limited edition – Visual Novel Reviews

Bad Apple Wars Review

Published on March 9, 2018 by 2 Comments

Release Date: 2015
Publisher: Idea Factory & Aksys Games
Platforms Available: PS Vita (Japanese & English)
Game Link: Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Physical]
Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Limited Edition]
Official Site: Aksys Games

It has been quite some time since my last review! If you would like an overall update on what I have been up to and my summary of the best and worst of 2017—you can read my post here which covers everything.

Bad Apple Wars was the final otome localisation from Aksys Games for 2017, as the fan disc Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~ was pushed back to a tentative March 30th 2018 release. Their other announced titles such as Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ (Review) and Collar x Malice (Review) was released earlier in the year.

Although I did enjoy the game overall, I had some major issues with the overarching storyline and character development within Bad Apple Wars.

Storyline ★★★

-The Story-

After a sudden car accident on her first day of school, the protagonist finds herself in the afterlife, standing before a strange school for lost souls. It is said that here, at NEVAEH Academy, any student who behaves and follows the rules will be able to graduate and start their life anew. After a man wearing a rabbit head informs her of her untimely demise, the confounded protagonist attends the school’s opening ceremony.

And then, suddenly—a loud blast tears through the auditorium. At that moment, a war breaks out between the Bad Apples, a group of delinquent students opposing the academy, and the Prefects, sworn enforcers of the school rules.

In the midst of the chaos, the protagonist comes across a red-haired young man. Without a shred of hesitation in his voice, he reaches his hand out and asks her: “Do you want to live?” (Official Website)

If you’re familiar with the anime ‘Angel Beats’, then Bad Apple Wars is essentially the more light-hearted and happier version of the original concept. NEVAEH Academy is akin to purgatory, a world that is neither heaven, hell or earth—where souls filled with regret from their past lives reside. They are unable to move onto the afterlife due to their past burdens and the students are given two options: relinquish their pain, identity and memories in order to be reincarnated, or face their regrets and have another chance to atone for their past mistakes.

However, the path to receiving another chance at life is a difficult one. It is filled with almost impossible challenges that no one at the academy has been able to overcome. Limitations are set in place to deter those daring enough to try, and the longer they stay within the world—they slowly begin to lose touch with their past and current self. Will the heroine choose to be a good apple in order to graduate and start life anew, or be a bad apple and fight in a seemingly hopeless cause to defy the hands of fate?

The premise of the storyline is very interesting and immediately draws the reader into the bizarre universe. However, it falls terribly short of its potential and leaves so much more to be desired by the end of it all. It is a tragic romance at its core, and stirs your heartstrings upon the reveal of the bachelor’s pain, suffering and burdens prior to dying. But, there is the saying that too much of a good thing can eventually become a bad thing.

It felt like after a certain point in the storyline, the writers were pouring as many ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘tragic’ plot devices as possible for the sole purpose of inflicting despair within the readers. It overshadowed a lot of the more comedic and lighthearted moments throughout the storyline, and became noticeably stale by around the third playthrough.

This is due to the lengthy common route of the game that universally incorporates the same key events regardless of whether you choose to side with the ‘good apples’ or ‘bad apples’. It became very repetitive over several playthroughs, as the original emotional impact and shock factor fizzled away into essentially nothing by the end of the game. For such a short title, you would think that the common route wouldn’t take up so much of the playtime considering it is the same events over and over.

And yet, in my first playthrough the common route took 3-4 hrs (Ch 1-5) and the actual bachelor route (Ch6-9) took 1hr. Needless to say, this was one of the main contributions that led to the lacklustre plot and poor character/romance development. Although some events and dialogue did differ over each route, they didn’t contribute or reveal anything new or critical to the overarching storyline.

It was essentially a cycle of the same discovered information, and for such a complex setting like Bad Apple Wars—3 to 4 hrs is nowhere near the length of time needed to fully explain and flesh out the universe. As a result, it suffered from countless plot holes and confounding character timelines. This was due to the writers introducing unnecessary gimmicks to the storyline that was never further delved upon. The relationships and developments between the characters felt so rushed, as the bulk of the writing was devoted solely to the common route.

There is no proper ‘true ending’ that sheds some light on the true nature of NEVEAH Academy, despite White Mask and Alma being the main bachelors of both the Good/Bad Apples respectively. Whilst their routes were an improvement over some of the others, it still left so many open-ended questions and much to be desired in terms of romance with the heroine. For example: what exactly were the teacher’s roles at the academy? Who were they? How did the age timeline work? Is it a continuous cycle of life, death and reincarnation?

The total playtime for the entire game is around 20-25hrs, which is appalling considering it needed at least 30-40hrs to satisfactorily fill in all the missing pieces within the routes. I wouldn’t have minded the lengthy common route if it at least differed between the good/bad apples, as the heroine Rinka plays a different role in both sides of the story.

However, she ends up being near useless as a prefect and still befriends the bad apples regardless of her position. This renders the early decision almost obsolete, as the common route eventually leads into the same chain of events.

Despite my criticisms, I still enjoyed the storyline of Bad Apple Wars even with the glaringly obvious plot holes. It still had some good moments throughout the game that were tragically moving and carried a powerful moral message that left quite the memorable impression. It touches on the concepts of what it means to live, the fragility of human life, the thin line between hope and despair, to never lose sight of what’s important and the all-too consuming regret upon realising these things a little too late.

Character Development ★★

As I mentioned earlier, just the sole fact that every character route only had 1hr worth of playtime should already be ringing alarm bells. Needless to say, all the romances were poorly developed and I could not understand as to what made them fall in love or how they even developed such a connection with Rinka (Protagonist) by the end of their storylines. Rinka herself, is a major problem I had with the game which I will elaborate further on below.

It was just too little writing and time to fully flesh out their emotions to truly be realistic and believable. The short game length wouldn’t have been as much of a problem if the writing and pacing itself was done well. However, the writing for the routes were noticeably inconsistent in terms of quality and there were significant disparities between them. To my knowledge, this is due to the game encompassing 5-7 different writers.

I recommend two different route orders, depending on what you personally feel is best suited to you. For a more connected game experience, start off with the bad apples: Higa → Shikishima → Alma→ Satoru → White Mask. To have a better understanding of both sides of the storyline, then I recommend: Satoru → Higa → Shikishima → Alma → White Mask.

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

RINKA: Normally for most game protagonists no matter how bland their personality is, they will still have noticeably distinct traits that many of the characters comment on as their key strengths. For example: the most common ones are kindness, persistency, gentleness or a caring and cheerful nature. For the heroine of Bad Apple Wars, even after clearing the entire game—I found myself unable to describe her personality as a character at all.

Rinka is meant to be a ‘self-insert’ for the reader, and I usually have no issues with self-insertions for the protagonist. There is no one-dimension in how a story should be told, and some protagonist personality types work better for specific settings than others. However, my criticism of Rinka isn’t the fact that she is a ‘self-insert’ heroine—but rather it was poorly executed throughout the whole game.

She constantly laments throughout the storyline of how ’empty’ and ‘hollow’ she is as a person, without a single desire, goal or aspiration for herself. Her past life had been monotonous and lacklustre in every aspect, and she had passed on without ever finding anything she held dear.

My main issue with Rinka is how often the ’empty’ monologue occurred throughout the game, because being ’empty’ is not a description of a person or a personality trait at all. It made her un-relatable as a protagonist because it is impossible for a person to be completely empty. It’s ironic because she is meant to be a self-insert for the reader, and it’s so difficult to empathise or play as someone who has no dimensions as a character.

Rinka becomes so resigned to her situation with an ‘oh-woe-is-me’ attitude no matter which route you’re on. It’s only after she falls in love with the respective bachelor, that she finally finds something precious to her that she wishes to protect and considers worth living for. It felt like as a character, she was completely dependent on the bachelor and without anything redeeming of her own to contribute to the storyline.

She’s essentially a plot device, used only to further fuel the own bachelor’s development and route. By the end of the game, I honestly didn’t view her to be much of a protagonist at all. She develops minimally as a character and has no story or redeeming qualities of her own without the bachelor in the picture.

Considering majority of the characters all had some regret or reason from their past that rendered them unable to move on, it made no sense for Rinka to have little to no backstory whatsoever of her own. It further cast a negative light on her lack of personality, as even the secondary characters were more interesting to learn about than the protagonist herself.

HIGA: Although initially quite gruff, rude and blunt towards Rinka—beneath Higa’s rough exterior is a kinder and softer side to him. He deeply respects Alma and views him as a brother figure due to the longstanding nature of their relationship, his abilities as a leader and as a manefestation of his past regrets in his previous life.

Out of all the bachelors, he is the most supportive and encouraging towards Rinka in her transition to NEVEAH Academy. It was quite noticeable how much Rinka had opened up and come out of her shell over the span of their blossoming friendship. On the other hand, I felt the romance was rather poorly developed and lacking in terms of believable intimacy.

