Sakura Wars Reviews
Put simply, Sakura Wars isn't going to be for everyone. It's oddly paced, character-focused, and anime-inspired, but that's also some of the best things about it. If even a tiny bit of you is interested in that description, there's a chance you'll really enjoy the craziness that Sakura Wars puts on the table.
As a soft reboot, this new entry of Sakura Wars works perfect as it offers some fresh ideas and changes to its gameplay mechanics while retaining the essence of the series, as well as most of the key aspects that turned it in one of the most beloved franchises in Japan. However, it is not suited for everyone as its combat controls feels clunky and basic and the combination of genres is unbalanced, so much that it will mostly appeal to those that love dating sims and visual novels.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While it has been a long wait, Sakura Wars is a satisfying blend of everything that the franchise has done well for a new generation on PS4.
Sakura Wars doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights set by its predecessors but it remains a worthy attempt at not only resurrecting the long-dormant franchise but also modernizing it for a new audience. Despite its flaws, there really are no other games like it, and I think the developers should be commended for releasing a game like this one despite the risk it entails, especially when compared to more popular genres. If the idea of fun interactive storytelling mixed with a nice helping of steampunk and robot hijinks sounds good to you, then Sakura Wars just might blossom into your kind of game.
This just isn't the grand revival of the Sakura Wars franchise I was hoping for, and I'm sure that most other longtime fans will feel the same. As for newbies, there's some enjoyment here, but it just doesn't measure up to other major releases on the market right now.
It won’t make many new die-hard fans of the property, but for those willing to give it a chance, there’s enough to give them hope that good things might be in the series’ future.
When it wants, the Sakura Wars reboot can deliver excellent combat and a story that's both compelling and emotionally sound. Unfortunately, the game spends way too much time wallowing in cheap sophomoric humor to truly make the most of its strengths.
SEGA clearly didn't want to go all out with Sakura Wars. And it's a shame as the game will probably be most of Western gamers' first introduction to the series. The game has an interesting main story, fun main characters and and its steampunk backgrounds are beautiful. But the dating sim parts are a chore, there aren't enough action scenes and the game as a whole looks like a PS3 game. As things stand, Sakura Wars is probably destined to stay a niche franchise in the West. And that's too bad.
Review in French | Read full review
Sakura Wars is an enjoyable revival of the iconic series, presenting a fascinating blend of genres. Unfortunately, it far too often falls victim to tired tropes and writing which treats its excellent female cast as little more than objects. Still, if you're a sucker for engaging stories, wacky combat and a strange, unusual world I recommend giving Sakura Wars a try.
Combat is repetitive and romance options are unsettling.
Sakura Wars is a flawed action game but incredibly satisfying visual novel. It warmed my heart and compelled me to keep playing despite its shortcomings as an action game.
Sakura Wars is a solid game that delivers in a lot of areas, story and dialogue choices to give your players control of their fate, and falls a little short in others, especially action/mech. There is far more positive than negative and I think the re-tooling and reboot of the series might gain more fans than lose them.
The huge effort and perceived budget that went into this game shows, and Sakura Wars makes a triumphant return after a 14-year retirement.
The long dormant series returns with a brand-new cast and modern advancements to the Sakura Wars series formula that make for a promising reboot, despite some noteworthy missteps.
All in all, I'd say my experience with Sakura Wars was quite mixed. I enjoyed the look and feel of the game as well as spending time with its characters. And save for the repetitive, shallow combat system and tropes, I'd say it's a solid introduction to the franchise for western audiences.
As far as soft reboots go, Sakura Wars exceeded at semplifying too much its gameplay and streamlined the experience, cutting any RPG system and leaving just the dialogues to take the highlight.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sakura Wars is a blend of adventure, visual novel, dating sim and action game.
If you like the idea of an alternate 1940s with steampunk mecha, demons, and a harem of cute anime girls, then you’ll probably find a lot to like in Sakura Wars, despite its flaws.
Sakura Wars as a franchise holds huge potential but is let down by slow pacing and annoying tropes amongst other small annoyances.