You could have seen that over the previous couple of years I’ve lined fairly a number of fan-service video games. Surprisingly, the explanation I usually decide these sorts of video games up is that they usually have some actually attention-grabbing and typically even utterly distinctive mechanics which push the trade ahead. I gained’t lie, I do additionally benefit from the odd little bit of smutty humour, even when I’ve generally criticised the extent to which the fan service sometimes goes
Properly, it’s time for one more entry on this seemingly ongoing collection, “Video games which shouldn’t be performed on public transport.” Let’s take a look at Seven Pirates H.
Genkai Tokki: Seven Pirates H is the fourth entry within the Genkai Tokki collection, following Monster Monpiece, Moe Chronicle and Moero Crystal. All initially developed for the PlayStation Vita’s Asian market, the second, third and now fourth entries have slowly trickled their method over to the west as Nintendo Change ports – see our opinions of the earlier ports at https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/moero-chronicle-hyper-review/ and https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/moero-crystal-h-review/ respectively. In my earlier encounters with the collection, I’ve praised the tongue-in-cheek character and creature designs, distinctive aesthetics and attention-grabbing concepts dropped at the desk while discovering the fan-service invasive at finest, creepy at worst. Once I discovered that the following one, Seven Pirates H, had a swashbuckling aesthetic I simply needed to strive it; however sadly in lots of areas, it looks like a giant step backwards from the heights of Moero Crystal H.
You begin Seven Pirates taking part in as Parute, a younger Pirate shipwrecked on an island and looking for a ship. She has a magic compass, which apparently can level to a legendary treasure, however which hasn’t truly labored for so long as she’s had it. Fortunately for her, Otton – the one returning character and infamous pervert dick-seal – drops in and is ready to get it working. From this level on, you management her and her rising band of pirate monster-girls as they seek for treasure on the excessive seas.
It’s a fairly easy plot, and while it’s no Monkey Island it will get the ball rolling. On the brilliant aspect, no less than you aren’t looking for panties this time. As she travels round looking for treasure Parute encounters varied monster ladies, every with a novel look. While in earlier titles the playable roster has been very intensive (80+ I feel; I’ve to confess I by no means received round to discovering them ALL,) Seven Pirates H has 7, though you do come throughout others. As soon as all seven treasures are collected there are a number of extra occasions, however general the plot is fairly bland in comparison with earlier video games. Admittedly, the plots of the others weren’t precisely Shakespeare – looking for the panties of sunshine and the bra of darkness being a very unusual quest – nevertheless it nearly looks like this time round they had been extra centered on the transition to 3D than together with fairly as a lot ridiculous humour and attention-grabbing story-beats.
Character Designs
Fortunately, a few of the character designs themselves are simply pretty much as good as final time; even though they’re far much less quite a few. I’ve at all times loved the distinctive method wherein characters have portrayed their monstrous inspirations – utilizing lore and mythology to tell design – and while there isn’t as a lot originality of thought within the designs I did like a number of. Jewel is a infamous slime lady with an enormous gun, and I really like the truth that her hat, hair and a few of her clothes are made completely of stated blue slime. All through her design are a variety of skulls, paying homage to the concept in video games corresponding to Dungeons and Dragons slimes are fearsome foes due to their means to soften natural matter. In different phrases, I feel a number of folks received a bit too shut! Then there’s Claret, who’s impressed by the Kraken and different large squid monsters. Her headdress creates a beak-like form and her clothes – which splits on the backside into tendril-like strips – is roofed in studs and buckles which resemble suckers. Her persona additionally utterly suits this idea, along with her really monstrous urges conflicting along with her fairly face to nice impact. Each examples mirror what I really like about this collection – distinctive and authentic twists on mythological creatures, however sadly, there are much more duds this time round. Sakyura – the demon/succubus – is virtually nude except for a number of strips of leather-based (granted, barely resembling wings,) and her horns. Sure, it’s arguably demonic, however I’ve seen it earlier than too many occasions. Poron is meant to be a skeleton, however surely, the one skeletal features of her are the a number of cranium motifs on her jacket and hair clips. If you examine these to the kitsune Yoko, the kikimora Papain and Moero Crystal H’s skeleton Neferia it’s straightforward to seek out them disappointingly missing. I perceive that the pirate aesthetic left much less room for originality within the designs, and I like the very fact they typically caught to monsters present in that setting, however there’s no excuse for this dip in high quality after setting the bar so excessive. Earlier than, characters had clearly distinct personalities derived from their inspiration however which additionally made them their very own character. Right here, the monstrous origins are tougher to seek out and the personalities simply appear to meld into each other. There aren’t even every other costume choices right here – while in earlier titles, every lady had no less than 4, with no less than considered one of them exhibiting a lighter, extra humorous aspect to them.
