Review: Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus

Japanese video games have always held an interest for me because they can rarely be described as ordinary. Quirky, innovative and bonkers are the words I most commonly use when describing Japanese titles to friends. With the upcoming release of Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus on the PlayStation Vita, I need to add another adjective to the list – uncomfortable.

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Developer: Tamsoft
Publisher: Marvelous AQL
Reviewed on: PlayStation Vita
Release Date: 14 October 2014 (US) / 15 October 2014 (Europe)

BRB-Score-2

In the world of Senran Kagura, young girls are trained to be fearsome shinobi, ready to battle for their academy’s honour. Battles between the students occur often and each fight is more preposterous than the last. At the beginning of the game, you choose one of four different ninja academies – the Hanzō National Academy, the Homura Crimson Squad, the Gessen Girls’ Academy and the Hejibo Clandestine Girls’ Academy.

The story plays out from the perspective of each academy. With twenty shinobi fighters to battle with, there are plenty of stories to encounter. The original Japanese voice track is used, with subtitles for the linguistically-challenged among us. Using more traditional weapons; the ninjas may be seen with blades or staves in their hands. Opposite them however, it is not uncommon to find an opponent wielding an umbrella or frying pan!

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This absurdity may be an attempt to make the blatant over-sexualisation of the game’s high school-aged cast an easier pill to swallow but when every single facet of Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus revolves around ogling these girls in various stages of undress, the additional descriptor I mentioned above becomes the predominant take-away from the game. Quite simply, there is no defence for how this game depicts women.

When I say every facet of the game, I mean every facet too. The gameplay is built around stripping these girls of their clothes. Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is basically a 3D battle game – based in arenas or corridor-based levels. The aim of the game is to reach each level’s boss, invariably a rival student, and defeat them. Dealing or taking damage causes your opponent or you to explosively lose your clothes.

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Every time a cinematic plays – such as when you transform into a more powerful version of your character or you reach a damage threshold – the camera focuses on up-skirt panty shots and women’s breasts. Another gameplay mechanic allows you to become far more vulnerable, with the pay-off being that you deal more damage. How do you pull this off? Well, a button prompt when you fill an in-game gauge allows you to use the Vita’s touch screen to rip off your character’s remaining clothes with your two thumbs – you can imagine what is on-screen at the time.

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I have to admit that the combat in Shinovi Versus is competently handled 3D brawler. The fighting is fast-paced, with large combos, air dashes, ultimate attacks and shinobi transformations all keeping the action ticking along. Defence requires you to either hold down R or use it to time a parry correctly – which gives you an immediate advantage but is tricky to pull off.

But for every positive, there is a negative. The camera is a persistent problem – if you leave the right-stick alone for a second, you leave yourself open to being attacked from off-screen. It you get stuck in a corner though, it goes haywire altogether and mashing buttons becomes a valid survival technique until you get away from the wall. The levels also take far too long to load – a big problem in a portable game where time may be at a premium.

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Solid, tight combat mechanics
A colourful, vibrant visual palette
The gratuitous, over-sexualisation is a massive stumbling block
The camera is finicky

As I flew back to London from a trip home, I dared not play the game in case someone saw me. That is not how I want to spend my time with the hobby I love. If you can see beyond its gratuitous nature, you might find a competent brawler here to dive deep into. If all you could see in the last sentence was a string of embarrassing innuendos, you may want to avoid this one.

Review copy provided by Premier
Official Game Site

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