When history and cute girls collide
When a Japanese adult game’s naughty parts are cut from the console release, there are some instances where it retains its charm. This shows that the product can stand on its own two feet.
After I turned Zipang into the strongest nation in Eiyu*Senki – The World Conquest, the strategy game’s amusing take on war and history proved to me that the removal of its sex scenes didn’t ruin its quality. Since Steam’s guidelines about nudity are different from Japan’s CERO rating system, this resulted in JAST USA giving us an edited product that’s more risqué than Fruitbat Factory’s PS3 version.
Eiyu*Senki – The World Conquest (PC [reviewed], PS3, PS Vita)
Developer: Tenco
Publisher: JAST USA, Fruitbat Factory (PS3)
Released: March 30, 2012 (JP PC 18+), September 26, 2013 (JP PS3), May 29, 2014 (JP PS Vita), November 12, 2015 (EU PS3), November 24, 2015 (NA PS3), October 24, 2017 (NA PC 18+), November 10, 2017 (Steam)
MSRP: $29.99 (Steam), $39.99 (PC 18+), $65.00 (PC 18+ Limited Edition), $90.00 (PC 18+ Collector’s Edition)
From beginning to end, the idea of Eiyu*Senki focusing on the player declaring war on different nations for a good cause was amusing in its own right. During the journey, you’ll come across the cast and their enemies making fun of each other before they exchange blows. It helps that the silly aspects are established in the beginning, which involves the main heroine, Himiko, being introduced as a klutz going up against a female version of Nobunaga. Then it breaks into a fish-out-water story about the lead, Chihaya, ending up in the game’s world.
Since his purpose in the story is for the player to insert themselves into the game, the lead acts as a decent aspect to balance the zany cast. The other thing that made him stand out is that his origin ended up being different from other trapped-in-another-world titles. Even though the reveal was a nice surprise, it didn’t save Eiyu*Senki‘s serious story beats from being weak.
Despite the comedy and cast being Eiyu*Senki‘s strong points, a decent chunk of its major events wasn’t on the same level. Part of it was due to pacing issues since there are huge gaps between the serious bits and the game’s other aspects. In certain cases, there were entertaining gags to accompany some of the scenes where characters explained things. As the endgame segments led to some wonderful moments, my bond with the gang made the final obstacles feel worthwhile. I guess it’s thanks to the title giving you the chance to know your entire army well.
During my review-in-progress, I covered a few of my favorite alternate female historical figures’ silly quirks and habits. Another one that came off as random was Ivan the Terrible being in an S&M relationship with Rasputin. Thanks to these silly moments, I was interested in seeing the types of characters that pop up during the war segments. Since we spend a majority of the game with them, it helps that Oyari Ashito’s (Littlewitch Romanesque‘s Art) designs are adorable, along with having some warm color palettes.
Other than the war-related missions, you can learn more about your allies through bonding events. The rewarding part about them is that your units learn new skills from these segments. Since they can be done before you enter a battle, they serve as a nice activity for those who want to conquer the world at a steady pace. If you try to go through every scene, it can take around 50 hours to conquer Eiyu*Senki‘s lands.
Eiyu*Senki‘s turn-based battles play out in a basic manner since they feature minimal animations and simple commands. While its mechanics remain the same, the other features add more depth to the game. Each unit can only participate in a fight once, so players have to set up different teams when they attack a region’s cities. Then you have to worry about your opponents getting stronger while you’re at odds with them, which is an effective way to keep players alert.
With money playing a role in making your troops stronger, this format complements the game’s focus on conquering other lands. Your team’s strengths and weaknesses are based on their fighting style, which helps end confrontations faster. However, things can go bad in an instant since most units are vulnerable to more than one equipment type. Depending on the location, you might get the chance to trigger special events where you can take over an area quicker than expected, such as finding the shortcut to the leader’s base. All in all, these systems work great in adding variety to the fights, along with making your actions feel risky.
As I got close to every girl in the game, I only saw a few images with nudity. While I came across three segments where the sex scenes were cropped to look softcore, the majority of them were implied through dialogue appearing on a black screen. The other parts that showed off the goods were in pictures with perverted stuff that falls into the M rating. For those who’d prefer to play it on Steam with the uncut visuals, there’s an official adult patch that’s available on JAST’s Website. While you have to pay for it, it’s nice that total price of the edited game and the extra update is cheaper than buying the company’s uncensored English release.
In terms of the game’s score, they went well with themes present in each segment. When you reach the title screen, you’re presented with a catchy tune that mixes bagpipes with orchestrated music as they prepare you for the silly tone. I found it interesting that Tenco used a relaxing vacation-like song for the map theme since it keeps you focused while you decide between declaring war on a nation and spending time with one of your units. Also, it was refreshing to see that the battle theme is based on the nations you face.
Eiyu*Senki‘s main story may have been its weakest link, but its large assortment of characters managed to steal the show. Throughout my quest to rule the world, it felt like I was going through an enjoyable harem anime series. Combined with its management features that put you in intense situations, there’s plenty of content to keep things entertaining on the battlefield. With the Steam version having a bit of nudity, this release is perfect for those who don’t mind fan service but can’t stand 2D sex scenes.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
