I got full love points for doing this. Obviously.

I played the PSP port of Sega’s Sakura Taisen right around this time in 2012 and had a great time. I was looking forward to Sakura Taisen 2, which I hoped would fix a few tiny issues I had with the first game:

1. Add a fast-forward/scene skip option.
2. Add a quick-save/quick-load option.
3. Don’t drag the story out so long and don’t make the second half so nonsensical.

They haven’t done a thing about #1, alas. I don’t mind #2 any more because I realize quick-saving/loading would make nonsense of the timed choices the Sakura Taisen series is famous for, so it’s just a matter of learning to cope. Re: #3 it’s too soon to tell because I’m only… uhh, let me see… where’s my PSP… 7 hours, 33 minutes and 51 seconds into the game, so there’s plenty more to come.

Sakura Taisen 2 also carries on the tradition of having very simple mecha SRPG battles. By ‘very simple’ I mean there’s no equipment to worry about, no EXP, no leveling up, poor AI and every enemy dies in one hit except bosses. On my wishlist I asked for:

1. A slightly more complex battle system
2. Enemies that move faster
3. Enemies that attack more cleverly.

“You made me do it. It’s your fault.”
“I’m sorry, please don’t leave me.”

And apart from No. 3 I got my wish. The battles are slightly more complex in that your goal isn’t always “Kill all the enemies.” Before most battles you’ll be given two choices as to how you want to approach the fight. Your objectives will change depending on how you answer. E.g. the enemy is gathering building material. Will you a) Swoop in and beat them up or b) Wait and see what they’re trying to do? If you choose a) You get a “Kill them all” battle while b) Gives you a “Destroy the objects marked in blue” battle. So far none of this changes the way the story plays out, but still, having two options for every battle makes for at least two somewhat fresh playthroughs before the game gets old.

It feels like the enemies are moving a little faster than before, but maybe it’s just an illusion caused by the fact that my most recent SRPG was Summon Night 4. That was a game where I would move my team and then put the PSP down and stare into space for 5 minutes while I waited for the enemies to finish moving, No rush, just take your time. It’s not like I have anything better to do. Compared to the sluggishness of SN4, Sakura Taisen 2 feels wonderfully fast.

Having said that, it really doesn’t matter how fast the enemies move or what their objectives are as long as they remain as weak and as stupid as ever. The AI still needs a lot of work. I’ve only seen one instance of them ganging up on a single unit, for example. And there was this escort mission where I had to protect a moving NPC from enemy attacks. But it turns out I had no need to worry: as long as there was a party member within range the AI would always attack her first, even though I would have lost instantly if they went after the NPC.

Don’t fight ladies, he’s got more than enough love for all of you.

And as if the enemies weren’t weak enough, Sakura Taisen 2 also introduced (or maybe they were in the original and I forgot) battle styles that affect your team’s stats and abilities. There’s the “Mountain” style that drops movement, boosts defense and leaves attack the same. “Wind” style = movement up, attack down, defense same. “Fire style” = attack up, defense down, movement same. So if you have somewhere to go in a hurry, use Wind style, get to your destination and then hunker down with Mountain style, etc.

It would add a lot of strategy if the enemies weren’t complete pushovers. As it is, Mountain style in particular makes a joke of enemy attacks. If an attack would normally take 30 off Sakura’s life (quite serious considering she only has about 120 HP), with that style on it only takes off 10 or 11 at best. Normally you can’t attack and defend at the same time so you have to be slightly careful about placing your troops in harm’s way after attacking, right? But Mountain style is like Auto-Guard so you can just Attack-Attack-Attack all day long.

Long story short, I’ve turned my focus off the battles and back to where it belongs: which girl to pick this time. There are two new girls in Oogami’s harem, Reni and Orihime, but they can’t hold a candle to the main team. Right now I’ve got my choices narrowed down to three: Kanna (my waifu from last time and favorite character), Maria (don’t like her too much but for some reason she’s all over Oogami in this game) and Sumire (she has some very amusing scenes). Sakura is too prickly, I see Kouran as more like a sister and Iris is only 12, you sick freaks! Right now I’m wavering between Kanna and Maria but there’s still enough time for another girl to pull an upset. Who will wear the crown? *dramatic music* Stay tuned to find out!

Related posts:

Sakura Taisen (1) Sakura Taisen (2) – Kanna GET (spoilers) Sakura Taisen 2 – Kanna GET again! Sakura Taisen 3 – Hmm, who to pick?