Ported with all its assets intact

Individuals on Destructoid have expressed surprise that I have never played a Senran Kagura title before. I'm not sure what that say??s about me – or th?e people on Dtoid.

Time for that to change. Now that Senran Kagura Estival Versus has flounced its way onto the PC, and with a copy thrust into my palms for a port report, there's no avoiding the groping, the stripping, and presumably whatever actual game they threw in there to justify all of the former. (CJ Andriessen thought it was pretty lewd fun.)

Rig: i7-4720HQ @ 2.60GHz (3.6GHz max) 4-core processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, GTX 950M, Windows 10 Home 64-bit. FPS measured through Steam.

The very first thing I did when I loaded up Senran Kagura Estival Versus was unplug my controller. Surely the point of this was to test the game under suboptimal circums??tances, and what's more suboptimal than a Musou-like title with a mouse and keyboard

To say you'll be in for a bad time is puttin??g it lightl??y.

Even after a recent patch that totally remaps the keyboard, there is little chance anyone will figure things out. Want to skip the op?ening cutscene? Well, good luck, because the start button has been? mapped to tab, and it's the only thing that works. The menu displays only controller button commands, and you can't remap the controls without learning the controls to begin with.

The remap finally gave us WASD controls, but for menus you'll use the arrow keys,? and the number pad for camera controls. The whole thing is better than it used to be… but save yourself the medical bills and just use a gamepad already.

This does lead to another of the game's oddities – there is no central options? menu. The main menu has only graphics options, and no volume controls. You have to start a new save file in order to rebind controls or change audio settings, and they are maintained independently for each file (the main menu will always have full volume).

Now that we've cleared the air regarding the contro??ls, the rest of the port is just lovely. The visuals, while not award-winning by any stretch, have gotten a nice boost from PC ??anti-aliasing and shading levels. Add this on top of 4K resolution support, and the game has never looked or moved better better, with both the girls and the effects really standing out. The framerate is locked at either 30 or 60fps, and despite my underwhelming specs, I stayed pretty consistently at 60fps at maximum settings, only dipping during the most ridiculous moments the game has to offer.

And ridiculous did it get. I had seen GIFs and images of Senran Kagura games, of course, but I didn't realize that the games were truly as shameless as they are. At one point, the title waxes philosophical on the monstrous nature of a world where endless sexual harassment is seen as normal (before proceeding to play a game called, "Strip'n??'Rip"). Obvious??ly that's a tame moment, compared to BDSM sisters, fights where the losers have panties stuffed in their mouths, and knocking your enemy naked, upside-down into a giant sundae.

"Naked in a gia??nt sundae." Truly, we live in wondrous tim?es.

I also didn't expect that there would be a genuinely enjoyable Musou-like game strapped to all the near-n??udity and touching of butts, an endless series of combo attacks, racking up hundreds (or thousands, in the case of characters like Homura) of hits before finally being knocked away? by a "break" attack, something the AI seems all-too fond of.

Some things ju??st can't be changed, it seems, and if anyone was thinking that the port over to Steam would som??ehow boost the nonexistent online community, that is sadly not the case. The game's online mode is a ghost town, and at most, I've only ever seen two lobbies at one time, and they've always been password protected.

Likewise, those looking for a repeat of the DLC policy of Shinovi Versus will likely be disappointed, as Estival Versus does not come with the DLC included. There are 13 DLC packs available at this point in time, including characters, missions, and costumes. Still, none are required, and the game offers a wealth of content e??ven without them??.

Despite the sheer inaccessibility of the keyboard and mouse controls, Senran Kagura Estival Versus is an otherwise strong port. It offers some options that take advantage of the increased power of the platf??orm to look and feel its best while acting its dirtiest.

_{[This PC Port Report is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Previously Japan-only Ikki Tousen DLC coming too

With Senran Kagura Bon Appétit! and Shinovi Versus hanging out on PC, Estival Versus told itself it was too cool for them since it was on PlayStation 4. But then little Estival-chan got pouty about being?? left out so she has decided to join them on Steam this?? March, 2017. 

Estival Versus-chan is quite shy though, so she's bringing her DLC characters Sun Ce, Lu Bu, and Guan Yu from Battle Vixens (Ikki Tousen) along with? her. The port to PC is being chaperoned by Marvelous Entertainment and Tamsoft themselves so the transition goes smoothly, including "Steamworks support including Steam Achievements, leaderboards, cloud saves, and trading cards."

Cool man, that's rad. I tried playing the 3DS games recently, Senran Kagura Burst and Senran Kagura 2 Deep Crimson but I didn't care much for them. Someone described the Versus games as being more like Dynasty Warriors. I don't know how true that is, but I have little excuse to not try them out now.  Shinovi Versus in particular was one o??f the first games I saw on Japanese shelves when I came here and had that "whoa what are all these games? I know none of these!" moment. 

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Hello nurse!

