Consisting of ‘open-handed duels’, Rose and Camellia Assortment reimagines the easy one-on-one fight sport with catty face slaps. It leans closely on this mechanic for its novelty, executing the characteristic nicely, however providing little else in any other case.
Describing Rose and Camellia Assortment as ‘5 video games in a single’ is a gigantic stretch. Your entire Assortment consists of 4 ‘Eventualities’ plus a bonus crossover with an much more obscure sport which you need to allow within the settings to play.
Every Situation provides a short scene-setting narrative, adopted by a sequence of slap battles, culminating in a tougher boss struggle that in the end doesn’t deviate from the established sample. There’s a native co-op mode, but it surely additionally provides little or no selection. You may get by the whole sport in lower than two hours.
The important thing characteristic of Rose and Camellia Assortment is the slapping mechanic. The turn-based fight sees two characters delivering open-hand slaps to the opposite’s face till their well being is diminished to zero. You jerk your Pleasure-Con backwards to dodge and swing it to slap. You’ll be able to feint to trick your opponent into dodging prematurely and in the end ship a stronger blow. If an opponent misses, you may counterattack on their flip.
Sometimes, you may carry out a particular transfer to ship a number of slaps directly, however there’s no clear indication of what triggers this. A few characters study distinctive assaults, however this occurs very late of their tales and you’ll win simply with out ever utilising them. A rating within the prime nook ticks over as you struggle. It has no affect on the sport, however it’s satisfying to see the quantity rise.
Alternatively, you may perform these strikes by swiping on the touchscreen in handheld mode. Nonetheless, this robs the sport of what little novelty it has as there may be little or no else to the gameplay. Rose and Camellia Assortment will get repetitive rapidly, making its quick run time one thing of a blessing in disguise.
The plot ostensibly centres on an aristocratic Japanese household. The primary two Eventualities see noble ladies catfighting over the inheritance of their household dwelling. The third sees a teenage maid journey the world battling globally impressed enemies in coaching to defend the family she is going to serve. The ultimate canon story sees these ladies defend their dwelling from hostile noble households from the fractured land.
The environment is excellently generated by its artwork, with elegant characters over sinister backgrounds. The accidents you deal to your enemies throughout fights are graphic in a means that’s gory but satisfying. The voice performing within the cutscenes is genuinely implausible, complemented by an unbelievable soundtrack that evokes the Victorian Gothic fashion completely.
There’s loads of fascinating materials right here that would have resulted in an epic storyline of familial politics and betrayal. Sadly, you don’t spend sufficient time with any of the characters to hook up with them. The cutscenes are quick and comply with very acquainted story beats. Supernatural parts are launched and supply some intrigue, however they’re by no means defined or explored.
Among the writing is genuinely good. It’s general darkly humorous. Nonetheless, these moments are few and much between in an already quick and under-developed story. Most of the time, the dialogue makes sweeping, uncomfortable generalisations about ladies that would have been simply omitted.
Fairly than an entire sport, Rose and Camellia Assortment appears like a demo of one thing a lot bigger and higher. There’s a lot potential for a sprawling exploration of the fractured story world with its class politics and sinister demonic entities. The choice to decide on the dialogue in your character would offer you a lot extra company as a participant, making you are feeling extra invested within the slaps you throw. A extra expansive story would additionally give your poor arm a relaxation, as it is vitally straightforward to click on rapidly by each cutscene and simply slap for an hour straight.
Rose and Camellia Assortment is evidently a sport that isn’t designed to be taken significantly. It’s purposefully ridiculous, and at occasions darkly humorous. Nonetheless, the standard of its writing is inconsistent, and it leans far an excessive amount of on one gimmick to justify its $20 price ticket.
