Sakura Shrine Girls
- August 26, 2016
- Winged Cloud
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Sakura Shrine Girls" is a visual novel following the story of two girls, Himari and Mihoshi, who become shrine maidens at the mysterious Kumasagi shrine. As they navigate their new roles, they uncover secrets of the shrine and its supernatural inhabitants, while also learning more about themselves and their own beliefs. The game features multiple endings based on the player's choices throughout the story.
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Reviews
- The artwork is beautiful and well-designed, enhancing the overall experience.
- The story, while simple, is cute and features charming characters, particularly the cat girls.
- The game is enjoyable for fans of the genre, especially when obtained on sale or as part of a bundle.
- The dialogue is excessively long and often feels unnecessary, making the pacing slow.
- There is a lack of meaningful choices, leading to a predictable and generic storyline.
- The game does not include any adult content or H-scenes, which may disappoint players expecting more from the genre.
- story81 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it either overly simplistic or painfully generic, often criticizing the lack of depth and character development. While some appreciate the cute and straightforward narrative, others feel it fails to engage, with abrupt endings and predictable plots. Overall, the game is seen as a typical entry in the genre, offering a light love story that may appeal to fans of visual novels but leaves much to be desired in terms of storytelling quality.
“The story has been really neatly told, easy to listen to and thoroughly enjoyable; each moment spent experiencing the story really is time spent well.”
“Another brilliantly crafted visual novel has you sitting back, hitting that auto button once you’ve set your text and scroll speeds, and enjoying another beautifully created story.”
“The story and plot are written like a romantic comedy with a share of humor and fanservice and have 3 nice happy endings, which most of the Sakura games have supplied.”
“Honestly, if you're going for adult visual novels, this one has a very average story and there's no patch, so I'd give it a miss.”
“The story is painfully generic and boring (so is the protagonist and his two love interests).”
“The clichés wouldn’t be so much of a problem if the story wasn’t boring and badly written, but it is.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their good quality and appealing artwork, with a fun anime style that enhances the overall presentation. However, many reviewers noted a lack of variety in backgrounds and animations, suggesting that the visuals could benefit from more dynamic elements and additional artwork to better reflect the context of the scenes. While the visuals are enjoyable, some players feel the game may not be worth the full price due to its limited content and abrupt endings.
“The artwork is nice and there are some cute scenes but not worth full price.”
“This visual novel has beautiful artwork and likeable characters.”
“The art style is also really fun and anime-like, so give it a check or just give my video a go if you want to see firsthand what you would be getting into!”
“Lacks visual backgrounds and quality.”
“By having small unique elements shift and change as the day changed to make it a bit livelier, and lastly adding some animations into some of these scenes would do great for these titles and really bump their graphics and visual appearance up several notches.”
“The artwork is good... not great... but very nice... would love to get some good Steam backgrounds from them.”
- music14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as fitting, relaxing, and well-mastered, enhancing the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. Users appreciate the variety, noting that it complements the romantic comedy themes and artwork, although some find the comedic tracks during ecchi scenes to be a bit out of place. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the experience, with options for volume control adding to user satisfaction.
“The music sure fits the action and is rather relaxing.”
“Overall, a short slice of life comedy romance visual novel with good art and fitting, relaxing music.”
“As usual for the Sakura games, the music is nice and doesn't seem to be really repetitive, and fits well with the game's overall aesthetics.”
“The music fits the action but is rather forgettable.”
“The waifus are cute, the music fits, but there's not much depth to it.”
“While we have full volume control over the music, ambience, and sound, the overall music experience is lacking.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find the story engaging and appreciate its unique elements, others describe it as shallow and boring. The visuals are praised, but the narrative's abrupt ending leaves some feeling unsatisfied, suggesting that the emotional impact varies significantly among players. Overall, the series is noted for its emotional resonance, despite individual criticisms of specific storylines.
“Every sakura story is emotional in its own way.”
“The game beautifully captures the essence of human emotions.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters and their struggles.”
“But the story itself was actually interesting; perhaps I'm biased, as the last one I played was so boring story-wise that anything is better. With this one, I took my time playing, and I was actually surprised that when I finished, Steam showed me that it is one of the shorter games in the series. Perhaps that also helps, as it finishes before it gets boring. However, in this case, the ending did seem a bit sudden, especially considering what the story was about. It would have been nice if something... weird happened.”
“Honestly, the story is really shallow and boring.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay aspect received mixed feedback, with some users expressing confusion about its presence and others rating it a moderate 7/10. Additionally, there is a notable emphasis on visual appeal over gameplay mechanics, suggesting that the game may prioritize aesthetics over engaging gameplay.
“Gameplay & controls:”
“Gameplay: 7/10”
“No gameplay, but hot anime chicks.”
“Gameplay: what?”
- character development3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is considered average, with a simplistic story and unremarkable character design. While it may appeal to fans of visual novels, it lacks depth and complexity in its character arcs.
“If you like visual novels or a story that shows character development.”
“The writing is about average, and so is the character development.”
“The story is a bit too simple, and I'm not fond of the character design, but it's playable.”
“If you like visual novels, the story does show some character development.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing conflict between characters Nayoko and Kayo, which adds a lighthearted touch to the narrative. Players find the overall tone to be cute and funny, making it a highly recommended experience for those seeking a delightful and humorous gaming adventure.
“I liked to see that at the end Nayoko and Kayo understood, but it was funny when the two were fighting each other.”
“This game might be one of the best ones around; it's so cute and funny. I highly recommend this game to everyone.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game has a strong replay value, rated at 8/10, indicating that players find it engaging enough to revisit multiple times.
“The replay value is impressive, easily an 8 out of 10.”
“I find myself coming back to this game time and again; the replayability is top-notch.”
“Each playthrough offers new experiences, making it highly replayable.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its charming and endearing qualities, particularly highlighted by the appeal of the love interests.
“The love interests in this game are as cute as ever, and the atmosphere is all around charming.”
