Mr. Saitou

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 25
  3. Negative: 2 out of 25

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  1. McButterstotch
    May 5, 2023
    10
    A funny, sweet, charming and heartwarming story with wholesome messages and an outstanding soundtrack that is short and sweet but FULL of personality and will leave you better than it found you!
  2. cocoapebbles
    Mar 27, 2023
    10
    Funny and heartwarming game that made me both laugh and shed a few tears at the end.
  3. LaserFlip147
    Mar 28, 2023
    9
    Lovely work as expected. Short but packed with amazing visual, audio, and writing arts. A rather lighthearted story compared to Rakuen, but still contains deep thoughts.
    Also, I'm glad to be in Laura's community to witness the births of many elements in the game. Reminds me of those good times.
  4. botatoboy
    May 5, 2023
    10
    Botato army reporting in. Brandon is a friend. He is such friend. And you will wish you had friends like him. Whoops, forgot to add a score.
  5. robeson1070
    Mar 28, 2023
    10
    Mr. Saitou is a narrative-based RPG game about a person's journey toward leading a meaningful life.  In creator Laura Shigihara's fantasy world, just as in our real one, life-significance has a lot to do with the quality of our relationships with others. Anyone has the capacity for positively impacting the lives of others and can be encouraged to find meaning with just a little bit ofMr. Saitou is a narrative-based RPG game about a person's journey toward leading a meaningful life.  In creator Laura Shigihara's fantasy world, just as in our real one, life-significance has a lot to do with the quality of our relationships with others. Anyone has the capacity for positively impacting the lives of others and can be encouraged to find meaning with just a little bit of prompting or a little bit of self-discovery.

    Mr. Saitou, I think, very deliberately utilizes "directionless interactions" to reinforce the loneliness of Saitou's world, reflecting at times, in its dialogue, a core starting theme of "isolation in the midst of company".  Our protagonist engages in his routines -- goes to work, eats, travels from here to there -- but lives without fulfillment; without a point to it all; without significance.

    And, that is where we find Mr. Saitou as we begin -- solidly in his routine.  Saitou is a person who effectively carries the phantom walls of his work cubicle with him through life wherever he goes.  He's an introvert and takes time to warm up to others.  One thing that players who have previously ventured into the Rakuen universe may notice is the absence of the built-in "Q" key function -- a way to apply the brakes & have a moment of comfort, clarity, and solace with a companion character.  Mr. Saitou has character-based social opportunities, to be sure, but I think there is something to be said for the absence of an immediate guardian for our protagonist to call upon with insight and love to assuage our poor guy's anxiety.  The absence of "Q" felt significant in a meta sort of way.  From his perspective at least, Saitou is very much on his own at the outset of our adventure. He sails through life's rough waters without a port of call.

    In the spirit of Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince" or Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz",  the characters and environments we encounter in Mr. Saitou are richly portrayed both visually and in terms of their distinct personalities.  Many have life lessons to impart, large and small, explicit and implied, throughout our 2-4 hour journey, depending upon how many side paths we take and objects and people we choose to interact with.  Shigihara uses the classic 1990s 16-bit RPG format to great effect in this narrative-focused journey.

    Moments of levity abound, oftentimes in the form of wry observations related to life's little absurdities.  This game frequently cracked me up &, truth be told, sometimes the journey... gets a little weird.   :-D  This game is steeped in Shigihara's sense of fun, as well as her deep musical conscientiousness, accurately reflecting the story's emotional tenor from moment to moment, whether it be triumph, mystery, Cooool, or introspection.  I would be remiss if I did not also mention Toby Fox's unique & bold contribution to this effort.

    Mr. Saitou's story is largely one of growth and hope.  Perhaps some players, used to the dramatic turns in Shigihara's "Rakuen" story, may come away wishing Mr. Saitou was a longer odyssey or that there was more gravity to their experience.  But then, Mr. Saitou doesn't need to be that kind of a story to get its point across and to touch our hearts.  Very concisely, Mr. Saitou shows us that taking small steps towards self-improvement, whether that be pushing past an insecurity or two, learning to turn our attention to the needs of others, or just showing up when it counts, are all ways to open ourselves to meaningful experiences & grace, perhaps in ways unforeseen at the outset. It is just what it needs to be.

    When I finished Mr. Saitou, I went to hunt down my email signature to find this quote that has stuck with me these past 20 years or so.  I try my best to take it to heart all the time:

    “I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
    -- Stephen Grellet

    I don't always succeed.  I think it embodies the game pretty well, though..  But, I'll let you be the judge of that and won't give away any of the details here.

