Upcoming Sakura Wars presents battle mechs, demons, and hints at "inappropriate teen romance”

Would I want to pilot a battle mech into epic conflicts against hordes of demons? Well, sure. Sounds like a great way to blow off some steam. Twist my arm. No, really, twist my arm--because, when it comes to the forthcoming Sakura Wars, that’s where my interest ends.

The series originally debuted in Japan in 1996 on the Sega Saturn. And while it has been hugely popular in Japan, it has not enjoyed the same success in the States. In 2010, when Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love was officially released in the U.S., it developed a small cult following but never gained the traction it had in Japan. Shortly thereafter, NIS America admitted the release had fallen below expectations.

On April 28, Sega will attempt to revive the franchise in the U.S. Sakura Wars is an action adventure game that takes place in an alternate Earth timeline, set against the backdrop of a 1940s steampunk Tokyo, “where what you say and how you say it has a profound impact on relationships off and on the battlefield."

The protagonist of this installment, 20-year-old Seijuro Kamiyama, is tasked with defending Tokyo from demons and other mysterious characters such as Oboro and Yaksha. To do so, he must employ the help of--and this is where it gets weird for me--The Flower Division, a battalion of five girls, all of whom are younger than he. Add in the dating sim, and things get a bit awkward. Can I just fight demons in battle mechs, please?

Visually, this installment of Sakura Wars will be an anime-styled adventure, featuring main character designs from Tite Kubo, known for the series Bleach. Other notable manga artists include Yukiko Horiguchi, BUNBUN, Fumikane Shimada, Ken Sugimori, Noizi Ito, and Shigenori Soejima, whose work includes series such as Sword Art Online, Pokemon, and Persona. Musically, the scores will be composed by Kohei Tanaka, who has been involved in the music for anime, games, and films in series such as One Piece, Resonance of Fate, and the original Sakura Wars (1996).

Even with the interesting combat mechanics, stunning visualization, musical score, and release trailer, I am uncertain on this one. What is certain, however, is that the digital deluxe version will be a hard pass for me, as it contains a swimsuit DLC. The characters are teenage girls, the youngest of which is 13. There is no need for them to be prancing about in bathing suits, and even less for me to watch them. This does nothing but reinforce negative stereotypes associated with anime--not to mention the awkwardness of explaining that to my wife.

Sega has scheduled Sakura Wars for release in the U.S. on April 28, and will feature several different bundles offering additional add-on content. Players can choose from Launch Edition, Digital Deluxe, and Digital Standard Editions.