Good Nobunaga or dangerous?

I knew precisely what I used to be entering into with Samurai Maiden, I’m simply not precisely certain why I went with it. I assume I hoped it’d do one thing completely different. You possibly can simply describe it as an Isekai, although technically, the primary character travels again to the previous; she then goes into Yomi. It’s about her attempting to outlive, form of, whereas she’s being helped by ninjas from each her personal and parallel dimensions. It’s a little bit bit yuri, and fairly shoujo.

I assume with it tying within the Sengoku interval, I hoped it’d do one thing distinctive.

Nope.

Samurai Maiden (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Nintendo Change)
Developer: SHADE Inc.
Writer: D3PUBLISHER
Launched: December 8, 2022
MSRP: $59.99

I’d prefer to again up just a few steps and say that Samurai Maiden isn’t dangerous. It’s simply which you could most likely inform by taking a look at it if it’s one thing you’d be into. It’s most likely precisely what you’re picturing it’s.

The story is advised very like a visible novel, with characters standing moderately motionlessly in entrance of a static background whereas textual content performs in entrance of them. It’s the story of Tsumugi, who will get abruptly and inexplicably transported again in time to the burning of Honnou-Ji Temple in 1598, which was famously when warlord Oda Nobunaga died. She meets Oda Nobunaga, who’s fabulously voiced by Takaya Kuroda — the voice of Kazama Kiryu from the Yakuza sequence. Nevertheless, she doesn’t appear to appreciate he’s presupposed to be dying, which is humorous, as a result of whilst a Westerner, I do know the story of Oda Nobunaga.

Anyway, she helps him stay, after which she and a bunch of ninjas go to thwart the revival of some kind of Demon Lord. It’s a cling-wrap clear plot. I want I might say that it will get higher, however it actually doesn’t. The main target is as an alternative placed on the characters who aren’t that terrific both. They’re all nice sufficient, however they’re so archetypal and generic that it’s actually arduous to care about any of them. Oof. They put on white panties, although, so we are able to no less than inform that they’re courageous past cause.

My boobs nonetheless received’t develop

The gameplay is that typical Musou-style gentle and heavy assault hack-and-slash system. The large hook right here is which you could summon your mates to carry out particular assaults fairly steadily. Iyo does direct harm, Hagane does extra sustained harm, and Komimi does an area-of-effect. You cost them by dealing harm, however they get crammed fairly shortly in the event you keep on the offensive. It really works nicely, for essentially the most half.

What doesn’t work nicely is the precise fight that your woman Tsumugi does. It’s obnoxiously gluey and doesn’t movement nicely. You unlock further strikes by getting nearer along with your ladies, however the combos aren’t actually a lot to talk of. Shifting impacts what assault your character does, so holding ahead means the distinction between throwing a single, ineffectual heavy assault or beginning a combo. I hate that. You’ll be able to’t ask me to stay cell after which cease to start a combo. You can also’t dodge cancel, which provides to the clunky feeling. In case your character is throwing a flurry of slashes, there’s no strategy to interrupt it, even when they’re standing within the hazard zone.

Her heat, her softness

The degrees are additionally aesthetically repetitive and uninteresting. You’re normally in caves or round Japanese castles which might be floating within the ether. The rooms are at all times boxy and under-decorated. They kind of soften away when fight begins, however the environments actually do nothing to assist have interaction.

The graphics, no less than on the PC model, are nice, even when they’re neither intricate nor well-utilized. The characters are detailed of their adherence to the archetypical anime model. There’s a shimmer to their eyes, and small particulars actually come out.

Sadly, at any time when there are few cutscenes. Nearly each little bit of storytelling is completed within the visible novel-style dialogue scenes. The characters don’t act out what they’re doing, as an alternative, they simply shift from pose to pose like they’re voguing for the digicam. The dialogue is so lengthy, fluffed up, and drawn out that I discovered it inconceivable to not simply skip via a few of it. To be truthful, it’s actually arduous to keep away from dumping tonnes of exposition once you’re not displaying what’s going on within the story. However then they maintain piling fluff onto this exposition, after which they’ve characters repeat issues again and again.

It’s lots. It’s not terrible, however if you wish to truly take note of all of the dialogue, you’re going to be spending a number of the sport’s runtime watching the characters vogue for the digicam.

It’s a little erotic

Samurai Maiden isn’t actually a nasty recreation. Like I mentioned earlier, in the event you have a look at it and assume it’s one thing you is likely to be into, it’s most likely protected sufficient to check out. Alternatively, I can’t consider one factor I discovered excellent concerning the recreation. The lesbian undertones? That’s good, I assume. I’m at all times on board for extra non-heteronormative characters, however that’s not sufficient to hold issues. My thoughts retains going again to 2021’s Good Gold, which was an precise yuri visible novel that had significantly better writing.

Are my requirements too excessive? Perhaps.

You then additionally need to issue within the launch value and the in depth checklist of DLC costumes. I don’t usually prefer to complain an excessive amount of about pricing, however I discover it significantly egregious right here. One of many excuses that saved rolling round my head to make sense of Samurai Maiden’s shortcomings was “low finances,” but when that’s truly the case, asking such a excessive entrance charge after which asking extra for cosmetics is a bit galling. I’d have a neater time recommending it if it was at a finances value.

As a substitute, I can solely suggest Samurai Maiden in the event you have a look at it and are available to the conclusion that that is your jam. It targets a particular area of interest, and it’s competent sufficient that I believe that it might fulfill that. Nevertheless, in the event you’re hoping for something deeper than that –  something that may create a memorable expertise – you’re not going to seek out it. Samurai Maiden is about as generic because it will get.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}