Their relationship dynamic was more akin to an older brother-younger sister, due to Higa’s inherently protective nature. When his route began to show more promise of development between the two, he abruptly passes on and leaves their relationship completely open ended and without true closure. It was just so sudden and without any proper build up of momentum, that I was just left thinking ‘there is no way that is how it all ends?’

Due to their different timelines, their current relationship in NEVEAH Academy has no continuation as they both reincarnate again as different people. The ending just felt so tacked on and written solely for the sake of them ending up together. Because of how disjointed the writing and events of Higa’s route were, it really took away from his strengths as a character and was definitely my least favourite storyline.

SHIKISHIMA: A mysterious, wandering artist who belongs to neither faction—Shikishima has been at NEVEAH Academy the longest out of all the bachelors, and from the oldest era of time. He immediately piques the player’s interest due to his whimsical yet relaxed approach to the events of the storyline. In comparison to the other bachelors who are filled with determination to escape from their fate—Shikishima is the complete opposite. He is almost completely void of emotions and seemingly content with remaining at the Academy forever.

Throughout his time there, he has seen many graduate and lose their sense of self. He believes that nothing good would be waiting for him, even if he returned to his previous life. As we soon learn, he has a traumatic and lonesome past which he chooses not to remember. In fact, he desires more than anyone to find his own sense of purpose.

Out of all the bachelors, Shikishima is the most complex and multi-faceted to learn about over the course of the storyline due to how reclusive and withdrawn he is as a character. He is a lost, lonesome soul where even until the end of his life—he found no one who truly understood him.

His route had so much more potential and aspects to be delved upon, but was unfortunately let down by the glaring loop holes within the overarching plot itself. Shikishima’s story suffered from the same core issues as Higa’s route. Due to the conflicting timelines, the writers created a contrived scenario written solely for the sake of Rinka and Shikishima ending up together in one form or another.

However, it’s worsened by the fact that Rinka retains her memories at NEVEAH Academy and promptly associates her feelings for the late Shikishima with his current reincarnation. It casts a negative light on their relationship in the present and Shikishima’s ending overall, as his reincarnation notices that Rinka’s feelings for him are not truly sincere.

ALMA: A natural born leader, he is vigilant and the most determined to escape from the confines of NEVEAH Academy. Alma is the glue that keeps the group together and unified in their plans. He wholeheartedly has everyone’s trust and confidence in his abilities to succeed. Initially, Alma is stoic and difficult for Rinka to befriend due to his secretive nature.

Compared to the previous two routes, Alma’s relationship with Rinka is noticeably more romantic due to the increased amount of alone time they have together. As his route is one of the ‘canon’ storylines of the game (representing the bad apple faction), it is much better fleshed out in terms of both plot and character development.

However, it reuses the none too original angsty trope of a ‘deceased lover’ as his past and it is the reason that drives him to return to his previous life. Although it was executed better in comparison to Higa and Shikishima’s routes, if you’re not a fan of this plot device then you probably wouldn’t enjoy Alma’s storyline as much. There are no unique twist or new additions to the typical plot device, and it follows the common sequence of events to a T.

The reason as to why the dead girlfriend storyline isn’t as popular is because it always calls to question the sincerity of the bachelor’s feelings. Is he using her as a replacement, or as an outlet for his past lover? Is his initial attraction and desire to befriend her merely because of their similarities? Considering how little there is to like about Rinka, this aspect was only more prominent in Alma’s route.

Despite it being one of the canon routes of the game, the route’s main weakness was how little it contributed to the overarching storyline. It essentially didn’t reveal any new information that wasn’t already known in the previous bad apple routes, and had none of the aspects that I normally would expect from one of the main bachelors.

SATORU: An obsessed student fixated with studying, examinations and achieving the best grades—Satoru is the only bachelor who is a newcomer to the academy that is from the same timeline as the protagonist. Initially, Rinka finds him difficult to deal with as he has absolutely zero interests outside of studying. He holds onto his books and notes like a lifeline and completely disregards anything that would not assist him with his examinations.

His storyline pacing is initially quite slow in comparison to the others, as many of Rinka’s attempts to socialise with him are completely rebuked and ignored. He also prefers isolation in comparison to the other bachelors, and does not choose a faction to side with. Many players had very divided views on Satoru’s route—people either absolutely loved it or absolutely hated it, and I can definitely see why.

Once Satoru eventually opens up to Rinka, their interactions are honestly so adorable and very fluffy in nature. As a couple, they have some of the best moments together in the game that really showcases how much they have both developed as characters and the progression of their romantic feelings for one another. As he belongs to neither faction, some of the events that occur are unique to him and different from the canon storylines of the game.

I felt that out of all the routes, his good and bad endings were definitely much better written in terms of logical flow and emotional impact. It also avoided the major timeline discrepancies. However, at the same time the first half of his storyline can ruin his character for a lot of players. It is very slow paced, and essentially a repetition of the same events over and over—Rinka approaches Satoru, he rebukes her, his only form of dialogue involves studying and he constantly becomes emotional the moment his book is taken away from him.

There’s very little substance to his character outside of that, and his tantrums become old and stale real quick. As a result, Rinka’s relationship to him is more akin to an older sister with her younger brother for the bulk of his route. It is this initial tone to their relationship that makes it difficult for some to perceive their relationship as truly of a ‘romantic’ nature. If you’re a fan of quiet and shyer guys who very gradually come out of their shell, then you would enjoy Satoru’s route much more than someone who prefers a more confident character who is self-assured and assertive.

WHITE MASK: The enigmatic member of the disciplinary committee, he appears in all the routes as the main enemy of the bad apples. He is extremely serious and committed to his duties, as he truly believes it is his purpose to maintain order and that the correct method for people to graduate is to become a good apple. As a result, he detests the bad apples for their constant refusals to cooperate and does not hesitate to enact punishment on them for their deeds.

His actions inflict self-doubt within Rinka, as she finds herself unable to fully understand his methods and becomes disillusioned as a disciplinary committee member. However, due to the amount of time they spend together she finds herself becoming increasingly curious as to why he is so devoted to his cause, his true identity and what has twisted him beyond recognition.

As the unofficial ‘true route’ of the game, I was extremely excited to play his storyline. Out of all the characters, he was the most interesting by far and I honestly thought his route would answer all the underlying questions of Bad Apple Wars. To my disappointment, all the questions and plot holes were left completely open ended and the events of his route only served to further fuel my confusion with the game universe.

As the true ending, it was lacking in so many critical aspects such as plot coherency and writing flow. It fell very short of its potential to even marginally redeem the writing and overarching storyline of Bad Apple Wars. However, as a standalone route in terms of romance and character development—the chemistry and interactions between White Mask and Rinka were a major improvement from all the other bachelors.

The romance was better paced and palpable between the two during the critical moments within the game. It is clear why he falls in love with Rinka in comparison to the other bachelors, as she is persistent in her efforts to get to know him and the reasons as to why he has forgotten the past that has shaped his current identity. White Mask’s emotional burdens are much more traumatic in comparison to the other routes, and it is Rinka that encourages him to hope again and face the demons of his past.

Although I was by no means impressed with White Mask’s route due to how much more I expected from it, it was still my personal favourite from the game in comparison to the other storylines.

Design ★★★★

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The artwork in Bad Apple Wars definitely isn’t for everyone and it’s quite eye-catching at first glance. I personally really liked it despite the anatomical inconsistencies at times, since it suited the quirky and ‘distorted’ world of NEVAEH Academy. The artwork is bold, unique and with an inherently signature style that is both memorable and striking. I enjoyed all of the character designs, especially White Mask’s. There’s a lot of religious themes and motifs throughout the game regarding heaven and the after life within the artwork, which added a nice touch of atmosphere to the ominous universe.

I also liked how the protagonist had two different looks depending on which side she chose to be with. I was definitely more of a fan of the ‘good apple’ outfit and hairstyle. My only criticisms design-wise was the background artwork for Bad Apple Wars. They all felt very bland, two-dimensional and quite standard for the average high school setting. For an ‘undead school’ it was a little disappointing how ordinary it was, and it wasn’t as whacky and bizarre in comparison to the teacher designs.

Music and Voice Acting ★★★★

I loved the soundtrack in Bad Apple Wars, and it was without a doubt the highlight of the game. It suited the theme and tones of the game perfectly, and you can definitely tell that the composers were greatly influenced by both the Danganronpa and Persona series. It was just so refreshing to listen to, and with an assortment of very different and unique tracks. I particularly enjoyed Sanzu’s song/the Ending track, as it was just so powerful and well used during a pivotal scene from the game. It set the mood perfectly, and reflected the inevitable foreshadowing and emotional turmoil of the characters.

