Senran Kagura: Estival Versus sends rival kunoichi schools to a tropical island and asks them to fight for the secrets of shinobi lore. Tamsoft developed it. Xseed Games published it. The hack and slash game came to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in March 2016, and to PC on March 17, 2017. It is a sequel to Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus.
The pitch is simple, and the game mostly delivers on it. You pick a fighter, you beat up a crowd, you move to the next crowd. Estival Versus is loud, fast and unbothered by subtlety. That is the point.
Trailer, via IGN.
The Girls of the Rival Kunoichi Schools
Estival Versus follows the girls of rival kunoichi schools after they are teleported to a mysterious tropical island-like world. The setup gives the cast a reason to brawl and a reason to talk. The game was praised for its gameplay and story. Both hold up better than the premise suggests.
The story is not deep. It does not need to be. The island is a stage, and the schools are the acts. What matters is that the game knows what it is doing with them.
Hack and Slash Combat on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita
The combat is third person and built for crowds. You are a kunoichi, and the screen fills with enemies. The game runs as a beat ’em up with hack and slash bones. Single player and multiplayer are both here.
The PC release arrived a year after the console versions, on March 17, 2017.
| Platform | Release window |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 | March 2016 |
| PlayStation Vita | March 2016 |
| PC | March 17, 2017 |
Fan Service and the Ecchi Problem
The game’s heavy fan service was controversial. Some reviewers called the ecchi themes too intense for a casual player. That is the sharpest split in the reception, and it is worth taking seriously.
Estival Versus does not hide what it is. The camera lingers. The outfits are what they are. If that is a dealbreaker, the deal is broken before the first fight. If it is not, the game underneath is competent.
What the Score Says
The published critical score is 6.8/10, drawn from an aggregate of 11 outlets. That number is fair. It sits where the reception actually landed: strong enough on gameplay and story, marked down for the fan service that split reviewers.
Here is how the game’s strengths and problems stack up:
- Combat and crowd control — the strongest part.
- Story and cast — better than the premise promises.
- Fan service — the most divisive element.
- Platform spread — PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and PC all covered.
The Island Setting
A tropical island is a smart choice for a game like this. It is bright, open and easy to read. Enemies come from everywhere, and the setting never gets in the way of the fight.
Tamsoft and the Sequel Problem
Tamsoft built a sequel to Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus. It is part of the Senran Kagura series, and that is the whole of what the source establishes about its place in the line.
The Verdict on Estival Versus
Estival Versus is a good hack and slash game wrapped in a controversial package. The combat is the reason to stay. The story is the reason to care. The fan service is the reason some players will leave, and no review can argue them out of that.
A 6.8/10 is the right score. It is not a knock on the fighting, which is solid, or the cast, which is fun. It is a recognition that the game’s most intense element is also its most divisive. Estival Versus knows its audience. It serves that audience well. Everyone else was never the target.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
