Senran Kagura: Estival Versus

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 168 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 127 out of 168
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 168
  3. Negative: 26 out of 168
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  1. RATTY
    Mar 18, 2016
    7
    Its super Ninja time everybody hope on board for a barrel of hank in slash fun, although this boat has its flaws its still a party boat so lets get into it.

    Story: (NO SPOILERS) The story through and through is very entertaining but its nothing too serious and doesnt have the deepest of plots all the girls get sucked into a hole and now have to fight each other to get out, but its still    Its super Ninja time everybody hope on board for a barrel of hank in slash fun, although this boat has its flaws its still a party boat so lets get into it.

    Story: (NO SPOILERS) The story through and through is very entertaining but its nothing too serious and doesnt have the deepest of plots all the girls get sucked into a hole and now have to fight each other to get out, but its still has alot of funny moments alot of sad moments and alot of silly moments I didn't expect to like it as much as I did but I sure got alot of laughs out of it.

    Gameplay: The gameplay is one of my favorite parts of the game each character has their own unique move set, fighting style and weapon, each girl has 3 special moves you can do by do damage to mobs or other ninja and then theirs shinobi mode where the girl transforms her clothes and powers up to deal more damage while also having a higher defense. You can run up walls fly through the air all kinds of crazy stuff and I like how if you defeat an enemy near a certain object marked with a ! sign it will trigger a special finisher and i think thats some good detail there and straight up funny.

    Performance/Bugs/Graphics: This is the downside of the whole game, the game has an online component where up to 10 players can fight each other in various modes and as of right now at least for me the servers are horrible its a gamble getting online because I get kicked out so often due to disconnections the only mode I can play is survival mode and only with 1 other player because i might get booted if its 3 players its almost certain that ill get booted , Also the AI can be very stupid sometimes with Ai partners and enemy's running into walls for no reason its not the biggest problem but i thought i would point it out. on technical stuff the game runs at 1080p 60 fps but the framerate can get choppy at times on certain stages and doing super moves with alot of baddies around you, I haven't seen any bugs but the game crashes alot to the point where its just ridiculous. On graphics i think they are very cute and well done they did a wonderful job with the stages and I think the chibi art style for the Ninjas are really cute I wouldn't change anything about them.

    Content: Theres too much of it so ill just try to tell you the basics, theres story mode which is one hell of a long fun road special missions so freaking many then character specific missions and there are about 5 per character and theirs about 32 yea let that sink in, Theres a dressing room where you can customize every Ninja with the various accessories that you have unlocked, With all of this right out of the box its well worth the 60 dollar price tag and gets an A+ from me in the content department.

    Japanese Bias: Now if you are new to the series odds are the first thing you will notice are the boobs big ones tiny ones all that jazz now if your really uncomfortable with the fanservice then this game isn't for you and i respect that but dont go on to bash the game just because it has fanservice the SJW movement has delt alot of damage to the gameing industry so far so that devs from overseas are now refusing to sell their games in the West due to fear of backlash alot of Western devs are having to censor their games for the very same reason freedom of creativity is being hurt badly and it needs to end, So if you really dont like a product simply dont buy it and move own dont scream and yell Patriarchy.

    Personal Thoughts/Verdict: The game Is very fun and enjoyable and if its your first time in series like me you'll be pleasantly surprised But The horrible online play holds it back and the common crashes might give you alot of frustration My verdict is a 7 out of 10 hopefully they patch out all this stuff so i can enjoy the game even more but ill still play it and love every moment see ya in the ninja wars!