Like most other Idea Factory titles, Bad Apple Wars encompassed a prolific voice acting line up. Whilst all of the voice actors emulated their characters well, I didn’t feel like there were any standout performances in this title in particular. Due to the character type limitations, all the characters had similar voices that were quite soft and in the same vocal range. Because of this, I felt it wasn’t a true representation of the voice actor’s talents in comparison to their more notable roles.

Alma | VA: Sakurai Takahiro | 櫻井孝宏
Danganronpa series as Kuwata Leon, Black wolves Saga series as Mejojo von Garibaldi, Grisaia series as Kazama Yuuji, Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ as Astrum, Naruto Shipuuden as Sasori, Final Fantasy series as Cloud Strife, Anohana as Atsumu Matsuyuki, and Psycho-pass as Shogo Makushima.
Higa | VA: Suwabe Jun’ichi | 諏訪部順一
Fate/Stay Night as Archer, YURII!!! On Ice as Victor, Black Butler as Undertaker and Code:Realize series as Abraham Van Helsing
Satoru | VA: Hanae Natsuki | 花江夏樹
Taisho x Alice series as Ookami, Collar x Malice as Sera Akito, Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ as Libera, Your Lie in April as Kosei Arima, Tokyo Ghoul series as Ken Kaneki, and Aldnoah Zero as Inaho Kaizuka
Shikishima | VA: Ishida Akira | 石田彰
Naruto series as Gaara, Danganronpa series as Byakuya Togami, Amnesia series as Kent, Ayakashi Gohan as Kimura Asagi and Black Wolves Saga series as Zara Skeens

System ★★★★

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Bad Apple Wars has quite the interesting system interface for an Otome Visual Novel. Rather than implementing systematic decision options at varying points in the game, as you advance in each route and become closer to the bachelor—it unlocks a touch interface after the still-CG flashes several times. You must then ‘touch’ the bachelor on different parts of his body to continue with the storyline.

At a critical point in the route where you’re finally able to understand the bachelor’s true self—you literally see him stripped bare and you are able to truly ‘connect’ with him via touching the correct areas. If you touch the wrong areas, lightning appears on the screen and it will lead to the bad ending. The nudity in this aspect is negligible and completely blurred out for the most part, although I do understand that it can make some players uncomfortable.

I personally quite enjoyed the simple but effective system, as it essentially enables you to play the game without a walkthrough. The game is designed so that you cannot fail or miss any checkpoints, except for the ending route branches into the good and bad end respectively. It is also quite a symbolic representation of the character’s progression and relationship with the bachelor.

My main complaint about the system is that during the ‘critical moments’ the dialogue is not translated due to the original port not including coded text boxes in the scenes. Although this is not an issue if you understand Japanese, it definitely took away a lot of the emotional impact in the meaningful moment. This is quite disappointing, considering it’s such crucial turning point within the plot. I felt Aksys definitely should have at least provided text-based translations that players could read on the website, to supplement the scenes.

Other than that, then I did enjoy the other features of the system such as the basic animations, transitions and map movement. This was colour-coordinated to each respective bachelor’s theme, which made it extremely easy without trial and error to find where each person was located. At first glance, the choice of text font is a little difficult to read but your eyes do quickly adjust over time. Overall, it wasn’t too big of an issue and wouldn’t impede your enjoyment of the game.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite its inherent flaws—Bad Apple Wars isn’t a bad game. But is it a title that I would recommend to everyone? Probably not. After playing through the entire game myself, I can definitely see why it generated such mixed and divided reception amongst players. Whilst it did encompass some good moments throughout the storyline, an interesting line up of bachelors and fun side characters—the major flaws prevalent within the plot, poor character development and romance really hindered the potential of the game.

As I touched upon earlier, the glaring plot holes, open-ended questions and lack of explanations regarding the NEAVEH universe was far too great to overlook. The common route was quite lengthy and repetitive, which led to too little time and resources devoted to fully fleshing out the characters and their relationships to one another. Considering it is such a short game overall (20-25hrs total), it didn’t make much sense for the common route to take up majority of the playtime.

However, if you enjoy bittersweet, angsty and tragic romances you’ll probably still enjoy the game like I did. Despite my criticisms, I still had fun with the game and completed it fairly quickly. I do recommend picking it up on sale, if you’re a fan of the genre and artwork. The music and artwork within Bad Apple Wars were definitely the highlights of the game, and somewhat compensated for the faults in the writing and character development.

At full price considering the amount and quality of playtime you’re receiving, there are definitely better otome titles on PSN to choose from such as Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (Review) and Collar x Malice (Review).

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

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Written By Cherry

Differences between the Original Hakuoki series and Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds

Published on August 28, 2017 by 15 Comments

When they initially announced a Hakuoki remake of the original series, the first questions that came to my mind were: what exactly were the differences going to be between the two? Does the advertised ‘new and improved content’ hold true to the actual gameplay? Is it worth spending essentially double the price, for only Chapter 1-5 of the original game? How enjoyable are the new characters and routes in terms of quality and writing, in comparison to the original cast?

Personally, I was on the fence prior to playing the game myself. I have played the original Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms on PSP and Stories of the Shinsengumi on PS3 several times over. As such, I am very familiar with the series and even I was skeptical on exactly how much ‘new content’ there would be in the remake.

Hopefully this post is useful for those like me who have previously owned Hakuoki, or new players that are not keen on spending money for only ‘Part 1’ of a game. If you’d like to read an in-depth review on the game itself rather than only the differences with the original game, you can read my ‘Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds [Limited Edition]’ Review.

1. NEW CHARACTERS

Aside from the original Hakuoki cast, there are an additional three new characters: Iba Hachiro, Sakamoto Ryouma and Souma Kazue.

Iba is your kind-hearted, honest, trustworthy and noble childhood friend who has loved you since you were children. He holds his past memories with you in high regard, and everything he has striven for in life has been for your sake. He is currently stationed in Kyoto, due to his promotion as a vassal to the Shogun.

Sakamoto is flirtatious, charismatic and a man who believes that life is meant to be used for greater ambitions and for the good of the country. A quaint and peaceful life ignorant of the workings of the world has never been the one for him. He is something akin to a traveler, and sides with the domain that proves most profitable for his plans. Because of this, he creates many enemies due to his lack of loyalty to a single side.

Lastly, Souma is a new recruit to the Shinsengumi and is a bright-eyed and hardworking page for Kondou. He abandoned his noble upbringing to pursue the Shinsengumi, as he believes they are the true embodiment of what it means to be a Samurai. You are assigned as his mentor due to your experience as Hijikata’s page, and you take him beneath your tutelage to learn the workings of the Shinsengumi. As a result, you naturally find yourself spending majority of your time with him.

I fairly enjoyed playing the new character routes, as it was refreshing to see something new from the Hakuoki series that had not been included before. However in saying that, I did not like them anywhere as much as the original cast. Although I am slightly biased due to prior attachment with the original characters, the new trio were just not as memorable or well-written in terms of storyline.

As the new characters are not directly apart of the Shinsengumi, their routes felt very lack-lustre in terms of emotional impact and did not leave lasting impressions. The amount of screen-time they received was also much less (other than Souma) as the heroine did not see them on a daily basis within the compound. Whilst the routes were enjoyable and had good aspects here and there, they didn’t have a profound contribution to the overarching storyline.

I would have still enjoyed Hakuoki just as much with or without their inclusion. If I had the choice between playing three new character routes OR having more content with the original cast; it’s essentially a no-brainer.

2. NEW ROUTES

The side Shinsengumi characters from the original game now have their own routes. They are: Nagakura Shinpachi, Sanan Keisuke and Yamazaki Susumu. As I mentioned in my review, despite them now being romance-able characters; their routes left much to be desired in both execution and length. It didn’t feel like they transitioned from being side characters and were integrated into the main cast at all.

Majority of the moments with the characters are already present in the main storyline, so there’s very little ‘new content’ with them when playing through their seperate routes. The moments between them and Chizuru are brief, short and although very adorable; they cannot compare to the amount of screen time that the main cast of Shinsengumi characters are given.

Shinpachi’s route is very platonic, and there’s very little romantic interactions between the two throughout the story. Sanan’s route was by far the weakest out of all the characters, as his personality essentially remains the same as the main storyline. Even if you become ‘closer’ to him, he does not stray from his ambitions and urgency for Chizuru to become a blood sacrifice for the sake of the Furies/his research. It felt like all the time spent with him, and his fleeting moments of kindness were a false facade. In the end, he still completely disregards Chizuru’s feelings on the matter.

I really enjoyed Yamazaki’s route out of the trio, and his interactions with Chizuru were just so heart-warming. The pacing and noticeable growth of their friendship transitioning into love was just really well done. Unfortunately, his story falls short of its greater potential due to how little writing is dedicated to fully developing the route. There is just such a noticeable discrepancy between the original character cast and the new additional character routes. It’s really disappointing to see how they undeniably have the shorter end of the stick on almost all aspects of the storyline.

