Favorite Game of 2020

As a person that is in college for Game Development, I obviously play a ton of games. I have to, to study them and get new ideas and understand how things work in the industry and how things are made, etc. So you would assume that I love every game and see a positive in everything game related. Maybe…even in a game like Balan Wonderworld. I actually do not, ESPECIALLY in Balan Wonderworld. Some games to me are an actual waste of time and just not my thing and I actually refuse to study them at all, not saying they are bad games, they just are not my thing. Prime example for me being Final Fantasy XIV. Why you ask, because I am not a fan of some genres and how things work in them. I really do not like MMORPGS, the only one I can tolerate is Phantasy Star Online 2. But that’s not to say that my mind can’t be changed at all. In fact, one of my favorite games of all time, came out last year and when I say I HATED dating simulators and visual novels and games that can be extremely cheesy. I mean it. But, Sakura Wars (2020) actually changed my mind. That one game alone actually has changed my whole perspective on how I looks at each of those genres as a whole, and as a whole when you put them together.

Right from the beginning the visuals grabbed my attention, and they kept it the whole way through. They are extremely crisp and detailed, which actually surprised me because normally anime type of games can opt for lower resolution textures. But when you are walking around in the game you actually FEEL like you are in 1920s Tokyo. The music fits in perfectly, which adds another layer of depth to the immersion. But, the thing that really got me to fall in love with this game were the social interactions, especially with the girls. A problem that I have with dating simulators and visual novels is the fact that, well you really just pushing a single button the whole way through with the occasional D-Pad press to select a dialog option. You don’t get to see a real moving character, with expressions and all, you get a png of a character that changes based on their words or mood. But in Sakura Wars, you get to see the characters faces and body movements. You can literally see how the girls feel about what you say, and it always fits the girls personalities. Clarissa always moves in a reserved type of way, almost like she is nervous about you seeing her react. Meanwhile, Anastasia always moves in a somewhat slow and seducing way reflecting her sex appeal and that she is a confident person and a leader. And that is with every character you interact with, they have their own personality that is being reflected within they actions and movements. That adds a hell of a lot more immersion to the dating simulator and visual novel genre for me that I personally was seeking out. Another reason why I love the game lies within the other characters. They don’t just feel like they are there for filler purposes, or just to give you someone as a generic comic relief. They are actual people, and feel like they are properly apart of your life, community, and world as a whole. For example, the Shanghai Combat Revue members are there, but they don’t just stand there and do nothing except talk to you once throughout the whole game. They actually pose a problem at the beginning, and throughout the game, are actual characters who evolve and at times help you and give you tough love and at other times can be a pain in the ass. Every character feels like they are their own, not a piece of cardboard that sometimes puts salt and pepper on. Each character has a purpose to be there whether you realize it or not and that is a beautiful thing. The last reason why I love this game so much, actually comes from the story. I know, it is generic and full of tropes that honestly you can go watch a 12 episode slice of life anime and see. But dammit I love it because of it. It is so simple and easy to understand, makes it a game that if I just wanna sit down and play a relax with, I can do so. I don’t need level 100, big brain stuff to play it. I just need 2 thumbs and working eyes and ears.

Thanks for reading this, hopefully I can write more soon!