Sakura Wars showcases intricacies of its combat in new trailer

Sega has shared a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive action-RPG Sakura Wars. In the titular Combat Trailer, we get a nice overview of the revamped and more action-oriented gameplay of the game. Check it out here!

The reboot of one of the more hidden cult titles from the land of the rising sun brought the almost-forgotten franchise on the playing field when it came out late last year in Japan. Now, PlayStation 4 users all in the West can look forward to experiencing it also once it arrives on April 28th.

The stage is set in a steampunk version of 1940s Imperial Tokyo. Only a short while ago, a cataclysmic event destroyed the Imperial Combat Revue of Tokyo, the capital’s global defense force stationed at the Imperial Theater. Now home to the Flower Division, an inept rookie squad who also strives to impart hope on the citizenry with their theatrical talents, the theater has fallen on hard times and risks closure. It’s up to Seijuro Kamiyama as the captain of the new Tokyo revue to lead his squad and restore the Imperial Combat Revue and the theater back to their former glory! With the help of the revue’s five colorful performers, he must rise to the challenge of competing in the Combat Revue World Games, protecting the inhabitants of Tokyo and getting the theater back on track.

Sega took a gamble with the Sakura Wars reboot by changing up the turn-based tactical gameplay portion into a much more action-oriented real-time affair. Sure, it might disgruntle seasoned fans of the past entries but to be realistic. Adopting a more mainstream gameplay design enables the franchise to just reach a much larger audience. And that’s what a reboot of a decade-old series really needs.

Thankfully, the departure of the slow-paced tactical gameplay did not end up dumbing down the gameplay in the end. Quite the opposite in fact. With unique over-the-top mech skills, there are always various ways to defeat the enemy team in a global tournament.