Yay or Nay?: Samurai: Code of Love

Yet another otome review! Last week, since there’s nothing else left to do I’ve had a lot of time to play, and I started on another game after Rose in the Embers, and this was an old Voltage title: Samurai: Code of Love which honestly reminds me of Hakouoki another game I want to play soon. It’s been a rather tough week for me mentally, so I’m apologizing as I write this if this review is uploaded a little late. However, that aside let’s jump right into it! This game is another historical fantasy, based on real-life historical figures, which prompted a night of Wikipedia-ing on my behalf (and I find Japanese history in general rather interesting). Interestingly as well, you play as an apprentice doctor and, at least in the route that I tried out (Soji Okita), a rather strong (admittedly still naive, but not irritatingly native) girl.

Anyway, enough of my rambling! Let’s get to the story! 

THE STORY 

As I said, you play as the daughter of the village doctor, who died years prior to the game. Running your father’s clinic, you study diligently to become a full-fledged doctor, when suddenly, a group of unknown men, murderous “wolves” rumored to be the “Shinsengumi” move into your village. One night, your clinic is attacked by ronin and burned to the ground, to which you are saved by the Shinsengumi. Brought to their base and now homeless, they ask you to stay with them as the resident doctor and assistant. Offering each of their hands, you must pick one of the Shinsengumi’s hands, and thus beginning their individual route. 

For the record, as I’m in the middle of playing Hijikata’s route now, I chose Soji Okita’s route for my first play-through, which is what I’ll be basing my review off of. 

The story is good, if not a slow burn. I can’t quite describe it, but unlike Rose in the Embers where the MC slightly irritated me and the story was also a slow-burn where I was utterly bored and the story got dry at some parts in what I like to call “exposition” chapters, I didn’t feel this way about Samurai: Code of Love. I’m not quite sure what exactly caused this, rather it was the mysterious airs of both Shinsengumi and their enemy, the Choshu Ronin, or just the evasive air of Okita’s route when I played it, but I kept coming back, even during the “exposition” drier chapters. There was just “something” about that route that remains unnamed to me, even though nothing overly dramatic happened that kept pulling me back. If you can name it, I implore you to please name it. But it was just so interesting, going on covert missions, sneaking around the villages, meeting up with local NPC’s to progress the story, and finding out the mystery that was Soji. Most of all, playing the MC that actually has a use and isn’t afraid to speak up was also nicely refreshing. 

Also, Soji totally reminds me of Leon from Star-Crossed Myth…hmmm maybe I answered my own question there :p 

MY THOUGHTS

Since I just harped on the good aspects of the story, I’ll start off with the negative. Mostly, it doesn’t have much to do with Soji, but the story. Nothing…really happens? I guess is the right way to put it. Like, aside from the MC’s clinic being targeted, there’s not really much story until the end, and even that seems to be a little rushed in terms of “rising action”. For the most part, you just seem to go on missions or run errands for the Shinsengumi. Which, don’t get me wrong, I love to see that historical aspect shine in these games, but there needs to be a delicate balance. In terms of Soji’s route, the romance aspect isn’t a slow burn, it seems to just…happen. Like there are some moments that indicate sweetness or are really nice generally. But nothing really saying that Soji loved her (wait until the last 2-3 chapters and then it gets good). Up until that point, MC mostly believes Soji to be a cold-blooded murderer. It was a sweet ending, and I quite liked the ending I got (Written in Love ending), but it seemed rushed. 

But that’s it for the negatives. This is a game I didn’t have a lot of negatives to list, it’s simply, quite a good game, if not a slow-burning one. Each of the characters, however, seems really interesting, particularly Maro and Hijikata, and each of them has a different role or story to the overall tale. The MC…my God, for an old Voltage title, she surprised me. She’s not exactly the strong and independent MC’s that Voltage is putting out in their new titles, but she is one that knows how to survive and do a practical and useful profession (medicine). She’s useful, knowledgeable, and albeit she doesn’t know how to fight to defend (which is fine by the way, nobody has to know how to fight to be a strong MC), she knows how to be useful and survive. And she does learn the basics of self-defense in battle and with a sword, which she does successfully put to use!

Mainly, the game focuses on the MC getting to know the Shinsengumi, and the philosophies of what they do, as well as the semantics of the quest for a peaceful world. It’s not an easy one, and the ethics of the difference between the ronin and Shinsengumi are constantly called to be questioned. I found that interesting and enjoyable to explore as well (especially that last scene with Maro, if you’ve played you know what I mean). And of course, the romance and shyness of Soji also make for a good combination. It’s cute and it has a slight fairy-tale vibe to it which I quite like. There’s a certain innocence to his character that once you get towards the end of his route, you’ll like. I won’t spoil, but it’s a very good route, and I would recommend it as a first play-through route. 

MY RATING 

So, if you have some time, definitely give this game a try! It’s a good way to pass the time, and to get into the midst of some historical-romance set in Japan! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5 (3.5 stars) 

~Meghan