- Accessible and enjoyable gameplay experience
- Exceptional music and soundtrack
- Frustrating screen/input reversal mechanic
- Difficulty spikes and unfairness
- Poor character/shot-type balance
- Rewarding item collection mechanic
Emotions
Players felt satisfied due to the game's high overall quality, including memorable characters, engaging music, and rewarding gameplay systems. Achieving personal goals like clearing the game or mastering difficult patterns, along with intuitive mechanics and a unique item collection system, also contributed significantly to this emotion.
Frustration stemmed primarily from unbalanced mechanics, such as the screen-flipping gimmick, unfair hitboxes, and specific difficult bosses or spell cards. Technical issues like crashes and poor visibility, along with the subpar performance of certain character variants, also led to player annoyance and difficulty spikes.
Excitement was generated by the game's unique danmaku patterns, beautiful stage visuals, and impactful boss battles. The amazing OST, fun gimmicks, and the thrill of aggressive item collection, coupled with the game's accessibility and its status as the first Touhou title on Steam, also contributed to this feeling.
Players found enjoyment in the game's rewarding mechanics, interesting bosses, and catchy soundtrack. Specific elements like Sukuna's music, Marisa B's abilities, and the overall strategic gameplay, including dodging and the bonus system, enhanced the general positive experience.
The game's difficulty, even on easier settings, and the need to master item collection and difficult bosses, were key causes of the 'Challenge' emotion. Difficult spell cards, boss features, and overall strong danmaku quirks provided a demanding experience for players.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 87% · Negative 13%. Score: 13 / 100
Positives:
- The game is widely regarded as fun, approachable, and a solid entry in the series, suitable for both beginners and veterans. Its balanced difficulty progression and engaging shoot-em-up mechanics contribute to a satisfying experience.
- Players consistently praise the game's music, highlighting its divine quality, memorable tracks, and professional execution. Specific boss themes, especially Stage 6, are frequently cited as masterpieces, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The unique item collection system, which rewards players with lives and bombs for collecting items at the top of the screen, is highly praised. This mechanic creates an engaging risk-reward dynamic, making the game more lenient and strategic.
- The game features varied and interesting danmaku patterns, with many eccentric enemy designs. Unique boss gimmicks, such as Sekibanki's flying heads and Seija's screen-flipping attacks, add significant memorability and challenge.
- Specific playable characters like Sakuya A, Reimu A/B, and Marisa B are noted for their effectiveness and unique abilities. Sakuya A is praised for her strength, Reimu A for her powerful bomb, and Marisa B for her bomb-farming potential.
Negatives:
- The screen-flipping and input-reversal mechanics, especially during Stage 5 and boss fights with Seija, are widely criticized as annoying and torturous. These gimmicks often obscure the player character or lead to accidental deaths, detracting from the gameplay experience.
- The game features abrupt and steep difficulty spikes, particularly from Stage 4 onwards and in EX stages. Poor visibility, random bullet patterns, and specific boss mechanics contribute to a feeling of unfairness, especially for new players.
- Many players report significant imbalances among character shot-types, with some like Marisa A/B and Sakuya B being deemed nearly unusable or severely underpowered. This imbalance forces players towards a few optimal choices, limiting replayability and enjoyment.
- The 4/1 item collection system, which often forces players to the top of the screen for bonuses, is seen as punishing and risky. This mechanic frequently leads to accidental deaths, especially when trying to maximize bomb accumulation.
- A significant portion of feedback labels this game as one of the weakest or the worst main entry in the series. Players find it boring, unmemorable, and lacking unique or engaging gameplay elements compared to other Touhou titles.
Gameplay:
- Player characters have distinct playstyles and effectiveness. Sakuya A is widely considered very strong and makes the game easier, while Sakuya B is seen as weaker or niche for high scores. Reimu A is also strong and recommended for clearing, whereas Reimu B is balanced but has weaker bombs. Marisa A is difficult to use, while Marisa B can be a powerful bomb-farming machine.
- The game features a unique risk-reward mechanic where collecting items at the top of the screen (Point of Collection) or using bombs generates life and bomb fragments. This system encourages aggressive play and well-timed bomb usage, allowing players to replenish resources and potentially accumulate more bombs than they started with.
- The game generally presents a linear difficulty increase, with the first three stages being relatively easy and stages 4, 5, and the Extra Stage becoming significantly harder. Bosses, particularly from Stage 3 onwards, introduce challenging bullet patterns and unique mechanics.
- The game includes practice modes for individual stages and boss spell cards. This feature allows players to hone their skills and memorize patterns, which is crucial for mastering difficult sections like the Extra Stage boss's spells.
- The Stage 5 boss, Seija Kijin, introduces an interesting but potentially annoying control reversal mechanic. Her spell cards twist the screen and flip player controls, adding a unique challenge to the mid-game.
Performance:
- The game received a significant graphical upgrade, moving from a standard definition of 480P to a higher definition of 960P, enhancing the overall visual experience for players.
- Players are experiencing issues with simultaneous key presses on certain laptop keyboards, specifically preventing the execution of 'Shift to Focus' and 'X to Bomb' at the same time. This technical limitation severely impacts gameplay mechanics like death bombing.
Recommendations:
- Many players recommend this game as a suitable starting point for newcomers to the Touhou series or bullet hell genre, citing its relative simplicity compared to other titles. However, some suggest playing other Touhou games first or only if new players are above average at bullet hell games.
- The game is generally well-received and highly recommended by players, with many considering it a favorite in the series. It's seen as a worthwhile purchase despite any flaws, offering an enjoyable experience once mastered.
- Players offer specific advice regarding character usage, such as avoiding Marisa A too much in the main game but recommending her flamethrower for the Extra Stage. There's also a challenge for Chinese players to attempt LNN with Marisa A and Sakuya B.
- The game provides top-level resources that can help players overcome challenges, particularly in clearing stages by utilizing magical items. New players are advised to focus on bonus collecting in early stages to aid progression.
- For players concerned about clearing this game, or those new to the series, other Touhou titles like Tenkuu Seijou, Kikeijuu, Ten Desires, or Hidden Star in Four Seasons are suggested as potentially better starting points.
Miscellaneous:
- Players noted a significant difficulty spike, particularly in Stage 4, which is typical for the series. Some new players found the game challenging, struggling to progress, while experienced players found it manageable, even achieving one-credit clears.
- One player considers the game underrated, suggesting it might not receive the recognition it deserves. The mention of physical CD purchases and pricing indicates engagement with the game's commercial aspects.
- Players are actively seeking and providing solutions for playing the game in English, indicating a strong desire for official localization. Community patches are available, though some translations are incomplete.
- The reversed controls in Stage 5 were a notable, albeit manageable, mechanic that caused initial panic among players. This suggests an interesting design choice that impacts gameplay.
- A specific character, Sakuya, was described as a 'youkai racist' in one review. This point is based on limited feedback and likely refers to in-game lore or character perception.
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