is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Company and published by Sega in 1996. It is the first installment in the Sakura Wars series, created by Oji Hiroi. Originally released for the Sega Saturn, it was later ported to other systems including the Dreamcast, and had a remake for the PlayStation 2. Defined by Sega as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim, and visual novel gameplay elements.
Set in a fictionalized version of 1923 in the Taishō era, the game follows the exploits of the Imperial Combat Revue, a military unit dedicated to fighting supernatural threats against Tokyo while maintaining their cover as a theater troupe. Imperial Japanese Navy Ensign Ichiro Ogami is assigned leader of its all-female Flower Division, a group of women with magical abilities that defend Tokyo against demon attacks using steam-powered armor called Kobus. He becomes embroiled in both the group's latest conflict with the Hive of Darkness and the personal lives of its members.
Hiroi created the concept for what would become Sakura Wars in 1990. In 1993, his small team in the Planning Department of Red Company began elaborating on his concept, with full development beginning the following year after being approved by Sega. Several prominent figures were brought on board the project including writer Satoru Akahori, composer Kohei Tanaka, and character designer Kōsuke Fujishima. Although the game was only published in Japan, an English-language fan translation was released in 2019. The game was a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-selling titles for the Saturn, and spawned many successful sequels and supplementary titles in the form of the Sakura Wars series. A direct sequel, Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die, was released in 1998.
Gameplay
Sakura Wars is a cross-genre video game in which the player controls Ichiro Ogami and the all-female Flower Division of the Imperial Combat Revue, who must save Tokyo from the Hive of Darkness. Dubbed a "dramatic adventure" game and taking place across 10 episodes, the gameplay segments incorporate tactical role-playing, dating sim, and visual novel elements. It has two gameplay modes: an adventure mode and a battle mode. The adventure mode is divided between periods where Ogami navigates the Grand Imperial Theater and interacts with various characters, while the battle mode is governed by a turn-based battle system on a tilted grid-based battlefield. Progress is saved at the end of each episode, and the player may also save the game during intermissions.
In the adventure mode, Ogami navigates the theater during limited time sequences between battles. This game introduces the Live & Interactive Picture System (LIPS). When Ogami is faced with critical choices during conversations with both members of the Flower Division and supporting characters within the combat revue, dialogue trees are displayed with a time limit for the player to input. Depending on the type of response, the character may respond positively or negatively, impacting their relationship with Ogami and future interactions. Other actions within LIPS include holding the cursor over parts of a character's portrait to trigger internal monologues and varying responses from the characters. Each main heroine has different personality quirks that must be taken into consideration while talking with them, with correct responses raising their "Trust".
In the battle mode, the Flower Division fights demons using machines called Kobus. Each unit has its own turn, with each turn allowing two actions. These actions include "Attack", "Defend", "Move", "Deathblow" (a critical strike that can kill a normal enemy in one hit), Charge (store energy for a more powerful action during the next turn), and Heal (which restores health points (HP) to a chosen unit). Different units specialize in different skills such as support actions, melee attacks, or ranged attacks. Units have varying movement abilities based on available space and unit statistics, as well as a separate attack range based on their weapon type. Actions taken during LIPS sequences with members of the Flower Division directly impact battles; raised trust during LIPS segments grant statistic increases and subsequently improve combat ability. The game ends when certain conditions, such as winning a battle, are not met or if the HP on Ogami's Kobu reaches zero, although the player can continue by selecting "Rematch". The game also contains animated cutscenes and musical numbers.
Synopsis
In 1923, Imperial Japanese Navy Ensign Ichiro Ogami is transferred to the Imperial Combat Revue, a secret combat unit based in Tokyo. Meanwhile, swordswoman Sakura Shinguji arrives from Sendai as the Assault Force's latest recruit and meets Ogami at Ueno Park. Traveling to the Grand Imperial Theater together, Ogami meets the team's main actresses: Sumire Kanzaki, Maria Tachibana, Iris Chateaubriand, Kanna Kirishima, and Kohran Ri. The theater's manager Ikki Yoneda tells Ogami he has been assigned as an usher. Initially bemused and hurt by his assignment, it turns out to be a bluff to decide his worth. The Imperial Combat Revue also functions as a theater troupe called the Imperial Revue. Central to the unit is the Flower Division, the Imperial Revue's main actresses, who use their spirit powers to defend Tokyo against demon attacks using steam-powered armor called Kobu.
