Getting my romance fix and my SRPG fix at the same time, so I’m a very happy gamer right now. Sakura Taisen is less like a regular video game and more like an anime in game form with a few battles thrown every once in a while to make sure you’re still awake. Gameplay is 90% visual novel with timed choices and 10% very simple SRPG with rather slow battles.

Luckily enough the game fulfills almost all the criteria I set out for a “successful” visual novel so I have absolutely no reservations about proceeding. In fact “no reservations” is a little too mild, because I really, really like all the characters, NPCs included. Even the villains are so weak and comical that they’re hard to hate. And apart from Iris I can see myself getting the endings of just about every other girl in the game. I wonder if Ayame is gettable…

The only things that would hold me back from doing replays to get each ending are 1) The lack of a fast-forward button and 2) The lack of a quick-save/quick-load option for when I mess up with my choices. Maybe I should make a couple of extra saves right now so I can play from halfway through instead. Right now all the girls are kind of “meh” towards me in spite of my best efforts, but faint heart never won fair lady so I must persevere.

Is there a harem ending? I wish there was a harem ending. I want Sakura, but I like Maria too, and Kanna is awesome, and Sumire is not bad and Kouran and Iris are low-tier but I don’t want to let them go…………………………………………………………*sigh* Well, it’s called Sakura Taisen, so I’ll go for Sakura to start with and then play again for Kanna. Sorry, everybody else! ;___;

Related posts:

Sakura Taisen (2) – Kanna GET (spoilers) Sakura Taisen 2 – Hmm, who to pick this time Sakura Taisen 2 – Kanna GET again! Sakura Taisen 3 – Hmm, who to pick?