3. KAZAMA HAS A LONGER ROUTE

Considering Kazama is one of my favourite characters from the original game, this was honestly the aspect that interested me the most about the remake. His route can barely be classified as one in the original Hakuoki, so I was genuinely curious as to how much ‘longer’ his story would be and the amount of writing that would be dedicated to it. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with his route in the remake.

It had so much more content than what I was initially expecting, as well as CGs. Rather than the fleeting enigma he is in the original game, there’s so many more opportunities for interaction between him and Chizuru. You definitely get to see more glimpses of his true character in the remake, and have a better understanding of his personality. I also liked how in the remake it touched more so upon Chizuru’s demon heritage; as that was something sorely lacking in the original Hakuoki in all the routes.

As a result, his relationship and feelings for Chizuru is much more palpable and she isn’t quite so dismissive of his haughty demeanour as the original game. With the additional content, his route length almost rivals one of the bachelors from the main cast.

4. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ART

On top of having CGs to accomodate all the new characters and routes, they have incorporated many CGs seen from Zuisouroku as well as new never-before seen artwork for the original cast. The sheer amount of CGs you can unlock in total is definitely one of the highlights of the game, as there is just so much content to get through. The art is really lovely, and overall an improved version from the original game. The amount of new artwork alone is more than enough reason to play Kyoto Winds over the predecessor titles.

5. MORE WRITING AND CONTENT

Although a lot of the new content are re-used scenes from Zuisouroku, there are also plenty of moments exclusive to the Hakuoki remake. Rather than having them as a standalone segment, the scenes are now integrated into the main storyline for greater cohesion and better character development. One of the major complaints about Hakuoki has always been the severe lack of romance with the bachelors prior to the branch into their character routes. With the new scenes, it helped balance the heavy content from the storyline to the light-hearted and fluffy romance with the characters.

The writing overall has improved a lot from the original, and there’s just so much more description invested into painting the storyline. There is significantly more writing dedicated to Chizuru’s thoughts and feelings throughout the game, which created a stronger attachment to her as a protagonist. Part one alone took me 25-30hrs to play, in comparison to the original completed game which took me 40hrs to finish all the routes. With Part two, the remake has around 15-20hrs more playtime.

The downside of having such a long game is that by the fifth or sixth play through, it does get extremely tedious. You’re essentially reading over the same events of the common route 11 times over, if you intend to clear all the content and characters. Personally, I struggled with completing the game and it took me a month to get the Platinum trophy.

However, despite how repetitive the game became; it is worth the price in terms of the amount of playtime/replayability you’re receiving. Although it is only the first half of the storyline, 25-30hrs is the average playtime you normally see in most full length Visual Novels.

6. NEW OST

Majority of the original soundtrack has been replaced by all new songs, with some exceptions on the main themes of the original game. I felt the old soundtrack was a lot more mellow and suited the darker tones of the game. The new soundtrack is much more lively and light-hearted; incorporating new dynamic battle music that definitely increases the intensity of the fights throughout the game.

I have heard mixed feelings on the old versus new OST, and I think it’s essentially just a matter of preference. With the new tone of writing and special effects (which I talk more about in the next section), I personally think the new soundtrack suits the remake much more than the predecessor. However, in terms of emotional moments then the old OST was more befitting in complementing the scenes.

7. CHARACTER ANIMATIONS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS

Although the character animations such as blinking eyes, mouth/hair movement and breathing were included in the PS3 version; it was nowhere near as smooth or as refined as Kyoto Winds. It definitely made the game much more interactive and enjoyable to play, with the new and improved artwork. One aspect I noticed instantly were the new special effects used throughout the remake. Effects such as blood splattering on the screen, the sword slicing animations, story transitions and camera panning during the battle scenes really improved the overall feel of the game.

I really liked how the sprites now properly overlay and overlap over one another during the battle scenes, as it added that touch of ‘realism’ to it. They also included effects such as floating cherry blossom petals between the chapters, and falling snow.

8. ALL NEW SYSTEM AND UI

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Lastly, the system was a very noteworthy aspect that was significantly improved in the remake. It felt very smooth to navigate, and incorporated a lovely theme design. The text box dialogue was much clearer and easier to read in comparison to the original Hakuoki, and just the overall look was a great improvement to its predecessor. Despite how different the UI seems to appear, it doesn’t incorporate anything new that was not already in the previous games of the series. The encyclopaedia, romance levels, and ‘love increase’ indicators are prevalent in all the Hakuoki titles.

However, the new redesign definitely helped to improve the overall game itself and felt like a more refined version of the previous system UI.

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Written By Cherry

Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds [Limited Edition] Review

Published on August 18, 2017 by 5 Comments

RELEASE DATE: May 6 (NA) & May 9 (EU)
PUBLISHER: Idea Factory & Otomate
PLATFORMS AVAILABLE: PS Vita (Japanese & English) & Steam (English)
GAME LINK: Hakuoki Kyoto Winds – PS Vita [Regular Edition]
STORE LINKS: Hakuoki Kyoto Winds – PS Vita [Limited Edition][NA]
Hakuoki Kyoto Winds – PS Vita [Limited Edition][EU]
Official Site: Idea Factory International

I have been excited about Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds for quite a while now! Although the series is a little outdated in comparison to all the new otome game releases in the past couple of years, I’ve always had a soft spot for it as being one of the first otomes I ever played. It has always remained a solid ‘staple’ of the english otome game releases thus far, and it essentially is the title that really caught the attention of localisation companies. It proved that there was indeed a target market for the niche genre within the western community.

When Idea Factory International reached out to me for a collaboration, I was ecstatic! Although I initially didn’t plan on playing the remake as I played both the original Demon of the Fleeting Blossom on PSP and Stories of the Shinsengumi on PS3—I was still curious as to how they were going to approach a revamp for the series. The important aspect to remember is that Kyoto Winds ONLY includes Chapter 1-5 of the original game.

The second part has yet to be officially announced, and you’re only receiving the first half of the original storyline before it branches into the seperate bachelor routes. Although I initially wasn’t a fan of splitting the game into two halves, after playing through it I can understand why they made the decision. Hakuoki to begin with has always been a very text/content heavy game, with great emphasis on the overarching historical timeline of events. As they have refined and added a lot of additional dialogue/writing to the original game, the beginning chapters are significantly longer and offer many more hours of gameplay.

There are also an additional 5 bachelor routes in comparison to the original 7, as well as new event CGs. Due to the sheer amount of selectable bachelors each having their own routes, marketing and writing-wise it made the most sense to split the game into two. I was surprisingly quite impressed with the new additions to the game, and enjoyed playing the remake despite already being very familiar with the series.

Impressions on the Limited Edition

I was actually really surprised by how large the box for the Limited Edition was when it arrived in the mail. The box is really well made and sturdy; featuring lovely cover art for the game. Normally I don’t like to keep game packaging, but the one for Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds was just too lovely to throw out (laughs). I really liked how snugly all the items fit inside the box, and it was designed very well. It features an exclusive bento box, furoshiki, official soundtrack disk, hard cover art book and of course a physical version of the game.

The bento box is made out of bamboo, and was nicer than I expected. It definitely made a lovely match with the large furoshiki, which features art of all the bachelors from the game. However, I personally think the bento box is more suitable as a display piece or as an accessory container than as an actual bento box for use. My favourite aspect of the LE was definitely the hardcover art book, as it included a lot of CG art from the game as well as detailed character profiles and insights into the overarching storyline.

It provided a lot of extra information on the bachelors, and draft artwork leading up to their final designs. Overall, it’s a solid LE and definitely a step up from the previous LE’s for the Hakuoki series. I recommend purchasing it if you love exclusive well-made display items and are a huge fan of Hakuoki! Purchasing the LE definitely shows support for the series, and would lead to better LE’s in future. Other than that, then I wouldn’t say the LE is an absolute must have. The game is still very enjoyable with or without the extra content.

Storyline ★★★

-The Story-

Japan’s Edo Period was drawing to a close.

The shogunate, who’d held power in the country for more than 200 years, found itself challenged by the imperial court, and by several domains who had chaffed under shogunal rule.

In the midst of this political unrest, an organization rose to prominence: The Shinsengumi. Originally formed to protect the streets of Kyoto from masterless samurai, they came to represent the last, tragic bastion of the honor-bound samurai culture that had defined much of Japan’s history.

A young woman by the name of Chizuru comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon encounters danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, Chizuru is put under their protection.

But odd things are afoot in Kyoto—possibly even supernatural things. Can Chizuru navigate this maze of mortal danger and political intrigue? Amidst so much misery and death, can she find romance?
(Official Website Summary)

The website summary actually encompasses the story outline very well, so I won’t delve into it further here. The Hakuoki series has always been well-known for its interesting premise and powerfully interwoven storyline with Japan’s historical period of social unrest and change. It incorporates key elements such as fantasy, love, friendship and betrayal to create an immersive and memorable storyline. The world of Hakuoki is thoroughly fleshed out and demonstrates impressive world building, as the historical events propels both the storyline forward and the development of the characters.

