Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Game: Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi
Publisher: Aksys Games
Developer: Idea Factory/Design Factory/Otomate
Genre: Visual Novel [Otome]
Platform: PlayStation 3
Release Dates:
The retail version is available in two editions (click the pictures for bigger versions):
Standard (out May 6th, 2014), and Limited (out May 20th, 2014). The Limited Edition was delayed due to manufacturing errors in meeting quality standards.
Publisher: Aksys Games
Developer: Idea Factory/Design Factory/Otomate
Genre: Visual Novel [Otome]
Platform: PlayStation 3
Release Dates:
[Standard Edition (Retail)]: May 6th, 2014 ; Price: $39.99
[PSN - North America]: May 6th, 2014; Reg: $33.99, PS+: $27.19
[PSN - Europe]: May 7th, 2014
[Limited Edition (Retail)]: May 20th, 2014 ; Price: $59.99
DLC: All are out on May 6th, 2014 for North America and May 7th for Europe
Official Website: www.hakuoki.com [PSN - North America]: May 6th, 2014; Reg: $33.99, PS+: $27.19
[PSN - Europe]: May 7th, 2014
[Limited Edition (Retail)]: May 20th, 2014 ; Price: $59.99
DLC: All are out on May 6th, 2014 for North America and May 7th for Europe
The retail version is available in two editions (click the pictures for bigger versions):
Standard (out May 6th, 2014), and Limited (out May 20th, 2014). The Limited Edition was delayed due to manufacturing errors in meeting quality standards.
The limited edition comes with:
There are actually some new things with this version of Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan as opposed to gimmicks that come with other versions of that game. Examples include:
- The game!
- An omamori love charm replica
- A hair comb
- A hairpin
- A Japanese-inspired lacquer box
There are actually some new things with this version of Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan as opposed to gimmicks that come with other versions of that game. Examples include:
- This comes with *two* games: Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan (essentially the same as the PSP version that was released in NA in 2012) and its fandisc Hakuoki: Zuisouroku, which is now seeing its first release in North America
- When you complete paths in the main story, as a bonus, you unlock PS3 themes
- When you complete Hakuoki Stories / Zuisouroku, you unlock episodes for Sweet School Love, starring the Hakuoki cast in a modern Japanese high school setting
- It features the "Active Animation System" (AAS). Each character will appear to breathe, lip-flap, etc. when interacting with the main character.
- You can turn the fast-forward button on from the get-go in the options menu.
Main Story
Japan’s Edo Period was drawing to a close.
The shogunate, who’d held power in the country for more than 200 years, found itself challenged by the imperial court, and by several domains who had chaffed under shogunal rule. In the midst of this political unrest, an organization rose to prominence: The Shinsengumi. Originally formed to protect the streets of Kyoto from masterless samurai, they came to represent the last, tragic bastion of the honor-bound samurai culture that had defined much of Japan’s history.
A young woman by the name of Chizuru comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon encounters danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, Chizuru is put under their protection.
But odd things are afoot in Kyoto—possibly even supernatural things. Can Chizuru navigate this maze of mortal danger and political intrigue? Amidst so much misery and death, can she find romance?
Stories of the Shinsengumi
When Chizuru stumbled upon the infamous Shinsengumi one night on the street and discovered their secret, her fate changed forever.
Ensconced in the headquarters of the Shinsengumi, Chizuru spends every day under the harsh eyes of the captains worried about her father and fearing for her own safety. It seems like her life is spared for the moment, but as soon as there is no value to her being among them, she will likely be killed.
It wasn’t that they were monsters. There were times when they’d casually strike up conversation with her, laughing and joking around. However, to them, Chizuru is an outsider. The brief smiles they offer her are no guarantee of safety. Months pass under this oppressive atmosphere. One day, an inconsequential moment between Chizuru and the warriors affects a subtle change. This is when her stories begin.
Japan’s Edo Period was drawing to a close.
The shogunate, who’d held power in the country for more than 200 years, found itself challenged by the imperial court, and by several domains who had chaffed under shogunal rule. In the midst of this political unrest, an organization rose to prominence: The Shinsengumi. Originally formed to protect the streets of Kyoto from masterless samurai, they came to represent the last, tragic bastion of the honor-bound samurai culture that had defined much of Japan’s history.
A young woman by the name of Chizuru comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon encounters danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, Chizuru is put under their protection.
But odd things are afoot in Kyoto—possibly even supernatural things. Can Chizuru navigate this maze of mortal danger and political intrigue? Amidst so much misery and death, can she find romance?