We've all heard the e??xpression "sex sells." It's the idea that our brains are so hardwired toward carnal pleasures that we'll buy anything so long as there is a pretty face and a nice ass we can associate with it. But let's be honest, that's not true.

No amount of sex can sell a product you know to be crap. So while I can appreciate Carl's Jr (or Hardee's for you east coasters) trying to tempt me with a nearly nude Emily Ratajkowski straddli??ng a hamburger, it's not going to work because I already know that story ends with me suffering from indigestion due to their disgusting, flavorless meat circles. 

Same goes for video games, and the Senran Kagura series in particular. No amount of boobs pushed up against a screen or bare butts smacking into one another will convince me to spend $50 if the actual gameplay is garbage. You have to give me more than sex if you want to sell, and thankfully Senran Kagura Estival Versus has plenty of fast paced beat-em-up fun to go alon?g with its nearly nude heroines. 

Senran Kagura Estival Versus (PS4 [reviewed], Vita)
Developer: Marvelous Inc., Tamsoft
Publisher: XSEED Games
Release Date: March 15, 2016 (US) March 18, 2016 (EU)
MSRP: $49.99 (PS4), $39.99 (Vita)/ $10 more for the Endless Summer Edition physical copies

Senran Kagura Estival Versus takes place in the near immediate aftermath of Shinovi Versus. The girls from each of the four shinobi schools are whisked away to a tropical island where they're forced to participate in the Kagura Millennium Festival. As one would expect, the story strikes a serious chord that deals with the complicated issues faced by young girls, many of whom suffer from serious psychological issues, as they are forced to balance the dea??dly, age-old traditions of the shinobi with the temptations found living in a modern world.

I'm just kidding, this i??s a gam??e where one character demands you call her a "dumb bitch" because it gets her off and another suggests a panty eating contest.

While that last sentence is 100% factual, it's a bit unfair to strip the plot down to the stereotype we typically associate with this series as there is a fair amount of heavy storytelling going on. The Millennium Festival gives characters a chance to reunite with lost loved ones and they face a choice between staying in this mysterious beach paradise to be with those they miss or returning to the real world to finish their shinobi training. The Millennium Festival is the driving force of the plotline, however the game doesn't seem all that interested in getting you, or its characters, excited about it. Much of the game is spent with the girls soaking up some sun as they discuss whether or not they even want to participate in the festival because, "it's so sunny out and I want to see everyone in their bathing suits and grab boobies and talk to zombie grandpa."

If you're unfamiliar with series you're shit out of luck as there is zero explanation of who any of the returning characters are, and they constantly reference events from prior games. Estival Versus is so uninterested in engaging you in the history of this franchise, there is a moment in the game where a couple of shinobi are talking about how much one of the girls has grown (I assume they're talking about her boob size), and instead of using three sentences to tell you what they mean, the game suggests you stop playing it and go watch the Estival Versus OVA.

Seriously.

Outside of the story segments, you'll find a familiar combat system based around a two button attack set-up that allows for experimentation with well timed dashes and parries. There are still shinobi and frantic transformations, each with their own stylish undressing of the character, as well as wall running attacks and joint aerial attacks with a partner character. ?Don't expect your partner to be of that much help as they generall?y have an intelligence level equal to that of a potato.

While the tools at your disposal are still very much the same, something about the combat is off in this game and I think it has to do with the overuse of the break mechanic. Pressing down on the D-Pad activates the break which pushes back the enemies directly surrounding you at the cost of the little bit of health. The move is extremely useful if you're ever getting it from all angles, but it tends to be the a??ttack enemy shinobi use most. I can recount multiple instances where I would hit Yomi or Mirari with a single attack, onl??y to have them ruin any sort of potential combo with a break. Multiple fights just boiled down to an enemy and I breaking each other back and forth. Thank god the grunts you mow down don't have this move at their disposal.

The constant breaking wouldn't be as much of an issue if your attacks had any weight to them. You can unleash what you think is a devastating combo on an enemy, only to have them just stand there as though you're?? smacking them around with a goose feather. So long as they're not in a falling animation, they can use break or start their own combo attack on you whenever they please. If you don't master the parry system, matches can become a test of patience rather than a test of skills.

Also testing your patience: repetitive scenery. Most of the levels are HD recreations of stages from prior entries in the series. When you're not smashing and bashing your way down memory lane, you'r??e battling on the same goddamn beach stage again a?nd again.

The story mode does a good job of introducing you to all of the 27 available characters in the game. Returning characters feature updated move sets (making Hibari finally worth playing again) and the newcomers are a welcome and dive??rse addition. Renka, with her taiko drumsticks, became a personal favorite for me as her combo setup really gelled with my preferred way to play the game. Most of the characters have their o??wn play style that can take time to master, but you'll still be able to button mash your way to victory (if you can really call getting a D grade at the end of every level a "victory").