They’re caught in between the cross-fire of a political war that acts as the catalyst for change and the beginning of a new era. A battle that would only imminently end in defeat, and inflict unimaginable death, despair and suffering as there is never a true victor in the aftermaths of war. The characters are on the losing faction, and are forced to question their own beliefs and morality as their organisation once built upon camaraderie and unwavering trust slowly corrupts from within.

They come to the daunting realisation that with the changing world, there is no longer a place for samurai. Their resolute beliefs on what constituted as an honourable warrior were now considered remnants of the past, and wars were no longer won through sheer will or one’s skill in battle. For these men who lived and died by their blades, their once unshakeable beliefs had wavered and their very existences are rendered meaningless.

It is the answering of these existentialist concepts tied in with significant character development over the course of the plot, that makes the storyline of the Hakuoki series so memorable. The writing in the remake Kyoto Winds is quite impressive, and refines the storytelling from the original game. There is just so much more description and attention to the finer details of the story, that is noticeable right from the very beginning.

The additional narration also gives Chizuru so much more personality, and provides the audience with a better understanding of her thought processes towards her own circumstances and the other characters in the game. As the first half is mainly dedicated to the historical events leading into the main complication of the storyline, it can be quite stale at times and very lengthy to read. If you’re not a fan of long introductions, slow storyline pacing and a greater focus on the plot rather than the romances between the characters; then Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds may not be the game for you.

As the first half of the remake only covers Chapter 1-5, it ends just before the common route branches into the character paths in the original. This is the section of the storyline where they lose the battle at the Fushimi Magistrate, and depending on the route; the heroine Chizuru becomes separated from the Shinsengumi and attempts to rejoin them at Edo along with the chosen bachelor.

Although the cliff hanger definitely builds hype for part two of the game, it was quite disappointing as the storyline after the character branch is where Hakuoki truly shines. One of the advertised aspects of the remake is the ‘new content’ they added to the game for all the bachelors, along with new dateable characters. If you’ve only ever played the original PSP or DS version, then you’ll definitely enjoy the remake as all the content will be completely new to you.

However, if you’ve already played the PS3 version then you’ll realise that half the new content is actually from the translated fandisk (Zuisouroku). This was the ‘Memories of Love’ portion in Stories of the Shinsengumi, which unlocked after finishing all the bachelor routes. Rather than keeping it as an ‘extra’ standalone fan service segment, they actually incorporated the fan disk moments into the overarching storyline itself. This was quite effective, as the events in Zuisouroku did follow the linear events of the main plot.

It made the storyline and characters much more immersive and likeable; as there was a greater balance between the plot and romance aspects of the game. It provided greater insight into the bachelor’s feelings and thoughts, and they’re not quite so dismissive and emotionless towards Chizuru in comparison to the original game. However, I was still rather disappointed as I thought when they claimed it’d be all ‘new and never before seen’ content for the game, it meant that they wouldn’t be reusing old scenes and labelling it as ‘longer bachelor routes’.

The other half of the content however, did keep to their promise and included new scenes and CGs. It took 3-4 hrs to complete my first play through, and around 2-3hrs for every bachelor afterwards. I did all 3 endings for every character, which totalled to approximately 25-30hrs of play time.

Character Development ★★★

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

As the first part of the game only covers Chapter 1-5, I will only be discussing the character development that I’ve seen so far and giving a run down on their personalities. The second half will contain more detailed thoughts, as the branches into the character routes is where we see their relationship with the protagonist truly blossom.

There is no particular route order for Kyoto Winds, as all the stories progress in the same linear fashion by following the chronological historical events. If anything, I would recommend the main Shinsengumi characters first in any order (Hijikata, Okita, Saito, and Harada), followed by Chikage Kazama. The remaining characters should be played after, leaving the three new bachelors for last (Iba, Sakamoto and Souma).

HIJIKATA TOSHIZO: The acting leader of the Shinsengumi, and regarded as the ‘demon commander’ amongst his men. He is a force to be reckoned with both on and off the battlefield, and has little tolerance for lack of discipline. Hijikata strongly believes that war is not won through mere skill alone, but through perseverance and sheer willpower.

He is one of the most dedicated to the Shinsengumi, as all the lives of his men rest upon his shoulders. He has led them to victory time and time again, showcasing his skills as a master tactician. To Hijikata and Kondou, the Shinsengumi is a representation of the dreams they once shared in their youth: that even regular and poor men without noble upbringing such as themselves, could become revered and honourable samurai.

Despite his cold exterior, Chizuru soon realises that he is much kinder and more considerate than what he usually shows to others. He is one of the few members who rectifies Chizuru as apart of the Shinsengumi, assuaging her fears of being a burden to her newfound second family. Hijikata admires her tenacity and wholehearted dedication to the Shinsengumi, respecting that she is an invaluable member he does not wish to part with.

He abides by her wishes whenever possible to assign her tasks around the headquarters, even though it is inefficient and counterproductive from a strategic standpoint. Hijikata is truly a man of his word, exhausting nothing less than his best efforts to protecting Chizuru. He strongly believes that an honourable samurai must always keep their promises, and to go against such code of conduct is akin to throwing away his pride as a warrior.

With the extra scenes and dialogue in Kyoto Winds, I really enjoyed Hijikata’s route so far. It’s not the gruelling read I remember from the original, as Hijikata’s route is the longest and the only one where you see to the final end of the Shinsengumi. As a result, the romance and relationship development really takes a backseat to the historical recounts and the activities of the Shinsengumi.

The additional moments with Hijikata made him a lot more relatable as a character. It was the little interactions and small acts of kindness that he showed to Chizuru which revealed his true feelings towards her. In the original, it felt like Chizuru was always second to the Shinsengumi. In the remake, despite Hijikata being bound by his duties as the leader of the Shinsengumi; he still does everything in his power to accomodate to Chizuru’s needs and feelings as much as possible.

OKITA SOUJI: One of the most feared and renowned swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, there are very few men who live to tell the tale after facing Okita on the battlefield. His skills and finesse with the blade are unparalleled, and unlike most men who waver in the face of bloodshed and death; Okita has very little reservations towards such sentiments. His sole life purpose is to act as a sword and a living weapon for the Shinsengumi: any enemy of Kondou’s is also an enemy of Okita’s. He completely disregards his own sake and livelihood for his beliefs, and it is this reckless abandon that makes him such a formidable warrior.

His relationship with Chizuru has an extremely rocky start from the very beginning, and he coldly asserts that if she were to ever impede the goals of the Shinsengumi; he would not hesitate to kill her. It is a running motif between the two, as Chizuru is perplexed by how Okita can always utter such frightening words with such a gentle voice and smile on his face. In stark contradiction to his cruel promises however, Okita saves Chizuru at every opportunity and does not hesitate to protect her at the cost of his own body. It is this complexity that forms the crux of Okita’s character, and the complete contrast between his words and actions.

Okita has always been one of my favourite characters from the original, as well as one of the more popular bachelors with reason. Unfortunately his constant switch between hot and cold is frustrating for the majority of his route, as well as his one-track mindset and his complete dedication to Kondou. However, he makes an interesting character that you cannot help but become drawn to over the course of the storyline. Morikubo Shoutarou does such an amazing job voicing Okita, and perfectly captures both his inner anguish and playful personality. He delivers his lines so smoothly and it really is a delight to listen to.

Another reason contributing to his character popularity is due to the more notable romance in his route in comparison to the other bachelors. As he quickly becomes incapacitated and rendered bedridden due to illness, he has many more opportunities to be ‘alone’ with Chizuru. In the remake, the romantic interactions and tensions between the two are even more palpable. There’s just so much more integral character moments between the two that leads to the development of their relationship. It is one of the routes where their romantic feelings for one another become very apparent (especially on Chizuru’s end) from very early on in the story.

Despite Okita’s complex nature, Chizuru shows surprising insight into his true feelings and thoughts; understanding him on such a personal level that it unhinges him. Despite his cold detachment from others, he finds himself wavering in the face of her unabashed honesty and wholehearted efforts to become closer to him. Unsure of how to respond to her affectionate sentiments and his own growing feelings that impede his life’s purpose as a sword that serves Kondou; Okita constantly pushes her away, unable to admit what she truly means to him.

SAITO HAJIME: Unlike the previous two members of the Shinsengumi, Saito is more so dedicated to the art of swordsmanship rather than the organisation itself. He has devoted his entire life to honing his skills as a warrior, and views sentiments such as camaraderie to be unnecessary on the battlefield. He respects and admires Hijikata’s leadership, as he views that he is the embodiment of an honourable samurai and a commander worth following. The Shinsengumi to Saito is akin to a sanctuary: it was the only place he could truly practice his skills as a warrior, due to the fact that he was left-handed.

