Sakura Wars is one of the most important gaming franchises in modern Japanese history, but most Westerners wouldn't know that. The last time we got an entry was in 2010, with a Wii port of 2005's Sakura Wars V: So Long, My Love, and it flopped pretty hard. But now, the high-profile reboot of the series is making its way to American and European shores - and sooner than y♍ou mi🎀ght think.
Today, Sega of America revealed a new trailer for the game on their Twitteꦑr and YouTube channel. After a rendition of the opening song and a smattering of gameplay, the ending of the trailer confirms an April 28th release date.
This trailer confirms a few things. First and foremost, it seems as if we w♏on't be getting an English dub, considering the trailer is entirely subtitled. That makes sense, considering this is a niche franchise in the West and dubs aren't cheap, but it could sting for people who don't love reading subs.
There's also the fact that the title's received a bit of a change, dropping the "Shin" in the original Shin Sakura Wars. That also tracks, considering how that title translates to "New Sakura Wars." 𓄧That wouldn't really resonate with a Western audience, considering how this will likely be most people's first exposure to the series.
Lastly, America isn't getting any of the snazzy collector's editions that Japan did. Sega of America will be putting out a Day One Edition of the game, with a reversible cover and sticker 🔥sheet - that's about it. It would be a bit of a risk to produce a bunch of nice collector's editions for a game that might not sell well, though, so it makes business sense.
The larger concern about Sakura Wars is that itsꦬ Japanese release was written up as a fairly sizable failure for Sega. Considering that Japan is where this franchise has always made the most bank, that's pretty troubling. Barring some miraculous surge in sales in the West, this could very well wind up being the last major release for the series. Here's hoping that's not the case.
Sakura Wars is available for preorder now, anܫd👍 if you have any interest at all, be sure to speak with your wallet and get on that. As a decade-long fan, I know I will.
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