PS2 Video Game Review: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

For many years, I heard of the Japanese Sakura Wars video game series but never had a chance to play it since it lacked an English adaptation outside of the anime. Now as an excuse to dust off my gaming console, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love is the fifth Sakura Wars video game in the series and the first to receive an English adaptation. While the question remains why the previous four games-aka the ones with characters I grew familiar with through the years-are yet to receive the English adaptation, at least I finally have a chance to see what the hype is about this anime game series.

Note: This review is of the PS2 Premium Edition of So Long, My Love. Game play may vary on the Wii version.

Like the Sakura Wars video games that preceded it, So Long, My Love sets up an alternative steampunk history where a military troupe disguised as a musical troupe entertain audiences with their live performances while piloting steam-powered war machines infused with spiritual power to defeat evil demons. Players take on the role of a male military officer charged with leading his platoon of women performers/soldiers each with a unique personality and look intended to appeal to various niches into battles. Between battles, the player ventures around the city while interacting with the girls hoping to form stronger relationships. As a whole, So Long, My Love feels like a blend of a turn-based strategy role playing game and a Japanese dating simulation game. On paper, that sounds like putting pizza and sushi into a blender and drinking the results.

Oddly enough, the turn-based gaming and dating simulation mix blends rather well. My stomach is too weak to consider a pizza/sushi smoothie. The combat system takes some time to get the hang of. But once I figured out how to use my movement points with attacks, defense stances, special spirit attacks, and team attacks, it was satisfying watching my teammates grow stronger while my enemies turned to dust. There are random encounters to promote level grinding, which speeds up the game. This is good because the game's multiple endings from the dating simulation portion of the game requires some repeated playing.

Interactions before the battle form the dating simulation portion of So Long, My Love. Whether running into various female members of the troupe during the mandatory course of the game or during optional side quests, each run-in presents an opportunity to bond with a girl or group of girls. Using the Live Interactive Picture System (LIPS), players will make choices during conversations that will either make the female partners more friendly or more adverse to the protagonist. Common sense dictates that kindness towards the girls will result in more positive relationships but each girl's unique personality gives her differing opinions of what is nice and what is condescending or rude. Players will also perform various tasks requiring the analog controllers to impress the girls. The importance of a positive relationship factors in during team attacks. Stronger relationships result in stronger attacks that result in more decisive victories. And the relationships in the end determine those aforementioned endings available with each girl.

LIPS is one of the more unique and frustrating features of the game. They play like Quick Time Events where player's reflexes at button mashing or decision making are important to succeed. Conversation decisions must be made within the time limit or else the protagonist gets chewed out for being a mute. Various series of controller manipulation that correspond to the character's actions must be done sequentially and quickly lest whatever he was working on fails. It is easy to get immersed into the game and the controls are integrated into game play better than the cliché "PRESS X TO NOT DIE" Quick Time Events. But they are still Quick Time Events and failing to turn on the generators because I could not rotate the analog controller fast enough for the umpteenth time does get controller throwing frustrating. The various free roaming portions of the game to explore the city looking for LIPS opportunities is also frustratingly short, but it does succeed in getting me to play the game again to explore the other areas I could not visit during previous runs.

The cel-shaded graphics and anime cut scenes are well animated like an anime production. Controls work well after getting used to them and watching the tutorials. The could use more save points so I could take a break from playing more frequently. But my main complaint with So Long, My Love is how the voiced lines generally fail to match with the lip movement during LIPS scenes. The static images in lieu of the animated scenes during LIPS scenes is typical of the Japanese visual novel games but can feel cheap to those unaccustomed to that game style. The English dub is passable with familiar anime voice actors playing the roles, but the immersion into the game is quickly killed whenever they are speaking when the characters' mouths are closed. The best remedy for that is to play the Japanese Voice Over disc that came with the premium edition of the PS2 release. But with its nice story, fun game battles, and dating simulation elements, So Long, My Love is a great gaming treat for the PS2 worth checking out.

Now if only I could keep myself from screwing up almost every encounter I have with Cheiron Archer...

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love for the PS2 comes in a general release packages or a Premium Edition that includes a poster, art book, and Japanese Voice Over disc requiring an additional save file for an extra $10.