All the dojos he attended rejected him, as wielding a sword with one’s left hand was considered the incorrect stance for prestigious samurai and disgraceful practice. However, Hijikata and Kondou wholeheartedly welcomed and accepted him, after witnessing his superior skill. As a result, it is with the Shinsengumi that Saito truly feels a sense of belonging as they shared the same views on what constituted as a true warrior and samurai.

Although Saito is a man of very few words, in the moments he does speak to Chizuru he is very kind and tender. Unlike the others, he always takes the time to answer her questions and is very patient when speaking to her. I really loved Saito’s route in the remake, since it really brought out all the cute nuances of his character that was absent in the original. In the original, Saito continually justifies that he only protects Chizuru out of duty and because he was ‘ordered’ to. With all the additional dialogue and character moments however, it is clear that Saito feels much more for Chizuru than what he leads on.

Saito truly has the best embarrassed and ‘blushing’ moments with Chizuru, as he is always at a complete loss for words with her unexpected forwardness. To Chizuru’s confusion, he is just so shy and she wonders what could be the cause for his strange behaviour. Although the snow bunny scene is a rehash from Zuisouroku/Memories of Love, it is still one of my favourite moments between the two. It is just such a heartwarming scene, that really showcases how adorable their relationship is with one another.

KAZAMA CHIKAGE: The prestigious head of the demon clan in the west, Kazama proves to be a force to be reckoned with over the course of the storyline. He directly opposes the Shinsengumi, as he sides with the the enemy faction that desires the collapse of the Shogunate. Due to his status as a demon and pure lineage, he is extremely powerful and possesses strength, speed and skill far beyond the scopes of human abilities. Kazama takes immense pride in his position, and resents mankind with every fibre in his being due to the suffering that demons have endured in the past at the hands of human greed.

As a result of these instilled beliefs, he is condescending, arrogant and spiteful. He truly believes that there are no humans worthy of his respect and that there is no such thing as true samurai or warriors. Upon discovering that Chizuru is a pure-blooded female demon, Kazama begins to pursue her relentlessly due to his duties as clan head. Female demons are extremely rare, and their population is scarce; copulating two pure-blooded demons would in no doubt produce an even more powerful offspring that would be beneficial for the future of their race.

Although Kazama is insufferable and a thorn in the side of the Shinsengumi in all the routes, he is without a doubt my favourite character in the game. My main source of interest in the remake was that Idea Factory finally addressed the unanimous fan request for Kazama to have a proper character route. In the original, his story can barely be classified as a ‘dateable bachelor’ as it ends so abruptly, and there’s hardly any moments of genuine interaction between the two. I definitely wanted to see exactly how much more content he would have, and how they would address his storyline.

To my surprise, I was very pleased with how it turned out. What I liked about his story and character is how different he is in comparison to the other bachelors. He really brings out the fire in Chizuru’s personality, as although she is very passive with the other characters; she turns into a complete tsundere regarding Kazama. She is vehement and adamant in opposing his views on humans, and completely refuses his advances at every opportunity. This greatly amuses Kazama, as he is thoroughly content in entertaining her whims and certain that she would inevitably become his.

I really liked the relationship dynamic between the two, and Kazama’s infuriating arrogance really made for very humorous dialogue and character moments. Out of all the bachelors, I always felt that Kazama suited the heroine the most as he truly brings out the best in her. He forces her to admit the things she doesn’t dare usually voice, and he addresses the truth behind her past, family and demon lineage. Although this was hardly delved upon in the original, they definitely touched on it a lot more in Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds which I really liked.

With the additional character moments with Kazama, it really showcased that he isn’t truly a heartless demon and is much more considerate than he initially appears (at least regarding Chizuru). There is genuine and notable development between the two, as Chizuru slowly comes to realise his surprising kindness and thoughtfulness towards her feelings. In his own way, he respects her desire to stay with the Shinsengumi and concedes that they may be different from other humans. To me, in the remake it definitely showed in Kazama’s actions how much more he cared about Chizuru than his words would imply.

HARADA SANOSUKE: One of the kinder captains of the Shinsengumi towards Chizuru, Harada is extremely popular amongst women due to his handsome looks and thoughtfulness. He is surprisingly perceptive regarding the emotions of women, and very considerate of Chizuru’s circumstances in all the routes. Unlike the other captains who live and die by their blades, Harada desires a peaceful life outside of the battlefield. As the organisation slowly corrupts from within, Harada is forced to question what he truly wishes to do with his life. What was once built from mutual camaraderie and men who shared the same beliefs, had now been tainted by the inevitabilities of war and human greed.

Out of all the bachelors, Harada is without a doubt the most romantic route. His story is much more light-hearted in comparison to the other character paths, as he is not as deeply invested in the Shinsengumi itself. With the remake, he shares even sweeter moments with Chizuru that only serve to further justify his status as ‘best husband material’. There really isn’t anything too melodramatic about his route in Kyoto Winds, as the relationship between Chizuru and Harada develops the most naturally in comparison to the other bachelors.

He is a gentleman through and through, always places her needs before his own and notices things about Chizuru that the others do not. It was very enjoyable and refreshing to have a story that didn’t revolve so much around the angst and conflict that pervades majority of the characters.

HEISUKE TODOU: The youngest Captain of the Shinsengumi, Heisuke is extremely close with both Harada and Shinpachi. The three are rarely ever seen apart, and regularly drink together at Shimabara. In spite of his age and youthful looks, he is exceptionally skilled with the sword and certainly earned his position as a division Captain. Although he initially joined the group due to his strong beliefs in camaraderie and friendship, he quickly becomes disillusioned with the Shinsengumi.

In comparison to the others who are wholeheartedly dedicated to the Shinsengumi, Heisuke is unsettled by the corruption within the organisation and the grand scheme of the war. He considers things that the others do not, such as what political stance would be best for Japan itself. His route delves further into his reasons for joining the Guardians of the Tomb, and his wavering beliefs on what is the right path to take.

I felt that out of all the characters, he was the most realistic and surprisingly insightful in his views on the Shogunate and overarching war. Rather than a one-dimensional perspective solely focused on what it means to be a warrior, he has the forethought to decide for himself what he truly believes in; even if that means separating from the people he cared about. As Heisuke and Chizuru are around the same age, they quickly become close and fall into a comfortable relationship with one another.

I was surprised by Heisuke’s forwardness in the remake, as unlike the others; he is quick to realise what he is truly fighting for and whom he wishes to protect with his life. This was a welcome and very refreshing change that I really liked. One major complaint I had about Heisuke’s route was the complete lack of CGs of him with Chizuru. Almost all of them were sole portraits of himself, and I felt that he really got the short end of the stick in the art department which was rather disappointing to see.

NAGAKURA SHINPACHI: Another formidable Shinsengumi Captain and the loyal right-hand man of Harada. The two are rarely ever seen apart, and they share a closely-knit friendship as a trio with Heisuke. Shinpachi is exceptionally cheerful, bright and a source of comic relief amongst the men. Unlike the others with poor upbringing, he was born into a prestigious house of samurai. However, he abandoned his family home to be a lordless ronin as the stifling life of a retainer did not suit his free-spirited nature.

He is one of the few main characters who did not have an individual route in the original game, and I was very curious as to how they would approach it. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. His route is extremely platonic in comparison to the other bachelors, and felt very lacking in terms of romance and CGs. He constantly asserts that he views Chizuru as a younger sister whom he must protect, and nothing more.

Despite being apart of the main cast, his story felt like an add-on or a side route at best. Even by the end of Shinpachi’s story, I couldn’t bring myself to view him as a ‘romantic interest’, due to the complete lack of emotional development. I felt very little writing was invested in actually getting to know Shinpachi as a character, and his past prior to the Shinsengumi. In comparison to the other bachelors, I dislike how the decision to become a fury was essentially forced upon him by another.

This creates a sense of guilt that tarnishes his once-pure relationship with Chizuru, and was an outcome that Shinpachi would have never willingly wanted for himself. In comparison to the others who knowingly accepted the fate of a fury for the sake of their own pride and the ability to protect what they hold dear, Shinpachi protects Chizuru due to the oath he made with Inoue. It only furthers the whole ‘platonic sibling relationship’ dynamic that pervades his entire route.

SANAN KEISUKE: The Colonel of the Shinsengumi, and regarded as a high-ranking officer within the organisation; even above the Captains themselves. He has a strong stake in the order of operations and works closely with both Kondou and Hijikata. Although initially beloved by the troops for his kind and gentle demeanour, he quickly becomes jaded and hostile after he receives a critical injury that renders him unable to wield a sword.

