Today Sega reached out with a press release to announce the western release date of Shin Sakura Taisen, which was previously code-named Project Sakura Wars for the west.
First and foremost, we now learn that the title for the North American and European market will simply be “Sakura Wars” with no frills attached.
The game will launch in the west on April 28, 2020, for PS4. No additional platforms have been mentioned.
Below you can see the new trailer and a bunch of screenshots localized in English.
If you’re unfamilar with the game, here’s an official description directly from Sega.
“One of SEGA’s greatest IPs in Japan, Sakura Wars debuted on the SEGA Saturn in 1996 and grew into a successful franchise encompassing sequels, spin-offs, anime, manga, and even stage shows. Some of the best creative minds in the anime and JRPG industries have now joined their talents with SEGA to bring Sakura Wars to a new generation, and a new audience in the west.
For this reboot, SEGA brought back many of the original creators and received major contributions in character design from such luminaries as Tite Kubo, Yukiko Horiguchi, BUNBUN, Fumikane Shimada, Ken Sugimori, Noizi Ito, Shigenori Soejima, and more for a truly spectacular production.
The Imperial Combat Revue takes the stage as Tokyo’s defense force against a demon threat in this extravagant adventure. Soldiers in wartime, but theater performers in peacetime, the Revue’s Flower Division is not living up to their legacy and is at risk of being shut down. As newly appointed captain Seijuro Kamiyama, it’s up to you to turn the team around.
During your adventure, you’ll interact with a colorful cast of characters via the dynamic LIPS dialogue system (a trademark of the series), where what you say and how you say it makes an impact both on and off the battlefield. This flows into the high-energy combat system, featuring giant steam-powered mechs called “spiricle armor” that can only be piloted by those with strong spiritual power. All of this is presented in the style of an exciting anime production, complete with gorgeous animated sequences and dramatic character arcs that will leave you eager for what happens next! “
We also learn that the game will be released with voice-overs only in Japanese and subtitles in English, German, French, and Spanish.
Physical editions of the game will come with a reversible cover featuring the Japanese box art, and a set of stickers displaying the main cast.
Speaking of the cast, we also get official English descriptions for the main characters.
Seijuro Kamiyama
VO: Yohei AzakamiFormerly a captain of an auxiliary ship in the navy, he was reassigned to the Imperial Combat Revue to oversee the reformation of the Flower Division.
Sakura Amamiya
VO: Ayane SakuraA novice stage performer who joined the Flower Division to follow in the footsteps of her idol, onetime mega-star Sakura Shinguji (star of the original trilogy). She believes strongly in defending Tokyo and lifting the spirits of the populace and fervently prays the theater will eventually be restored to its former glory.
Hatsuho Shinonome
VO: Maaya UchidaA shrine maiden whose beauty draws visitors to her family’s historic Shinonome Shrine. Born in the working-class neighborhoods of central Tokyo, she’s a true child of the city who loves her people, her festivals, and everyone in the capital. Despite her brash exterior, she’s a dependable comrade.
Clarissa “Claris” Snowflake
VO: Saori HayamiA sweet, intellectual girl from Luxembourg who always has her nose in a book. Her ferocious curiosity about the world drives her to read every day and learn about all kinds of topics.
Azami Mochizuki
VO: Hibiku YamamuraA descendant of the Mochizuki clan of ninja, she displayed a tremendous aptitude for martial arts, battle tactics, and weapon-handling from a very young age. Thanks to the strict training she has undergone her entire life, she believes unquestioningly in the 108 Village Rules passed down by her clan, striving to obey them at all times.
Anastasia Palma
VO: Ayaka FukuharaStar of the European stage who hails from Greece. She recently transferred to the Tokyo revue after spending time in various revues around the globe. A world-class singer and actor, she has the charisma and confidence to play everything from the male lead to the bewitching temptress.
If you want to see more about Project Sakura Wars, you can also check out some gameplay showing Claris in action, another trailer, the previous gameplay and more trailers, more screenshots, the first trailer of the character design series featuring Bleach creator Tite Kubo, the previous gallery of screenshots, the one before, another batch of images focusing on romance, another reveal with two new characters and videos, and the beautiful anime opening cutscene,
We also have a music video dedicated to Sakura, one featuring Hatsuho one focusing on Elise, one showcasing Lancelot, one featuring Anastasia Palma, another starring Huang Yui, one showing Claris, more trailers, the latest gameplay, latest gallery of screenshots, another gallery, the previous gameplay reveal, another one, and an earlier gallery of screenshots and art.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Sakura Wars series, you should take a look at my dedicated article explaining what it’s all about and why you should care.
