My Playtime: About 40 hours (there is no records for time in this game)
Genre: Dating Simulation
My Rating: 4 out of 5 starsI was playing the Icarus Uprising a while ago. It was currently the last 3DS game in my queue. I played about 2 hours worth before I got pissed my the poor navigation and controls that I gave up. That game had potential, but it could've been majorly improved. So, I'm now moving back to my PSP queue. And Hakuoki seemed interesting enough. I have never played a dating sim game before. Of course, I've seen references to it often enough in animes and mangas. But in America, I'm guessing these games have a very low fan base. But I always wanted to try it and this might be a little heavy for a newbie to the genre.
STORY: You are (insert name) Yukimura. As a default, you are called Chizuru Yukimura. Chizuru, dressed as a boy, came to Kyoto to search for her missing father. Unfortunately, she ran into some rogue ronins and was saved by some men in blue cloaks. However, they were soon after her! Unable to run, Chizuru awaited her fate. Luckily, she was saved by three of the Shinsengumi's captains. But now she saw too much and ended up as their captive.
This is a visual novel. Pretty much, you will be pressing X alot. There are no battles or dungeons. You will follow the same route, up to chapter 4, and diverged from there, based upon the decisions you made in the earlier chapters. I suggest a strategy guide. Believe me. I did it the first time without a guide and got a bad ending. Had to start the whoooole thing over. The story gets tedious when you are reading the same script over and over again. And in this case, if you want all the graphics and ending videos, you will play it at least 6 times at least. I have gotten to the point, I could discuss Japanese history with no problems. LOL The story spans about 3 years during the final years of the Shogunate. Right before the new government, Satsuma and Choshu, took over.
CHARACTERS: You are playing for the 5 hearts of the Shinsengumi and 1 secret one. All the guys have their own sexy appeal. Of course, I favor one over the others like most fangirls. It's up to you to decide.
Toshizo Hijikata: The commander of the Shinsengumi. Also known as the "Demon." The one you are technically suppose to fall for. His story takes you through the "true" story line. In any case, he is the hottest, IMO, especially when he cuts his hair and wears the western uniform. Uber yummy. He always acts taciturn and makes himself the target for the blame for any decisions that is placed upon the Shinsengumi. But deep down, he has a heart that really cares for his friends and comrades. Hijikata is not the most romantic man. It's not till chapter 8 & 9 that he shows any affection to the heroine.
Hajime Saito: The captain of the ?th division. He is my second choice. He's frigging hot as well. Especially in his western uniform. Kyahhh~ He is what you call the deep, silent type. Rarely speaks. But when he does, it is usually profound. The Japanese seiyuu who does his voice is spot on. *sigh* I love listening to him speak. Because he is left handed, he is consider a heretic and not a true warrior. Only the Shinsengumi took him as he is and now, he devotes his life to them. He is the least romantic of all the characters. He constantly treated the heroine as an idiot for following him. I'm a masochist.
Toudou Heisuke: The youngest captain of the ?th division. I'm not a big fan of his appearance and voice. But he was the most honest with his affection towards the heroine and you get a lot of "Aww" moments with these two. Tends to act before thinking. Overly zealous, emotional and unsure of his beliefs, his youth really shows, in comparison to his older compatriots. Honest with his emotions. His story line was probably second best. Not a lot of fighting and better solutions for their situation.
Souji Okita: The captain of the 1st division. He is an avid devotee to Kondou (the chief of Shinsengumi) and hates Hijikata, since Hijikata is more close to Kondou. He openly speaks about killing people with no problems. Okita has tendency to be selfish as well. This route tended to be a bit more sad. Not in a bad way, of course. But it is my least favorite route. There is a massive load of drama that makes things so complicated. *sigh*
Sanosuke Harada: The captain of the 10th division. The best spears man of Shinsengumi and possibly of all of Japan. My least fav in appearance. I dunno. I'm not a fan of his hairstyle and hooded lids. A womanizer and drinker. However, you can tell he really cares for his fellow Shinsengumi men. His storyline is the most straightforward and simple. He is the only member who does not turn into a rasetsu, or Fury. This has to be my most fav storyline. Harada is not the hardcore warrior. His dream is to get married and live a quiet life. This storyline feels more like a romance novel. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone but wowzer. Let's just say that Harada doesn't waste time in "getting to know" Chizuru. *Blush* Cutest ending.
Chikage Kazama: The leader of the Kazama demon clan and the main antagonist to the Shinsengumi. His goal is take Chizuru as his bride and produce even stronger demons. I have a love/hate relationship. Despite being a jerk half the time, he can be pretty decent once and while. In this storyline (can only be unlocked after clearing a couple of the other story lines), the Shinsengumi abandoned Chizuru in Kyoto as they made their move to Kodo castle. About to be kidnapped by rogue samurai, who comes to her rescue but Kazama.
GRAPHICS: It's just CGs pictures. The characters are flat. Their faces change to fit their moods. But they don't move their mouths or anything like that. Like I said, it's like a picture book.
SOUND/BGM/VOICES: I love the voice acting. They stay true by using the original Japanese voices and using English subtitles underneath. Of course, I know basic Japanese and some of the wordings don't exactly fit word for word, but you get the gist of what they are saying.
EXTRAS: In the Limited Edition, you will also receive a collectible art book and a CD. The artbook is pretty thin and small but worth it. I love looking at the artwork. I've also ordered more conventional artbooks from an anime store. I have not listen to the CD.
Not everyone will enjoy this. If you like to read, this will be perfect for you. Action, adventure, RPG gamers will definitely hate this. The game requires patience. If you like Japanese history, the game used a lot of real life individuals as the basis of their many characters. They are not quite as good looking, but their fates were pretty much the same. Being a dating sim, you will think there would be a lot of romance. There is not. Usually in the final chapters, you get a smidge here and there. Remember, these guys are warriors. LOL So if you're looking for major flowery stuff here, skip it.
On side note, I just had to watch the anime after playing this game. OMG! The anime is as good as the game. The anime perfectly recreated the scenes that you have to visualize in your head. They use the same voice actors as the game. All I can say, watch and buy the anime when it comes to the States. It is so worth it. They are some tough scenes that will hit you emotionally. But war is never pretty.
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