giving them stat boosts and increased likelihood of critical hits, etc.
The mainline series also encourages multiple playthroughs. You won't even realize how different the events of your first playthrough were until you give it another go. That said, the main story beats are always the same, but what characters you choose to pursue and what locations you frequently visit can radically change what kinds of scenes you see and how your party will treat you.
Don't expect sim-like elements like Tokimeki Memorial or depth of strategy like Fire Emblem, but it's a joyful experience that oozes 90s anime charm.

One of the fan-translators also has a really informative youtube channel if you search for Mattobii and Sakura Wars

 

[Elwiwi]

Can't help sorry, I only played the PS4 one

 

[Izzy]

It's in its own right whatever it wants to be. Although by its core, it's a dating sim, it took the form of Strategy RPG, a puzzle, a minigame festival and even a Musou but it stayed true to its core as a dating sim. The last game they ever did was the Musou one on PS4, however it's also a part of the SRW franchise since 30 was the most recent and successful release before the newer installment shows up in August.

 

[Antilocal123]

Why does a Naruto character have a war going on? What did Sakura do?!

 

[RageBurner]

Is the harem aspect obligatory or just optimal? I'm not the kind that likes jumping around.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

Is the harem aspect obligatory or just optimal? I'm not the kind that likes jumping around.

Is not obligatory, but the stats of the "ignored girls" suffer... The games are easy enough though.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

Treat it as you would a dating sim game that only slapped the SRPG feature as an extra, not the other way around. The story is just serviceable enough to complement those.

And like people already posted above, all you need to know is that Kanzaki Sumire is perfection.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

There seems to be lots of love for the "ojousama type" around here... That laugh is quite nice i would say.
Not to mention she also did(voice actress) Sailor Mars in then nineties Sailor Moon.

 

[RageBurner]

If we are talking archetypes, I won't deny it's probably my favorite.

 

[MrChester]

Thanks for all the feedback - I'm picking up what you're putting down. Mainly what I'm getting is that I really gotta experience it for myself (got it downloading rn). I'm just going in with the first one on the Saturn. Oh and nice shout warning not to focus in on any one person because otherwise I totally would have picked one and locked in

 

[RageBurner]

Thanks for all the feedback - I'm picking up what you're putting down. Mainly what I'm getting is that I really gotta experience it for myself (got it downloading rn). I'm just going in with the first one on the Saturn. Oh and nice shout warning not to focus in on any one person because otherwise I totally would have picked one and locked in

That's what I like to do, and I probably will anyway, against the expected metagame.