Rose & Camellia Collection

“Rose & Camellia Collection is a game that embraces its absurdity and delivers a unique experience to the Switch. It is definitely charming overall and enjoyable enough while it lasts. However, the creativity in concept doesn’t necessary translate to creativity in gameplay, and too many fights play out in pretty much the same way. Add in some imprecise controls and limited content and it winds up being a less enjoyable experience than it could have been. For players seeking a quirky, short-lived adventure filled with aristocratic slap battles, this collection may provide a few hours of entertainment. The $20 price tag does seem a bit steep for what it is, though, so it might be best to wait for these aristocrats to put on an estate sale.”

“I did not enjoy the Rose & Camellia Collection very much. The gameplay was not universally interesting, and while the concept is fairly novel, there is little depth here, either in the story or the combat. This would be fine for a cheaper experience, but coming in at such an expensive price point seriously hinders my ability to recommend it. While there are some decent pieces here, I do not recommend checking this one out.”

“Experiencing Rose and Camellia Collection is like having a multicolored flower that only lasts a day. It’s wacky and novel, but ultimately, there just isn’t enough life there to sustain it. Still, for that one brief moment, it can hold your attention with its own awkward aplomb.”

“Definitely a solid way to spend an afternoon or two, but you’ll probably get more desire to keep coming back with friends and family around, than playing versus the computer opponents over and over again. A title where the silly premise is a lot more appealing than the actual game.”

“Rose and Camellia Collection offers a glimpse into an intriguing yet tragically under-developed world that has moments of great humour, but teases a much better game than it is. It is brief, inconsistent, and relies on its one unique (and undeniably fun) mechanic far too much to feel complete.”

“Despite its shortcomings, Rose & Camellia Collection is a unique title to own and one you will want to play with friends in local multiplayer. I mean, who DOESN’T want to have a virtual slap battle? Just keep the wonky controls and steep price point in mind.”

“"Ninjas, robots and red cheeks."”

“In short, Rose & Camellia Collection doesn't have much to offer beyond a quick laugh, and that's just it - a QUICK laugh. 👋”

“With its slap duels and high society dramas, Rose & Camellia Collection is a fun title, with simple and straight-to-the-point gameplay. Although it presents some flaws in its stories and mechanics, in general, all of this ends up being compensated if you accept to dive head first into this universe of insanity. If you're looking for some good stress relief, this collection will certainly offer a satisfying experience.”

“I may have enjoyed the shallow, but ever amusing combat sections featured in this collection, but I had to endure utterly boring VN sequences in order to reach the next one. There was also not a lot of substance in terms of lasting appeal and amount of content, despite the “Collection” name in its title. The ridiculousness of the premise doesn’t entirely make up for the technical shortcomings or the boring plotlines, but it’s still amusing in shorter bursts.”

“Overall, the Rose & Camellia Collection isn’t a terrible experience, it’s just not a great one. While the controls sound good on paper, they are inconsistent in execution. Throw in some crazy difficulty spikes on top of this and things can get frustrating very quickly. I had a blast with over the top stories and the campy but fitting voice acting, but I think this package might be a bit overpriced at $20 for around 3 hours of gameplay. That said, if you catch this one on sale, and want a fun story with some unique controls, this might just fit the bill.”

“Where we could see a genuine and enthusiastic recommendation, we ended up finding “just” a solid option to spend two or three hours. With a prosaic plot and fun but basic combat, Rose & Collection is a “diamond in the rough”, a solid base to snap and cry for more, which leaves us with a bittersweet reflection on the number of possible directions to take the narrative potential, ironic and mechanical in addition to the already competent half-league on display.”

“Rose & Camellia Collection gets away with a lot of its technical imperfections simply because of the strength of its concept and its solid presentation. The music and art style will keep you interested for at least a few hours – which is all it will take to complete the story mode. However, the bizarre anime logic can't distract you from the frequent loading screens or the frustratingly imprecise controls. This one is worth picking up, but only if you catch it on a good sale.”

“Slap your way to the top of high society! Grace and glamour give way to open-handed duels across five games of aristocratic absurdity - Rose & Camellia 1, 2, 3, & 4, plus Rose & Camellia vs. La-Mulana - in which you'll slap, dodge, feint, and counter your way through a series of one-on-one smackdowns. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Rose & Camellia Collection is a gimmick game that 100% commits to the bit in a delightful way, though the control options may frustrate some.”

“Honestly, if you think a game about slapping someone might be of interest to you, then it is worth checking out or picking up. For $19.99, picking up The Rose & Camellia Collection might be worth it at least to try.”

“An amusing mix of Real Housewives energy, high aristocratic culture, and a smidge of Punch-Out make it unique”

“This collection fulfills its humble role of being fun and simple, taking me back to an era where I spent hours on sites playing flash games having fun in an unpretentious way, without analyzing gameplay, graphics, soundtrack and all that stuff.”