Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens

Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens
Cover art of the original Dreamcast release, featuring protagonists Sakura Shinguji and Erica Fontaine.
Developer(s)
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Oji Hiroi
Producer(s) Noriyoshi Ohba
Artist(s) Hidenori Matsubara
Writer(s)
Composer(s) Kohei Tanaka
Series Sakura Wars
Platform(s) Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)
Mode(s) Single-player

Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens[lower-alpha 1] is a video game co-developed by Red Company and Overworks for the Dreamcast. The fourth entry in the Sakura Wars series and the last for Sega home consoles, it was published by Sega in 2002. Defined by its publisher as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars 4 combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements.

Set directly following the events of Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?, main protagonist Ichiro Ogami returns to Tokyo and reunites with the Imperial Assault Force and its "Flower Division", a troop of magically-imbued women who defend Tokyo from supernatural threats while also working as a theater company. The two main plot threads focus on Ogami acting as the producer for the group's adaptation of Les Misérables, alongside the escape of a hostile ghost that requires the combined efforts of the Imperial Assault Force and Sakura Wars 3's Paris Division to defeat.

Sakura Wars 4 was intended to take place in New York, continuing Ogami's overseas adventures. When the Dreamcast was discontinued by Sega, the development team instead decided to create a celebratory game to conclude Ogami's narrative. The game took just ten months to make, resulting in less gameplay content than previous Sakura Wars games. While reusing gameplay assets from Sakura Wars 3, the graphics were improved using new software tools. The game has been praised by critics, and is one of Japan's best-selling Dreamcast titles. The game's initial concepts would be used in the next entry, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love.

Synopsis

Sakura Wars 4 begins in Tokyo in 1927, six months after the events of Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?. Imperial Army Lieutenant Ichiro Ogami has returned from Paris and reunited with the Flower Division of the Imperial Assault Force. All is quiet until a powerful spirit breaks free of its imprisonment in Ginza and begins terrorizing the city using a powerful golden Koubu. Immobilized by a golden mist produced by the Koubu, the Flower Division are easily beaten back and their theater base damaged. The ghost belongs to Ōkubo Nagayasu, a corrupt samurai daimyo enraged at his vilification by the people following his death. When Nagayasu is about to kill the Flower Division in another attack, the Paris Division from Sakura Wars 3 arrives and rescues them, answering the Imperial Assault Force's call for aid. Working together, the two groups weaken Nagayasu, then Ogami and his chosen companion use a powerful Koubu to exorcise the ghost, restoring peace to Tokyo.

In their role as a theatre troupe, the Flower Division are preparing a stage adaptation of Les Misérables, which Ogami is tasked with directing. The need to properly portray the marriage scene leads to widespread misunderstandings as both Ogami and Flower Division members think each is proposing to the other. This is further complicated if Ogami had previously romanced any member of both the Flower and Paris Divisions. When the Paris Division arrives, if Ogami romanced any of them during the events of Sakura Wars 3, a love triangle situation is created. Ogami must choose which character he wishes to commit to. The production of Les Misérables is a resounding success, and Ogami is left as the sole figure of authority after the Imperial Assault Force's original manager Ikki Yoneda retires, satisfied that Ogami can succeed him. The final scenes vary depending on whether Ogami romanced any member of the Flower or Paris Divisions, and which character Ogami chooses to commit to.

Gameplay

The two main gameplay modes of Sakura Wars are social interaction using the LIPS system (above), and turn-based strategic battles which is directly influenced by earlier LIPS interactions (below).

Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens is set in Tokyo during a fictionalized version of the Taishō period (1912–1926). Players taking the role of Ichiro Ogami and two all-female combat groups; the "Flower Division" of the Imperial Assault Force and the "Paris Division" of the France-based Paris Assault Force. Dubbed a "dramatic adventure" game and taking place across several "acts", the gameplay segments incorporate tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel elements.[1][2] Gameplay is divided between periods where Ogami navigates the Imperial Theater and interacts with various characters, and combat sequences governed by a turn-based battle system across a three-dimensional (3D) area allowing full range of movement.[3][4]

