Sakura MMO 2 Review – The Harem Continues

A good visual novel is hard to find. With limited room for error, it’s all about the fun story and captivating characters. So, when we find one that really pushes the right buttons, a sequel is very much ideal. Today, we’re fortunate to be able to return to one of Gamuzumi’s finest adventures. The dark witch Viola’s sexy harem is back, and bigger than ever.

Introduction

Sakura MMO 2 is a direct sequel to Sakura MMO, continuing the character arcs introduced in the previous game and set just a few weeks later. It is the second of four entries in its self-contained series of Winged Cloud and Gamuzumi’s ongoing ‘Sakura’ pretty anime girl games. It resumes the fantasy ‘MMO’ setting, the recurring theme of pretty anime girls and fan-service, and our popular protagonist, Viola.

Again, it 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 30th September, 2022, less than two months after the previous installment.

Story

It’s been a month since Tokyo lawyer Kotone waved goodbye to her boring old life and became reborn as Viola, her avatar in her favourite MMORPG, Asaph Online. Viola is finally having fun and fulfilling her dreams, living in a castle surrounded by other gorgeous young women, unleashing her full potential and building a harem of beautiful friends after suffering from loneliness in her past life.

Previously, Viola took the cute but troublesome thief Fion under her wing, while also exploring an increasingly sexual relationship with her fiercely loyal maid, Neve. Viola’s newest companion, her former nemesis and stoic knight Eleri has revealed a big secret after being playfully captured by Viola, that she too was once a normal girl in the real world before coming to Asaph.

This revelation that Viola isn’t alone in her unusual backstory triggers her overdue curiosity; What powerful force brought the pair to this world, and why? And will they ever be able to return home? This also raises the question of whether or not the pair would even want to return to their previous humdrum lives, since Viola is now living out her wildest fantasies.

Progression

In the same style as its predecessor, Sakura MMO 2 utilises a single-button interface to move the text forward. 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 entirely, flashing through text instantly to get your platinum trophy in as little as ten minutes. You’ll need three playthroughs once again to unlock every dialogue choice option, every ending, and every trophy. For a genuine playthrough, expect a good couple of hours of content.

Graphics/Sound

Like its first chapter, Sakura MMO 2 features some of Winged Cloud’s very best artwork, though some still images and returning character sprites are reused here. Characters are bright, colourful, and expressive from scene to scene. As per usual for ecchi-themed developer Winged Cloud, full focus is placed on the all-female cast of characters, with the featured ladies always being nothing less than gorgeous.

Again, characters aren’t animated and will only move or gesture as their sprites are regenerated after each line of dialogue advances, with no independent blinking or lip-syncing attempts, however characters in the series are not voiced anyway. This is another lower-budget visual novel, and so it’s fully text-based. The beautifully atmospheric soundtrack returns to accompany the brilliantly detailed backdrop images and cute anime girls.

Conclusion

Sakura MMO 2 continues the sexy fun we experienced in part 1, while also expanding on the narrative and introducing some key new characters. There’s more of an effort made to explore the colourful world of Asaph, and meet the big players in this self-contained universe. The collection of gorgeous girls in Viola’s life has now doubled in size, and Viola is only too happy to ‘entertain’ her growing harem of hotties.

Yes, despite the developing mystery to solve as the game’s core narrative arc, Viola’s personal goal of luring the world’s cutest girls into her personal web is still at the top of her agenda, and Viola certainly has a knack for triggering promiscuous sleepovers and sexy shared baths. It’s a lot of fun to see how these events unfold, or at least as much as we can in this censored console edition, but we’ll also see that bit more of how her relationships develop.

Regardless of the extended cast, the three main characters featured in the first episode are your three ending choices once again. Sexy encounters with Fion, Neve, and Eleri are causing feelings to grow, and these girls are starting to fall for Viola. It’s a superb, player-controlled narrative that feels notably bigger and more eventful than the first episode, even with the reused assets.