SEGA’s new tactical RPG Hortensia Saga has been released today on iOS and Android in Japan. The free-to-play game is somewhat of a successor to Chain Chronicles and features very similar gameplay. No doubt, Sega will be hoping that Hortensia Saga will reach the same success as Chain Chronicles, which was (and remains) a big hit for Sega in Japan. Compared to Chain Chronicles, Hortensia Saga is graphically certainly more impressive, as the characters on the battlefield are more detailed and the artwork seems more consistent.
In battle, your team is placed on a 3×3 grid, just like that of your opponent. Positioning characters correctly and making use of different attacks that can hit multiple grids, is key to winning the battle. Aside from the story mode, the game also features PvP where two camps of 20 players fight for victory. Whether or not the micro-transactions are balanced and the game doesn’t end up being “pay-to-win” will probably become clear over time. Below you can find the three trailers that have been released for the game so far, and a few screenshots showing the 3×3 grid and the 20vs20 mode.
The game was developed by f4samurai (a subsidiary of Sega Networks). The theme song (which you can hear in the last video posted below), is sung by Ito Kanako (also known for the opening theme to “Steins;Gate”). There’s been no word on an English localization so far, but if the game turns out to be a success there’s probably a good chance that it will be released outside of Japan.
Theme song by Ito Kanako:
