The fighting also varies wildly in difficulty, depending on the situation. Get to a place where there are lots of tall objects, like trees, and the objects don't reach a transparent state fast enough. Once you get next to a wall, the camera seems to zoom in long enough for you to lose your bearings. While the combat still feels as easy to get into, it still suffers from the same issues as the previous entries. You can also replay every completed level with a different character, so the fights can feel a little different.
For those who appreciate a challenge, you can still start a level in your stripped-down shinobi form, so you can attack harder at the expense of a very weakened defense.
Those additions were no doubt to make up for the lack of items and co-op moves in combat - elements that have been introduced to the series since the original game. A few levels contain secret fights that are more difficult than some of the boss fights. Instead, much like the brawler game on the 3DS, this version has you moving from section to section and then fighting in enclosed rooms until every enemy is defeated. One change is that the fights don't all take place in one giant arena. The transformation to shinobi mode is also here, which grants you access to powerful techniques and refills your health meter. Power up your meter just enough, and you can unleash a burst attack, which more powerful versions of your normal moves and ends with a super powerful and flashy move once the meter has been drained. That means using a combo system as flashy as Bayonetta, where you can juggle people in the air or dash from opponent to opponent while busting out combos that require specific patterns of the light and heavy attack buttons. Instead of sticking with the classic beat-'em-up style of the 3DS version, Burst Re:Newal opts to go with the combat system that has been used in the other games. From there, you'll get into the game, where you'll notice that the experience is wildly different from before.
Serious moments are often mixed in with silly ones, as if you're playing through a game that's trying to condense the important moments of an anime series, but you'll feel that this is handled well enough, just like it was in the first PS4 entry, Senran Kagura Estival Versus.Īs in other titles in the series, your first task is to select which school story you want to play. You might have one level where two of the shinobi agree to have a duel over the ownership of a plush doll, but the next may deal with Asuka wondering whether or not she should start up a romantic relationship with a nervous baseball player. While the tropes are all here, the surprising thing for newcomers is how the story shifts in character focus and tone. Traits like Asuka's constant desire to get stronger and be the best shinobi are all on display with the same fervor as before. Meanwhile, the Hebijo Academy trains other shinobi to be mercenaries who use their skills for nefarious activities.īurst Re:Newal is the first game in the series, so the story serves as the starting point for getting to know the main characters. The Hanzo Academy exists to train young shinobi in the arts, so their skills can be used to maintain justice in the world. With the deeds of the shinobi starting to get out of control, the government has stepped in to make sure that their talents are put to good use. The latest game in the series, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, isn't so much a sequel as it is a remake of that original 3DS game, only brought up to familiar PS4 standards.Īlthough Japan has moved into the modern era, there is still a need for shinobi to carry out the dirty work of those willing to employ their services. The series originally started on the Nintendo 3DS, where the game took on the form of a 2.5D brawler in the same vein as Double Dragon.
They're titles that are middle-of-the-road fare for critics but have gained a decently sized cult following among fans. All of your battles are done in small arenas that mix in the large brawling style of the Musou series while also throwing in some combo-heavy Devil May Cry flair to make things exciting. You play as one of the many different shinobi representing either the Hanzo Academy or the Crimson Squad outcasts, with each girl having a unique weapon and attack, despite controlling exactly the same way. If you're a Senran Kagura fan on the PlayStation systems, then you're familiar with the story and gameplay.