Stories of the Shinsengumi
When Chizuru stumbled upon the infamous Shinsengumi one night on the street and discovered their secret, her fate changed forever.
Ensconced in the headquarters of the Shinsengumi, Chizuru spends every day under the harsh eyes of the captains worried about her father and fearing for her own safety. It seems like her life is spared for the moment, but as soon as there is no value to her being among them, she will likely be killed.
It wasn’t that they were monsters. There were times when they’d casually strike up conversation with her, laughing and joking around. However, to them, Chizuru is an outsider. The brief smiles they offer her are no guarantee of safety. Months pass under this oppressive atmosphere. One day, an inconsequential moment between Chizuru and the warriors affects a subtle change. This is when her stories begin.
Chizuru Yukimura (Protagonist)
After coming to Kyoto in search of her absent father, Chizuru stumbled onto one of the Shinsengumi’s secrets, and was consequently taken under their “protection.” Once Chizuru’s search for her father resumes, she begins to uncover secrets long buried. Secrets about her father, the Shinsengumi… and Chizuru herself.
Hijikata Toshizo (Commander) – CV: Shinichiro Miki
The men tend to call him the “The Demon”, and not always behind his back. To maintain order and unity among his ragtag group of warriors, he is very strict and deals out harsh punishments in accordance with The Code. Read up on him in his Man of the Month article: December: Swords Illustrated “Legend, Samurai, Man?”
Souji Okita (Captain, 1st Division) – CV: Showtaro Morikubo
Okita is considering being something of a genius with the sword. He likes to make jokes—frequently at the expense of his comrades—and often wears a wry smile, but in battle he holds nothing back and his devotion to the Shinsengumi and Kondou is unparalleled. Learn about his skills in his Man of the Month Article: November: Tumbling Pebbles “The Secret Fury”
Hajime Saito (Captain, 3rd Division) – CV: Kousuke Toriumi
Saito is known for being reserved, solitary, and loyal. Unlike most other swordsmen, he fights with his left hand. He is a master of the art of iai, and his swordsmanship is top–tier, even among the Shinsengumi. Read his Man of the Month article: January: The Kyoto Shuehin “A Blade in the Dark”
Heisuke Toudou (Captain, 8th Division) – CV: Hiroyuki Yoshino
A cheerful man from Edo, Toudou is the youngest captain in the Shinsengumi. He’s quick with a grin and tends to jump straight into things before thinking them through, even if what he’s jumping into is a life–or–death battle. Check him out via his Man of the Month article: September: Wolf Rhythm “Gangster or Good Guy?!”
Sanosuke Harada (Captain, 10th Division) – CV: Kōji Yusa
Harada has something of a quick temper, and he’s a little rough around the edges, but underneath it all he’s a compassionate man with a strong sense of duty. His weapon of choice is the spear, not the sword, and he has no equal among Kyoto’s spearmen. Read about him in his Man of the Month article: October: Gentry “Walks Softly and Carries a Big Stick”.
Chikage Kazama (???) – CV: Kenjiro Tsuda
A mysterious warrior hired by the Satsuma Domain. He seems to have a special interest in Chizuru Yukimura. Check out his Man of the Month article: February: Adage "The Devil You Know".
After coming to Kyoto in search of her absent father, Chizuru stumbled onto one of the Shinsengumi’s secrets, and was consequently taken under their “protection.” Once Chizuru’s search for her father resumes, she begins to uncover secrets long buried. Secrets about her father, the Shinsengumi… and Chizuru herself.
Hijikata Toshizo (Commander) – CV: Shinichiro Miki
The men tend to call him the “The Demon”, and not always behind his back. To maintain order and unity among his ragtag group of warriors, he is very strict and deals out harsh punishments in accordance with The Code. Read up on him in his Man of the Month article: December: Swords Illustrated “Legend, Samurai, Man?”
