Nutaku asked us to take a look at Sakura Apprentice, and here’s what we think. They sent us an advance download of the game, which was super cool of them. It’s set to launch exclusively at Nutaku on Monday, Aug. 26. 

If the title ‘Sakura’ sounds familiar to you, that means you have good taste in eroge visual novels. The ‘Sakura’ series is great, and Winged Cloud is a studio you should keep an eye on. The artist, Wanaca, is incredibly talented. Good art, good stories, it’s clear to see why I love the studio and series. Still waiting on Sakura Fantasy Chapter 2, by the way.

Here’s the backstory provided by Nutaku:

About Sakura Apprentice:

Sakura Apprentice is a PC game- a download visual novel title The story features 3 primary characters & includes astonishing graphics by well-known hentai artist, Wanaca.

Set in an alternative universe called Elodia, gamers take the role of Riven, the male protagonist, who trains under the beautiful knight Freyja. As an apprentice, players’ one-on-one training sessions with Frejya take a naughty twist! An indulging storyline to follow, players are bound to remain hooked till the end, when they find out how sexy Frejya’s training helps Riven become the ultimate professional knight.

Key Features:

• Three primary characters
• Artwork by Wanaca
• No patch required to unlock uncensored content
• Impressive storyline

I’d like to highlight something here: “No patch required to unlock uncensored content”. The Sakura series, and likely other eroge, have had that trouble in the past. Sakura Fantasy Chapter 1 needed a patch to unlock uncensored CGs. That is not an issue with Sakura Apprentice, no patch is needed to see uncensored CGs.

As said, the protagonist is a trainee knight. His background is pretty grounded and might be familiar to people out there: he comes from a poor family who worked hard to keep a roof over his head and food in his stomach. To help his family, he saved up his meager earnings to move to the capitol and become a knight so he can set his family up with a comfortable life. Of course, this being a Sakura game, when he gets there and trains to become a knight, he catches the eyes of some sexy women. Alma is the first who apparently has eyes for him. She’s Riven’s superior and known to be a cold and serious woman. She’s a tsundere, and I love it.

Things get rolling when Riven is recruited by the famed knight Frejya and transferred to her place deep in the forest. True to Alma’s warnings, Frejya is a tad strange.

This is the part of the game where the ero in eroge shines. I’ve been enjoying the game so far, and I’d hate to ruin it for potential players. The story is as great as any other Sakura game, and I highly recommend any of them. At first blush, the stories are just setup for the sex, but that’s not so. Oftentimes, they’re quite deep with a healthy dose of drama that really brings the characters to life. 

Concerning the art, it’s Wanaca, so it’s top tier. The girls are sexy and their expressions show the character’s emotion. Pouty, aroused, stern, and so on. They’re well-rounded and varied in appearance. The costumes are great too, both noble and erotic. So yeah, Wanaca at their best. 

All said, my opinion is this: go to Nutaku and check out Sakura Apprentice. Also, check out any other Sakura game from Winged Cloud.