The press release and the trailer show off the wide variety of characters, totaling over 20 playable characters (or 22 including DLC characters). These characters take on waves of enemies and other fellow shinobi. Gameplay is simple enough to grasp, as you fight your way through standard grunt ninjas before facing against a boss. In combat, your character and your opponent can be stripped of their clothing depending on how much damage they take.
[Warning: Due to the nature of this game, some screenshots and images in the trailer may be a bit NSFW.]
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is very much a game that prides itself in its fanservice, if the jiggle-physics and transformation scenes are any indication. The game also features super moves known as “Super Ninja techniques,” which can easily devastate a group of enemies when unleashed.
Currently, Shinovi Versus is still priced as $39.99 on the PSN for the PlayStation Vita, so buying it on Steam has its own set of advantages. Like the DLC adding two characters from Hebijo and Hanzo with their storylines: the lightning-fast teacher, Suzune, and the Banchou-powerhouse ninja, Daidoji. You also get all the outfits, which combined on the Vita, would cost a pretty penny.
Currently, the game on PC is available at a discount of 10% from $29.99. You don’t even need to unlock all of the extras, as they are available right out of the starting gate too! And as seen in the trailer, the game does appear to move much faster than its predecessor at a smooth 60fps framerate. RPG elements of leveling up are still present in this game too, which require you to pull off fast and long combos to keep leveling up.
It should be noted that Shinovi Versus, while recapping some events from Burst, does not have the entire story of Burst inside of it. Fortunately, the Gessen and Hebijo teams are original characters for this title, so players should not feel too lost in the plot.
Previously, the Hanzo and old Hebijo team had fought over powerful scrolls, though the conflict between the two was interrupted by a giant monster called Orochi. To avoid major spoilers, the Hebijo girls were forced to live as renegades, while the Hanzo team still attended their academy. Enter these two new sets of girls: the Gessen Academy wants to wipe out Hanzo’s team for the sake of their grandfather, Kurokage. Meanwhile, the new Hebijo team is tasked with hunting down the old Hebijo group, which has now rebranded itself as “Homura’s Crimson Squad.”
Naturally, players should not expect to be stuck facing off against one single school, but each do have their own spin on the story and certain events unfold that do not occur in other story routes.
The game also features multiplayer in three different modes. In Death Match, players fight to, well, the death of course. Strip Battle also involves exactly what you think it does – stripping the opponent of their clothes while fighting. The last mode is Understorm, where you must collect the most underwear while fighting against your other rivals. In the Vita version, you could also play with the AI.
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is Developed by Tamsoft and Marvelous Inc. (in Japan and Europe), and published by XSEED.
If you’re curious as to what I thought of the Vita version of this game, you can always find it over here. Considering what has been said and seen on the trailer, it seems a lot of improvements have been made. Be sure to look out for the review of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus on PC soon on GameSkinny!
