Sakura Fantasy
Gameplay 3
Graphics 8
Sound 7

Sakura Fantasy features an intriguing storyline, interesting characters, and beautiful artwork, but ends with too many unresolved questions. This wouldn’t have been so bad if the planned sequels were ever released, but unfortunately, this was not to be. Unfortunately, this means anyone playing the game for the story will be disappointed. However, players who are purely interested in the lewd content will find plenty here, especially after installing the optional uncensor patch.

Gameplay: Interesting until the story just ends without any real conclusion.

Graphics: The visuals look great is filled with the usual amount of fan service.

Sound: Decent Japanese voice acting and the soundtrack is good too

Summary 6.0 Above Average
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Sakura Fantasy

Developer: Winged Cloud | Publisher: Winged Cloud | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Visual Novel / Casual / Indie | Website: N/A | Purchase: Steam

Sakura Fantasy is the story of Raelin, a novice knight in training who fled the destruction of her homelands at the hands of monsters when she was younger. Under the tutelage of her strict instructor, Kiera, Raelin hones her skills but frequently ends up in trouble because she is a daydreamer.

Like many of her fellow warriors, Raelin has a special gift, which in her case is the ability to farsee. It is essentially a form of astral projection, which allows Raelin to see people and places without having to physically visit them. This is obviously a talent that causes her to be treated with some suspicion by others, which is fully justified as Raelin has a bad habit of spying on people during their most intimate moments. However, Raelin ends up on the quest of a lifetime when a falling star lands up somewhere in a dangerous area outside the walls of the city, called the Mires. Raelin, along with her friend Gwynne and Kiera, is instructed to find this star, but very few of those who have ventured outside the city have ever returned.

Winged Cloud has built a reputation for visual novels that look great and feature plenty of fan service but are often lacking when it comes to storylines and interesting characters. Surprisingly Sakura Fantasy bucks this trend by actually featuring a genuinely interesting game world. Sure, it’s not that original or unique, but it is definitely a step up from what is typically seen in the genre in general and Winged Cloud in particular. It is also are yuri title with a female protagonist although this just means it contains even more fan service than usual.

The first half of Sakura Fantasy is set mostly in the barracks and the training field as Raelin goes through the daily grind of becoming a knight. We find out that people are cowering behind the walls of the city as a blight slowly overtakes and corrupts the lands outside it. Raelin eventually receives a promotion that sees her patrolling the halls of the castle, which is where she encounters the legendary empress. It is after this meeting that Raelin and her companions are sent out into the Mires, which is where the second half of the game takes place. The story is interesting for the most part and it is hard not to be impressed by the sheer amount of times and ways that Winged Cloud has managed to shoehorn in fan service.

If Raelin is not walking in on people in various states of undress she is spying on them in the bath or having sex with them in her dreams. Sakura Fantasy is not a very long game, but a large portion of it is taken up by these scenes. Some will love them, some will find them gratuitous, but at this point, everyone should know what they are getting themselves into with a Winged Cloud release. An uncensor patch is also available which turns the mostly ecchi CGs a whole lot lewder.

Raelin is a humorous protagonist even though she seems to be unable to stay clothed during battle. The game also features plenty of decisions, but we were disappointed to discover on subsequent playthroughs that most of these are largely meaningless. If you are lucky then picking a different choice will lead to a new CG. In most cases, though, you might get one line of different dialogue, and then the story will continue in exactly the same fashion. However, the biggest issue with Sakura Fantasy is the fact that it is incomplete. Winged Cloud released the game as the first chapter in a planned series and so it ends before the party has reached their objective. After the game failed to sell as many copies as they had hoped the plans for subsequent chapters were shelved and this point it is unlikely they will ever see the light of day. It is really a pity as it means Sakura Fantasy ends in the middle of what could have been an interesting story. This also means that it is really hard to recommend the game as it would be the same as reading half a book or watching half a movie. There are just too many unanswered questions and loose ends at the end of this chapter to make it worthwhile.

Winged Cloud rarely disappoints when it comes to the artwork for their titles and Sakura Fantasy is no exception. The character sprites all look beautiful and the CGs have a level of polish that many other visual novels lack. There are also quite a few different backgrounds to give the game so more visual variety. Also, it is one of the few Winged Cloud titles with Japanese voice acting for the characters. The background music is also a nice fit for the fantasy theme of the game.

