Table of Contents
amazon Hakuoki Edo Blossoms reviews
Content Summary
Immediately following the events of “Kyoto Winds,” “Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms” tells how dire circumstances befall the Shinsengumi-from the once proud and powerful samurai who devoted their lives to protecting the elite capital-to now, where the story’s scene shifts to Edo, where politics become even murkier and all vying for survival raise the stakes.
The protagonist, Chizuru Yukimura: a young woman who wanted to join the Shinsengumi, seeking her father, missing for months, is soon tangled up with the lives and struggles of the Shinsengumi members, bonding-or perhaps falling in love with some of them. The narrative holds strong historical deadly events such as the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the rise of imperial forces, and the internal conflicts hounding the Shinsengumi.
Every route in “Edo Blossoms” focuses on one of the twelve potential love interests-all of whom belong to the Shinsengumi. In fact, each of these routes provides a different view of the Shinsengumi’s external struggles with the personal demons and conflicts each member faces. It is a game pretty much based on historical events that present the supernatural phenomenon, Furys, into the dynamic-the superhumans attained from the medicine consumption, turning them into war machines, indeed, removing their humanity in the progress.
The narrative of “Edo Blossoms” explores very poignant themes of loyalty, sacrifice, love, and loss. The route gives an account of grim realities about war, and most of the time, players have a lot of choices to make that will leave them with more than one ending-a happy one or a tragic one.
It can be compared to Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is a fantasy reality story, bringing players into the flow of Japanese history, but blending more mystical features to bring the content to a new sky, with many knots that you might not expect. At the beginning of the story, the little girl Chizuru begins her journey to Kyoto and is helped by the boys in the Shinsengumi police force to find her father. And she found her father … well, if everything is so simple, then nothing good anymore. The more you embark on the journey, the more terrifying and scary secrets are revealed, enough to “distort” everything you initially thought about the context, story, and characters. So what will you discover?… It depends on who you choose.
As the female lead Chizuru, you will experience the story of the game with one of 12 boys, 12 paths. The content of each person’s story of course will have in common, but separate branches, containing separate details, revealing the hidden corners of the soul and the good and evil side of each character. Then, in each branch, there will be many situations with different options. Choosing a right and you will get to the end, and choosing many wrongs will “drive” Chizuru’s fate to the brink and end the story immediately.
But the beauty of Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms not only stops at the plot variation but also at the beginning of the emotions. The stories of the 12 characters will bring you all kinds of emotions, suspense, happiness, sorrow, and grief everyone has. If you want a sad aftertaste feeling, do not ignore the story of Okita Souji, but if you want the moments of true happiness, the story of Sanosuke Harada will warm your heart.
Finally, Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is a sequel to Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds with a two-part storyline. So obviously to understand the plot of this game, you must remember to play the first part first.
With a visual novel, the plot is paramount, but other elements are smaller but enough to make up a valuable feature of the game. So Idea Factory does not want to miss any “grain” that affects the player experience in a famous game like Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms.
Looking at the graphics and sound, the “handsome” look of the characters is revealed through each drawing line, combined with elegant Western European-style outfits that show off the charm of each guy. Extremely good image quality, sharp, mixed with sparkling effects ensure a Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is at the top of the most beautiful and attractive visual novel titles. Not only stopping at the image of “handsome boy”, but each character is also voiced quite meticulously and accurately, ensuring the expression of the “god” through each person’s tone. The music in the game is also being praised, enough to blow the soul of the game’s atmosphere to suit each scene.
In addition to the picture and sound, the game also has many notable features. The game’s Encyclopedia will answer your questions during the game. If you miss a certain part of the story, the game can show you the history of conversations, so you can “rewind” and start reading from the part you want. A very special function of the game is “Record of Service”, which allows you to start a chapter with arbitrary high and low sentimentality to easily discover new situations, the missing ending of the game.
Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is simply a game “must play” with those who love the genre of Otomo. Is it worth the experience? Isn’t it great? Not sure.
Hakuoki’s biggest problem: Edo Blossoms is in two words: texture. The game chooses to spread out a story under 12 characters, 12 abilities, 12 paths. That would probably increase the game’s multi-dimensional depth but perhaps decrease its depth. You probably won’t feel a strong attachment to a guy, simply because the time spent with them is not long enough, not enough to grasp the character development, and there are 11 other people “lining up row “after that. More than that, will you be patient enough to read all 12 stories in the same context?
After all, the way that Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms chooses to express its own identity is not wrong, but it has “bent” the game content in a direction that some people may not be satisfied with. If you want a long, rich, overflowing story, maybe Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms will find it difficult to please you.
where can you get a Hakuoki Edo Blossoms online
Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms – PlayStation Vita: Buy it now
Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms [Online Game Code]: Buy it now
HAKUOKI Edo Blossom Limited Edition ps vita (Playstation Vita) PAL UK Version REGION FREE: Buy it now
The Conclusion
“Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms” is an intense and powerful-with-emotion visual novel that seamlessly intermingles history, fiction, and supernatural romance. This title is further accentuated by the complexity of its characters as well as the branched narrative plus beautiful ornamentation which make it a standout work in the otome genre, thus delving into themes such as loyalty, sacrifice, and identity.
For those who are fans of Hakuoki, “Edo Blossoms” must be played, for it gives some final answers to the character’s stories and extends what “Kyoto Winds” has established. It is completely engaging for a newcomer to the series; still, you’ve got to play “Kyoto Winds” first to really feel the impact of the entire story and character development because “Edo Blossoms” will be valuable for kindling that initial interest in the saga. This unique narration sets the game apart from others in the otome visual novel genre, rich in its historical context and touched with a few supernatural lines.
Yet Edo Blossoms discusses most universal matters, making its words meaningful to all players, not necessarily knowing the history of Japan. The cruelty of the bonds between different people is made visible through the feelings of the members of the Shinsengumi, who have to struggle between duty, personal desire, and the hard realities about their own network.
The most incredible quality of this title is that it can mix romance as well as some serious and darker themes into the game. Each route has an alternate tale of the events during Bakumatsu, allowing varied exploration of each character’s personality and the choices faced by the characters. Be it the tragic heroism of Hijikata Toshizo, the inner conflict of Okita Souji, or the redemption arc of Shiranui Kyo, “Edo Blossoms” captures every aspect of emotion so that we can enjoy every bit of this journey.
“Edo Blossoms” is an above-average game in replayability considering that there were several routes and endings to explore. Both will surely invite the players into discovering the outcomes not just to complete everything in the game, but to be more familiar with the overall plot. Touches placed by the game on the Romance and Corruption meters add strategy to the choices made by the players making every play fresh and engaging.
Edo Blossoms is what a proper visual novel should be. It is not an exception for die-hard fans of the otome genre and enriches players with highly emotional fiction. A mixture of historical authenticity, interesting characters, and emotional content makes this distinctive title still able to attract praise from all walks of gamer life. Be it for romance, history, or to that otherworldly degree, “Edo Blossoms” captures something from each genre, thus making it a must-have for any potential player of visual novels or Japanese culture in general.
What legacy “Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms” has formed will last, as such treasure will continue to shine in the hearts of different generations of players. It is a true testimony to the power of storytelling in video games, showing how a well-spent narrative can have its immediate but lasting impact on its audience. Therefore, for those who take that journey with the Shinsengumi, enjoyed by many, “Edo Blossoms,” for them, then, is that and a little bit more than just a game-it’s an emotional impact to last beyond the highest credits rolling.