Hortensia Saga Brings Classic JRPG Storytelling to Mobile

The mobile games market isn’t short on role-playing games (RPGs) adorned with bright, anime-style artwork. However, those games are a bit short on story. There’s usually an overarching threat like a world-conquering demon king, or a dragon bent on turning humanity into billions of crispy McGriddles. Beyond that, the nuanced storytelling that usually defines RPGs is typically absent.

Sega’s latest free-to-play mobile RPG, Hortensia Saga, aims to beef up the lackluster narrative afflicting other titles in the genre. The game’s plot involves betrayal, murder, and a usurper king, making it more political than fantastic. You play through the adventure as a young woman seeking to reclaim her birthright from the man who stole it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPuX2Qk_nJ8

The main character isn’t the only one with a story to tell. Each recruitable character (and there are quite a few) has story missions outlining their motivations for joining the princess on her quest to reclaim her own.

The gameplay resembles Chain Chronicle, another mobile Sega RPG. Combat is turn-based, but like Chain Chronicle, heroes’ attacks cover a different amount of area according to the weapon they wield.

Hortensia Saga is already available in Japan for iOS and Android. There’s no word on an English-language release, but Sega’s been pretty gung-ho about localizing its mobile RPGs, so don’t be surprised if you hear about a certain princess’s tale sometime later this year.

[h/t Kotaku]

Nadia Oxford

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In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.