This article was originally published in Italian on MyReviews.it in 2016.
From the creators of Senran Kagura and Onechanbara, it was only natural to expect a new series overflowing with suggestive content—one clearly aimed at those unashamed men who can spend endless hours shedding bitter tears (…) over touching stories, iconic characters, and intricate plots that demand countless hours of character development. In other words, the complete opposite of everything I just said.
Set on a remote island where girls with superhuman powers have been gathered, Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni drops any trace of the erotic subtext typical of Tamsoft and Marvelous productions, diving headfirst into openly erotic territory. It’s a deliberately over-the-top work, so much so that it was advertised in the United States with the tagline: “Lesbians powered by orgasms. We live in a wonderful age!” And no, that’s not a joke. Unlike the anime series that aired in Japan around the same time as the game’s release, the heroines of Bhikkhuni (not, for the record, a pun on “bikini”—though it would have fit perfectly) are seven young girls, barely out of adolescence, who grow stronger through passionate, sapphic kisses.
Gone is the faux innocence of Senran Kagura’s heroines or the surreal absurdity of Onechanbara; Valkyrie Drive lays its cards on the table, offering a cast of openly homosexual characters ready to do whatever it takes to reach the ending while flaunting the skimpiest outfits and the most ambiguous expressions imaginable. It doesn’t even matter that the two main characters are sisters engaged in an incestuous relationship—you can be sure that sooner or later you’ll see them burst into ecstasy, only partially obscured by strategic light effects and shōnen-style clichés, all to add a fresh coat of gloss to your PS Vita screen.
Narrative ambitions aside—bogged down, as is tradition for the genre, by verbose dialogue and overused tropes—Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni is, at its core, a fairly enjoyable hack ’n’ slash. It offers a decent amount of mechanics to master through constant battles against hordes of mindless enemies. Much like the Senran Kagura entries on PS Vita (spin-offs of the main series, which remains exclusive to Nintendo 3DS with two installments to date), Tamsoft’s new IP throws you into waves of furious maidens whose clothing is destined to be shredded by blades and special attacks, leading up to the inevitable boss fights at the end of each stage.
That said, Bhikkhuni occasionally shakes up the formula with one-on-one clashes against massive opponents. Unfortunately, these encounters strip the gameplay of its usual momentum, devolving into wild button mashing as you desperately chip away at colossal health bars. The game’s high-speed combat, combined with the steady acquisition of new abilities and upgrades as your fighters level up, does create a satisfying sense of progression—one often punctuated by increasingly risqué cutscenes starring whichever pair of girls you’ve chosen for the mission.
Battles are always fought in pairs: one girl performs acrobatic feats across the game’s minimal 3D environments, while the other triggers the “Drive,” a transformation that turns her aroused body into her partner’s weapon. This, of course, happens only after reaching a level of sexual excitement comparable to the “climax” proudly celebrated in the game’s marketing slogan. Unfortunately, this “brilliant” concept—somewhere between a Kunihiko Ikuhara anime and the trashiest of adult OVAs—lacks a script smart enough to hold it all together. The game too often takes itself seriously, smothering the player with dull storylines and characters so trapped by their stereotypes that they feel like pale imitations of far more charismatic figures.
It doesn’t help that the main cast is remarkably small, especially when compared to Senran Kagura’s expansive roster. Out of about ten characters mentioned in the story mode, only seven are playable, and the occasional high-speed boss fights are anything but memorable. That’s a shame, because both the art direction and character design clearly pour all their energy into making the heroines as visually appealing as possible—resulting in some of the best polygonal models ever seen on Sony’s handheld. Of course, the 3D engine has to contend with barren (though stylistically inspired) environments and enemies with record-low poly counts, but visually speaking, that’s the least of the game’s problems.
Rounding out the package is full Japanese voice acting with English subtitles and a staggering number of outfits, accessories, and lingerie pieces to customize your heroines and the sensual scenes that punctuate the action—all with not a trace of shame.
Marvelous and Tamsoft deliver Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni to fans of risqué titles as a genuinely entertaining hack ’n’ slash, despite its heavy reliance on fanservice and manga-style eye candy. Its small cast and uninspired story prevent it from outshining the far more popular Senran Kagura saga, but with a stronger sequel and a sharper script, it could easily lay the foundation for a new pillar of the ecchi genre—perhaps even on PlayStation 4.
