Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 142 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 142
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 142
  3. Negative: 20 out of 142
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  1. DOSfan
    Jan 2, 2015
    6
    found this game to be OK. if you love the anime maybe you'll love this, but i bought it on a whim probably partially due to the cute girls etc.

    i played it for a bit and felt like the games graphics weren't very good even for vita. the gameplay was ok, but nothing amazing and the pace seems very poor. ended up basically saying to myself, i have samurai warriors 4 on ps3 and it's    found this game to be OK. if you love the anime maybe you'll love this, but i bought it on a whim probably partially due to the cute girls etc.

    i played it for a bit and felt like the games graphics weren't very good even for vita.
    the gameplay was ok, but nothing amazing and the pace seems very poor.

    ended up basically saying to myself, i have samurai warriors 4 on ps3 and it's seriously 1000x more enjoyable as a game. i can look at porn if i need to look at boobs. i just didn't really enjoy this game and don't care about cartoon boobs so yea. *shrug* sold it and got something else after a week.    … Expand
  2. RinChanNow
    Jan 25, 2015
    5
    Honestly one of the dullest brawlers I have ever played. If not for the extreme fanservice, there would be literally nothing of note about this. (and even then, all the really cool costumes are DLC) The game truly shines during 1-on-1 shinobi battles, but fights against trash mobs are heinously boring and will often go on far too long.

    There's a (surprisingly lengthy) story, but it's    Honestly one of the dullest brawlers I have ever played. If not for the extreme fanservice, there would be literally nothing of note about this. (and even then, all the really cool costumes are DLC) The game truly shines during 1-on-1 shinobi battles, but fights against trash mobs are heinously boring and will often go on far too long.

    There's a (surprisingly lengthy) story, but it's overwritten and poorly paced. Most of the characters are very obnoxious, although a few are likeable. (Ikaruga    … Expand
  3. ryuzaki57
    Oct 20, 2014
    7
    The sudden shift to full 3D gameplay is not without problems : you have to re-learn everything. Bosses are now super agressive and won’t hesitate to chain long combos immediately followed by their 秘伝忍法 (special ninpo), to the extend that it is at times difficult to stand back up. It is therefore crucial to master guard and parry, but the latter is not as efficient as it is in Metal GearThe sudden shift to full 3D gameplay is not without problems : you have to re-learn everything. Bosses are now super agressive and won’t hesitate to chain long combos immediately followed by their 秘伝忍法 (special ninpo), to the extend that it is at times difficult to stand back up. It is therefore crucial to master guard and parry, but the latter is not as efficient as it is in Metal Gear Rising for example. Because of that, the best option is often to run away and engage the enemy from a distance. Ditto for the lock which has you touch the target on the touchscreen, because you can hardly free one hand to do so. Finally and much like MGR, the action is fast and camera has a hard time following. In short, a more nervous gameplay with diminished precision.

    It’s just too bad the difficulty settings should keep being so poor. The first Senran Kagura was quite easy to beat, while Senran Kagura Burst was an interesting challenge during chapter 5. Shinobi Versus is again fairly easy, and for a rather stupid reason : you gain XP too fast. The good news is that there is now a difficult mode, but it’s so fu** hard that it requires a long time grinding. The game lacks something in-between that would have allowed the player to experience the main story better. Let’s also point out that EVERY mission includes a boss fight.

    The devs went wild on the ecchi side of things in this epsiode. Adding to kinky touchscreen options in the changing room (which actually remains the most exquisite I’ve seen on the platform) , outfits now have up to six levels of tearing, which may lead to nudity (with blurry effect on sensitive parts).

    Shinobi Versus illustrates the difference in power between Vita and 3DS : it has far nicer graphics and superior animation. Cel-shading is a perfect and it’s a real pleasure for your eyes. 奥義 (special attacks) are splendid and classy, I definitely can’t have enough of it. On the other hand, shadows are very poor and the game slows time to time. That said, the 3DS versions that were pretty advanced for the system look like a rough sketch next to Shinobi Versus (while still being nice games overall). Musics are discreet, but some of them are inspired. In terms of pure content, this Vita iteration adds 2 ninja schools, 10 characters which makes 22 with returning ones, new game modes, trophies and countless outfits & accesories. Consider that Shinobi Versus is roughly 4 times as rich as the first Senran Kagura.

    The story keeps the balance between serious themes and (very) basic japanese humor. As it was the case before, the various stories are of unequal interest but some do entertain. The destiny of certains characters draws you in the story, and this newest game tells more about events that occured in the previous stories (you come to know what a «Kagura» is, for example). It won’t matters for most people though, because the level of Japanese required is atrociously high. You see words that hardly appear outside of Japanese libraries (edit : that is no more a problem now!).

