Samurai Maiden review

The combat is average and the photo mode prevents lecherous shots, but Samurai Maiden shines when it depicts tenderness.

The end of the year is when the industry releases its ‘serious’ games. Whether it’s the evolving relational dynamics between a father and son in God of War Ragnarök, the social and political upheavals of 16^th century Europe in Pentiment, or the exploration of life, death, and rebirth in Scorn, it’s a time when games attempt to get thoughtful. For better or worse, Samurai Maiden offers some intriguing counterprogramming. Brimming with unabashed silliness and a copious amount of fan-service, the game recalls the charms of the Senran Kagura series.

The game’s plot centers on contemporary schoolgirl Tsumugi Tamaori finding herself transported back to 1582 and inside a burning Honnō-ji temple. Although she struggles with the complexities of history and prefers the lessons of swordsmanship passed on by her grandfather, Tsumugi understands the significance of the situation: this is where Oda Nobunaga, Japan’s “Great Unifier” will commit seppuku. After meeting the daimyo, she is given a sword and is assumed to be a prophesized figure known as the Priestess of Harmony.

Fortunately, she’s not the only combatant tasked with stopping a Demon Lord’s malevolent ambitions and is accompanied by a trio of female ninjas. Here, developer SHADE (Kandagawa Jet Girls, Bullet Girls Phantasia) gets playful with the characterizations. There’s Iyo, a hardened warrior whose main weakness is bouts of self-doubt. But her friendship with Tsumugi begins to help her transcend these uncertainties. With a mechanical arm and a disposition that can be merciless to enemies, Hagane is outwardly affectionate. But she undoubtedly demonstrates warmhearted big sister-style compassion toward the lead. Komimi is an adorable foxgirl but is a bit of tsundere who grows annoyed by Tsumugi’s desire to touch her bushy tail. Sure, the cast is rooted in archetypes, but they are all overwhelmingly cute.

With a well-engineered quartet like this, Samurai Maiden has plenty of opportunities for spirited dialog. Occasionally, it hits the mark, with 15th-century ninja gals mesmerized by a 21st-century mobile phone and end-of-level group selfies that are absolutely adorable. But sporadically, the game’s exchanges don’t provide a payoff, occasionally veering into insipid tangents that seem intended to pad Maiden’s playtime.

If you’re able to look past the conversational filler, the game provides a generous amount of lighthearted titillation. Of course, things never get too steamy, and some will undoubtedly be upset by the decision to prevent players from taking (im)proper upskirts with the game’s photo mode. Instead, Samurai Maiden tantalizes with cinematics of the gals interlocking hands, caressing bare shoulders, and eye-gazes that foretell a lip-lock. Opinions will vary, but I found it more passionate than pervy, especially with the picturesque technique used to render the girls’ eyes. Between missions, the way the Maidens coyly touched fingertips while seating on a bench was achingly exquisite.

Although it would have been great to witness Tsumugi chaperone her partners through the modern world, Maiden’s dates take place in ethereal realms called Bubble Pockets. Here, the protagonist spends some quality time with one other ninja, with the pair solving light puzzles and platforming together. Occasionally, heartfelt declarations emerge from these sequences, making these sequences a refreshing retreat from the main missions.

Unfortunately, Samurai Maiden standard battles aren’t quite as fun. At least some of the blame is rooted in the control system. Tsumugi unleashes different heavy attacks whether she’s moving forward or stationary. As such, the battles lack the fluidity of most modern musou games and move at a staccato pace. Tsumugi’s arsenal is rather basic, making combat repetitive for the first few hours. But before long, each ninja teaches the protagonist her techniques, granting access to aerials, parries, and new combos. Toward the end of the game, off-screen attacks tend to knock Tsumugi down, making things unnecessarily frustrating. Enemy variety is also a minor issue, you’ll confront homogenous hordes who obey very basic artificial intelligence.

As such you’ll likely exploit simplistic enemy behavior. Each of your ninja girlfriends has their own special ability from Iyo’s affection for explosives and blazing kunai, the release of electricity from Hagane’s mechanical arm, to Komini’s massive ice hammer. Before letting loose with each special, it’s always prudent to get foes to group together, maximizing the efficiency of your kunoichi companions. A lot of the animations are quite fun as well. Iyo ineptly scorches herself after lighting a powder keg, which feels like a viral video of someone mishandling fireworks.

Samurai Maiden replaces most of the playful perviness of Senran Kagura with a bit of the tenderness found in the Blue Reflection series. While these depictions of affection are delightful, the large sections of gameplay between them are merely average, diminishing the game’s impact. Coupled with an egregious amount of DLC and incompatibility with Steam Deck at launch, Samurai Maiden squanders some of its potential. Aficionados of yuri-driven action will undoubtedly appreciate the game’s ambitions, which demonstrate that there’s always room for lighthearted escapism.

Samurai Maiden was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.