Outside of the story mode are individual challenges for characters that you unlock throughout the game and special challenges that really test how well you've mastered the combat system. If you find yourself a new waifu, you can throw her into the diorama mode where you can pose your favorite girls in the many, many costumes you've unlocked. With a?? variety of poses and facial expressions to use, you can have your favorite shinobi strike a power pose in full dress or strip them down to their skivvies as they beg with tears in their eyes like it's the first five minutes of the world's most kawaii snuff film.

There is also an online mode, however there didn't seem to be anyone online during my time with the game. If the hours spent with Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson are any indication, that wi?ll be true even after the game launches.

For those wondering about the Vita version of this?? game, XSEED sent over review copies of both versions of the game. If you only have access to a Vita I will say it is very much playable but know that it's a downgrade from the PS4 version in nearly every way. The frame rate is slower, character models have a stiffness to them, there are less enemies on the screen, longer load times and the graphics take a hit. While that last one is to be expected, some levels of the game look worse than they should, like the "Downtown at Night" stage which would be considered ugly back in the Dreamcast era.

I had fun with Senran Kagura Estival Versus. The beat-em-up combo system is just as enjoyable today as it was in the first game, and there is something quite rewarding about studying the move sets of the new characters and also throwing them into a sexy diorama to "study" something else about them. I wouldn't say it's the best entry in the series with the excessive use of the break mechanic and?? the story does the game no favors, but the combination of flashy action and fan-service kept me?? satisfied throughout.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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No words

Haha Marvelous, you geniuses.

To promote the newest release of the Senran Kagura series, Estival Versus, the publisher has cooked up a ridiculous promo that involves a massive fan swiping through tinder to find the waifu of his drea??ms. It just happens to be the body pillow that you get for pre-ordering the UK edition.

The actual game will hit the PS4 and Vita on March 15 in the US. I??t launched nearly a year ago in Japan, and Europe is March 18.

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March 15 in America, three days later in Europe

It wasn't too long ago that XSEED Games boss Ken Berry referred to the prospect of localizing the Senran Kagura series as "a scary proposition." And?? yet, just a few years later, four of these games have been released in the West -- and a fifth is right around the corner.

Yes, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita brawler Senran Kagura: Estival Versus is heading to North America on March 15 as a digital release. There will also be a limited physical edition available that packs in a 108-page art book, a two-disc soundtrack, and a set of ten holographic cards with a copy of the game for an additio?nal $10 on top of the base $50/40 asking price.

The action game will also be launching in Europe that same week, on March 18, with a variety of boxed editions. You can find more information about those via the Marvelous Europe store.

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus has been? available in Japan since ?March 26, 2015.

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We're still waiting for word on butts

As we approach 2016, a lot of questions linger about the upcoming year. What month will Uncharted 4 be delayed to next? Which western third-party developers will jokingly say they plan to support the Nintendo NX? How many times will Hillary Clinton say 'Goddammit America' in her concession speech to Pre??sident-elect Trump?

While I can't answer those qu?estions for you right now, I can confirm today that 2016 will indeed feature boobs. 

In an interview with 4Gamer, Senran Kagura producer Kenichiro Takaki said fans can expect big changes with the series next year. Before you worry those changes might mean a reduction in certain assets of Senran Kagura characters, Takaki added that he'd like his team to "continue making fun games in this era, with tenderness and our unchanging love f?or boobs and games."

So there you have it. 2016 will in?deed h?ave boobs. I guess this also confirms that next year will have games too.

Marvelous sa??ys there's more to come for the Senran Kagura seri??es in 2016 [Nintendo Everything]

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Fake fake-boob-based?

We're a day away from Senran Kagura: Estival Versus' Japanese release on PS4 and Vita. I stumbled upon this page of the series' website, which is to say someone linked to it, gobsmacked, on Twitter, where I clicked o??n it and the page joined my tangled knot of too many browser tabs, where it could be stumbled up??on later.

Almost all the boobs on the page (and some other elements) bounce when you scroll up and down. I'm not sure?? if the desired effect? works on mobile devices.

There are also these self aware videos for fake fake-boob-based console prototypes, including a wearable VR model not too dissimilar from a joke mock up Max Scoville made for us last?? year and a ??????????????????????????treadmilled boob-chaser. 

It's a little bit, "you make like you are doing a joke, but also you're still doing this thing," but it's better than the "haha our game is porn!" route.

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Might as well just fight in the nude at this point

Several new details have dropped about the latest iteration of the Marvelous fighting series Senran Kagura: Estival Versus.

The game will be introducing four new characters: three sisters named Renka, Hanabi, and Kafuru, and the fourth is a granny (that term used lightly) named Sayuri. The PlayStation 4 version of the game has been confirmed to have online multiplayer and series producer Kenichiro Takaki stated that there will be something similar to Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson's Pair Battle system included.

Marvelous is also ??working on adding new things, such as having c?ostumes go transparent or getting dirty with the intention of creating a different look.

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus will release in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on Marc??h 26, 2015.

Senran Kagura: Estival Vers?us Will Have Its Own Pair Battle System [Siliconera]

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