Review: Senran Kagura Reflexions (Nintendo Switch)

Senran Kagura Reflexions is quite different from some of the series’ earlier titles. Forgoing some of the action gameplay elements, Reflexions instead strikes a decidedly slower pace by focusing on building relationships with the Senran Kagura ninjas through reflexology.

Full disclosure: this is the first Senran Kagura game I’ve played. I had heard that the Senran Kagura games were more action/beat-em up in nature with some ecchi (Japanese for playful eroticism) elements thrown in so I was a bit surprised that Reflexions focused solely on the latter.

The gameplay centers around a series of interactive conversations. Cutscenes will play and players will be given various situations or “daydreams” to interact with the in-game characters. These interactive sessions range from the innocent to the more adult. The game is rated ‘M’ after all and the development team certainly utilized that rating. The game recommends using detached Joy-Cons since a majority of the gameplay utilizes motion controls. While the controls felt accurate for the most part, there wasn’t a lot of depth to the gameplay. Reflexions boasts about its use of the Switch’s HD Rumble feature, and while it certainly works well in some cases, it’s not game-changing.

As you progress, there are various characters and customizations to unlock for the game’s “Dress Up” and “Diorama” modes. Even with these unlockables, the game features a small amount of content, even for the $9.99 price tag. There is DLC planned that will feature more characters from the Senran Kagura universe, so fans of the series might be interested in those down the line.

Visually, Senran Kagura Reflexions adopts a more anime, cel-shaded art style. This allows for crisp visuals, detailed characters and backgrounds. The menus and cutscenes were also very well executed and they make for an overall impressive presentation.

If you’re a fan of the Senran Kagura characters, manga, and/or anime, I’m sure you’ll find some enjoyment with Reflexions. However, if you were a fan of the action gameplay featured in previous titles, this game won’t scratch that itch. It’s a very different experience to be sure. The visuals are definitely the game’s strong suit but the repetitive gameplay reduces the experience and replayability overall.