Enemy design has additionally had a definite drop in high quality, with most easily getting back from earlier video games with copious recolours. They’re nonetheless all both genital-inspired or tongue-in-cheek, however the precise variety of authentic designs has taken a dip and I discovered their 3D representations missing within the attraction and humour of earlier entries.
Gameplay
The gameplay this time round has had a giant change too – switching from a first-person dungeon crawl to a 3D third-person wander. Beforehand, you’d search a dungeon’s many flooring in a turn-based style, with occasions occurring as you moved, random encounters and fight taking place in a turn-based, static-sprite style. While the fight stays a turn-based RPG affair, exploration of the dungeons is free-moving with overworld monsters which will be prevented. On one hand, it feels simpler to have interaction with, and I appreciated with the ability to get hold of sure enemies when searching for explicit loot. Nevertheless, the draw back to that is that dungeon design has additionally taken a dive off of a cliff, with largely linear areas and little or no in the way in which of reaching the exit. Earlier than, an space would take a variety of hours and a number of journeys, however that’s all been stripped down leaving them feeling just a little chilly and lifeless regardless of the tropical solar. Once more, it’s disappointing to see.
Outdoors of those areas, you journey round a comparatively giant, 2D open sea map, which slowly expands as you full quests. These quests are delivered by the Booby-kin, who you discover in your adventures and who supplies information, retailers and in-battle skills. Sadly, the quests they supply boil right down to both killing a variety of a sure enemy or accumulating a sure sort of merchandise, resulting in a hefty quantity of grinding within the under-levelled areas for the sake of it. Nothing attention-grabbing, simply “fetch this” or “kill that.” There are additionally some restricted character occasions on this map, however once more, they’re simply quick VA cutscenes with out the persona or attraction of earlier titles.
Fight System
The fight system, fortunately, does carry with it a number of new mechanics; though I nonetheless don’t really feel it replaces what has been stripped out adequately. As a substitute of components every lady now has a sort and the red-green-blue types a type-effectiveness triangle. You’ll be able to change every lady’s sort utilizing sure skills in battle – a welcome addition – however there’s far an excessive amount of emphasis on this with precise injury quantity being vastly modified by it. It additionally doesn’t assist that fundamental assaults do negligible injury. Every lady has particular assaults, nevertheless, that are activated utilizing their H vitality. This builds up by means of profitable assaults and taking injury. At 100, the lady enters an elevated state often known as “excited,” and at max, they enter “aroused,” from which they may die after a variety of rounds however which additionally permits them to make use of final skills. Utilizing the specials (consisting of standing adjustments, buff/debuffs, poisoning and therapeutic and so on.) is the one actual method to do any important injury, and sadly, it takes an excellent variety of rounds to construct up the meter. Battles usually really feel drawn out as you wait both for a smaller means to be usable or their arousal assault to be prepared. The smaller assaults barely even have their very own animations. Fortunately no less than the ultimates do, even when every appears to exist solely in order that the digicam can spotlight both their crotch or breasts. I did discover a few of this humorous thoughts – the legs-akimbo leaping bonk of Waffle making me giggle particularly. Lastly, sure bosses require a ending transfer from Otton, the aforementioned penis seal. To activate it you a lot improve his…pleasure…by rubbing the ladies frantically. In handheld mode, this felt gross because it felt like I used to be merely rubbing off a perverted seal. It didn’t assist when this AMAZING FINISHER turned out to be a literal white beam spraying from the highest of his bulbous head in the direction of the enemy. Sure, I did simply write that. Total although, the gameplay simply isn’t that compelling. I’d even go as far as to say it’s boring at occasions and gross at others, and that isn’t even mentioning the fan-service portion.
Oh, my lord. This subsequent part I’ve been completely dreading writing – could God have mercy on my soul and will my mom by no means learn it.
Talents
In additional RPGs, you degree up robotically, with stats growing and talents unlocking as a matter after all. In some, you need to actively exit of your method to degree up upon getting sufficient expertise. On this, you unlock “booby extracts” by accumulating experiences which may then be used to degree up outdoors of battle. Doesn’t sound too unhealthy but, proper? However what if I had been to let you know that as a way to degree up you wanted to drag, squeeze, pinch and faucet the character’s chest within the “booby coaching” minigame as a way to make any significant progress? Properly, you do, and in doing so you alter a variety of totally different components of their breasts, which additionally confer bonuses and penalties to totally different stats. Would you like Parute to hit like a truck on the expense of defence? Enlarge her spheres to frankly painful ranges and it’ll be mirrored each in her stats and on her mannequin! Need Jewel to be small and perky? You are able to do it! On one hand – utterly objectively – the mechanic might be essentially the most attention-grabbing factor about Seven Pirates H, because it makes use of dynamic character-model modification as an indicator of stats and talents. This has been seen in a few different video games, however so far as I’m conscious by no means with fairly as many variables, and on this side, it’s a real success. The physics concerned are additionally very spectacular, even when bigger characters do find yourself trying like they’re smuggling baggage of booze right into a pageant from the way in which they bounce round. Alternatively, it’s just too far. After being uncovered to so many fan-service video games I’ve change into fairly onerous to shock however this made me really feel extremely uncomfortable and like a real piece of labor. If it had been an non-obligatory additional mini-game – like in most different examples of the style, I wouldn’t be so vital of the lingerie-clad breast-bouncing fan service. For it to be a central mechanic to precise development, repeated a whole lot of occasions with out an opt-out simply spoils it. The primary time it was vaguely amusing to quickly inflate a pirate, however by the hundredth, it had simply change into annoying and gross.
I really feel like many of the points with Seven Pirates H come down to at least one factor and one factor alone, as is usually the case when a collection tries to evolve – the transition to 3D. Within the early days of 3D, this was deadly to so many titles, as builders spent extra time on a brand new engine and graphical development than making an precise good recreation, I can’t assist however really feel just like the Genkai Tokki guys fell into this age-old lure. Sure, it’s a handsome recreation with a cutesy aesthetic and wonderful, thematically applicable music, nevertheless it’s not a good recreation. It’s extremely quick when in comparison with its predecessors, has a tiny under-developed roster with no extra costumes, has a lack-lustre story and quest construction and a small variety of abysmally designed dungeons. Sure, a few of the attraction and humour of Genkai Tokki did make the transition, however in all honesty, this entry is a big step backwards and it’s unsurprising that since its authentic launch in 2016 there have been no new Genkai Tokki titles introduced.
When you just like the sound of some cheeky, impolite humour with comparatively non-obligatory fan service and nice character designs impressed by mythology, Genkai Tokki is unquestionably the place you’ll discover it. Sadly, Seven Pirates H is not, and I merely can’t suggest it as a primary dip within the franchise. Sure, there’s some good right here – it feels very charming and pirate and the 3D battles do look a lot nicer than in earlier entries. I appreciated the aesthetic design of the dungeons, and so they’re a lot less complicated to navigate if intensive, difficult first-person dungeon crawling isn’t your factor. Nevertheless, earlier than even contemplating choosing this up I’d suggest making an attempt Moero Crystal H – it’s merely a significantly better, significantly extra fleshed-out place to get your repair of tongue-in-cheek puerile giggles.
Builders: Felistella, Thought Manufacturing unit
Publishers: Compile Coronary heart, EastAsiaSoft
Reviewed on Nintendo Change
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