As many of you know (or don't), I have a soft spot for shoujo manga and Japanese dating sims and Hakuoki has been filling my dating sim hole as of late. Set in Tokugawa Shogunate era of Japan and following the lives of the Shinsengumi, a group of young men loyal to the Shogunate, the game makes for an interesting history lesson. Now, I won't bore you with Japanese history (samurai!) and instead I'll explain the gameplay for those unfamiliar with the genre.
Image via Idea Factory
Traditionally, the dating sim genre has been dominated by men and most can only be obtained by entering not so subtle porn stores in Akihabara, BUT the market is vastly changing. Women are now demanding the same games, but without the grossly over the top sexual imagery (though it can be found if desired) and now female dating sims or "otome games" are flooding the Japanese market. In fact, while I was in Akihabara this past year, one of the local stores had an entire floor dedicated to otome games and I made Aaron go up a floor while I basked in their glory.
Hakuoki is the first otome game localized to the US on the psp, so naturally I HAD to support such a project by purchasing it Day 1 (thanks to my old pal Knodle). One of the first things I do is check the art for all the guys out! Its always easy to tell the character's personalities based on their art and Hakuoki is no exception. Naturally, I was immediately drawn to Saito because the quiet types are always the best in my opinion. Funny thing is the same line of logic does not seem to translate in real life.
Image via Idea Factory
Now, gameplay wise these games are not for everyone. Typically the game is entirely dialog which makes for a lot of reading and not so much decision making, but if you like interactive choose-your-own adventure time games than these are for you. I especially found the story interesting since it is loosely based on real events and therefore had me looking up who these men really were. Hint: not really that good looking in real life.
So far, I've made a habit of creating save files every time a major decision pops up, so I can go back and choose something else in case I messed up my chances with Saito, but being the clever developers that they are, there are limited slots and I have just filled them. We'll see how it goes from here. As long as I don't end up with Heisuke (the youngest and most annoying), I'll be happy enough. I'll keep you guys posted on which ending I get.
Traditionally, the dating sim genre has been dominated by men and most can only be obtained by entering not so subtle porn stores in Akihabara, BUT the market is vastly changing. Women are now demanding the same games, but without the grossly over the top sexual imagery (though it can be found if desired) and now female dating sims or "otome games" are flooding the Japanese market. In fact, while I was in Akihabara this past year, one of the local stores had an entire floor dedicated to otome games and I made Aaron go up a floor while I basked in their glory.
Hakuoki is the first otome game localized to the US on the psp, so naturally I HAD to support such a project by purchasing it Day 1 (thanks to my old pal Knodle). One of the first things I do is check the art for all the guys out! Its always easy to tell the character's personalities based on their art and Hakuoki is no exception. Naturally, I was immediately drawn to Saito because the quiet types are always the best in my opinion. Funny thing is the same line of logic does not seem to translate in real life.
Now, gameplay wise these games are not for everyone. Typically the game is entirely dialog which makes for a lot of reading and not so much decision making, but if you like interactive choose-your-own adventure time games than these are for you. I especially found the story interesting since it is loosely based on real events and therefore had me looking up who these men really were. Hint: not really that good looking in real life.
So far, I've made a habit of creating save files every time a major decision pops up, so I can go back and choose something else in case I messed up my chances with Saito, but being the clever developers that they are, there are limited slots and I have just filled them. We'll see how it goes from here. As long as I don't end up with Heisuke (the youngest and most annoying), I'll be happy enough. I'll keep you guys posted on which ending I get.
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