During the adventure sections, Ogami navigates the Imperial Theatre. During these sequences, when talking with both the main heroines and supporting characters from the Imperial Assault Force, conversations rely on the series' LIPS (Live & Interactive Picture System) system; when faced with critical choices in the course of a conversation, dialogue options are displayed with a time limit for the player to select a response. Depending on the type of response, the character may respond positively or negatively, impacting their relationship and future interactions with Ogami. The game also incorporates "Double LIPS", where interactions cross between multiple characters; and "Analog LIPS", where a single response's intensity is judged by the player.[2][3] If save data from the Dreamcast versions of the last three Sakura Wars titles is imported, Ogami's romance choices from those games are incorporated into the narrative.[5]

During combat segments, the Flower Division fight monsters in the streets of Tokyo using machines called Koubu. Battles take place within 3D arenas, where each unit has a full range of movement, with their distance limited by an Action Point meter: the battle system is dubbed "ARMS" (Active & Realtime Machine System). Each unit can perform two actions during their turn, which cover a variety of actions including attacking, healing, boosting a unit's statistics, and defending. Actions taken during LIPS sequences with members of the Flower Division directly impact battles; skillful performances during LIPS segments raise a character's Motivation, granting status increases and improving combat ability. LIPS interactions can also unlock Combination and Coalesce attacks, where two characters perform a joint attack to deal high damage to a single enemy.[2][3][4]

Development

Concept work for Sakura Wars 4 began during the last development stages for Sakura Wars 3.[6] Sakura Wars 4 was originally going to be set in New York, continuing Ogami's overseas travels to both there and a planned Division in Taiwan.[7] When it was announced that series publisher Sega were ending production on the Dreamcast, Sega asked that Sakura Wars 4 be moved to the PlayStation 2. The team disagreed, with series creator Oji Hiroi not wanting the series' final Dreamcast entry to be Sakura Wars 3. With this in mind, Red Company and Overworks instead decided to create a celebratory final entry for the Dreamcast.[6][7] Hiroi acted as director, while Noriyoshi Ohba was producer; also returning from Sakura Wars 3 were character designer Hidenori Matsubara, scenario writers Satoru Akahori and Hiroyuki Kawasaki, and composer Kohei Tanaka.[8][9] While previous development cycles had lasted two years or more, Sakura Wars 4 was completed in ten months.[10]

The production proved challenging for the team despite the scenario being completed by the time of its announcement. The game system was based on the work done for Sakura Wars 3, with minimal changes made.[6] The Koubu designs were redone slightly, with smoother bodies and new perforated body parts, requiring the integration of both new and updated software tools, which were also applied to complicated environmental effects in cutscenes.[11] The anime cutscenes were produced by Production I.G, who had worked on Sakura Wars 3, Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die, and the Sakura Wars movie. The opening also played into the theme of celebration, showing the entire cast in relaxed situations.[12][13] Rather than increase their quantity over previous titles, the teams chose to focus on quality. The anime sequences combined traditional animation with CGI-based elements to allow for greater fluidity [11] The CGI mecha animations were created using techniques used for the movie.[14] A troublesome part of development integrating new video software, with the aim to create the smoothest possible gameplay experience to date. This was possible due to the long-standing positive working relationship between Overworks and Production I.G.[11]

Prior to beginning development on Sakura Wars 4, the team contacted all the main cast from the past games to ensure they could include all thirteen heroines. Once this was agreed, the team began development, intending the game to be a "gift" from developers to long-term fans.[15] Sakura Wars 4 was the last major performance by actress Michie Tomizawa as central heroine Sumire Kanzaki, as Tomizawa retired from the role in 2002.[16] The opening theme was a version of the recurring series theme "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan"; called "Ogami! Teikoku Kagekidan", the theme was sung by Ogami's voice actor Akio Suyama and used elements from the opening themes of both Sakura Wars and Sakura Wars 3.[12][17] The ending theme, "You, My Flower", was sung by Suyama and the rest of the main female cast.[17]

Due to the development goals and short production period, the story was considerably shorter than earlier Sakura Wars, being formatted as a three act play rather than an anime series.[6] The theatre theme also carried over into the motifs surrounding the main villain.[12] The theme of the story was "eternal love", a culmination of the overall theme of romance used in the Sakura Wars series.[14] While it was a legitimate sequel to the earlier Sakura Wars games, the density of the cast caused staff to compare it to a special program or fan disc.[15] The inclusion of Les Misérables reflected the influences of Paris on Ogami since his return to Tokyo. For reference, the team used Kuroiwa Shūroku's 1919 translation, which was among the earliest Japanese versions of the novel. Cast members took on unconventional roles within the play as it would give them a means of evolving as characters; a cited example was Sakura taking a villainous role.[14] The story ultimately acted as the closure for Ogami's storyline, bringing together the casts of the Sakura Wars series up to that point.[6] The game's subtitle was taken from a poem by Japanese writer Tekkan Yosano, with Hiroi saying players would understand the quote's reference better after reading the whole poem.[6]