The current wave of attacks is being controlled by the Hive of Darkness, a group of black magicians led by Tenkai and his powerful subordinates the Lords of Death. Tenkai's goal is to restore the shogunate and banish the growing Western influences from Japan, with the Hive of Darkness destroying magical seals around Tokyo that keep a powerful demonic horde at bay. As the Flower Division battles the Hive of Darkness, each member must confront their personal problems to function as an effective combat unit. Ogami also becomes involved in the running of the theater and is witness to on-stage incidents including Sakura bringing down the stage during one performance through her clumsiness, and Kanna and Sumire clashing on stage during another.
The Flower Division are unsuccessful in preventing the Hive of Darkness from destroying the seals, allowing Tenkai to summon a magical fortress from which he intends to conquer Japan. The Flower Division storm the fortress and destroy Tenkai and the fortress. During these events, Ogami becomes close to each member and can pursue a romantic relationship. The city recovers as the group relaxes, but a surviving Hive of Darkness member Kuroki Satan launches a fresh attack, renaming himself "Aoi Satan". He is actually Shinnosuke Yamazaki, a former comrade of Yoneda who was presumed killed with Sakura's father Kazuma when creating the original seals. Yamazaki survived and was possessed by the true Satan, being responsible for controlling the demons and resurrecting Tenkai.
Yoneda's deputy, Ayame Fujieda, is turned into a demon using her suppressed feelings for Ogami. Satan summons a great fortress called the Seima Castle from the sea near Tokyo, intent on releasing the population of Hell to overrun humanity. Using the airship Mikasa, the Imperial Combat Revue launch a concentrated attack on the castle. They successfully unite their spiritual power to banish Satan back to Hell. Ayame's demon form is destroyed at the cost of her life, and after bidding farewell she ascends to Heaven as an angel named Michael. After Aoi Satan's defeat, the final scene varies depending on whether Ogami romanced a member of the Flower Division and which member he chose.
Production Concept and development Oji Hiroi created the concept for what would become Sakura Wars in 1990. He saw a Japanese stage production of the play Shanghai Rhapsody and was impressed by the spectacle of the acting troop he saw on stage. In 1993, Hiroi and anime composer Kohei Tanaka worked together on an original video animation (OVA) adaptation of the video game Tengai Makyou: Ziria. Hiroi was highly impressed by Tanaka's music, to the point where he wanted him to create a musical set to it. This concept evolved into his wish for Tanaka to score a video game focused on the theater. Later in 1993, a small team in the Planning Department of Red Company (now Red Entertainment) led by Hiroi began promoting his concept and planning the game's basic concepts. At this stage, the project was titled to connect it with Japan. It was described as an "example plan" rather than a practical project. While distinct from the final Sakura Wars the proposal shared an alternate historical setting with steampunk technology, a female lead and mecha combat. In addition to Hiroi, the team included Ryoma Kaneko and Naoki Morita, who would later work on Sakura Wars proper. While developing the "Sakura" proposal, Hiroi and his team created two tabletop role-playing games dubbed "Sakura 1" and "Sakura 2". This resulted in the strategy elements almost overriding the game's other aspects. Inspired by the combination of tactical combat and the story used in the Fire Emblem series, Hiroi steered the project more in that direction. Influences from contemporary anime were also added to bring depth to the story and characters. With the basic elements defined, the team continued refining the project for between half a year and a year. Convinced of the project's potential to become a video game, Hiroi presented "Sakura" to multiple game companies, but none of them had confidence in the project. Despite his determination to see the project realized, Hiroi put the project aside with no expectation that it would be produced.
In 1994, following Hiroi's decision to put Sakura aside, Shoichiro Irimajiri—then vice president of Sega—contacted him about the possibility of developing a game with a popular mascot character for Sega's in-development Sega Saturn home console. Irimajiri wanted a unique video game property for the system and had heard positive feedback about Hiroi's work. Hiroi was initially reluctant but eventually accepted Irimajiri's offer, inviting him and other potential contributors to spend a fortnight's holiday in Saipan. Hiroi later said the decision to work on a game for the Saturn was a hard one, as he had previously worked on games for rival unspecified home console systems. It was Sega's favorable response to his pitch that persuaded him to develop Sakura Wars on the Saturn. Hiroi pitched his old concept for Sakura to Irimajiri during their stay on Saipan. While Hiroi harbored doubts as to whether such an ambitious and unusual project would be accepted, Irimajiri was convinced. On their return to Japan, Sega and Red Company began development on Hiroi's project. That October, it was given the title Sakura Wars. Due to problems trademarking the kanji version of Sakura because it is the native name for cherry blossom, the word "Sakura" was written in katakana instead.