We take a look at Bandai Namco Games’ Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day which comes exclusive to the PS3 and features the game as well as some exclusive anime shorts to marvel at. This is an otaku fest game, but is it worth it considering the game can be beaten in under an hour. Take a look at our Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day video review for the full picture.
Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day review:
Today we’re taking a look at Bandai Namco Games’ Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day which sees players assume the role of school girl by day and deadly assassin by night Ranko. Starting off fairly tame, the game opens up with an impressive anime inspired sequence that sets the stage for what can only be described as a fast paced platforming sprint to the finish line across 9 levels with a few boss battles thrown in for good measure. Players, move in a singular direction from left to right, jump and slash enemies with their sword all the while being chased by a mass of hands representing assailants of various descriptions. The idea is pretty simple, and what makes the game fun to play is the fact that there are multiple paths to take across each stage, and numerous obstacles to slow ones progress. Luckily Ranko can shoot the hands away if they get too close and if she has enough ammo, otherwise it’s mission failure and a restart at the beginning. The jumping element allows her to glide over distances or hop quickly, making for entertaining dashes across the levels which for the most part last minutes rather than anything much longer.
What’s perhaps instantly noticeable about the game’s look aside from the very small character being dwarfed by her surroundings are the colourful explosions of her enemies. These fill the screen with an abundance of shapes and colour and makes the game a mind bending altered reality for the player that’s simply unlike anything normal. There’s some interesting moments throughout the campaign including being chased by an over sized pooch that looks more cute than deadly – such is the warped mind of creator Suda 51. In between each stage there are anime cutscenes which bring the characters to life and offer even more crazy moments to ponder whilst telling the story of Ranko and her mission to take down her own father of all things.
Looks and audio are fine and dandy here, with smooth gameplay and impressive scenes as already mentioned. However, sadly the game is over all too quickly with the single player experience over in about an hour. Players can return to each level and collect concept art works or use different unlocked costumes, or strive for personal high scores, but there’s no escaping the fact that there’s very little content here in terms of actual game.
For those well into the anime, there are some rather neat short anime pieces on the disc which adds another hour or so viewing, but again, these don’t make up for the fact that the game in its entirety offers very little and whilst cool enough, isn’t something that begs to be replayed over and over. There’s some great input on this project with the likes of Suda 51 and animator Kat-su-hiro Oto-mo but you’re really going to have to be the biggest fan to want to pay the asking price for the package. The best anime extras comes in the form of “Gambo”, a story about a polar bear and a fight with a menacing demon, and “A Farewell to Weapons” which presents a neat twist on a post apocalyptic military scenario. The other two, Possessions and Combustible are interesting but not in the same caliber in terms of entertainment.
To conclude, Short Peace is a neat little distraction for a while but simply lacks any real substance to be a worthwhile investment at launch. There’s not enough content on offer and feels more like a DVD with a mini game thrown in for good measure. The best advice one can give here is to simply wait for an inevitable price drop as the asking price of £35 is way too steep for what’s on offer.
Score 5/10 – Review by Robert Cram
