Playing Senren * Banka!
This VN has a very different story structure than what I'm used to. Most games tend to ramp up in the later parts of the story, adding tension and focusing more on action, but this one goes in the opposite direction and cuts most of the action in favor of slice-of-life moments and romance. It's unusual but not a bad thing, and shows the developer's commitment to the romance theme.
So far I've completed 3 of 5 routes:
- Yoshino: Has little plot outside of the romance, but since she has the weakest chemistry with the MC the romance doesn't feel natural and the end result is very bland and uninteresting.
- Mako: My favorite so far, has the best pacing of the routes I've finished and balances comedy/romance/plot very well.
- Murasame: Has the strongest emotional moments and her banter with the MC is the best one, but revolves around a weak and repetitive plot line that drags the route down. However, if I could choose one route to be the "canon" one I'd definitely go with hers.
I'm currently playing Lena's route which has been a very positive surprise - she had very little involvement in dealing with the curse on the first half of the game, so I never expected her route would be the one to give us its backstory and origins. Plot-wise it's easily the best route so far, but the romance parts are not as good as Mako or Murasame.
After that there's still the Roka/Kohahu shared route, but I'm hoping to finish this game in a couple more days.
I think the next game I'll play will be Loopers which is another short Key VN.
My favorite stories are the ones that do a good balance of the three, but if I had to choose between them I'd say slice-of-life.
A strong cast with a good dynamic is the main thing I need to enjoy a story, and you're more likely to those in games with slice-of-life segments.