Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds

Fans of the otome genre will find a lot to like within Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds. It offers a rich storyline as well as presenting likeable characters within its well-built world. With personalities based on real-life historical figures, the game offers a charming, albeit brief look at an interesting area of Japanese history, as well as the chance to romance some grade-A anime boys.

85%Game Brain Score

story, music

gameplay, grinding

91% User Score Based on 633 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $2.91

Buy NowGet on Steam €8.19

About

Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is a single player action game with romance and drama themes. It was developed by Idea Factory and was released on August 24, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

This remastered telling of the beloved, visual novel Hakuoki series that was first developed and released in 2008 focuses on the story set in Kyoto. The young Chizuru, determined to find her father, will romance the famous samurai of Shinsengumi through a series of engaging stories and dramatic events. Now, experience new characters, love interests, and episodes in the world of Hakuoki: Kyoto Wind…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 633 reviews

story196 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted story that immerses players in the historical Bakumatsu period of Japan, blending historical intrigue with supernatural romance.
The character designs and artwork are stunning, with fluid animations and vibrant visuals that enhance the overall experience.
The game offers a wide variety of romanceable characters, each with unique personalities and routes, ensuring high replay value.

The pacing can feel slow, especially in the early chapters, which may frustrate players looking for a quicker romance experience.
The English translation has several errors and awkward phrases that can detract from the overall immersion in the story.
As the first part of a two-game series, it ends on a cliffhanger, leaving many storylines unresolved until the sequel, which may disappoint some players.

