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Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War

92%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, optimization
92% User Score Based on 780 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Learn Japanese to Survive! Katakana War" is an educational game that teaches players the Katakana writing system of the Japanese language. It's the sequel to Hiragana Battle and is designed for players with no prior knowledge of Japanese. This immersive game provides a fun and interactive way to learn a new language, with a journey full of action, adventure, and intrigue. No prior experience or additional resources are needed to start learning with this game.

Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War screenshot
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92%
Audience ScoreBased on 780 reviews
story54 positive mentions
grinding30 negative mentions

  • The game effectively teaches Katakana through engaging gameplay, making memorization enjoyable.
  • Improvements over the previous game include better graphics, a more streamlined combat system, and the ability to see enemies on the map.
  • The inclusion of voice acting and character interactions adds depth and personality to the game.
  • The voice acting can be cringy and does not always match the text, which can be distracting.
  • Some players found the gameplay repetitive and the story lacking in depth.
  • There are technical issues, such as lag during battles and problems with keyboard configuration.
  • story
    306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Katakana War" is generally viewed as an improvement over its predecessor, "Hiragana Battle," with more character development and a larger cast, though it remains largely generic and often lacks depth. Players appreciate the educational quests that tie into the narrative, but many find the plot convoluted or unengaging, with some even skipping dialogue to focus on gameplay. Overall, while the story serves its purpose in supporting language learning, it is not a standout feature and is often described as mediocre or campy.

    • “The storyline of the game is an epic tale, resonating with the adventures and legends of Howlstrom.”
    • “As I ventured through this digital Japan, I encountered various characters, each unfolding a new chapter of the story and deepening my connection to the language.”
    • “It teaches you katakana while you are having fun and the storyline is amazing.”
    • “The story is... there.”
    • “The story and characters are pretty bad, and the gameplay (while better than the previous entry) is bland.”
    • “The characters are as cliché as it gets, and the story is pretty mediocre.”
  • gameplay
    190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in this title combines turn-based combat with language learning, specifically focusing on katakana characters, which many players find innovative and engaging despite some repetitive elements. Improvements over its predecessor include better mechanics, a more readable interface, and the introduction of an affection system, although some players feel the combat could benefit from more variety and depth. Overall, while the gameplay is not without flaws, it effectively supports the educational goal of learning katakana through interactive and enjoyable mechanics.

    • “The gameplay involves defeating katakana enemies by selecting the correct sounds, a concept that's both innovative and fun for those willing to overlook its RPG flaws.”
    • “The main gameplay loop of fighting katakana enemies forces you to memorize each character, and is a great way of revising what you've already gone over, especially since every character you've learned can show up to a fight.”
    • “Furthermore, the gameplay in general has more depth and appeal, as there are magical attacks that are actually worth using compared to just straight answers, and there's seven characters alongside the protagonist to play with--meaning that you get to mix and match parties based on your favorite characters.”
    • “The moment-to-moment gameplay isn't exactly riveting by itself.”
    • “As this is a video game and not a dedicated learning material, you might find learning katakana elsewhere faster because of the time-consuming gameplay involved.”
    • “The gameplay is very repetitive and basic, the music is decent and serves its purpose, the voice acting is mediocre to bad.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy J-pop and traditional Japanese influences, particularly highlighting the improved boss battle themes compared to the previous installment. However, some players noted issues with repetitiveness and abrupt looping, which detracted from the overall experience. While the soundtrack is generally considered an upgrade, opinions vary on its quality relative to the first game, with some preferring the earlier tracks.

    • “The soundtrack is J-pop and traditional Japanese music inspired, and is way more catchy and fitting than the last game; the boss battle theme rocks way harder than it should.”
    • “The game graphics and music are both much improved over the original, with the visual novel style working well for laying out the story.”
    • “There's more musical variety, an interesting mix of levels that are solely focused on Japan this time and not just a random fantasy backdrop, and the art has improved a ton.”
    • “The music can be repetitive, and the storyline is not very interesting.”
    • “As far as gameplay features, the music doesn't loop very well and ends and restarts abruptly.”
    • “The voice acting isn't great and the soundtrack is absolute garbage but turn those down and it achieves what you'd hope.”
  • graphics
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game have seen significant improvements over its predecessor, featuring a more engaging art style and detailed pixel graphics that evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda. While the visuals are generally praised for their beauty and charm, some users noted performance issues, such as high CPU usage and graphical glitches, particularly in windowed mode. Additionally, there are calls for more character artwork variations to better match the dialogue, as the current single artwork per character can lead to mismatched expressions.

    • “The game graphics and music are both much improved over the original, with the visual novel style working well for laying out the story.”
    • “The graphics are superior, the art style is significantly better, the characters are more likeable, since this time you can actually befriend them.”
    • “The graphics are awesome, the kind of old school type, reminds me of 'Zelda'.”
    • “Plus the graphics look like something from SNES or Game Boy Color.”
    • “Lastly, which I think is the most important issue here, the artwork of the character that appears when they speak should have more variations. Because there is only one artwork for each character, sometimes they don't match what they're saying (like someone is saying something furiously but their artwork shows them smiling).”
    • “Edit: If you get graphical issues like screen tearing and flickering, try using it in windowed mode.”
  • humor
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it charmingly dumb and genuinely funny, especially in character interactions and dialogue. However, others feel that the humor becomes forced and less effective as the game progresses, with attempts at comedy sometimes falling flat or veering into cringe territory. Overall, while the game starts strong in its comedic elements, it struggles to maintain that level of humor throughout.

