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Hakuoki Otome Phone Game Released in U.K.

The Hakuōki Otome game is coming to UK phones for iOS and Android on March 31, according to an announcement on the All the Anime site. According to the announcement, Anime Limited 'is working with our partners in Japan to help spread the word of this release.'

The game is a historical/fantasy/romantic adventure, spanning 14 chapters. Players can take the roles of up to seven characters, and there are multiple endings. The game can be purchased in two formats; a 'standard' edition where successive stories can be purchased in-game, and a 'premium' edition where all the chapters are purchased at the outset. (For more details, see below.)

The game will be available for iOS devices through Apple's AppStore and for Android devices through the Google Play store. It is compatible with iOS 5.1.1 and up and Android OS 2.3 and up. There is also an 'Otomate World' web page here and a facebook page here.

The game franchise from Idea Factory has spawned numerous anime adaptations. The Hakuōki anime franchise includes the 12-episode Hakuōki series, the 10-episode sequel series Hakuōki Hekketsu-roku, the 12-episode Hakuōki Reimeiroku prequel series, and the 6-episode Hakuōki Sekkaroku OAV series. The story of the Hakuōki game and its anime adaptations centre around the historical Shinsengumi samurai group in Kyoto during the 19th century.

From the announcement:

Hakuōki, by Idea Factory, was first designed and released in its native Japan back in 2008 and became the forerunner in Otome games. It's popularity quickly saw it adapted into anime, manga and films as well as its release to English speaking fans.

Otome games are designed primarily for a female audience, commonly as a form of visual novel game allowing players to take control of various protagonists. The player helps shape their character's stories through different scenarios and multiple conclusions.

Hakuōki is a visual novel game based on the historical Shinsengumi of Japan. In Hakuōki, a young woman comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father and soon encounters danger along with the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, she is put under their protection. But odd things are afoot in Kyoto—possibly even supernatural happenings. Can she navigate this maze of mortal danger and political intrigue? Amidst so much mystery and death, can she find romance?

Originally released in Japan on the PlayStation 2 in 2008, Hakuōki was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming console in 2009.

Hakuōki takes players on a historical fantasy adventure while pursuing a relationship with one of several characters. The story spans 14 chapters (plus an additional bonus chapter exclusive to this release) with players taking up the role of 7 different characters.

There are two versions of Hakuōki available for players: a Standard Edition and a Premium Edition. Both feature the 14 chapter long story (plus a bonus chapter).

Standard Edition - Players will be able to enjoy the Prologue chapter for free after the downloading the app. Additional stories can be purchased in game, one-by-one as the player progresses for £2.99. Once the player completes all available stories they will receive a bonus story (detailed below) created exclusively for the European edition of the game.

Premium Edition - Includes all the chapters (including the bonus story) from the outset. The pricing of the Premium Edition will be available at a reduced priced (compared to purchasing all the content through the Standard Edition individually) at £20.99 for Apple iPhone and £18.20 for Android.

Bonus Story - Taking place after the events of the previous chapters, players will have the opportunity to play an Bonus Story written exclusively for this release. It features newly recorded Japanese voiceovers by the original voice cast, 6 new characters and exclusive CG events. The bonus story is included by default with the Premium Edition, and will be available to Standard Edition player for free once they have completed all purchased chapters.