Of all the games I played at E3 2017, none shocked my more than Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash. You see a game that is utilizing anime babes and the low-key love of "waifus," anime lovers have and I know I immediately write it off as garbage. I walked by the game at E3 my first couple days chuckling that so many people were lining up to play, what I thought, was a game more about sex than mechanics.
That all changed on day 3 when I jumped in line with hopes to write a think piece about how games like this are part of what's wrong with gaming.
Make no mistake Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash is a game that very much draws on the sex appeal of anime babes to draw you in, but it's a legitimately fun game with some tight mechanics. I'm not exaggerating when I say this game is like a better version of Splatoon, as the card customization, stages and dash mechanics are a real game changer. Take a look at the trailer (if you're somewhere where you won't be judged for watching) and continue on below...
So I'm into this intense battle and I'm loving zipping around and blasting folks in what appears to be a very erotic water gun fight, when a character falls right in front of me and a special event pops up. I hit the prompt and all of the sudden I'm in some cinematic and armed with a rubber duck. I'm then prompted to spray some "hot spots" on my opponent which result (in this case) the character's top flying off in an orgasmic way. I swear my face was so red as I realized I just did this in front of a whole convention of people that I literally looked like a sentient tomato playing a hentai team based shooter.
I finished the demo, got my cute plush toy, and went to wash my hands. I absolutely loved the gameplay, but man, how would I explain a purchase like that to my wife, friends, and family? The answer is, I can't...but I hope that you are braver than I and jump into this wonderful game, because it really is super good.