Souji Okita (Captain, 1st Division) – CV: Showtaro Morikubo
Okita is considering being something of a genius with the sword. He likes to make jokes—frequently at the expense of his comrades—and often wears a wry smile, but in battle he holds nothing back and his devotion to the Shinsengumi and Kondou is unparalleled. Learn about his skills in his Man of the Month Article: November: Tumbling Pebbles “The Secret Fury”
Hajime Saito (Captain, 3rd Division) – CV: Kousuke Toriumi
Saito is known for being reserved, solitary, and loyal. Unlike most other swordsmen, he fights with his left hand. He is a master of the art of iai, and his swordsmanship is top–tier, even among the Shinsengumi. Read his Man of the Month article: January: The Kyoto Shuehin “A Blade in the Dark”
Heisuke Toudou (Captain, 8th Division) – CV: Hiroyuki Yoshino
A cheerful man from Edo, Toudou is the youngest captain in the Shinsengumi. He’s quick with a grin and tends to jump straight into things before thinking them through, even if what he’s jumping into is a life–or–death battle. Check him out via his Man of the Month article: September: Wolf Rhythm “Gangster or Good Guy?!”
Sanosuke Harada (Captain, 10th Division) – CV: Kōji Yusa
Harada has something of a quick temper, and he’s a little rough around the edges, but underneath it all he’s a compassionate man with a strong sense of duty. His weapon of choice is the spear, not the sword, and he has no equal among Kyoto’s spearmen. Read about him in his Man of the Month article: October: Gentry “Walks Softly and Carries a Big Stick”.
Chikage Kazama (???) – CV: Kenjiro Tsuda
A mysterious warrior hired by the Satsuma Domain. He seems to have a special interest in Chizuru Yukimura. Check out his Man of the Month article: February: Adage "The Devil You Know".
Q: What is an Otome game?
A: An otome game is typically a game that is marketed towards a female audience. With that said, it is not exclusively for women, and it is not always a visual novel. Aside from progressing through the plot, another goals that players have is to develop a romantic relationship between the female character and one of several male (or sometimes female) characters in the game. 1994’s Angelique, developed by an all-female development staff at Koei and released for the Super Famicom, was the first otome title. Hakuoki is the more well-known series of otome titles in the west.
Q: schala are you saying that this ain’t for those who aren't attracted to guys, schala pls
A: Nope, not at all. We’ve seen plenty of people of all genders and orientations on GAF buy the previous Hakuoki games and Sweet Fuse, so I do think Otome games have a chance here. As I wrote in my impressions a long time ago, I do think that this visual novel is a good otome game to introduce to a western audience because it isn't utterly drenched in romance, but rather, focuses on combat and the politics of the era while dabbling in supernatural stuff. If you want more information about visual novels or otome games, please take the opportunity to visit these two threads:
Q: Is there an English dub?
A: Nope. Japanese dub, English subs. They work fairly well in tandem. I had made comments with respect to the localization in my impressions of the PSP version here.
Q: What makes this game different from the other versions of Hakuoki released here?
A: I answered that before but if we want to approach this question, we should talk about what the games released overseas have to offer:
A: I have trouble keeping up too. There are really only 9 games in the entire series: Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan, Zuisoroku, Yuugiroku 1+2, Reimeiroku, Musouroku, Toki no Kizuna ~Sekigahara Kitan~, Urakata Hakuoki, and Hakuoki Sweet School Life. For the most part, the first game gets the most amount of ports with some extra modes spaced out to make each version a little different.
Basically:
Q: Trophy list, now. Is the plat hard?
A: Be forewarned that there are spoilers in the trophy list if you haven’t played through the main game before in its previous two western releases. Check it here. I haven’t done the plat for this in the Japanese version, but it’s pretty safe to say that like all visual novel platinums, it’s not hard. It just takes a while to unlock every CG and bad endings.
A: An otome game is typically a game that is marketed towards a female audience. With that said, it is not exclusively for women, and it is not always a visual novel. Aside from progressing through the plot, another goals that players have is to develop a romantic relationship between the female character and one of several male (or sometimes female) characters in the game. 1994’s Angelique, developed by an all-female development staff at Koei and released for the Super Famicom, was the first otome title. Hakuoki is the more well-known series of otome titles in the west.
Q: schala are you saying that this ain’t for those who aren't attracted to guys, schala pls
A: Nope, not at all. We’ve seen plenty of people of all genders and orientations on GAF buy the previous Hakuoki games and Sweet Fuse, so I do think Otome games have a chance here. As I wrote in my impressions a long time ago, I do think that this visual novel is a good otome game to introduce to a western audience because it isn't utterly drenched in romance, but rather, focuses on combat and the politics of the era while dabbling in supernatural stuff. If you want more information about visual novels or otome games, please take the opportunity to visit these two threads:
Q: Is there an English dub?
A: Nope. Japanese dub, English subs. They work fairly well in tandem. I had made comments with respect to the localization in my impressions of the PSP version here.
Q: What makes this game different from the other versions of Hakuoki released here?
