If Ogami's unit is destroyed, or if the player fails to meet the given requirements, the game is over.īefore the main menu is shown, the game searches for a system file. If an attack squad member's unit is destroyed in battle, she is removed from the battlefield, and the player loses trust points with her. A unit performs better if the pilot has a higher trust rating for the squad leader and performs worse if the pilot has a low trust for the squad leader. Commands are arranged in groups, and only two commands from different groups can be issued for each turn.Ī character's trust points also affect her status during battle. The player gives commands to all attack squad members piloting a spirit armor in a square-based grid. In Sakura Wars, the battle mode gameplay is similar to that of a tactical role-playing game. These points have various effects throughout the game, including shaping Ogami's relationship with the rest of the cast and, ultimately, deciding the ending scene of the game. LIPS presents the player with options to choose from during conversations, where choices made, including not having made a decision at all, adds or deducts 'trust points' from the characters involved. By visiting certain locations within a building or a city, he may interact with various characters by a system known as the Live Interactive Picture System (LIPS). Eyecatches provide the player with the only way to properly track and save his/her progress, and are often used to indicate a switch between the game's two main gameplay modes, though this is not always the case.Īdventure mode allows the player to control Ichiro Ogami. The story is told in an episodic format, each with its own eyecatches and next episode previews, emulating the feeling of watching anime.

Sakura Wars carved out a whole new genre for itself, it's the first in gaming history to combine elements of dating simulation and strategy.

This means that the game's social elements are closely tied to the battle system. The player's interaction with the game dramatically influences the storyline and the ending, as the player nurtures relationships between certain characters, their performance in battle will also improve and the strength of their attacks soars. Character interaction plays a major role. An in-depth storyline exists, much like in any other RPG however, the player's destiny in the game is not predetermined. Sakura Wars is a Strategy RPG that features a unique sim-based story system.

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