There’s only one thing better than playing games and that’s collecting every piece of merchandise tied to them. There was nothing like flipping through your favorite gaming magazine and seeing a profile of a limited edition collectible or discovering a piece of memorabilia from a beloved game in an overlooked corner of a shop and it’s a feeling we strive to replicate every month as we look through our own collector’s cabinet and dig out items new and old to show the world.

The world of visual novel localization is unique in the video game industry. Thanks to the genre primarily featuring still artwork and text, it's easy enough for a publisher to release a visual novel that’s over a decade old to modern audiences. In many cases, this is desired because the visual novel genre is one of the last remaining with tons of Japanese-exclusive titles. Sengoku Rance first released in 2006 in Japan and remained exclusive for a long time. Only once MangaGamer began licensing older titles in the Rance series did folks get excited for a release of the 7th title. It finally made its official English debut in 2020.

Such a momentous occasion did not go unnoticed. MangaGamer decided to do something special and produced the Sengoku Rance Limited Edition which is still available for purchase today. This edition comes housed in a cardboard box similar in size to PC big boxes from back in the day, but it opens on one side like you would open a book. The contents are all housed snugly inside to ensure nothing gets out of place. The collection includes a copy of the game, soundtrack CD, keychain, artbook and digital download key.

At first, the only things you’ll see within the box are the artbook, DVD case and keychain. That’s because the rest of the items are housed in the DVD case itself. This plastic case holds a spot for the game disc and another for the soundtrack CD. Also inside is a piece of paper which advertises Rance 1 on one side and features a redeemable digital download key and instructions on the other side. Note that this is a key for MangaGamer’s storefront, rather than a Steam key, which makes sense because Sengoku Rance isn’t available on Steam.

The DVD case’s default cover features key artwork for Sengoku Rance and looks like a typical game cover. It’s a reversible cover and on the other side the artwork is vertical and spans across both sides of the case. It looks good, but the format doesn’t fit with something you’d be sticking on your shelf. It works better as a small-sized poster to hang on your wall. In either case, it’s still nice to have the option to choose between covers.

Next up is the included eighty-page booklet. While softcover, all the pages are in color and printed on glossy paper. It doesn’t feel like a cheap book at all. Fans will find pretty much everything they might need in this manual/artbook. The first few pages provide basic setup and settings before moving into a “how to play” section. You’ll also find details about the different in-game clans, abilities and items. Sengoku Rance is a SRPG so there's a reason for all this explanation.

Once past all the gameplay assistance the booklet moves onto sketches, an overview of the entire Rance series as well as brief descriptions of the story in each to catch players up. After that there are translations of comments from the development staff as well as their artwork. It’s a lot of fun to look through this section, as even when Sengoku Rance was fan translated, these commentaries weren't covered.

It was a smart move by MangaGamer to provide a special edition package for Sengoku Rance. This is by far the most well known of the entire series, and was many people’s first visual novel. The included contents fit within the asking price of $67 and copies still seem plentiful. Fans of Rance owe it to themselves to pick up a copy if they haven’t yet already.

Want to look through the rest of our Collector’s Cabinet? Head right here.