    PS: Shout out to the Senran Kagura Community on PS4 I love you guys.    … Expand
  2. huji-san
    Apr 8, 2016
    6
    Alright, i'm not a picky person. I know most japanese games made for a niche audience are always treated harshly by "professional" critics, but i'll be honest. This sequel is, at best, a trainwreck. The previous installment for the Senran Kagura games on the PS Vita (Shinovi Versus) is a phenomenal game (i'd say it's at least a strong 9.5/10. i don't give "perfect 10s"). i'd even go as farAlright, i'm not a picky person. I know most japanese games made for a niche audience are always treated harshly by "professional" critics, but i'll be honest. This sequel is, at best, a trainwreck. The previous installment for the Senran Kagura games on the PS Vita (Shinovi Versus) is a phenomenal game (i'd say it's at least a strong 9.5/10. i don't give "perfect 10s"). i'd even go as far as saying it's my favorite vita game. But this sequel, which i was very hyped for, was truly....disappointing. I'm not saying it's a BAD game, not at all, but it doesn't live up to its predecessor, not even close. The mechanics were made far too clunky and the controls felt really airy and hollow, especially compared to the previous game. The story is even less interesting this time around (the chief plot altogether really isn't all that great, but each separate character's backstory is what's REALLY interesting) but I just wasn't pulled in this time, and it's almost like they're using fanservice as the plot itself. I'm no SJW. I love fanservice as much as the next guy, but honestly? This series is making me sick of it. I want to savor and appreciate my fanservice, not have it shoved in my face every 5 seconds. But aside from the copiously annoying amounts of fanservice and the clunky downgraded feel of the controls, it's still worth picking up if you're a fan of the series. The dressing room is honestly the best part of the game, in my honest opinion. And i also like the fact that I can use my personal favorite character (Ryouna) from the get-go, and that they didn't bother to dub the voices (let's just be real, weeaboos DON'T like English dubs, so why not just cut the middle man out and just keep it on the original Japanese voices?) And as a bonus, if you're a trophy hunter, well. This game is an easy platinum, much like the previous SK. Also, the graphics are great and colorful, and not just a boring palette of browns and grays (coughcough every western AAA game released past 2006 cough).

    tl;dr
    pros: dressing room only gets better and better, still love the cast, great art direction/graphics/colors.
    cons: gameplay downgraded to a clunky mess, too much fanservice makes me sick of it (this coming from someone who loves fanservice), bad overall plot    … Expand
  3. Letiste-Gaming
    May 18, 2016
    7
    El juego no pretende en ningún momento ni ser serio ni un juego del año. Va con su grupo de fans en mente (que los tiene) y solo pretende ser un juego divertido y que no hay que tomarse en serio, y en ese aspecto, cumple sobradamente. Idóneo para echarse unas risas y dar mil y un espadazos mientras desnudáis a unas ninjas muy peculiares, y que me han hecho interesarme en esta saga a modoEl juego no pretende en ningún momento ni ser serio ni un juego del año. Va con su grupo de fans en mente (que los tiene) y solo pretende ser un juego divertido y que no hay que tomarse en serio, y en ese aspecto, cumple sobradamente. Idóneo para echarse unas risas y dar mil y un espadazos mientras desnudáis a unas ninjas muy peculiares, y que me han hecho interesarme en esta saga a modo de placer culpable.… Expand
  4. Rox22
    May 12, 2016
    6
    This was my first outing into this series, so I can only judge it based on what it is.

    One thing this game does not shy away from the fan service. But it knows that and doesn't try to hide it or find some lame excuse to cover that fact. It is what it is and proud of: Boobs, butts, fighting and enough innuendo to make Freud blush. So credit to it for being open and honest and not bowing    This was my first outing into this series, so I can only judge it based on what it is.

    One thing this game does not shy away from the fan service. But it knows that and doesn't try to hide it or find some lame excuse to cover that fact. It is what it is and proud of: Boobs, butts, fighting and enough innuendo to make Freud blush. So credit to it for being open and honest and not bowing before the SJW Matriarchy.

    Yet it does make me wonder why they bothered with the censorship. The game is clearly aimed at mature audience. I think anyone playing this knows what nipples look like. Seems almost childish. But this is a minor gripe as the idea behind it is charming.

    One point that is great are the characters, they are all charming and well developed. Even with so many characters, they all feel flushed out and are highly likable. Problem is that any anime fan can see that almost all of them are character types we've seen before, none are truly original. But another minor gripe as the same can be said for most Anime these days.

    Animation is okay, levels are pretty but not really up to PS4 standards. VITA maybe. Really curious as to why they didn't put more effort into the "cut scenes." Really sub par and the visual novel style really doesn't belong on a console. A shame, if they had made all the cut scenes fully animated, I think it would have done better. Voice acting is decent, just a shame there is no English dub.

    Plot, errrrr .... not really, a bare bones story that really serves no purpose. Little to no substance in that regard. There was definitely potential if they had gone more into it. Deeper personal story arcs would have been nice.

    Fighting mechanics are fun and each girl handles differently so there is a good deal of variety and combat rarely feels repetitive. So gameplaywise, the game is allot of fun.