    • “There is some really dumb humor, but it's so dumb that it's actually funny.”
    • “Most dialogue with characters is humorous in some way, and the game makes sure that there are a few jokes before each lesson to make sure that even the driest parts of the game are still enjoyable.”
    • “Incredibly funny and educational.”
  • grinding
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the grinding experience in the latest game iteration has been significantly improved, transforming it from a tedious task into more engaging quests that provide a sense of purpose. The removal of random enemy encounters and the ability to control combat flow have made grinding feel less monotonous, although some players still find it tedious, especially when managing a large roster of low-level characters. While the game encourages grinding through various systems, it also offers a more enjoyable gameplay experience, making it feel rewarding rather than burdensome.

    • “I played the previous version Hiragana Wara but stopped playing it because grinding was tedious and it felt not that fun to play.”
    • “The ability to swap party members was a great addition; however, the game just threw almost all the characters at you at once, and since they're all low level, grinding them felt tedious. Unless you're going for 100% achievement, don't bother; find the characters that work for you and stick to them.”
    • “I wished all the members of your party leveled up with you, though, so you wouldn't be stuck using the same members you chose at the beginning of the game just to avoid hours and hours more of grinding.”
  • optimization
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly during particle effects and when reaching high character affinity levels. Despite being a relatively undemanding 2D RPG, it reportedly consumes excessive CPU resources, leading to slowdowns and unresponsive controls. In contrast, the sequel, "Katakana War," is noted for its improved optimization and quality of life enhancements, making it a more enjoyable experience overall.

    • “With Katakana War, the game is fairly well optimized, with lots of quality of life improvements that are non-existent in its predecessor: no more random encounters, a more simple and fluid leveling system, achievements, an endless dungeon for easy drilling of everything you've learned, and even lots of scenes that are fully voice-acted, which was an extremely pleasant surprise.”
    • “The characters are fun and cute, and the gameplay itself is very optimized compared to Hiragana Wars.”
    • “There are more than one way to run a 'fake fullscreen mode' that makes the game look like full screen mode, but has the performance of windowed mode.”
    • “There are optimization issues, which is strange to say about a game as undemanding as this, but there were moments of genuine slowdown, especially when particle effects were on screen.”
    • “It's not optimized for computers; the options provide a choice to use the WASD keyboard configuration, but it doesn't work. Despite being no more graphically intense than a Super Nintendo game, this game eats up CPU like crazy, making it hard to run.”
    • “I didn't even crack a smile once the whole time. I try to skip through as much of the dialogue as I possibly can, and even that is slow because of how poorly optimized this game is.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has been reported to experience frequent crashes and various glitches, including issues with cutscenes freezing while audio continues. While some users appreciate the overall gameplay, these stability problems detract from the experience.

    • “Its good but it crashes a lot and there are a good few glitches.”
    • “- During the final affection event of a character, is it me or after they end talking, the cutscene freezes but still continues in the background?”
    • “I've read in the comments and other places that the game sometimes has glitches.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the modern and appealing character designs and the focus on party member interactions. However, many players criticize the shallow writing, lack of emotional engagement, and poor voice acting, leading to a sense of disconnection from the characters. Overall, while there are elements of character development, they are overshadowed by execution flaws and a rushed release.

    • “The character designs are modern and appealing.”
    • “There’s a lot of focus on your party members, with plenty of interactions and character development.”
    • “The story so far is quite good, though the playable characters and voice acting aren't to my personal taste (very cutesy and annoying style voice acting/character design).”
    • “(Some) incorrect phonetics and pronunciation references, half-assed kana stroke order representations, terrible voice acting, terrible choice of music in the very end track(s), over-imposing clichés in character design, drops every piece of plot they had for a sequel from the end of the first game, 'half-baked' monologues. I found myself not caring about the characters in any way whatsoever (the character bios were pitifully written and did not make any differences with anything in the game, not even other characters). Above all else, the keyboard configuration is currently broken; it feels like the release was extremely rushed and 'half done from the get-go.'”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is enhanced by its beautiful character art and heartfelt voice acting, despite some moments being perceived as cringy. The shift from random encounters to engaging battles through touch adds a unique and personal touch, contributing to a more immersive experience reminiscent of visual novels.

    • “Happily, this game improves upon hiragana battle with wonderful art of all the characters, voice acting (which I admit is sometimes cringy, but heartwarming all the same), and a little bit of visual novel action too.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features enhanced replayability through the addition of voice acting, more playable characters for varied gameplay, and improved combat mechanics that allow for strategic character actions. The removal of random battles in favor of visible enemies on the overworld and dungeons further encourages players to engage with the game at their own pace, making each playthrough feel unique.

    • “The addition of voice acting in cutscenes and more playable characters allows for a personalized experience, enhancing replayability as players can swap characters based on their preferences.”
    • “Improvements to the flow of combat, where turn order is based on character speed, create a more dynamic gameplay experience, encouraging players to replay and experiment with different strategies.”
    • “With all enemies visible in the overworld and dungeons, players can choose to engage or avoid battles, adding a layer of strategy that enhances the game's replayability.”
    • “The game lacks significant changes in its replayability, making multiple playthroughs feel redundant and uninspired.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there isn't much incentive to go back; the story doesn't change and the side quests feel repetitive.”
    • “Despite the addition of new characters, the core gameplay remains the same, leading to a lack of fresh experiences in subsequent playthroughs.”
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13h Median play time
13h Average play time
13-13h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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