Sakura Alien Review – Think Less Scary, More Seductive

A recurring theme in Winged Cloud and Gamuzumi visual novel games is the exploration of a particular fetish through their respective ecchi/fan-service themes. We’ve seen sexy succubi, fantasy MMO girls, demons, angels, and promiscuous highschool girls, yet the theme of sexy aliens remains something of a new one to me. Still, let’s not kink-shame; let’s see where this goes.

Introduction

Sakura Alien is a short visual novel which includes an easy platinum trophy. The game was developed by Winged Cloud and published by ecchi visual novel specialist Gamuzumi, arriving on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as a cross-buy title on 13th October, 2023. The game is the first entry in a short spin-off mini series of Winged Cloud and Gamuzumi’s ongoing ‘Sakura’ pretty anime girl games.

There’s a funny little hybrid story here. We begin with a familiar sci-fi tale of hiding away an alien for their own protection, but then fuse the scenario with an equally familiar love story, choosing between the ‘girl next door’ sweetheart or the sexy new girl in our life. This may seem predictable at first glance, but Sakura Alien has you covered.

Story

Takagi Haru is a normal university student with a passion for astronomy. His passion is shared with Miyori, the only other member of the university astronomy club, who can regularly be found at Haru’s side. Many would speculate that Haru and the bubbly, affectionate Miyori are a couple, and the two have recently begun to wonder if there could be some truth to this rumour. After all, they are always together.

However, one fateful night, as the pair are outdoors on one of their regular stargazing date nights, a strange girl in a bodysuit falls from the sky and lands on top of Haru. The girl introduces herself as an alien princess named Ena, a fugitive on the run from her home planet, Corval. Fascinated by Ena, Haru brings her home with him to his apartment.

Ena becomes determined to make Haru fall in love with her so she can marry him and live out the rest of her days on Earth. What will Haru do, now that he has two beautiful girls vying for his attention? Will Miyori finally win his heart, or is he fated to be Ena’s husband? Could he even find a way to be with both girls? One thing is certain: his life will never be the same again.

Progression

Sakura Alien utilises a single-button interface to move the text forward, with the occasional narrative choice to consider. Tapping the Cross button will move the text on to the next line or paragraph, while tapping L1 allows you to rewind to the last line. Pressing the Square button will let the text auto-play, while R1 acts as a fast-forward feature, allowing you to jump ahead or skip through the game entirely if you’re so inclined. Text display speed can be adjusted from the main menu.

The game doubles as one of those notoriously easy-to-platinum games. You can skip all dialogue text entirely, flashing through text instantly to get your platinum trophy in as little as ten minutes. You’ll need more or less three playthroughs to unlock every dialogue choice option and every trophy. For a genuine playthrough, expect a good couple of hours of content.

Graphics/Sound

I wouldn’t say Sakura Alien features Winged Cloud’s best artwork; there are some imperfections in character facial features here and there, however the majority of the artwork is of the usual high standard. As is customary for ecchi-themed developer Winged Cloud, focus is placed on the leading female characters, with the featured ladies always being unapologetically gorgeous. You won’t find many revealing outfits this time around though, with Sakura Alien being one of Gamuzumi’s tamer titles.

Characters aren’t animated and will only move or gesture as their sprites are regenerated after each line of dialogue advances. Sadly, there are no independent blinking or lip-syncing attempts, not that the characters are voiced anyway. This is a lower-budget visual novel, and so it’s fully text-based. There’s hauntingly atmospheric music throughout to accompany the brilliantly detailed backdrop images and cute anime girls.

Conclusion

Not only is the alien in our tale a gorgeous princess in a tight-fitting bodysuit, rather than a monstrous little green man, but she’s also a very persuasive love interest. Ena is anything but shy and cautious; she’s a bold, confident, and sex-starved young woman who’s desperate for love, and will do anything to make her target (our protagonist, Haru) happy.

There’s a big choice we’re faced with, deciding which type of love takes priority; whether it be Miyori’s friendship and compatibility, or Ena’s lustful compliance. Both girls are very affectionate in their own way, and maybe that’s something Haru will become intoxicated with. An unusual problem comes with an unusual solution. Perhaps polygamy is the answer…

Sakura Alien is a very quirky story; one that’s shaped by the player’s decisions. Do we choose the sensible option, the sexy option, or maybe even the very sexy option? The choice is yours, though it’s obvious you’ll want to see all three outcomes to snag their respective trophies. Fortunately, it’s a story that’s charming enough to keep us interested for a couple more playthroughs, even without the usual fan-service of other ‘Sakura’ titles.