Learn Japanese To Survive! Hiragana Battle
- February 15, 2016
- RIVER CROW STUDIO
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Learn Japanese To Survive! Hiragana Battle" is an educational RPG that teaches players how to read and write Hiragana, one of the Japanese writing systems. It offers a fun and engaging way to learn the language, with challenging battles that require the correct input of Japanese characters. The game is designed for beginners, making it an ideal introductory course to Japanese. Join the journey to become proficient in Hiragana while enjoying a unique gaming experience.
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Reviews
- Engaging and fun way to learn Hiragana through RPG mechanics.
- Well-paced lessons that introduce characters gradually, reinforcing memory through repetition.
- Includes basic vocabulary and grammar tips, enhancing the learning experience.
- Combat can become tedious and repetitive, with high encounter rates and clunky menu navigation.
- The story and character development are simplistic and not very engaging.
- Pronunciation audio quality is poor, making it difficult to learn correct sounds.
- story308 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this educational game is generally described as simple, cheesy, and somewhat predictable, serving primarily as a framework for learning hiragana rather than as a compelling narrative. While some players find the lighthearted and quirky elements enjoyable, others criticize the plot for being bland and lacking depth, with many noting that the main focus should be on the educational aspect rather than the storyline. Overall, the story is seen as adequate for its purpose, providing enough motivation to engage players in the learning process while not being the game's standout feature.
“The story is also very nicely implemented and connected to the lessons.”
“The story is fun and engaging but doesn't take itself too seriously, the lessons are concise and easy to follow and there's a nice connection, as a player, to your team because you're learning along with them.”
“The story is simple, your country is invaded by an outside foreigner and you must fight your way across the land with the aid of your friends and Japanese hiragana teacher who will teach you the language to defeat the enemies.”
“The story is incredibly, incredibly bland and even stupid at times, but that's okay.”
“The story is pretty bad and you won't be playing it for the characters, but it serves as an excellent way to learn hiragana through a visual and interactive way.”
“The storyline, the (attempt at) side quests, the characters, sound and music...they're bland at best and shallow at worst.”
- gameplay199 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally criticized for being slow, repetitive, and clunky, which detracts from the learning experience it aims to provide. While some players appreciate the integration of RPG mechanics to reinforce memorization of hiragana, many find the combat tedious and the overall mechanics lacking polish. Overall, the game serves as a basic educational tool, but its gameplay does not effectively support the learning objectives, leading to frustration for some users.
“The gameplay is simple: you are taught a set of hiragana characters, you are quizzed for it, you go out to do the main quest, fight hiragana monsters while on quest, then rinse and repeat.”
“The mechanics of the game combined with lessons make for solid reinforcement of what you learn.”
“While the plot and dialogue are straightforward in the extreme, the mechanics of the game are solid and really help with retaining the knowledge.”
“My main issues with the game come from the gameplay, and more specifically from the animation speed during fights. I didn't go far into the game because I couldn't stand waiting 5-8 seconds per turn for every character and enemy to make basic attacks.”
“The gameplay is unfortunately too slow for me.”
“The gameplay itself, though, is painful.”
- grinding105 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the educational value of grinding for memorization, many find the combat slow and the level design uninspired, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed bag, where the grind can be beneficial for learning but also becomes a chore that may discourage prolonged play.
“No grinding required, but if you wish to, grinding is fun because you're learning the whole time.”
“The game is a bit grindy at times, which while it reinforces the concepts of hiragana can be tiring and keep us away from the game.”
“Moving around is a pain, everything looks bad visually, battles are incredibly tedious and frustrating, the game demands you grind for levels, and worst of all: featureless maze-based dungeons.”
“I found this tedious, but because it is being used as a teaching tool, I understand why it was the way it was.”
- music92 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it calming and enjoyable, particularly during lessons and boss fights, while others criticize it for being repetitive and generic. Many appreciate the nostalgic, retro feel of the soundtrack, which complements the game's educational aspects, but note that it can become monotonous over extended play sessions. Overall, while the music is often described as serviceable and fitting, it lacks variety and depth, leading to a somewhat forgettable experience for some players.
“The music, especially during lessons, is very soothing and relaxing.”
“The music and battle system keeps things interesting.”
“The graphics look awesome, it has great music and most importantly it makes learning hiragana easy and fun.”
“The music can be repetitive, and the storyline is not very interesting.”
“The soundtrack is very average and honestly it really pains me to not be able to say you should buy this.”
