Sakura Taisen 1996

About

The main story takes about 14 hours, doing everything about 48 hours. It won the Japan Game Awards Future Category.

Released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, Sakura Taisen is the first game in the iconic Japanese game franchise. It combines strategy RPG elements with dating sim-style character interactions to make "A Storm of Romance amid Taishou Cherry Blossoms!"

Story

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.

What is happening now

Sakura Wars is a hybrid role-playing and visual novel experience that blends tactical combat with character-driven storytelling across multiple gameplay systems. The 2019 PlayStation 4 entry represents the latest mainline installment in Sega's long-running franchise, which combines hack-and-slash combat with dating-sim mechanics and dramatic narrative choices. The series is currently in the spotlight as Sega marks three decades of Sakura Wars with a special anniversary event in Tokyo. Creator Oji Hiroi appeared at the celebration to discuss the franchise's legacy, and notably revealed he has already conceived a plot for a potential Sakura Wars 6. While no official announcement has been made regarding the next installment, Hiroi indicated he would accept an offer to return to the director's chair if the opportunity presented itself.