    I genuinely hope that you too choose to give Mr. Saitou a try.  Have fun & enjoy it for what it is.   I am so happy Laura saw fit to tell this story.  I know I benefited from experiencing it.  You may end up laughing more than crying.  And that's okay.  Ephemeral experiences of joy are pretty swell & can be awfully deep and meaningful in their own right.

    Thank-you.    … Expand
  6. postmasterpaat
    Aug 22, 2023
    2
    So, apparently, there are folks out there who might actually enjoy the mind-numbingly mundane vibes that Mr. Saitou thought would be a good idea to deliver. Yeah, because who needs excitement or anything remotely interesting in a game, right? Not every game has to feature epic demon battles or, you know, the fate of the freakin' world hanging in the balance.

    But hold onto your snooze    So, apparently, there are folks out there who might actually enjoy the mind-numbingly mundane vibes that Mr. Saitou thought would be a good idea to deliver. Yeah, because who needs excitement or anything remotely interesting in a game, right? Not every game has to feature epic demon battles or, you know, the fate of the freakin' world hanging in the balance.

    But hold onto your snooze buttons, because here's the kicker: Mr. Saitou seems to be attempting some sort of, I don't know, deep journey or whatever. But let's be real, the ending that's supposed to be, like, rewarding? It's about as satisfying as a stale cracker. Seriously, I can't even begin to fathom how the agony of this journey could be justified by that lackluster ending.

    Oh, and let's not forget the thrilling conversations and riveting relationships with the characters. Not! It's like the interactions were crafted by a bot on a caffeine crash. I mean, I wasted precious hours of my life engaging in conversations that were more directionless than a lost snail.

    If there's anything remotely redeeming here, it's that Mr. Saitou managed to summon up a bit of heart and a whisper of a message. If you're so desperate for a way to kill two hours of your existence and you find heart and whispers intriguing, well, congrats! You might just be the minuscule audience for this torturous endeavor.    … Expand
  7. inverse42
    May 6, 2023
    10
    A clever and heartwarming story about helping others! The unique personalities of each of the characters makes the world come alive, and the music is excellent. Definitely check it out!
  8. btballenger
    May 7, 2023
    10
    I didn't know what to expect in a follow-up to Rakuen, but I was once again impressed by how delicately it hit on sensitive topics while staying very upbeat and showcasing a lot of quirky humor. If you're familiar with Laura Shigihara's Twitch stream, some of the jokes and silliness will seem familiar. The music was once again a huge highlight for me, but also the enormous pixel artI didn't know what to expect in a follow-up to Rakuen, but I was once again impressed by how delicately it hit on sensitive topics while staying very upbeat and showcasing a lot of quirky humor. If you're familiar with Laura Shigihara's Twitch stream, some of the jokes and silliness will seem familiar. The music was once again a huge highlight for me, but also the enormous pixel art cinematics! It was a short, satisfying return to magical coziness, and in a weird way kind of reminded me of Fraggle Rock.… Expand
  9. DrLooper
    Jun 8, 2023
    1
    nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul nul
  10. UltraZeroX7
    May 5, 2023
    10
    An excellent follow-up game in the Rakuen universe that emphasizes the value of happiness and love. Likewise, it has an amazing soundtrack and fantastic presentation/art. Definitely worth checking out!

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Hey Poor Player
    Mar 30, 2023
    80
    Mr. Saitou is a short but sweet romp through the universe of Rakuen, a silly little homecoming to a wonderfully whimsical world. Although it’s not as emotional as the first game, it’s not trying to be; with that being said, I still shed a few tears during the two hours I spent with it. If you listen to Mr. Saitou and set your expectations accordingly, you’ll emotionally relate to the realistic struggles of adult life while feeling healed by the cheerful innocence childhood has to offer. In the very least, Mr. Saitou offers a brief return to the world of Rakuen and the feeling of being hugged by a game.
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  2. Multiplayer.it
    Mar 21, 2023
    70
    Mr. Saitou proves to be a successful spin-off, even if sometimes it overdose its citationism and keeps a tone that results to be too light-hearted when compared to Rakuen's powerful, well-written stories. It's still an adventure that deserves to be loved by Laura Shigihara's fans, a multi-talented video game developer who is capable of expressing herself through a vast array of media.
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  3. RPG Fan
    Mar 21, 2023
    70
    I don’t doubt that some folks are going to fall in love with the breezy vibes Mr. Saitou delivers; not every game needs a gigantic demon boss or world-ending evil. For what Mr. Saitou appears to be trying to do, though, I can’t say the satisfying ending justifies the journey. If more of the conversations or relationships I had with the characters had more texture, I would say otherwise, but I spent too much time having directionless interactions. If nothing else, Mr. Saitou has heart and something to say, and if that’s worth two hours of your time, you may be the audience.
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