To a warrior, such an injury is considered even worse than death. He becomes increasingly dangerous and unhinged as he laments in his worthlessness, and the change in the eyes of the troops who once revered him. He eventually succumbs to the Water of Life and pays the price with his own mortality to once again wield a sword. Sanan is prevalent in all the routes and plays a significant role in the overarching storyline, due to his deep involvement and research in the Furies.

I had always disliked Sanan’s character from the original game, as he is more or less akin to a fallen hero turned villain. I was surprised that he would be a dateable bachelor in the remake, and I was curious as to how they would flesh out his story. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed by what could barely classify as a ‘romance route’. Although you come to understand Sanan’s motives and innermost thoughts, there is very little interaction between the two that can be considered as a ‘potential love interest’.

Their relationship is more so akin to a father gently scolding a petulant child. Other than a few scenes with Sanan where he reverts to his once gentle and kind self, the bulk of his content is apart of the main storyline that is present in all the bachelor routes. As a result, in terms of new content it was very lacklustre and left much to be desired. I also found it strange how even if you become closer to Sanan in his route, he is very much still obsessed with the notion of improving the furies and using Chizuru as a means to do so.

He completely disregards her feelings and emotions on the matter, and still forcibly uses guilt to coerce her into the notion that it is all for the sake of the Shinsengumi. The scene where he enters her room and attempts to cut her for a sample of her own blood (until forcibly stopped by the other Captains) still occurs in his route.

It is very difficult to see Sanan as a love interest, when he shows such disregard and callousness towards Chizuru’s wellbeing. I genuinely felt that having Sanan as a dateable character added very little to the overall storyline, other than revealing some more information about the Furies.

YAMAZAKI SUSUMU: Part of the ‘Watch’ division of the Shinsengumi, Yamazaki is mainly involved in stealth missions and reconnaissance rather than on the front lines of battle. He holds Hijikata in high esteem as a skilled commander who cares for his men, and devotes himself wholeheartedly to him. Yamazaki is serious, dedicated and prioritises the success of a mission above all else. I always liked Yamazaki’s character from the original game, and I was very excited to play his route in the remake.

Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed his character story and how his relationship with Chizuru developed. Yamazaki is just so adorably shy and reserved, and his serious nature prevents him from expressing his true feelings. It was quite amusing to see how all the other characters slowly became aware of their relationship, whilst Yamazaki remained completely oblivious.

It was so sweet when he revealed how he came to fall in love with Chizuru: that he was always watching her from afar, and it was from these moments that he truly came to realise her innocent and honest nature. It is because of this that he cannot stand to see her hurt, and feels powerless to protect her as she has become someone irreplaceable to him. Unlike the other warriors who possess the strength to fight, Yamazaki is constantly forced to watch as his comrades perish in war.

Chizuru in turn assuages that in his own way, he is fighting his hardest in order to prevent more casualties from occurring. He is a vital part of the Shinsengumi, even though his strength does not lie within his ability to wield a sword. Chizuru is able to understand him in a way that others cannot, despite his quiet and withdrawn nature.

The two just complement one another so well, and it’s the little things that really endeared him as a character to me throughout his route. If anything, I wish there was more writing dedicated to fleshing out his story. I felt it was so short in comparison to the screen time the other bachelor routes had.

IBA HACHIRO: A childhood friend of both the protagonist and the Shinsengumi, Iba is popular amongst the men due to their youthful memories of learning swordsmanship with one another. He has been promoted to the position of vassal for the Shogun, and inherited his prestigious family dojo during their time apart. As a result, he wields a blade with superior finesse and skill. However, it is clear that unlike the Shinsengumi; he has never tarnished his sword with the life of another.

Soft-spoken, handsome, gentle and charming, Chizuru is unsure initially as to how to respond to his forward affection. She slowly falls in love with his kind nature, and becomes frustrated that she cannot seem to remember the fond childhood memories that Iba holds dear. Iba on the other hand, dedicated his entire life to swordsmanship in order to gain the strength needed to protect the girl he loved in the past.

I had little expectation going into this route as Iba is a new character, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Although the whole childhood friend trope isn’t by any means groundbreaking to the otome genre, I felt that the writing and dynamic between the characters were done well. It is very difficult to dislike Iba, as he is very forward, honest and genuinely cares for Chizuru’s wellbeing above his own.

I found the ‘ancient demonic arm’ aspect of his route to be quite interesting, and not what I anticipated at all. The premise was not seen in any of the previous games, so it was nice to see something completely new to the Hakuoki series. However, I felt it was integrated quite poorly and had some glaring loop holes such as how it even attached to his own arm in the first place. In one scene it was completely separate from his own body, and in the next it had magically fused with him.

You would think that the writers would address such a crucial development in his route, and I was left very confused at how it was left unexplained. Despite the lacklustre incorporation into the storyline, it was still a welcome change and refreshing angle to his character route. In the original Hakuoki, barely any of the stories ever truly expanded on the ‘demon universe’ fantasy aspect of the plot. It’s quite disappointing, as there is just so much of Chizuru’s own background and past that is left unexplored.

SAKAMOTO RYOUMA: A ronin from the Tosa domain, Sakamoto is a man of mystery and proposes radical concepts far beyond the scope of his time era. He strongly believes in working for the sake of Japan’s future as a whole, rather than living a simple and meaningless life as a vassal. He quickly becomes a target and creates many enemies, due to his weaponry dealings with various domains and his lack of allegiance to a single side in the war.

He immediately becomes interested in Chizuru from first glance, and attempts to become closer to her at every opportunity. To her dismay, he is very flirtatious, suave, charismatic and handsome; often leaving her extremely flustered and confused as to what the underlying meaning behind his actions are. I found their relationship dynamic very interesting and refreshing, as it was very different from all the other bachelors. His route also offered a lot more context to the overarching war, and different perspectives on why important events occurred.

I found the whole ‘letter writing’ asoect of their relationship to be very cute, and it definitely showed the development of their feelings for one another. It built up anticipation for the readers, wondering when the pair would next be able to meet. However, one aspect of the route that I found quite lacklustre was Sakamoto’s reasons for falling in love with Chizuru. Unlike the others, he is intrigued by her from the very beginning and without much given reason.

Their relationship develops very rapidly, and I couldn’t help but question his motives throughout the route. Just why was he going so far for essentially a stranger? What was compelling him to do all these things for Chizuru? Does he have a hidden agenda? The address of his initial feelings was never answered even until the very end of his story, and it definitely made the romance progression feel much weaker in comparison to the other routes.

SOUMA KAZUE: Souma is a bright-eyed warrior, who abandons his former family upbringing in order to follow the ideals of the Shinsengumi. Souma truly believes that the Shinsengumi embody what it means to be a Samurai. He is initially appointed as Kondou’s page, and works beneath Chizuru who acts as his mentor throughout the story. He quickly learns and attends to the chores within the compound, as well as sword training underneath the other Captains.

As a result, the pair spend majority of their time with one another and become fast friends. Although his skill with the sword pales in comparison to the Shinsengumi Captains, Souma is determined to attain true strength and works hard each and everyday. Out of the new characters, Souma’s route was the one I did last as he had very little presence in all the bachelor stories and he did not pique my interest at all.

As Iba and Sakamoto’s routes were quite promising, I went into Souma’s path with high expectations. However, I was once again disappointed as it suffered from the same glaring issues as Shinpachi’s and Sanan’s routes. It had very little romance throughout the entire story, and I considered it platonic at best. For the bulk of his story, he does not even realise Chizuru is a girl; which made for some very comical moments that I did enjoy.

But as a result, the romance naturally suffered due to his lack of awareness of her true gender. I felt that Souma’s route was underwhelming and stale in comparison to the other bachelors, as very little events of substance actually occurs. His route also doesn’t reveal or contribute anything noteworthy to the overarching storyline. The only redeeming quality of his route was that his character is voiced by Yūki Kaji. I’m hoping his route picks up in the second half, as that is where I’m expecting the actual romance to occur.

Design ★★★★

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The beautiful art for the Hakuoki series has always been one of the highlights of the game. The bachelors are just all so well designed, and very distinguishable from one another. The background art has also notably improved in the remake, looking much more refined and crisp on the PS Vita screen. They also incorporated many new backdrops that were not in the original game.

As I mentioned earlier, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds included many more CGs for all the bachelors than I expected considering it is only the first half of the game. It included both CGs found in the fan disk and new CGs exclusive to the remake. Although Idea Factory decided to design new characters to entice returning players to the remake, I personally didn’t find myself as attached to their designs in comparison to the original cast.

To my knowledge, the original artist for the series Kazuki Yone is no longer affiliated with the company; and the new characters and CGs were illustrated by an unknown artist. It is clear that they attempted to emulate as closely as possible the original art style, with the new bachelors and CGs. Although most of the new CGs are quite well drawn and lovely, in several of them I noticed the expressions of the characters were particularly different in comparison to the original artwork.