    Senran Kagura Shinobi Versus truly is the ultimate version we hoped for. Boosted by the power of the PSVita, it is far richer and polished than the 3DS ones. You nevertheless have to hold some interest for kinky games to disregard the drawbacks in gameplay.    … Expand
  4. 2BitGamer
    Oct 20, 2014
    7
    Yes, this game is predicated on a lot of T&A, and by a lot I mean it's 70% of the game. However, check your inhibitions at the door cause it's quite a lot of fun. The game can fall into repetition if you stick to just the fighting, but there's also a lot of customization for each character, lots of things to buy and collect (clothes, accessories, music, art) and you can gamble to getYes, this game is predicated on a lot of T&A, and by a lot I mean it's 70% of the game. However, check your inhibitions at the door cause it's quite a lot of fun. The game can fall into repetition if you stick to just the fighting, but there's also a lot of customization for each character, lots of things to buy and collect (clothes, accessories, music, art) and you can gamble to get more lingerie.
    The fighting itself is fun and not as simple as you may think. You use two buttons to attack, a dash and a jump. You could just stick to hitting square all day long but it pays to do launchers, charged moves, and aerial raves. You can also transform in two different ways, you can do a Shinobi transformation which grants new combos, super attacks and more power (it can also refill your life) and you can also go frantic, which is you tearing off your clothes going down to your underwear giving you unlimited combos and high power with the tradeoff of low defense. There's also a parry system which I've had little success with, but it is pretty chaotic in the game and it's hard to time the parry. I'd say the actual one on one fights vs a boss is the best part, they can be very challenging and you have to change up your strategies in order to come out the victor. Of course the main goal in each fight is to strip down your opponent, even getting them totally naked. It's not required to do but it seems to be what the developers had in mind as your end goal.
    Though it's fun to battle, it can become boring when fighting hoards of enemies for extended periods of time, and the camera is possible the biggest fight you'll have in the entire game. I also wish that combo lengths and stripping your opponent gained you more money and XP at the end of each battle, as is it seems that getting a grade of "A" is done by beating the level as quick as you can taking as little damage as possible. There really isn't much incentive to do the big combos or strip your opponent other than because it's there to do it.
    As a game on the go it's perfect, this is meant to be played in short bursts, a couple missions each sitting. I think for that it's very successful, extended play times just highlight the problems.
    If you're not easily offended (or easily embarrassed if you play it in public) this game is a lot of fun, but just go in expecting fun fights with a ton of fan service.    … Expand
  5. nekabe21
    Apr 9, 2016
    6
    Nos encontramos con un juego fanservice divertido, dirigido hacia un combate simplón, sencillo y sin profundidad.
    Juego de consumo directo, de poca profundidad pero que sabrá entretener a los que busquen ese toque soft-ecchi inocente. Lo mejor sin duda, las chicas y su modelado.
    No es nada del otro mundo, pero no decepcionará si lo compras. Se acaba pronto, platino fácil y entretenido de    Nos encontramos con un juego fanservice divertido, dirigido hacia un combate simplón, sencillo y sin profundidad.
    Juego de consumo directo, de poca profundidad pero que sabrá entretener a los que busquen ese toque soft-ecchi inocente. Lo mejor sin duda, las chicas y su modelado.
    No es nada del otro mundo, pero no decepcionará si lo compras. Se acaba pronto, platino fácil y entretenido de conseguir.    … Expand
  6. chesaro
    Oct 16, 2016
    5
    A really big let down, i wasn't gonna let the bad comments about this game stop me, after playing the hyper dimension neptunia series, the over exposure of the female characters wasn't gonna be a reason for not playing a game, but, this really was a bad purchase, after a couple of minutes (well, ok it was 30 minutes), the game started to feel repetitive and annoying, i was practicallyA really big let down, i wasn't gonna let the bad comments about this game stop me, after playing the hyper dimension neptunia series, the over exposure of the female characters wasn't gonna be a reason for not playing a game, but, this really was a bad purchase, after a couple of minutes (well, ok it was 30 minutes), the game started to feel repetitive and annoying, i was practically sleeping while playing, and i was still winning... If it doesn't make you think even a little, the gameplay is just wrong... But, well, i think if you like to... See a lot, this game could be... I don't know... it is a bit expensive given the bad gameplay and of course, the frame drop that comes along on every fight, i was just dissappointed after searching a physical copy, and ending purchasing the digital one... It was so, that i cancelled my preorder of valkyrie drive bhikkhuni.… Expand
  7. Kaprawiec
    Sep 21, 2015
    7
    This is perfect example of medicore game.
    The battle system is ok, the graphics are ok, the boob amount is above average, which is good.
    The story is neither good or bad. Half of the characters have corny story about nothing in particular and you go through walls of text and a bit too long loading screens and a bit repetitive combat. But the other half have quite nice background, and You    This is perfect example of medicore game.
    The battle system is ok, the graphics are ok, the boob amount is above average, which is good.
    The story is neither good or bad. Half of the characters have corny story about nothing in particular and you go through walls of text and a bit too long loading screens and a bit repetitive combat. But the other half have quite nice background, and You really get to like at least some of them. And there is something fun in tearing masses of enemies to bits and (especially) girls clothes showing nice bodies.
    Long story short - if Youre a man and the game is on sale, You can always try it if You have some spare time.
    I finished the game in about 40h and I enjoyed my time with the game.    … Expand
  8. HTGamer
    Mar 19, 2017
    7
    Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a fun and uncomplicated game that focuses on fanservice and mature (or maybe teenage-y?) humor, but its gameplay is a bit lacking.