A: I answered that before but if we want to approach this question, we should talk about what the games released overseas have to offer:
- Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP): This is the first version of Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan released overseas, with a Japanese dub and English subtitles. It’s the most raw version of the game, and feels essentially like the PS2 version of the game. I believe it can be played on the Vita.
- Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi (3DS): This is essentially Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan for the 3DS, but it boasts having the 3D effect for the 3DS, and a photograph feature modeled after purikura (Japanese photo sticker booths). It also has six side tales not included in the PSP version.
- Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi (PSP): This is different. And it’s pretty hilarious how this one came to exist. It’s a game adaptation of the anime adaptation of the game. It’s Hakuoki Musouroku (the musou game), and consists of picking each of the characters to carry through hack-and-slash battles.
- Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi (PS3): This is the release that this thread is about. It combines the original Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan story with the fandisc Hakuoki: Zuisoroku. It also comes with the additional feature of the High School story, placing all of the main characters of the game in a modern Japanese high school setting.
A: I have trouble keeping up too. There are really only 9 games in the entire series: Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan, Zuisoroku, Yuugiroku 1+2, Reimeiroku, Musouroku, Toki no Kizuna ~Sekigahara Kitan~, Urakata Hakuoki, and Hakuoki Sweet School Life. For the most part, the first game gets the most amount of ports with some extra modes spaced out to make each version a little different.
Basically:
- Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan (2008) is basically the main narrative for the games. It has been ported to the PSP (2009/2012), DS (2010), GREE (2010), 3DS (2011/2013), and Vita (2013). This has been released under the "Demon of the Fleeting Blossom" and "Memories of the Shinsengumi" names.
- Hakuoki: Zuisouroku (2009) is a collection of short stories that take place at the same time as the main narrative. Essentially it’s a fandisc. The unlockable is Hakuoki High School (not to be confused with the new Hakuoki game SSL). It has been ported to the PSP (2010) and DS (2011)
- Hakuoki Junsouroku (2010/2014) combines both Shinsengumi Kitan and Zuisouroku into one package. That is the release that this thread is concerned with, and is being released under the "Stories of the Shinsengumi" name.
- Hakuoki Yuugiroku 1+2 (2010; 2011) are minigame collections featuring chibi versions of the characters. The PSP version of the first game is the base game composed of minigames, and the DS version of the first game comes with Karuta. The second game is only on the PSP.
- Hakuoki Reimeiroku (2010) serves as a prequel to Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan. It’s also a really long game, even with the skip function. It has been ported to the PSP (2011), DS (2012), and PS3 (2012).
- Hakuoki Bakumatsu Musouroku (2012; 2013) is… and I’m not kidding… an action game adaptation of the anime adaptation of the original game. Yeah. I dunno. As the name implies, it’s Hakuoki Musou. It was released here under the "Warriors of the Shinsengumi" name.
- Hakuoki: Sweet School Life (~SSL~) (2014) is a spinoff visual novel set in modern Japan where the cast members of Hakuoki attend high school. It is for the PlayStation Vita.
- Toki no Kizuna ~Sekigahara Kitan~ (2012) and its fandisc Toki no Kizuna Hanayuitsuzuri (2013) are spinoffs of the Hakuoki games set in the same world and act as a prequel to the first game. It’s a very average game from what I hear.
- Urakata Hakuoki (2013) is a spinoff of Hakuoki which exists as a “what if” scenario for the game and it has turn-based combat (you can also wander map screens and buy equipment… and do requests for people). It also has its own fandisc (2014).
Q: Trophy list, now. Is the plat hard?
A: Be forewarned that there are spoilers in the trophy list if you haven’t played through the main game before in its previous two western releases. Check it here. I haven’t done the plat for this in the Japanese version, but it’s pretty safe to say that like all visual novel platinums, it’s not hard. It just takes a while to unlock every CG and bad endings.
Trailer
Screens (click to see bigger versions!):
[Coming Soon! …maybe!]
Meanwhile, you can check reviews of the PSP version of the first game on Metacritic here, and the 3DS version of the first game here.
Again, I had written impressions of the PSP version here.
Meanwhile, you can check reviews of the PSP version of the first game on Metacritic here, and the 3DS version of the first game here.
Again, I had written impressions of the PSP version here.
And that's it! Enjoy the game. Having played the Japanese version, I think it's the most definitive and best release of Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan since it does include the fan disc, and it can serve as a nice introduction for Sweet School Life if it ever comes out here.
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