It definitely seemed quite stiff, and not so smoothly drawn when placed side by side with Kazuki Yone’s illustrations. I will never understand the decision behind removing her from the series, as I felt her unique artistic touch to the original characters is incomparable. It’s just so distinct, and really brought the characters to life. The new character designs although attractive, were nowhere near as memorable and well designed in comparison to the original cast.

Considering how ridiculously popular the Hakuoki series is, you would think that they would wish to maintain the main selling point of the game which is the artwork. If you’re new to the series then the differences will not be as apparent, but as I am very familiar with the game I instantly noticed the artistic changes. It’s very disappointing, and leaves me apprehensive for future artwork in the Hakuoki series.

Music and Voice Acting ★★★★

The music and voice acting is another aspect of the Hakuoki series that contributed to its immense success. One thing I didn’t expect from the remake was a completely revamped soundtrack, in comparison to the original game. The bgm tracks have significantly improved, especially for the battle and combat scenes. They suited the theme and motifs of the game perfectly, and were very effective in setting the mood of the story.

As additional dialogue and scenes were added to the remake, I also found the voice acting had improved from the original game. The new dialogue showcased more of the bachelor’s personalities, and enabled the voice actors to be so much more expressive in demonstrating their character’s feelings and inner conflict. The voice acting cast for the Hakuoki series has always impressed me, and it features a prolific and experienced line up of seiyuus. They emulated all the characters in the game immaculately and really brought their personalities to life.

The standout performances to me were definitely Miki Shin’ichirou (Hijikata Toshizo), Tsuda Kenjirou (Kazama Chikage) and Morikubo Shoutarou (Okita Souji). Hakuoki was the series that really made me a fan of Tsuda Kenjirou’s voice acting, as I felt his interpretation of Kazama’s voice and character was even greater than anything I could have imagined. His voice is just so rich, and distinguishable. He perfectly captures Kazama’s resentment towards humans, and his unwavering arrogance that Demons are superior in all aspects over mankind.

Hijikata Toshizo | VA: Miki Shin’ichirou | 三木眞一郎 |
Black Wolves Saga series as Nesso Galland, Pokemon series as James, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood as Roy Mustang
Okita Souji | VA: Morikubo Shoutarou | 森久保祥太郎 |
Code: Realize series as Impey Barbicane, Persona series as Hanamura Yosuke, and Naruto series as Shikamaru Nara
Hajime Saito | VA: Toriumi Kousuke | 鳥海浩輔|
Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ as Poyo-poyo/Shiki Hanamiya, Danganronpa series as Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Diabolik Lovers series as Sakamaki Shuu, Nightshade as Momochi Choujirou, and Naruto series as Inuzuka Kiba
Kazama Chikage | VA: Tsuda Kenjirou | 津田健次郎 |
Nightshade as Hattori Hanzo, and The Charming Empire as Amazaki Soshi
Iba Hachiro | VA: Miyano Mamoru | 宮野真守 |
Ouran High School Host Club as Tamaki Suou, Steins Gate series as Okabe Rintarou, Death Note as Light Yagami, Vampire Knight series as Zero Kiryu and Kingdom Hearts series as Riku
Souma Kazue | VA: Yūki Kaji | 梶裕貴 |
Black Wolves Saga series as Rath Vogart, Diabolik Lovers series as Sakamaki Kanato, Code: Realize series as Finis, Collar x Malice as Okazaki Kei, Norn 9 series as Yuiga Kakeru, Accel World as Haruyuki Arita, Attack on Titan as Eren Yeager, Final Fantasy series as Hope and Ao Haru Ride as Kou Mabuchi

System ★★★★

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The system overhaul and overall UI improvements were quite impressive in the remake. They completely renewed the text dialogue appearance, as well as the system navigation options. It incorporated a significantly better design than the original game, and felt very smooth to use. It included all the basic functions such as CG Gallery, Music List, Scene Recollection, and skip options.

I definitely would’ve really liked a ‘jump’ button included in the game, as the common route reused so many scenes and it was very time consuming to skip through for all 11 bachelors. The ‘Record of Service’ was extremely useful in the completion of the game, and unlocked after finishing a bachelor route. It enables the player to select exactly which chapter they would like to start the next play through on, as well as adjusting the bachelor’s affection level to access the different endings.

The encyclopaedia was very helpful in understanding the historical terminology and timeline, and I liked how they also added a side image of the character when providing information in regards to them. They also included effects such as floating cherry blossoms in between chapter transitions, and falling snow during the winter which were very nice extras to see.

Similar to the PS3 version, they again incorporated sprite animations such as moving lips, blinking eyes etc. However, I felt it looked much smoother in comparison to the original, as the animations were rather stiff on the PS3. There was also an on-screen butterfly effect which hovered over a particular bachelor, if you increased affection points with them after a decision.

I felt that out of all the new features, the ‘Warrior Record’ could’ve been designed much better. I was initially so confused as to what the purpose for it was, until I realised it indicated the current bachelor’s level of affection. I felt it was quite inconvenient to use, as you had to individually scroll through every bachelor to find the one you were after. Also, the percentage indicator was so small and it was why I couldn’t decipher what it’s function was to begin with at all.

The aspect I was most impressed with were all the new character animations and effects during the battle scenes. It’s significantly more interactive in comparison to the original, and actually included effects like blood being smeared across the screen, and improved blade animations. The transitions between the images were much smoother, and the overlaying of the character sprites felt more ‘authentic’ to an actual battle scene.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds was definitely a better remake than I had initially expected. The writing is noticeably more detailed, which created a significantly more immersive storyline and multi-dimensional characters. The overall art improvements and complete music overhaul was also a great plus to the game. However, I did have some notable criticisms with the remake.

By the fifth and sixth play through, it definitely became extremely tedious going over the same common route so many times over. As someone who is very familiar with the series and played it on multiple ports, I did struggle with completing the game. Although it was very enjoyable playing the better written characters and routes, the new additional bachelors felt rather bland in comparison. Despite Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds offering a lot of new content, it became extremely text heavy as a result.

If you’re not a fan of long introductions, slow storyline pacing and a greater focus on the plot rather than the romances between the characters; then Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds may not be the game for you.

Not only that, but as it is ‘Part One’ to the series; it’s essentially a constant rinse and repeat of the story introduction, the same historical events and political unrest within Japan before any of the actual romance happens. Although it would be more enjoyable for new players to the series, it would still become noticeably tedious in the later play throughs.

The new characters were a lot better than I initially thought, but they were nowhere near as memorable and likeable as the original cast. I definitely would have preferred more content with the original characters, rather than having that screen time split with the new bachelors. For example: Shinpachi, Yamazaki and Sanan can barely be classified as ‘new routes’ and they definitely felt like side characters despite being apart of the main cast.

On the upside, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds offers a lot of replayability and content to read as it took me a long time to finish the game. Eleven dateable characters is by far the most I’ve seen out of all the otome games I have played. There is plenty of beautiful art with every bachelor, despite some characters receiving more than others.

As I mentioned earlier, although there is definitely new never before seen content in the remake, not all of it is ‘completely new’. For example: a lot of the ‘romance scenes’ with the bachelors are reused from the fan disk (Zuisouroku) and Stories of the Shinsengumi. Rather than being a standalone segment of the game, it is integrated into the storyline itself for more seamless and cohesive storytelling. This is rather misleading advertisement for returning players to the series, and a little disappointing. However, if you have never played the aforementioned fan disk or PS3 version; then this would not affect your enjoyment of the game at all.

Initially, I was stuck between 3/5 or a 3.5/5 rating due to how repetitive the game became in the later play throughs. However, after factoring aspects such as the art, music, voice acting, system, and improved writing; it definitely bumped it up to a 3.5/5. You can definitely see a lot of significant revamps and improvements in the remake, in comparison to the original Hakuoki title. I still enjoyed it despite being very familiar with the story and characters already. I have high hopes for the second half of the remake, as this is where the storyline really picks up. It actually diverges into the individual character routes, and where the true romance and character development happens.

Again, thank you to Idea Factory International for reaching out to me for the opportunity and I’ll definitely be posting up more reviews soon!

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

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Written By Cherry

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Release Date: 2015 Publisher: Idea Factory & Aksys Games Platforms Available: PS Vita (Japanese & English) Game Link: Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Physical] Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Limited Edition] Official Site: Aksys Games

Storyline ★★★

Character Development ★★

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

Design ★★★★

Music and Voice Acting ★★★★

System ★★★★

Conclusion

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Impressions on the Limited Edition

Storyline ★★★

Character Development ★★★

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

Design ★★★★

Music and Voice Acting ★★★★

System ★★★★

Conclusion

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Release Date: 2015
Publisher: Idea Factory & Aksys Games
Platforms Available: PS Vita (Japanese & English)
Game Link: Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Physical]
Bad Apple Wars – PS Vita [Limited Edition]
Official Site: Aksys Games