“The same learning theme music for all 20ish lessons, the same battle theme for all fights in the game except the last dungeon, and the same theme when walking around the world map.”
- graphics49 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as charming yet basic, reminiscent of classic RPG Maker titles and early JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. While some players appreciate the cute pixel art and character designs, others find the visuals simplistic and repetitive, noting that they do not detract from the game's primary focus on learning Japanese. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the game's purpose, with a nostalgic appeal for fans of retro-style games.
“That said, it's a charming game with calming music and nostalgic pixel-art visuals similar to early Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest.”
“The graphics look awesome, it has great music and most importantly, it makes learning hiragana easy and fun.”
“The graphics are nicely done and quite fitting.”
“The graphics are simple, sprite-based, and reuse a lot of assets.”
“The graphics are basic RPG Maker MV assets that come with the engine.”
“The controls are simple, the graphics are bad, the sound is bad, and so on.”
- humor38 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it charming and entertaining, despite some acknowledging its cheesy elements. The dialogues and side quests are particularly noted for their comedic value, making the learning experience enjoyable. Overall, the blend of humor with educational content creates a light-hearted atmosphere that appeals to both kids and adults.
“The writing for the side quests is legitimately hilarious.”
“Sleepy Duck ultimately created a world and cast with substantial charm and humor, especially for an educational source.”
“It's a lovely game with some quite nice mechanics like showing the correct pronunciation and spelling, also it has a pretty funny plot.”
“The humor falls flat and feels forced.”
“I found the jokes to be outdated and unoriginal.”
“The attempts at humor are more cringeworthy than funny.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting how it has significantly boosted their confidence in learning Japanese and rekindled their passion for education, despite past struggles. However, some also feel that the game's story lacks engagement, making progress feel like a chore at times. Overall, the game is praised for transforming a typically tedious learning process into an enjoyable experience.
“However, not only do I find that this game is still a fantastic place to start, it's also skyrocketed my confidence that I can learn another language. I went to one of the worst schools in England at the time, and my passion for education still struggles to recover from that, but this game not only made me feel confident in learning Japanese, it made me truly enjoy it, even the boring textbook stuff.”
“I was too lazy every other time I actually tried memorizing the hiragana, but having a game to help with not only hiragana, but touching a bit on grammar as well made it a lot more enjoyable.”
“Made me feel kind of bad, but the game wouldn't let me give it back.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its numerous glitches and bugs, leading some users to find it frustrating and less effective than alternative learning methods. However, it is noted that the game runs smoothly without crashes, despite occasional loading freezes when accessing the status menu. Overall, while stability issues are present, the game maintains a generally stable performance.
“It runs great, doesn't crash, has good portrait art in my opinion, and a pretty relaxing soundtrack.”
“The game is incredibly stable, providing a smooth experience without any interruptions.”
“I've played for hours without a single crash, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
“Holy fuck, this game is buggy and probably a less efficient use of time than just using Duolingo to actually learn.”
“Also, I'm not a fan of the RPG Maker MV engine; it gives me nano-loading freezes whenever I explore the status menu.”
“Glitches”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game requires significant optimization, particularly when played on lower-performance devices like convertibles, which can struggle to deliver a smooth experience.
“I played the game on a convertible, which surely does not offer the best performance, yet it still runs surprisingly well.”
“The game has a lot of potential, but it definitely needs some serious optimizations to reach its full capabilities.”
“However, this needs some serious optimization.”
“The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and long loading times, which suggests that the optimization is severely lacking.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its straightforward components and engaging lessons, which encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The lessons learned from each playthrough make it highly replayable.”
“Each session offers new strategies and experiences, enhancing replayability.”
“The game components themselves are playable and simple to understand.”
“The lessons learned from the game are replayable.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is straightforward, featuring no downloadable content (DLC) or microtransactions, which is appreciated by players for its simplicity and lack of additional costs.
“No DLC, no microtransactions.”
“The game offers a complete experience without any additional purchases.”
“I appreciate that there are no paywalls or hidden costs.”
“The game is completely free of DLC and microtransactions, which is a refreshing change.”
“I appreciate that there are no additional costs for downloadable content or microtransactions.”
“It's great to see a game that doesn't rely on DLC or microtransactions to enhance the experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with users expressing disappointment in the absence of growth or depth in the characters throughout the game.
“There is zero character development.”
“The characters feel flat and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs.”
