After first being released in Japan on December 13, 2018, Senran Kagura: Peach Ball was finally made available to PC users on August 14th of this year.
Senran Kagura is the brainchild of game developer Marvelous and centers around a group of female ninjas. The first game in the franchise, Senran Kagura: Shōjo-tachi no Shinei and Senran Kagura Burst was a side scroller which gave players the ability to control any female character that they wished. With the release of Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus, Marvelous shifted gears and created a fighting game/ MMO which expanded upon the current line of characters present in the previous title. The company would then go on to release both a card and rhythm game fashioned after the characters within the series. The developer would continue to change the gameplay mechanics surrounding the characters with each release and would even create a first-person shooter variant with Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash, a game which allowed players to battle each other using water guns. Now, after a little less than a year's wait, PC players can finally experience the franchises latest installment Senran Kagura: Peach Ball.
Given the amount of variation between each title, it's clear that Marvelous is more than willing to experiment with multiple game concepts. With the mixture of reviews surrounding each game's release, Senran Kagura: Peach Ball's success could alter the way that Marvelous approaches the series in the future.
Details of the game's release on PC can be found through Destructoid, who goes on to say that each girl has been transformed into a different creature and that the player will have to successfully complete various pinball levels to transform them back. As has been customary with recent releases in the series, elements of fanservice have been brought to the forefront of the game. Players will be able to rack up points in the traditional pinball machine manner, but they will also be given the option to complete certain missions during each level to accelerate the process. The game also offers players various game mode options including, freeplay, diorama, story mode, and intimacy mode.
Marvelous has managed to create a truly unique pinball game that gives players a ton of options when it comes to gameplay. The fact that it has included mini-games and missions throughout is also a nice touch and helps to set the game apart from others on the market like it.
While it remains to be seen if Senran Kagura: Peach Ball will be embraced by the masses, it's good to see a publisher take risks and experiment with a franchise. The game is currently available on Steam for $35.99 and you can get an in-depth look at the game through our review before making a decision.