A Samurai Love Ballad…
Giggling under the covers late at night. A passionate evening with a lover? Well, something like that. Otome (Maiden in English) games are a romantic escape from the mundane. I started playing these RPGs while going through a difficult divorce. The idea of being a charming, beautiful girl while handsome, interesting men vied for my attention is a refreshing experience for a broken heart. More recently, I play to enjoy the well-crafted and dramatic stories. Today’s game captured my eye due to its high reviews, beautiful artwork, and of course, the strong historical Japanese influence. Join me in the land of fantasy and intrigue of Samurai Love Ballad: Party.
The Premise
Released in 2016 by Tokyo-based Voltage Inc and loosely based on their popular story app Sakura Amidst Chaos, Samurai Love Ballad: Party is one of Voltage’s most popular English translated Otome games. Set during the Sengoku or Warring States period, various samurai and their retainers vied to unite Japan under a single Shogunate. The main character is a young girl living in Kyoto during these tumultuous times. A chance encounter thrusts her into the world of samurai. She has to survive, and just might find love with one of fifteen members that make up the diverse cast inspired by real samurai and ninja.
Three portraits of the real life samurai featured in the game. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda Nobunaga, and Tokugawa Ieyesu
Main Story
Players use love passes to read the main story. Additionally, players must also earn skill points and items to finish the main story. Each main story takes about a month to complete with daily participation. Everyday, five chapters become available to the player with each chapter ending on a slight cliff hanger to keep players logging in the next day.
The stories all start a little slow, but gently pull you in with driving plots. The cast is quite diverse in personality. I was mostly drawn to the loyal and steadfast Mitsuhide and down-to-earth Hideyoshi, but all of the characters have their charming moments. One of the strongest points in the game are the very dramatic epilogues. Though only inspired by the Sengoku period, the endings heavily draw from the real life samurai’s fates. I have often found myself spending real life money to see my favorite characters to the very end. It is always hard to pick a new samurai, but after a few chapters I’m just as entertained as I was with the previous lords.
Bonus Content
Besides the main story, players will find themselves with many optional mini-games to enjoy. Limited time story events are fun breaks from the main story and allow for various “What if…” situations that break from the canon. One of my favorite aspects of the game is collecting items earned from regular game play. A well decorated castle or avatar is a point of pride for many players. This game also employs the use of allies, though outside of limited time events their function is almost non-existent. However, it seems voltage is looking to implement a social network feature in the near future, so they may be more relevant in the future. Players can also access an album that contains original artwork and additional stories.
Design
Like most otome games, character design is based on Japanese illustration style. The main casts’ faces are distinct, handsome and change expressions to match the mood and story. The secondary cast also have less detailed but unique designs and costumes and are capable of performing limited expressions. There are a few minor complaints in design. Tertiary cast do not have unique designs and are distracting as there is a “villain” type that stands out. Additionally, Despite the main character going to many locations within the story, not a lot of time is spent developing the background. However, one of my favorite design aspects is not the game itself but the menus. Little details like flowers and sparkles and cute colors make navigating the game fun.
Selected screenshots from the game. Main game story, bonus game menu, character closet, original artwork
The Verdict
Game play: 8/10 Slow to start but leaves you breathless at the conclusion
Bonus Content: 7/10 Some features could use tweaking, but over all lots to keep players of all stripes interested outside of the main story
Design: 7/10 The main cast design and costuming is spectacular with the rest of the cast and backgrounds falling a little flat. The menus and navigation are nothing short of adorable with little details that never fail to delight.
Samurai Love Ballad: Party is a well-written and designed game that will enthrall lovers of Japanese culture, historical romance, or dating sims. With so many aspects of play, it’s a game that is hard to put down and forget. Players will appreciate the lack of intrusive ads and freemium money grubbing. It’s easy to see why this game is the flagship of Voltage Inc and how they continue to dominate the app-based Otome game market.
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