Sakura Wars: So Long,My Love

Fight to save NYC as Shinjiro Taiga. View larger.

Story
New York City has always been the focal point of the American experiment. Since colonial times it has served as a melting pot, but recently more than just the "huddled masses yearning to breath free" have established a foothold in the Big Apple. Along with peoples and influences from all over the world it has also accumulated masses of relics and artifacts not meant to exist in proximity to each other, resulting in malignant energies from the past. But New Yorkers are not alone in the coming struggle. The Star Division has long battled such forces around the world, and now they have come to the New World. Officially titled the New York Combat Revue, Star Division, this diverse group of covert operatives uses their front as an all female troupe of Broadway performers headquartered at the Littlelip Theater as a front to protect the people of the city. The latest member to join the team from the Tokyo branch is Shinjiro Taiga. Being a young man, he is not quite what the other members of Stars Division expected and as such must prove himself, but filled with hopes and dreams he is determined to fight for justice. To be successful he will have to build relationships within his new team and learn to fight with them.

Gameplay
Sakura Wars: So Long My Love is a strategy RPG. Gameplay is split between two modes: Adventure Mode and Battle Mode. In Adventure Mode Shinjiro explores the Littlelip Theater and greater New York City, interacting with other members of the Star Division and various other characters in a variety of ways, including timed and untimed dialog and action selections and on-screen manipulations using controller analog sticks. In addition, players take part in events such as Broadway shows. Depending on your interactions with team members, their "Trust" in you will change. If this change is positive the player will form "Bonds" with the respective team member, which will affect skills, abilities and possibilities in battle.

Battle Mode features a strategic real-time RPG battle system in which players control up to six team members in ground and aerial combat with the goal of destroying enemies. Ground combat takes place using mechanized suits referred to as STARS (Super Telekinetic Assault Robots). Every STARS unit in the game can transform from a battle mech into a jet fighter during combat, depending on the situation. Once transformed, weapons and movement methods will change accordingly. For example, the hero’s ground mode utilizes a sword as his main weapon, but in jet mode he will use long-range missiles. In coordinating attacks with team members players can adopt differing strategies which utilize fluctuating amounts of mobility, hit points and healing abilities. Each character also has access to unique Super Attacks that can be unleashed. Focused joint attacks can also be enacted by two or more characters which have built sufficient bonds between them in Adventure Mode. Additional features available include the ability to take, save and collect in-game photos, hidden secret events and a quiz game.

Key Game Features

• Anime-style storytelling featuring tons of anime movie scenes.
• Adventure Mode allowing the player to explore New York City and build relationship with in-game AI teammates.
• A strategy RPG battle system allowing for coordinated control of a team of diverse female fighters, each operating mechanized battlesuits that can fight both on the ground and in the air.
• High replay value through the various different endings possible, each of which hinges on the bonds created between characters in-game.
• Additional in-game activities and functionality including Broadway performances with AI Stars teammates., in-game photo functionality, secret events and a quiz game.