Hakoniwa Explorer Plus

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus is entertaining but isn't extraordinary once you get past the novelty factor of the half-naked killer demon girls. For RPG standards the story and gameplay are enjoyable but shallow.

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus isn't an extremely niche comedy ARPG. It's simply boring. The - otherwise welcome - low-key vulgarity, and sexualised monster girl enemies is just a thin veil, behind which hides a plethora of issues. This is repetitive, boring, and uninspired. The soft, curvy, and bouncy body of a cute lass is in no way a bad thing… but there is no reason to try this game out just for that.

You need to have a high tolerance for crass to enjoy Hakoniwa.

The gameplay is roughly on par with something that might have been on a PSP from the 2000s, but what keeps the experience from getting stale is the sense of humor, and the way how the game reacts to player actions. Just be sure to keep your hands off people’s bathing suit areas, otherwise you’re going to have a bad time.

Overall, I’d say Hakoniwa Explorer Plus is a quirky little adventure game with a lot of interesting gags, a solid base mechanic, although it may need some slight tweaking, and enough big boobed/butted large bosses to easily identify the improbably female boss cast. While there are a lot of aspects that need a little touching up, such as the supped speedy rate at which your weapons deteriorate, the gags, simple gameplay, and school swimsuits will probably have you coming back for more.