Bakumatsu Renka SHINSENGUMI Reviews

好

SOOOOOOOOOOOO BORING! It's more a history lesson than anything, and gives you no reason to care about anything whatsoever. Why on earth would I want to romance any of these characters???

i found this game boring. tried it about 3 times, couuldnt get past like chapter 2. idk i just couldnt get into the story, im just curious why this game has such good reviews. maybe i just dont get it.

Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi This game is more cartoonish looking, but once you get start the game I know you will enjoy it. The one route I was able to get was with Kondo, it was great, I was also able to get Yamazaki's routes, and some others but the routes ended as bad endings. For me personally, I don't like the way Harada is portrayed and Heisuke (looks like the main character), but I still enjoyed their stories. I do really like the storyline and the comic scenes and, of course, the voice actors are wonderful. I am looking forward to a guide in English. If you like Shinsengumi, I do recommend this game, because of the characters, and the VC's, etc. Even though this game, for me, is not in the same category as Hakuoki or Night Shade, I think you will still appreciation this version of Shinsengumi. Be safe and have a great day!

I'm giving it a thumbs down because I think it is bad as an otome/romance game (I do not think they should have marketed it as one), but if you want historical fiction about the shinsengumi with a bit of romance interspersed then it's a decent game. Pros: - The MC can fight and take care of herself, unlike a lot of otome MCs - The MC has goals other than just finding a man - There are interesting historical events happening - It is less depressing than Hakuoki and the endings [spoiler] are happy (except I believe Yamanami, Okita, Kondo and Hijikata's endings)[/spoiler] - There is gay, gender non-conforming, and polyamorous representation (although I have some issues with the way the poly route went) Cons: - The romance is very "all of a sudden I guess they're in love now" - The art is pretty dated looking, especially the sprites. It is hard not to compare these characters with the same people from Hakuoki, and these ones are (in my opinion) so much less attractive - The main character looks so much like one of the love interests (Heisuke) that it's distracting - It's hard to figure out why the characters are attracted to each other - The humor didn't really land for me - The music is pretty unexciting - The routes are pretty much the same except you change who you have short scenes with along the way, so it is very repetitive I would probably buy it when it's on sale if you do buy it. For a similar game with better romance, I would recommend Nightshade instead if you like [spoiler] happy [/spoiler] endings, or Hakuoki if you like [spoiler] sad/bittersweet [/spoiler] endings.

