Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom.
Rating: 17+ ( vulgarity, suggestive themes).
This is one of the million otome games which made a place amongst the many dating sims out there. It stands out not just story and character wise, but also OST wise.
As you already know, otome games are originally intended for the female gender. If you find yourself NOT liking them despite their "beauty", then it's perfectly normal. You're not supposed to tread near them, anyway.
Those who've watched Hakuoki's anime can testify to the game's uniqueness at first glance, as well.
This is not one of those dating sims which are full of kisses and sighs until the very end. The game harbours a mature and very, VERY confusing story, if you're unfamiliar with the Japanese history and the various eras which called for the rule of another parties, etc.
First off, the game's set in the early primitive years of the Japanese history, back when the Shogunate was in war with the other powers in cahoots with one another. You take the role of a female protagonist, who, while helping out the soldiers thorough out their daily lives, needs to stay alive till the end and...hook up with one of the men, to put it bluntly.
The idea kind of seems frivolous.
( It's Idea Factory involved with this game though; no wonder).
However as stated earlier, the game's story revolves more around the eras and the historical battles of the Japanese and the Shogunate, and very less around the romance genre. There's barely any erotic scene into the game. I don't get why it was rated 17+, either. Must be due to the use of some extreme language, but that's too mild for today's standards. Anyways, we're supposed to be privy to such baseless debates. About the art direction, it's beautiful. The visuals were one of the plus points about the game that kept me going, alongside the desire to learn more about the Japanese history indirectly through a game. The men are clad in typical archaic uniforms casually, and formally, the Shinsengumi uniform that was hauled at that time.
About the OST, it's just average. You don't seem to really immerse yourself into the game through the OST. It'll be either the story that captivates you, or...*sigh* the men. I sincerely hope it's the former.
It's not memorable, either. It just kind of seems to blend with the environment and the situations, but that's just about it, I wager.
Lastly, the "horror" in the game is non-existent. The whole concept of bloody furies and stuff had me under the impression that this was going to be one hell of a gory VN. It was quite the contrary. Clean as hell.
All in all, this was a mediocre effort by Akays games and Idea Factory. This had potential, and actually manages to live up to it, but not in all it's mesmerising glory , I dare say. My verdict is a 6/10.
Average.
Play if you happen to be bored out of your mind, or you crave a sick desire to search for a partner amongst the flames of war( virtually of course).
Pros:
-Good Story.
-Mediocre OST.
Cons:
-Minor jump scares which actually fail to "scare".
-Unnecessarily exaggerated amount of ramblings about some things.
That's it.
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