    Overall:
    Senran Kagura: Estival Versus is a fun game that celebrates fan service with great combat an d interesting and diverse characters, yet lacks any real depth and story to make it anything more than a guilty pleasure. Still, it's fun and worth a go.

    Side Note:
    Don't bother with any of the DLC, aside from the new game modes. The DLC characters are fun, but not really relevant to the story.    … Expand
  5. The_BlueRose
    Apr 20, 2018
    6
    Big Boobs and cute anime girls with a quite boring and simple combat and stages...
    Thats all basically.
  6. raccoondaddy
    Dec 3, 2017
    6
    Right off, I've NEVER seen nor heard of the series or the manga until I played this game! With that said, Senran Kagura is a SHAMELESS version of Dynasty Warriors. (Which isn't even challenging!) The first thing comes to mind to every person that plays this; regardless of what gender you are...tig ol' biddies/boobs. By and far, it's the true selling point. Hell, the game take the mangaRight off, I've NEVER seen nor heard of the series or the manga until I played this game! With that said, Senran Kagura is a SHAMELESS version of Dynasty Warriors. (Which isn't even challenging!) The first thing comes to mind to every person that plays this; regardless of what gender you are...tig ol' biddies/boobs. By and far, it's the true selling point. Hell, the game take the manga term Ecchi and expands it to exponential proportions.

    SK:EV isn't even suddle about, in fact it embrasses that by making the characters either obviously perverted, phony or oblivious to the fact that they are being objectified.

    The only things that save the game is the available content and story mode, which isn't Hemingway by a light year.

    If you are looking for a title just to have so you can stare at digital TnA, this is it, but even that will you rolling your eyes and letting this one go. For Americans that don't get access to DOAX3, here is your alternative.    … Expand
  7. BukanOm2
    Aug 28, 2018
    7
    A short but unbelievably fun summer vacation, If i can word out Senran Kagura Estival Versus in one sentence i will use that.

    Having played Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus prior to this, i was pleasently surprised on how much better the game got. The combat is smooth and fun, good characters development in the story, as well as the striking 3D visuals. Couple that with the big rosters the    A short but unbelievably fun summer vacation, If i can word out Senran Kagura Estival Versus in one sentence i will use that.

    Having played Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus prior to this, i was pleasently surprised on how much better the game got. The combat is smooth and fun, good characters development in the story, as well as the striking 3D visuals. Couple that with the big rosters the game has, each characters are also so differing and unique to each other, from a gameplay perspective and character themselves.

    With that being said, i would like to voice out the things that i find quite dissapointing in the game. First of all, There is no free battle mode where you can freely choose a character in a terrain you want to test them out. Whilst there is a dojo mode, in which you have to have a ps+ subscription to access, it will potentially cause a problem to some consumers. Secondly, Online mode requires more balance for it to be fun, because in my experiences of trying the mode out, it feels like some character are just better suited than others in an online experience. And lastly, i feel like the linear sandbox type of a gameplay it has leave more to be desired, because it is getting old school.

    I don't want to end this review in a bad note, because i really do enjoy the game. It was a pleasent experience for me, so let's get back to the things i'm quite fond of in the game. Firstly, i wanna talk about the OST, honest to god the OST in this game is some of the best in game soundtrack i've ever heard. The OST matches the individual characters and terrain it is positioned into, as well as giving the vivid and hype note that keeps the game super fast paced. Dressing mode is also a very nice addition to the game, it super fun to take photos and show them up to your friends. The mission themselves are timed perfectly, so you won't be bored by the VN like story telling.

    Overlooking the Boobies, Thighs, or them so called "plot", Senran kagura is actually a really good hack and slash sandbox game. And i do recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good brawler.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. Worth Playing
    May 4, 2016
    80
    Senran Kagura: Estival Versus is both extremely cheesy and loads of fun.
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  2. GamingTrend
    Apr 6, 2016
    30
    A portable version of this game seems unnecessary, and overall the game is not worth even a moment’s time even from the most dedicated a hack-and-slash player.
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  3. GameSpew
    Apr 3, 2016
    50
    If it’s boobs you’re after, Senran Kagura: Estival Versus will provide more than your fair share, but if you’re wanting actual gameplay, it doesn’t deliver anything you won’t find better done elsewhere.
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