Release

Sakura Wars 4 was first announced in June 2001; when announced, Hiroi was quick to point out that while it was the last series entry for the Dreamcast, it was not the final entry in the Sakura Wars series.[18] A preview disc was released with Sakura Wars Online, featuring promotional images and trailers released up to that point.[19] Running up to the game's release, Sakura Wars 3 and the Dreamcast ports of the first two Sakura Wars games were reissued at reduced prices by Sega.[20] The game was released on March 21, 2002.[21] It was later ported to Microsoft Windows personal computers (PC). It was released for Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP on March 3, 2005. This version required multiple CD-ROMs due to the game's size.[22][23] A DVD-ROM version for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista on January 25, 2007.[23] As with most of the Sakura Wars series, the game never saw a release outside Japan.[1] Localization efforts were prevented due to Sega's uncertainty as to whether the game's blend of genres would find a profitable audience outside Japan.[24]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu36/40[25]
RPGFan90%[2]

During its first week on sale, Sakura Wars 4 sold over 207,000 copies, selling through over 80% of its initial shipments. As of 2004, the game has sold over 257,000 copies, making the game the tenth best-selling Dreamcast title in Japan.[26] As of 2007, the game is the fourth best-selling Sakura Wars title behind its predecessor.[27] The game's soundtrack album was awarded at the 2003 Japan Gold Disc Awards in the "Animation – Album of the Year" category.[28]

Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave Sakura Wars 4 a score of 36/40, with the critics giving it scores of 10, 9, 8 and 9 out of 10; this was the highest score given to a mainline Sakura Wars game up to that point.[25] RPGFan noted the game's focus on the theater, which the reviewer generally enjoyed despite missing the previous games' episodic format and noting a continued amount of unresolved plot threads. The graphics were praised for their increased quality and its solid gameplay elements, but criticised its short length.[2]

Japanese site Game Watch Impress was very positive about the storyline, graphics and the gameplay system. The main issue raised was that the game was not designed for series newcomers due to its callbacks and short length.[29] 4Gamer.net's Tetsuya Asakura, reviewing the PC version, praised the story options opened with the entire cast being present, and its solid gameplay. His main points of criticism were the limited graphical options and its short length.[30]

Legacy

In honor of Tomizawa's retirement from the role of Sumire following Sakura Wars 4, an original video animation (OVA) titled Sakura Wars; Sumire Kanzaki Retirement Memorial—Su・Me・Re was developed by Radix Ace Entertainment and Overworks; Tanaka created the music, while Kawasaki wrote the script. Depicting Sumire's retirement from the Flower Division and her career as an actress, it features Tomizawa's last performance in the role. The OVA was released for VHS and DVD on December 18, 2002.[9]

The original plans for Sakura Wars 4 were carried over into the next Sakura Wars game, which was being developed for the PlayStation 2.[7] Titled Sakura Wars V: Farewell, My Love in Japan, it was released in Japan in 2005 and overseas in 2010 for both the PlayStation 2 and Wii under the title Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love.[31][32][33] Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love formed part of the Sakura Wars World Project, a group of seven games being developed for the PlayStation 2 to expand the series' audience and eventually release internationally.[34] Four games in the group were released, but only Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love was released overseas, while the remaining three projects were officially cancelled in September 2008.[1][33][35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sakura Taisen Fō: Koiseyo Otome (Japanese: サクラ大戦4 〜恋せよ乙女〜)