    Shinovi Versus tells the story of 5 young girls who study and train in a secret ninja school and fight against other young girls from rival secret ninja schools in modern day Japan. Each of the 20+ playable girls in the game    Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a fun and uncomplicated game that focuses on fanservice and mature (or maybe teenage-y?) humor, but its gameplay is a bit lacking.

    Shinovi Versus tells the story of 5 young girls who study and train in a secret ninja school and fight against other young girls from rival secret ninja schools in modern day Japan. Each of the 20+ playable girls in the game are decent enough and varied characters with their own story arcs. There is plenty of laughters in those girly stories.

    At its core it's a musou type of game (smaller scale Dynasty Warriors). You control a girl and have to defeat tens of AI bots and another girl in a boss fight to end each level. During fights you slash away the opponent's clothes and reveal their underwears, and the fight's over when a girl's been stripped naked (but censored) in a comically pervy-style, Mortal Kombat-esque finishing move. You can also buff yourself by making your girl strip her clothes off on her own, but losing all your clothes ends the game. There is also the dressing room, where you customise the clothes of a girl, see them in panties and "touch" them via the Vita's touch-screen. Boobies included. All this is meant as pervy humor. There is no nudity whatsoever in this game, which is targeted at mature players anyway. Some people and critics deride the series for its perviness and about how it sexualises young women, but don't listen to these hypocrites. Just enjoy the game for what it is and nothing more.

    The downside is that the battle system is shallow and fights can get boring. You need no skill to progress through the game (maybe except for the last battle). Just mash your way through the game and you are OK. But it can get repetitive after you finish 1 or 2 out of the 5 storylines, because all you do is fight bots, defeat bosses, watch some digital novel-style scenes full of text (no animated cut-scenes), buy/wear clothes in the dressing room, and repeat.

    All in all, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a fun little game, with no complexities. It's perfect for those looking for a change of pace after playing tons of heavy AAA games like Battlefield, Dark Souls or GTA. I enjoyed it myself, and I highly recommend it to everyone, especially Vita owners. Just don't expect it to be the next big thing.    … Expand
  9. inuzumi
    Feb 23, 2017
    7
    Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is hard to review, it works if that is what are you're looking for(or at least it worked for me), but fails to impose a story that isn't bad at all but contradicts a little with the game's purpose, basically fight with girls and try to destroy almost all your opponent's clothes.
    If you're in the echi genre or maybe you're looking for a good 3D fighting game    Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is hard to review, it works if that is what are you're looking for(or at least it worked for me), but fails to impose a story that isn't bad at all but contradicts a little with the game's purpose, basically fight with girls and try to destroy almost all your opponent's clothes.
    If you're in the echi genre or maybe you're looking for a good 3D fighting game for the PS Vita, I recommend it.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PS Vita Game of 2014
7
#7 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2014
16
#16 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 2 out of 14
  1. DarkStation
    Nov 6, 2014
    60
    Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus brought a lot of change to the series by integrating a 3D world into the experience. Many of the old problems that were previously seen in Burst are still present however, including things like repetition and performance issues.
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  2. The Vita Lounge
    Oct 31, 2014
    88
    With a great combat system, tons of customization options, some great characters and a few hundred missions to go through, Shinovi Versus is a must have for anyone who enjoys great combat - as long as they're not overly sensitive to fanservice or sex jokes.
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  3. DarkZero
    Oct 30, 2014
    60
    In the end, Senran Kagura is a pretty face with a passable personality, but not quite the perfect balance to lure in people who aren’t completely enthused with the former. If the game spent a little less time pandering to its demographic while adding some variety to the gameplay, it could have gathered a few extra gamers looking for a guilty pleasure.
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