If Sakura Fantasy included all the planned chapters, it could have been one of the best titles in the Sakura series, but on its own, it is hard to recommend. It might be worth it if Winged Cloud by some miracle decides to continue the story in the future, but until then it will always be an unfinished game.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows XP
  • Processor: 1.2 GHz Pentium 4
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 1280 x 720
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 200 MB available space
  • OS: 10.6
  • Processor: Any 64 bit processor
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 1280 x 720
  • Storage: 200 MB available space
  • Processor: 1.2 GHz Pentium 4
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 1280 x 720
  • Storage: 200 MB available space

Related posts

Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders

Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders

Assist Tara the apothecary, Darius the swordsman and Minu the genie as they try and take on an evil vizier in Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders. This hidden object adventure game might be light on hidden object scenes, but more than makes up for it with the adventuring elements. It features a compelling story, plenty of beautiful locations and more than enough to keep you busy. Although a little on the short side and lacking in any kind of bonus adventures, it is still a great way to spend an afternoon and definitely one of the better Artifex Mundi titles of late. Gameplay: Hidden object fans might find it a little thin on content, but there are still plenty of inventory based puzzle solving to be done. Graphics: Everything from the art style to the colors used are a perfect match for the setting. Sound: Great soundtrack and surprisingly good voice acting.

BIT.TRIP BEAT

BIT.TRIP BEAT

Bit.Trip.Beat is a great game for when you simply want to test your Arcade skills and put up some highscores. It takes the basic idea of classic titles like Pong and Arkenoid, but puts a fresh modern spin on them. Depending on how much you enjoy Arcade titles you will either love this game or find it way too limited and frustrating. Gameplay: Pretty challenging but fun once you get into the "zone" while playing. Graphics: An appreciation of retro visuals is definitely required. Sound: Nice 8bit sounding and chiptune songs.

RiMS Racing

RiMS Racing

RiMS Racing doesn't reinvent the motorbike racing genre, but it offers a compelling driving experience and a unique mechanics management system. Newcomers will find the game rather daunting as it leans heavily towards the simulation end of the racing spectrum, but the results can be gratifying with some time and practice. Some elements, such as the quick-time events for pit stops and part swapping, can become tedious, but even these can be streamlined if desired. Overall, this is an excellent game if you are a fan of motorbike racing or willing to learn from your mistakes. Gameplay: Quite daunting, but very rewarding once you get the hang of it. Graphics: Beautiful motorbikes, and the tracks look decent too. Sound: Realistic motorbike sounds and a whole soundtrack by The Bloody Beetroots.

Prince of Persia (2008)

Prince of Persia (2008)

While the gameplay is a departure from previous Prince Of Persia titles, the lavish locations and excellent characters combine to make this a great game. Some people will hate the simplified gameplay, while others will love the new style. Gameplay: A Departure from the series, but still good. Graphics: The art direction is really good. Sound: Great music and audio.

MAMIYA

MAMIYA

Mamiya is a visual novel that tackles themes that are pretty dark and disturbing. It can be confusing at first due to how it mixes the ordinary with the surreal, but once players are hooked, it is hard to stop reading. The beautiful CGs and incredible soundtrack also make it easy to get drawn into the twisted depths of the story. Mamiya is not for everyone, but thanks to the lengthy free demo, it is easy to find out whether or not you can stomach its bleak and oppressive story. Gameplay: Although it is primarily a kinetic novel, there's plenty of routes and different stories. Graphics: The backgrounds are simple, but the sprites and CGs are outstanding. Sound: No voice acting, and the sound effects are nothing special, but the soundtrack is incredible.

Mind Spheres

Mind Spheres

Mind Spheres is an interesting combination of physics puzzles, mini-golf and pinball, that is unfortunately a little too short and easy for its own good. The game is quite relaxing and perfect for killing some time when you are not in the mood for more involved games, but it does suffer from a rather nasty memory leak, which requires frequent restarts. If you can put up with all of this, you'll find a game with levels that are satisfying to solve, but don't expect it to keep you busy for long. Gameplay: An interesting concept, but the fifty levels are over before you really feel challenged. Graphics: Very minimal, but it still looks fine. Sound: The piano tunes are quite soothing, but they do feel somewhat out of place.

Leave a comment

three × one =