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lada, Jenni (2006-04-24). "Important Importables: Sakura Taisen". GamerTell. Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "RPGFan Review – Sakura Taisen 4: Fall in Love, Maidens". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  3. 1 2 3 サクラ大戦4 〜恋せよ乙女〜 マニュアル [Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens Manual] (in Japanese). Sega. 2002-03-21.
  4. 1 2 よりパワーアップした戦闘システムを詳しく紹介！ (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens Website. Archived from the original on 2015-08-04. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  5. ↑ ”大神華撃団”、参上！！ (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens Website. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 サクラ大戦4 ~恋せよ乙女~ 最終攻略&設定資料集 [Sakura Wars 4 – Fall in Love, Maidens – Final Strategy & Setting Information Collection] (in Japanese). SoftBank Creative. 2002-07-25. ISBN 4-7973-2010-9.
  7. 1 2 3 セガ、PS2「サクラ大戦V」発売記念トークショーを実施広井王子氏らが「太正浪漫」の裏話などを披露 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 2005-07-07. Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  8. ↑ Red Company, Overworks (2002-03-21). Sakura Wars: Fall in Love, Maidens. Dreamcast. Sega. Scene: Credits.
  9. 1 2 サクラ大戦 神崎すみれ引退記念 す・み・れ (in Japanese). Sakura Wars Portal Site. Archived from the original on 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  10. ↑ サクラ大戦 蒸気工廠 [Sakura Wars Steam Factory] (in Japanese). SoftBank Creative. 2002. p. 42. ISBN 4-7973-2243-8.
  11. 1 2 3 Japanese Game Graphics: Behind the Scenes of Your Favorite Games. Harper Design. 2004-06-29. pp. 64–69. ISBN 0-0605-6772-4.
  12. 1 2 3 Dorimaga (in Japanese). SoftBank Creative (21): 44–47. 2002-03-08.
  13. ↑ "Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens". Production I.G. Archived from the original on 2006-05-08. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  14. 1 2 3 "Sakura Taisen 4 Interview With Hiroi Ouji". RPGFan. 2002. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  15. 1 2 これが最後のサクラ! セガ、DC版『サクラ大戦4』を来春発売 (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 2001-06-25. Archived from the original on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  16. ↑ 【東京ゲームショウ2001秋】イベントレポート ～「サクラ大戦4」にて神崎すみれ引退!!～ (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 2001-10-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  17. 1 2 Red Company, Sega. "Sakura Wars Complete Song Box liner notes." (in Japanese) Avex Mode. 2002-12-11. AVCA-14491~8. Retrieved on 2017-05-07.
  18. ↑ 2002年春、ドリームキャスト最後の超大作「サクラ大戦4」遂に映画化! 12月22日「サクラ大戦 活動写真」劇場公開 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 2001-06-25. Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  19. ↑ サクラ大戦オンライン – 『サクラ大戦４ プレビュウDisc』同梱 (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 2001-11-15. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  20. ↑ セガ、「サクラ大戦4」3月発売を前に「サクラ大戦」を特典付き、低価格で発売 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 2001-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  21. ↑ セガ、DC「サクラ大戦4」発売日を3月21日に決定Xbox「ガンヴァルキリー」、PS2「NFL2K2」なども決定 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 2002-01-08. Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  22. ↑ サクラ大戦.com ゲームタイトル紹介 – サクラ大戦4 〜恋せよ乙女〜 (in Japanese). Sakura Wars Portal Site. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  23. 1 2 豪華特典付き！『サクラ大戦』シリーズ4作品がDVD-ROMで登場 (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. 2006-11-28. Archived from the original on 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  24. ↑ "Letter of the Month: Sakura, Sakura, Sakura". Official Dreamcast Magazine (US). Dennis Publishing (7): 12. September 2000.
  25. 1 2 週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧 (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on 2013-02-17. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  26. ↑ "Sega Dreamcast Japanese Ranking". Japan Game Charts. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  27. ↑ Famitsu. Enterbrain (487): 54. 2008-02-08.
  28. ↑ 『サクラ大戦4』のサントラアルバムが日本ゴールドディスク大賞を受賞！ (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2003-03-12. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  29. ↑ Saeki, Kenji (2002-03-20). DCゲームレビュー 「サクラ大戦4 ～恋せよ乙女～」 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  30. ↑ Asakura, Tetsuya (2005-03-02). Windows版 サクラ大戦4 ～恋せよ乙女～ (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. Archived from the original on 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  31. ↑ "Sakura Wars V: Farewell, My Love". Red Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  32. ↑ "Date Change: Sakura Wars Coming March 30, 2010" (PDF) (Press release). NIS America. 2010-03-02. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  33. 1 2 Mason, Mike (2010-02-04). "Sakura Wars Wii Given European Release Date". Cubed3. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
  34. ↑ "Sakura Taisen World Project: 7 New Sakura Taisen Games Announced". RPGFan. 2002-07-01. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  35. ↑ Famitsu. Enterbrain (1033). 2008-09-19.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.