Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

You know, I've played plenty of games in my life. Many were either based on or wanted to be movies, books, tv shows, or, more than any of those, animes. But never have I played a game that did such a good job that I actually feel like I'm both playing an incredible game AND watching a humorous (if more than a little silly) anime. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love nailed it.The game is seperated into episodes, which is what they feel like. During these episodes, most of the time you will be in an adventure style game, either talking to your teammates and building relationships with them (which is how you power characters up) or exploring the 1920's steampunk New York City. And it isn't your typical teammate interractions where you just select a response and see what happens either. True, most of the time you are selecting a response, but it's almost always on a time limit. You have enough time to read each reply option and make a calm decision, but not enough time to carefully analyze each response and determine which you think will get the optimal reaction. It adds a fun element to it. On top of that, there are also many interactive response mini-games, where you either press the left stick up or down to determine the hero's enthusiasm level of his response, and mini-games where you are shown analog stick patterns on screen which you must quickly repeat. All of this adds a great new element to interactions that keeps them from getting boring.At the end of episodes, you get into giant mecha battles. These battles are turn based strategy RPG style, but it isn't your typical grid system. You're free to move in all directions around you, using up some of your "mobility gauge" as you take any action. You can also attack as many times in a turn as you want, as long as you have the mobility left for your actions. But there's more than just attacking and moving. There are also team attacks, special attacks, charge up moves, guarding, and the hero can even change the overall strategy the team follows, call for help, or protect his teammates. In a game where the focus seems to mostly be on character interaction, you'd think they would slack on the combat portion, but they didn't, and it's really entertaining.So to summarize, this is a great game for fans of dating sims, SRPGs, and animes. However, understand that there is a LOT of talking, and not so many battles. If all you want is action, you should look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a great purchase that you won't regret.

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love Premium Edition I have long been a fan of NISA and the games they have localized to the NA audience, and Sakura Wars: So Long My Love is another in a long line of excellent releases for the PS2.When i began to see previews of the game and found out it wasn't only based on my favorite genre(RPGs/SRPGs) but also a dating sim, i knew i had to have it for my PS2 library. As an added bonus the packaged extras are a nice touch, especially for the price.The game is divided into chapters and tells the stories of your fellow squad members, and progresses to an insanely fun final chapter. The character plots are well thought out and fit nicely into the story itself. I have to add that i played the English dub only, and the voice acting is well done if not top notch in my opinion.It pays to note that like all RPG/SRPG games, this game is text heavy, but with a twist. You actually have to interact with the characters in the game at certain points by using the joysticks. This interaction takes up a huge chunk of the game, so if you prefer your games to be in a state of constant action this game might not be for you.There is plenty of replay value with multiple endings to see, and there are plenty of unlockable items in the game. There is a place on the main menu that allows you to go and check out all you have earned as well which i found to be a nice touch.At this point in time i have beaten the game twice, and i find myself wanting to open all the possible endings.This is more then likely my last PS2 purchase, and i have to say it has been one of the best investments game wise i have made in 2010. That includes PS3 games as well. I also made it a point to go to the NISA website to thank them for releasing this game. That's just how great it really is.If you love RPGs/SRPGs or even just dating sims, you can't go wrong with this game. This isn't the last game to be released on the PS2 in NA, but it is a nice tip of the hat near the end of what i consider to be the greatest gaming library of all time.

Imagine a time when you were playing a video game. Now imagine the game during conversations and cut scenes. Have you ever said to yourself -That's not what I would say (do)? Have you ever wanted to play a strategy game where mechs battle over New York city? Have you ever wanted a semi-date sim mixed with said strategy game? Have you ever wanted a Redheaded Texan Samurai? Well good news everyone! You can now say those things! You can now save that city from inside your mechanical armor! You can woo a digital woman! And you can fight along side a cowboy boot wearing Sunset Warrior!Sakura Wars is a fun strat game with dating sim/visual novel aspects. If you enjoy those genres you will enjoy this game.