Homura: The Crimson Warriors Review – Bittersweet Ninja History

Homura: The Crimson Warriors Review

Homura: The Crimson Warriors is a visual novel aimed at a very specific target audience within the otome game crowd. If you like historical fantasy romance but love historical fantasy plot more, you’ll have a great time with this particular game. It depicts feudal Japanese history with almost as much love as it depicts pretty ninja.

In 1614, a young ninja is charged to deliver a letter to the exiled Lord Nobushige Sanada. This mission brings her into contact with Nobushige and his followers just as war begins to brew.

14 years ago, the Battle of Sekigahara ended a century of civil war and the Tokugawa clan took over Japan. However, Nobushige served the Toyotomi clan, whose heir was effectively deposed. Now, the young Lord Toyotomi is preparing to make his move. And Nobushige and his ten loyal ninja are prepared to fight once more.

However, violence isn’t the only thing on the protagonist’s mind. Can she and her secret ninja arts prove that love can bloom even on the battlefield? Or are her romances as doomed as most of these historical figures were in real life?

A Dating Sim for History Buffs

Homura: The Crimson Warriors is in many ways a piece of historical fiction. Its passages are dotted with references to feudal Japanese politics and real-life locations. And this release offers convenient explanations for these terms with the press of a button.

If you’re a fan of Japanese history, samurai, and real-life ninja, this is a treat. Otherwise, prepare to do a lot of scrolling through the glossary.

The strict social roles of feudal Japan play a significant role in the game. Ninja can break some of these rules, but are restricted by entirely different ones. And the protagonist finds herself trapped by very different and sometimes contradictory expectations.

The game’s visual and sound design are great and the voice acting is lovely. Each character sounds engaging, expressing, and distinct. Unfortunately, the heroine is silent. That means the monkey has a voice, but not the main character.

This title is pretty good at conveying action through sound effects and cleverly moving static images. As the game features a lot of fights, this very important. I’m glad they pulled off combat so well, because this title is very much about the last battle of the era.

Homura: The Crimson Warriors Brings the Politics and the Drama

Homura: The Crimson Warriors is technically a dating sim, but both the main character and the men she romances have bigger problems. Each of the characters is memorable and endearing in their own way. I found Sasuke’s habit of sneaking poison into people’s meals as ‘training’ to be especially cute.

However, this title is very heavy on the historical drama–and the combat–for a paranormal romance. A major theme is loyalty: specifically, the loyalty a retainer must show to their lord. As the tension builds, the protagonist must decided which of these men she thinks she can save.

The plot-to-romance balance is weighted heavily in favor of plot. I like this, especially since the occasional sweet or spicy scene is very refreshing in comparison. That said, your enjoyment of this game will depend heavily on how willing you are to get lost in a ninja-themed historical fantasy tale.

This is a pretty standard visual novel mechanically. Players advance through a branching narrative by making choices that build affection or ninja skill. The game offers five routes with good endings, bad endings, and tragic endings. It also has a more unique function: the protagonist’s choices can affect how skilled a ninja she is.

She doesn’t start out particularly skilled and is kept around more for her talent at cooking and crafting. However, over time, she can become far more effective. And with some of the best warriors in the land reanimated and set on Nobushige’s trail, she’ll need all the skill she can get.

More Plot Than Romance

Homura: The Crimson Warriors opens with every route unlocked. I recommend you play them in this order: Sasuke, Saizo, Kamonosuke, Juzo, Nobushige. Nobushige’s route should probably come last, as it explores the main villain’s motives.

The pacing is quite fast. Fantastical elements aside, the historical reality of the Siege of Osaka brings a grim tone. This makes sense, as in real life, Nobushige and his retainers died during that war.

Tone-wise, this title is much like Hakuoki, another visual novel series about romancing doomed Japanese historical figures. Each route has a decent length. The game explores strong themes of loyalty and dehumanization. It questions what, exactly, makes a good ninja: emotional repression and treating yourself as a weapon, or genuine love and loyalty?

Despite the plot focus, it’s full of fun character interactions. The choice to make managing your chosen ninja’s health a major mechanic intrigues me. Self-destructive warriors are not good at determining what’s good for them. Players must choose when to accept their wishes and when to push back for their own sake. I have mixed feelings about the game urging you to ignore a disabled person’s wishes at times, but the execution is mostly good.

All in all, Homura: The Crimson Warriors is an interesting historical fantasy with a dash of romance. I recommend it to fans of Japanese history and bittersweet plotty romance.

***Switch code provided by the publisher***