Rance is back, and this time he is traveling to the country of Nippon. What for, you might ask? For one reason, of course! To bang every beautiful Japanese girl that he can get his hands on. It's not just Samurai, Ninja and Kunoichi, because his eyes are set on the sister of Oda Nobunaga, Princess Kouhime. Before he even knows it, he finds himself with the task to conquer feudal states in order to unite all of Nippon.
Sengoku is the 7th installment in the Rance franchise. With gameplay that is clearly inspired by it's predecessor (Kichikou Rance) Sengoku may perhaps be one of the greatest titles ever produced by AliceSoft, and that's no easy feat to accomplish, when you look at all the amazing games that they've developed over the years.
As a strategy RPG, it's your job to take over the nation. When you start the game, you'll be presented with a massive world map and it becomes immediately apparant just how much freedom Sengoku gives the player. It might all seem overwhelming at first, because it's not afraid to throw a lot of different gameplay mechanics in your face at once. But you know what? To me, this is where the game truly shines. There are so many ways to approach and conquer your enemies, which means that not a single playthrough will feel the same. It's all about planning ahead, managing your troops, maintaining your land and socialising with your soldiers and comrades. The order that you want to do all of this in is completely up to you, and there are plenty of missable events or scenes which means that it is always actively encouraging replayability if you want to see everything. It's also surprisingly challenging and does not mess around.
Of course, with this title partially being a VN, it wouldn't work very well if the characters weren't interesting. Thankfully, Rance has a great and memborable cast that i've never gotten bored of even once. They all bounce off of each other very well and Rance being the dumb, horny manchild that he is, is always hillarious whenever he interacts with the others. The lighthearted comedy is great and works very well in balance with the darker aspects of the story, which takes a more serious tone near the end of the game. Neither side overstays it's welcome however, and that always make the text a joy to read.
Before playing this title, the only game in the series that i had prior knowledge with was Rance 01, a remake of the first title. While it was a fun adventure game, it was very simple and straightforward. Enjoyable, but not exactly something that left a big impression.
Sengoku feels like the complete opposite and blew my expecations out of the water. The scale, complexity and worldbuilding is unlike anything i've ever experienced in a VN before. Before i knew it, i was hooked. This was the title that turned me into a fan, showed me what Rance is capable of and i have never looked back since. This game holds a special place in my heart and i will always remember it as one of the best experiences i've ever had.
Sengoku is ambitious, addicting and most importantly: one of the best eroge you will ever play.
Sengoku is the 7th installment in the Rance franchise. With gameplay that is clearly inspired by it's predecessor (Kichikou Rance) Sengoku may perhaps be one of the greatest titles ever produced by AliceSoft, and that's no easy feat to accomplish, when you look at all the amazing games that they've developed over the years.
As a strategy RPG, it's your job to take over the nation. When you start the game, you'll be presented with a massive world map and it becomes immediately apparant just how much freedom Sengoku gives the player. It might all seem overwhelming at first, because it's not afraid to throw a lot of different gameplay mechanics in your face at once. But you know what? To me, this is where the game truly shines. There are so many ways to approach and conquer your enemies, which means that not a single playthrough will feel the same. It's all about planning ahead, managing your troops, maintaining your land and socialising with your soldiers and comrades. The order that you want to do all of this in is completely up to you, and there are plenty of missable events or scenes which means that it is always actively encouraging replayability if you want to see everything. It's also surprisingly challenging and does not mess around.
Of course, with this title partially being a VN, it wouldn't work very well if the characters weren't interesting. Thankfully, Rance has a great and memborable cast that i've never gotten bored of even once. They all bounce off of each other very well and Rance being the dumb, horny manchild that he is, is always hillarious whenever he interacts with the others. The lighthearted comedy is great and works very well in balance with the darker aspects of the story, which takes a more serious tone near the end of the game. Neither side overstays it's welcome however, and that always make the text a joy to read.
Before playing this title, the only game in the series that i had prior knowledge with was Rance 01, a remake of the first title. While it was a fun adventure game, it was very simple and straightforward. Enjoyable, but not exactly something that left a big impression.
Sengoku feels like the complete opposite and blew my expecations out of the water. The scale, complexity and worldbuilding is unlike anything i've ever experienced in a VN before. Before i knew it, i was hooked. This was the title that turned me into a fan, showed me what Rance is capable of and i have never looked back since. This game holds a special place in my heart and i will always remember it as one of the best experiences i've ever had.
Sengoku is ambitious, addicting and most importantly: one of the best eroge you will ever play.
Reviewed on Mar 16, 2023