story
640 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The story of "Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds" is an immersive and engaging narrative set in the tumultuous Bakumatsu period of Japan, blending historical fiction with elements of romance and supernatural intrigue. As the first part of a two-game series, it ends on a cliffhanger, requiring players to continue with "Edo Blossoms" to fully experience the story and character arcs. While the game features rich character development and multiple routes, some players noted that the romance is more subdued in this installment, focusing instead on building the overarching plot and relationships.
- “The storytelling in this game is very immersive; I really enjoyed it.”
- “Set against the backdrop of 1860s Kyoto—a time of crumbling empires, brewing revolution, and supernatural secrets—Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is an otome visual novel that mixes historical fiction, political intrigue, and tragic romance with elegant storytelling.”
- “The story is incredibly well written, and I never felt like any of the playable characters lacked depth.”
- “As the first part of a two-game series, Kyoto Winds ends on a cliffhanger, leaving some storylines unresolved until Edo Blossoms.”
- “The writing is dull, the main plot has very little impact on the rest of the game’s experience, and the characters are uninteresting.”
- “Despite its length, it very much feels like a prologue or setup to a longer story.”
music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many praising the superb voice acting and beautifully composed soundtrack that complements both action and narrative moments. While the majority of players find the music captivating and fitting, some have noted issues with volume levels, where voice acting can be overshadowed by the music. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals, engaging storytelling, and a memorable soundtrack makes for a compelling auditory experience.
- “The Japanese voice acting is superb, adding authenticity, while the soundtrack complements the emotional and action-packed moments perfectly.”
- “Kyoto Winds has a beautiful, emotional soundtrack, pretty illustrations, stellar voice acting, and an engaging retelling of the narrative surrounding the Shinsengumi.”
- “The soundtrack is simply beautiful.”
- “I'm very upset as I bought the deluxe version and was unable to listen to any of the OST DLC.”
- “The new music is awful, and is way too modern in certain places.”
- “I found myself turning the music off after a few playthrough routes.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning artwork, fluid animations, and vibrant visuals that effectively enhance the historical setting. While some users noted minor graphical issues and a slightly dated appearance, the overall production quality, including character designs and animated elements, is considered exceptional. The combination of beautiful visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and engaging storytelling contributes to an immersive experience that captivates players.
- “The remastered visuals breathe life into the game, with fluid animations and vibrant artwork that enhance the historical setting.”
- “The beautiful visuals and immersive setting bring the past to life, while the different paths keep things interesting.”
- “The artwork, music, and voice acting were exceptional, as expected.”
- “Sure, the graphics are dusty.”
- “It's a bit dated - the graphics aren't 'crisp' at 1080p.”
- “Despite the improvement in the graphics, additional CGs from the previous version, and new characters, this game will leave you disappointed because not only is the game incomplete, it is also not an 80-hour gameplay experience as advertised.”
emotional
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its rich character development and deeply engaging narratives, with players experiencing a wide range of feelings from joy to heartbreak. The superb voice acting and touching soundtrack enhance the emotional immersion, making the story resonate on a profound level. While some routes may leave players feeling overwhelmed or disappointed, the overall experience is described as heartwarming and impactful, often leading to intense emotional reactions.
- “The emotional payoff is often gutting—don’t expect sunshine and rainbows.”
- “Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is a haunting, emotionally rich visual novel that goes far beyond romance.”
- “I cried with them, laughed with them, got angry with them, and overall, I just didn't want it to end.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay in "Kyoto Winds" is characteristic of a visual novel, focusing on choice-driven narratives with a linear structure where all routes share a common storyline, enhanced by quality-of-life features like fast-forwarding and a flowchart for tracking decisions. While the game offers a wealth of routes and character interactions, some players find the length excessive due to the numerous love interests and the trial-and-error nature of choices. Overall, it provides an engaging experience for those who appreciate story-driven gameplay, despite some repetitive elements.
- “As a visual novel, gameplay is limited to choices, but Kyoto Winds offers plenty of quality-of-life features: fast-forward, auto-text, a flowchart to track choices, and multiple save slots.”
- “Overall, I think this game really pushed the story far, which made the gameplay experience very engaging.”
- “What I like a lot is that this is a real otome experience; not routes, but choices really determine who and when appears - I missed that gameplay.”
- “The split into two is justified by the change in tone and game mechanics, but even being half the full game's length, Kyoto Winds is still too long - mostly due to the abundance of love interests.”
- “This otome actually has more of a 'linear' gameplay style where all of the routes follow the same exact story, just with individual scenes occurring with your chosen love interest, so there is a lot of skipping involved.”
- “This is also one of those old-fashioned otome games that tend to not be made as often anymore, where you have to really struggle to get the guy you want by using the trial and error of multiple choices adventures; you don't have a main menu where you can choose a route, and I really miss that gameplay aspect.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while many praise the striking character designs, voice acting, and overall writing quality, several users express disappointment in the lack of growth for the main character and some supporting characters. Despite the rich historical context and engaging story, critics note that character arcs feel underdeveloped, with some characters remaining static throughout the narrative. Overall, while the artistic elements shine, the depth of character development leaves much to be desired for some players.
- “Voice acting was phenomenal (as always), character development was on point (as always, there is just no character that you can possibly hate) and it really tells the story of the shinsengumi, which is such a treat to me.”
- “The writing and character development are just so good it's no wonder it's a classic.”
- “Firstly, this is an otome so the target audience is teenage girls, and the situations and story do reflect that, but the character development, theme, and historical focus seem more refined than a typical for-girls story, landing this in the josei category of literature.”
- “The main character you play as has no character development.”
- “There's very little in the way of character development, and the romance is so incredibly slow burn that with the route I played, 20 hours in they hadn't even kissed yet.”
- “For instance, many characters (including the protagonist, frankly) show relatively little character development despite the amount of time that passes.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its excellent sense of humor, featuring hilarious moments and witty banter that balance the more serious themes of the story. Players appreciate the comedic elements, including funny achievement names and character interactions, which enhance the overall experience. Despite the presence of tragedy, the humor consistently shines through, making for a memorable and entertaining gameplay experience.
- “I found several moments in the game hilarious, like the one when Sanan wanted to take MC's blood sample for an improved concoction with his sword. Dude, you just need a needle for it!”
- “Developers definitely have a taste for humor judging from the achievement names; they are quite funny and might boost motivation to get them all.”
- “The fight scenes have intensity and excitement with humorous banter between the characters.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The game offers significant replayability due to its branching narratives and player choices, encouraging exploration of multiple story routes and character interactions. Players appreciate the depth of the storyline and the potential for discovering new content, with many expressing excitement for revisiting the game to unlock achievements and experience different outcomes. Overall, the replay value is considered high, making it a worthwhile investment for players.
- “While some paths require careful navigation, the branching narratives ensure high replay value.”
- “The storyline has been intriguing, and the replay value is good, so I do look forward to playing all the routes, as well as continuing with the next game.”
- “On the whole, I think this game has good replay value and I would highly recommend this.”
- “For this kind of story and replayability, the price is too cheap (especially if you get it on discount).”
- “There is a surprising amount of replay value between these two games.”
- “The replay value is high; I'm at 40 hours and feel like there's a lot I haven't discovered and characters I haven't really gotten to know because they're locked away in another route.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
11%
22%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a mature and melancholic tone, enhanced by beautiful music and effective voice acting that contribute to its depth. While the romantic elements are well-executed, moments of levity and banter among characters provide a refreshing contrast. However, inconsistencies in dialogue can detract from the overall immersive experience, leaving some scenes feeling stripped of their intended atmosphere.
- “The writing is mature, atmospheric, and drenched in a sense of historical melancholy.”
- “The atmosphere and art were very nice, and the music was peaceful.”
- “The soundtrack is really beautiful, always atmospheric and perfectly fitting into the situations.”
- “When characters aren't awkwardly cursing and emotionally confusing the tones of normal conversation, then the rest of the piece feels so stripped of the atmosphere, tone, and much-needed fill-in details that usually elevate the reading of visual novels.”
- “The music is not overwhelming, but it does add to the atmosphere.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that grinding in these visual novels can be a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the charm of self-discovery and the ability to skip tedious sections, others find the repetitive nature of events and extensive historical references to be a slog. The necessity of managing save files and replaying for different endings can also detract from the overall enjoyment, though some players remain engaged due to their attachment to the genre.
- “There are some repetitive bits that get a little tedious, but nothing the cheeky skip button can't fix.”
- “If, on the other hand, you're just vaguely interested in the time period as background for a decent renai visual novel, prepare for a collegiate semester's worth of tedious events and historical references that slowly fill an in-game encyclopedia.”
- “It's possible Edo Blossoms will eventually justify this tedious first-half slog, but so far all I can think as I play is: 'This is the game touted as a visual novel classic???'”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with minimal translation errors and only a few minor glitches reported, such as black streaks in Sakamoto's route and occasional name tag mix-ups. These issues are infrequent and do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “There were, however, a couple of glitches.”
- “Some glitches (black streaks) in Sakamoto's route after using 'force skip'.”
- “There's a couple of name tag glitches when people are talking (it'll show the protagonist's name instead of the actual person's name) but it happens like 5 times out of the entire game.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has notable performance issues that remain unresolved, which detracts from the overall experience. However, the high-quality voice acting significantly enhances emotional engagement.
- “There are some issues with the performance of the game that are still unaddressed.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on the narrative and emotional elements. Therefore, it is unclear how monetization impacts the overall experience.