Hakoniwa Explorer Plus (REVIEW)

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus is an isometric RPG that gives no f**ks whatsoever. It is most definitely not a game for the easily offended. Through perversion, and profanity you find your place as a would be hero in a world of firsts in the company of a select few villagers that each have wicked thoughts on their mind. Armed with whatever weapons, gear, and items you can find you head out on little adventures as you earn achievements for various feats of bravery. Supposing you dare choose the wrong reply or attack your fellow villager though a can of whoopass will be opened up all over your butt as you get knocked into lalaland or lose a percentage of collected funds for your misplaced tomfoolery. While there's definitely objectives at play, and NPC interactions to make use of it is this game's non-caring adult humor that is it's shining accomplishment. For in gaining grudge points you effectively become the enemy instead of the hero, and what ensues is beyond hilarious. If you aren't easily offended ...

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus opens up with a couple of questions to assess both what you are gender-wise as well as what your skill level is as a gamer. To note, the gender questions range from neither to male or female. Choosing "neither" will prompt a reply stating that they don't have a character for that type of gender, and will follow-up by asking you to choose again. This is one of many no f**ks given moments within the game. In regards to the skill question if you choose veteran you'll be awarded a lower starting power level, less gold, and overall less starter bonuses. The opposite goes for the choice of beginner. You'll also be mocked for whatever choice you've made, and be given a name accordingly. Thus begins your journey ...

Waking up in a bedroom guarded by a mysterious young lady in a one piece swimsuit with both secrets, and information as well as storage capacity on hand you'll find a grand tour of features via menu choices, and be sent on your way to interact with other villagers. It is these interactions that will make or break your adventure along the way. You can simply take the NPCs' exploration hints, and explore various squared off dungeons, or fight with them through a physical or verbal assault. The latter option granting you grudge points that will alter how business in the village goes down.

As far as RPG elements are concerned "Hakoniwa Explorer Plus" is an RPG-lite experience at heart. It's an action RPG where you have a weapon, armor, and an item of use. That along with a health bar, an action point gauge that acts like a stamina meter, and an experience gauge. It is by these gauges your actions are governed. With combat, and the gear in inventory taking a close second place of importance. The weapons you collect as you best cute girl beasties of different sorts, through treasure chests, or that you buy from village shops will break, but can be repaired using repair tools. The same goes for the armor or clothing gear that can be repaired via repair kit to help stave off damage to your health points. When it comes to items you'll find different health items, and secondary weapons that will aid in clearing out enemy mobs within the dungeon areas. You'll also find single use items that give protection, and regeneration among other things. At any one given time you can only equip three things. A weapon, an accessory, and an item.

Combat, which is part and parcel of the given package, can be enjoyed in the mini-dungeon areas that are accessed via an overview map that you can walk through using your hero's avatar. Each accessible area has a sign prompt before entering showcasing the enemy threat level, the number of enemies, and the quality of the looting opportunity. When entering each dungeon your mystery gal pal will be there to store your items, or allow you to get items from your inventory. The catch with exploration that ties into this mechanic is that your on person storage space is limited. That means carrying only the necessities is important. You'll also need to mind your health for every time you die, and are resurrected you'll lose a percentage of your gold.

Between the village interactions that point you where to go, and the actual combative exploration you will be earning achievements or trophies for certain things that you do. Achievements that can be viewed in a special village room that can be accessed through the mystery girl who acts as the tutorial and storage hub. Along with that you'll be looting the items, and gold needed to continue on your adventure. That is the gameplay loop in a nutshell. Talk to the NPCs, enjoy their lewd & crude conversations, and do some dungeon exploration and combat as you level up to become the village savior or outcast.

In the way of gameplay options you'll find that you can change the size of the grid based environments. You can even tweak the various volume settings, and languages. Such as that.

The presentation ...

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus is a game that takes place on various grid based, and layered platforms. Much like the environments in a game like Final Fantasy Tactics. The sprites are oldschool RPG era as is the environments, characters, and enemies. It's seems to be around the SNES or Sega Genesis era visually. In regards to the anime inspired character portraits that pop-up during key conversations they are both animated, and done in such a way as to be more Japanese in design. Not the American anime creations we see sometimes in RPGs released here in the West.

The verdict ...

I laughed my ass off playing this game. While the combat, and RPG elements were competent, functional, and fun to a point it's not where this game shines. This game's no f**ks given adult humor is it's selling point. It doesn't care if you are a puritan or one of the easily offended. It has balls of steel. It is a truly brave, and bold game to try and prove that the Switch is also a console for adults, and for that It gets my "HELL YEAH!!!" seal of approval!!! There's nothing I didn't like about this game. It earns it's price easily ... if you aren't easily offended.