So, the first thing you need to know about the game is to wait until it is on sale for at least 50% off. It has a good amount of content, but that content is not worth 50 USD. The art? Great. They clearly worked harder on the CG's as opposed to the regular character models, but it's all okay. I have played otome games with way worse art, but know that this is an older game, so expect it to look older. Hakuoki looks better, and I like the character models better, but this is not without it's charm. Voice acting? Amazing. Can't praise it enough for that. Story? Well if you're familiar with the story at all, then you will know what's going on without looking at their glossary. It may be too much for people who are only looking for the fluff romance part. But that can be said of Hakuoki as well. So basically, if you like this period of time in history and are looking for a story that isn't just all sugary romance this is for you. Basically the thick plot without all the romance made me care more for the characters as people, rather than just eye candy to fawn over. Probably not the best visual novel for newbies to start with though. Be advised that bad things happen to some of the love interests in the game. I finished all routes except one, so here are the thoughts on the specific routes. I will be comparing some of them to Hakuoki, because how can you not? Kondo- Okay! So you can date Kondo in this. But, be warned for newer players to this story: He is married and that might turn you off. It is completely possible to miss that he's married until you are well into his route, too. He's a flashy playboy type. I personally hate that type in these games and the already being married with a child made me at some point towards the end stop playing it. [spoiler] It was around the same time that you meet his wife and she is still very much in love with him, but spills that she knows he cheats on her and can tell that he actually loves MC. Poor woman actually pleads with MC to be with him and make him happy when she can't, because he'll always go back to her or something, IDK I was zoning out during this because I was cringing so much. This isn't romantic. It's not cute. It's not endearing. Sure as hell isn't romantic. It's double the awful because you can pinpoint the moment he fell in love with you to when he took you to the red light district to meet his other mistress and they both beg you to dance for them in the most awkward scene I've had to play through. Love this game- Hate Kondo.[/spoiler] Okita- Hakuoki Okita was awful to me. I guess he just played around too much? This one however, is great. Loved it. He was sweet. Even the ending, which is bittersweet. Soji has TB, it's terminal in the 1800's, so be warned this is not going to be an overly saccharine story. [Spoiler] Kondo's wife cameos in this story as well, after the war MC lives with her to raise a baby in the Dojo. Since Okita was to take over the Dojo from Kondo, I suppose it is poetic that his child will take it over. As I said, bittersweet. [/spoiler] Hijikata- This version of the demon is more tame to me than Hakuoki. I liked both of them though, this one to me just feels softer. This is another sad route but even so I felt closure and satisfaction after finishing it. The ending felt right. Yamazaki- This one is by far the most departure from Hakuoki. It was downright jarring to me, because I love that sweet ninja bastard. Not that I don't love this one, too. Yamazaki at points in time in every story route I went through gave me some form of comfort, or a smile. He is a ray of sunshine in this game. Yes, he dresses like a woman and yes, he is prettier than you. That's fine. He's also a really fun person to be around. Yamanami- Second biggest departure. This departure is plot related. He still fully reminds me of his Hakuoki counterpart [spoiler]at least before that one turned into a vampire[/spoiler]. This is the shortest route in the game. He is a smart ( if not clumsy ) inventor whose ideology is a more peaceful one. He starts a school. It's adorable. I cried during this route. Todo- Ugh. Okay. So, I like him. He's a brash, competitive little bastard. But I went back and played Hakuoki once while playing through this and it was his route. He is so much better in Hakuoki. This one seems more sure of himself and his ideals, but I much prefer his personality in Hakuoki. I think it's because of how cute he is. Sano Harada- This is the member that looks the least pleasing to the eye. He and Shinpachi are meant to look rough around the edges, but Sano to me looks downright ugly and a little scary. This plays into the enjoyment I got from his route though. He is super sweet and fun. He is a gentleman and this is a hill I will die on. One of his first events is [spoiler] him taking MC to a diner because he has a thing for the daughter of the owner. He asks you to help because he's speechless in front of her ( cute ) then when he does talk he flat out asks her to marry him and calls her a babe. She rejects him gently and he takes it like a champ. Dude is respectful of women, apologizes and wishes her happiness. Then when he starts to see MC as a woman and not a fellow warrior he still brings all that respect and care. I cried a little near the end because of how much he cares and the epilogue is freaking hilarious in a heartwarming way.[/spoiler] He is the resident cinnamon roll and I freaking love cinnamon roles. He is also far less playboyish to his Hakuoki counterpart. I love this man. Shinpachi- Shinpachi in Hakuoki is my favorite because of his character design. I was disapointed in his personality and treatment of MC in that game, [spoiler]I don't want my beefcakes treating me like a little sister for 80% of the game.[/spoiler] This one, however is a little the same. Pig headed, likes the red light district but fairly shortly after you start flirting with him man only has eyes for MC. He was sweet, and he made me feel stronger. Really props up MC's confidence during the route, even though he called into question her sex appeal and lack of curves briefly. ( That attitude is always oh so charming in these games. >.> ) He's strong and really loves MC. Saito- Boy... this man made me frustrated with MC. He is serious and honest to a fault. When he confesses, boy does he confess. Yet MC, in spite of being completely in love with him, for some reason refuses to give him an answer on her feelings. He is sensitive and refreshingly honest. When you deal with the others who a lot of the time beat around the bush when confessing. [spoiler] This man is the only one who actually takes care of Oishi, because of that he is hands down the best character. I hate Oishi.[/spoiler] Umetarou- [spoiler]This is quite clearly Sakamoto. Again, if you know anything about Hakuoki the fact that he has revolvers and an accent are enough to connect the dots.[/spoiler] He's... fine? Super smooth with ladies but only has eyes for you. This is true in every route. I find him a little annoying in his persistence, but romancing him isn't awful. I do find his dream of sailing away with MC charming. This is an easy game. You shouldn't need a walkthrough for it. Turn the sound on, they have a ding sound for when you get things right with the boy you're talking to. They have a 'you messed up' sound. There is usually 3 choices and one is good, one is bad and one is neutral. They also have a feature when you save that shows you the man you've got the most romance points with. They let you converse with them 3-4 times a chapter and if you don't want to flirt with another love interest when the one you picked isn't on the list, you can go talk to Shimada, Gen or others that come and go. When you save the most recent save always has a "new" icon by it.

The cover art lies; the actual art through the game is not the same quality..BUT the expressions are refreshing; similar to watching old school anime. If you have played Hakuoki this is gonna be a bit of a let down when it comes to the character styles and story (you would want to play this first probably.) I made it through 1 route and part of another; it tends to be more cute than romantic. Overall--i still plan on trying to finish but i feel it wasn't worth the price but i'm snooty like that. The voice acting is GREAT~

I can sum up this game in one word: disappointing. While the voice acting and artwork are acceptable, it's more the plot that's the problem. For an otome game, I expected a certain level of romance, and the romance is basically non-existence in this game. After finishing up three routes in the game, I find myself bored and not caring about the characters. If you want to play a romance story about the Shinsengumi, I suggest playing Hakuouki.