Info about HOLOSAGA: Invasion of the HoloX:

Official game description:
About this game
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Liberated from the shackles of power, La+ led the holoX members and the army to invade Earth! You must gather the members of the HoloLive and stop them.
This is a casual defense RPG game. You can upgrade your unit more strongly while playing the game in a row. Choose the unit you want for each game, and stop incoming enemies from going off the screen.
At each stage stage, members of holoX appear as bosses, and they have STRONG PATTERNS that are different from normal monsters. You have to actively move the units, breaking down the patterns and knocking down the bosses.
Controls
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Mouse and some Keydowns
Furthermore
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We will prepare more Hololive members as a unit in the future. Each unit will have different patterns that are different from other units. We'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye on our updates!
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This game is published under CCMC Corp(※1)'s Indie game brand "holo Indie".(※2)
This game is allowed to be monetized under the examination and terms of "holo Indie".
Please note that any monetized derivative work games that include Cover Corp.'s content outside of holo Indie is not covered by these terms and is not allowed.
※1. About CCMC Corp.
CCMC Corp. is entrusted with website management (ex: steam) including, examination, publishing and other necessary tasks by Cover Corp.
※2. About "holo Indie"
holo Indie's objective is to cooperate with hololive production fans and creators.
It is a game brand that offers "Game Creator Support Program" for the derivative work games.
For more details about "holo Indie", Please refer to the Cover Corp.'s "Derivative work guidelines".

Release date: Dec 1, 2024

Categories: Tower Defense, Roguelike, Character Collection, Character Progression, Anime-themed Gameplay, Casual, Free-to-Play


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 0.5h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 24.0h
  - Reasoning: The standard-mode completion report directly supports a short main completion time of 0.5 hours, while another player beating normal in 70 minutes supports that the main game can be finished in roughly 0.5-1.2 hours. The all-artifact collection report gives a clear endgame grind estimate of 24 hours, and the separate endless-mode achievement report adds supporting evidence that some endgame goals alone take 6+ hours. No review provides a narrative/story completion time or a clear typical single-session length, so storyCompletion and sessionLength are left null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Early rounds are described as slow and poorly explained, but pacing and progression improve once players build a working team composition and move past the opening. The main early blockers are the slow start and the absence of a real tutorial.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Early rounds feel slow to start; No proper tutorial, only a guide menu; Stages feel boring and repetitive; Cannot quit a run while still earning progression currency; Limited content, seemingly only three stages
  - Unlock drivers: Building a team composition that comfortably farms unlock currency in the early game; A beginner's tutorial to familiarize players with the keyboard making it easier to start
  - Conditions: Pacing varies with the towers you build; Difficulty pacing is rated as good; Progression smooths out once unlock currency is being earned early with a suitable team; Enjoyment depends on whether the opening rounds are tolerated
- Player Archetypes:
  - Hololive Casual Tower Defense Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying a short, casual tower defense while engaging with hololive characters they already like
    - Playstyle: Plays standard stages in short casual sessions, picking favorite hololive members
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Achievement Completionist (sale)
    - Motivation: Completing every achievement, including the brutal collection and endless-mode milestones
    - Playstyle: Grinds infinite/endless mode and artifact collection to 100 percent the achievement list
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Min-Max Progression Grinder (buy)
    - Motivation: Maximizing team efficiency and unlocking/upgrading characters through repeated grinding
    - Playstyle: Builds optimal team comps, farms currency early, and chases buff RNG in endless mode
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Free-to-Try Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Trying a free, low-risk tower defense and getting past the initial learning curve
    - Playstyle: Cautiously learns keyboard controls and plays early stages without committing money
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Positive Overall Impression (weight 0.84): Most reviewers describe the game as fun, good, or engaging. This broad praise appears frequently across many clusters.
- Tower Defense Gameplay (weight 0.54): Reviewers consistently enjoy the tower defense mechanics, often comparing it to Plants vs. Zombies. The core loop is considered solid and enjoyable.
- Character-Specific Strategies (weight 0.52): Certain Hololive members like Korone, Lamy, Pekora, and Noel have specific roles and are particularly effective in certain situations.
- Character Upgrades And Progression (weight 0.4): Upgrading characters, unlocking skins, and progressing through difficulties feels rewarding. The progression system keeps players engaged.
- Regular Updates And Frequent Additions (weight 0.39): The developers frequently update the game with new characters, features, and bug fixes. This ongoing support is well-received.
- Movable Tower Mechanic (weight 0.36): The ability to move towers around the field is a standout feature that works smoothly and adds dynamic strategy. Many find it unexpected but effective.
- Strategic Depth And Team Building (weight 0.36): The game offers deep tactical systems with varied classes, abilities, and map terrain. Team customization and artifact combinations allow for diverse strategies.
- Cute Visuals And Characters (weight 0.35): The character designs, animations, and overall art style are frequently praised as cute and appealing. The title screen art and skins are also highlighted.
- Hololive Fan Appeal (weight 0.31): The game features Hololive characters and is made with love for fans. It succeeds as a fan-made game and is enjoyable for those familiar with the brand.
- Free-to-Play, No Microtransactions (weight 0.26): The game is completely free with no microtransactions, and all unlockables are earned through gameplay. Reviewers appreciate this generous model.
- Enjoyable Even Without Hololive (weight 0.23): The game is fun for those unfamiliar with VTubers, with explosive colorful action. It stands as a good casual game on its own.
- Endless Mode Farming And Grind (weight 0.2): The endless mode allows quitting and still claiming rewards, making it great for farming. However, it can also be a grind relying on RNG buffs.
- Good Music And Audio (weight 0.19): The music, including background tracks, is considered excellent and pleasant. It adds to the overall experience without being intrusive.
- Early Access Promise And Potential (weight 0.19): Even in early access, the game shows a lot of promise and is already enjoyable. Reviewers see potential for future development.
- Dynamic And Spectacular Animations (weight 0.18): Battle animations are dynamic and spectacular, with massive particles and a stylish holographic aesthetic. This adds to the visual appeal.
- Challenging Boss Fights (weight 0.15): Boss fights are interesting and require quick reactions. Some characters excel as boss killers, adding to the strategic layer.
- Control And Touchscreen Experience (weight 0.13): Some find the controls require more control than expected, but the game is better on a touchscreen. It is playable despite somewhat annoying controls.

Common complaints:
- Lacking content and variety (weight 0.56): The game feels barebones with only one level and two game modes, lacking enemy variety, locations, and interesting scenarios. With current content, players get bored quickly.
- Infinite mode achievement too hard (weight 0.46): The achievement for reaching stage 10-1000 in Infinite Mode requires many hours of AFK gameplay and relies on luck. It is widely seen as poorly designed and requests have been made to remove it.
- Excessive grinding required (weight 0.41): The game demands extensive grinding for small rewards, such as tiny damage increases, and earning currency per run is minimal. This makes progression feel slow and tedious.
- Character balance issues (weight 0.36): Many characters are unbalanced, with some being too weak or too strong. Specific complaints include Korone needing a buff, Koyori boss being overpowered, and supporters being too weak.
- Boss difficulty too high (weight 0.36): Bosses like Koyori and Laplus are extremely difficult, with attacks that can quickly destroy the base or kill units. Even easy mode is challenging without upgrades.
- Low artifact drop rates (weight 0.32): Players complain that blue or better artifacts are extremely rare, and legendary artifacts are almost unobtainable. The artifact system lacks rarity conversion, leaving common green artifacts useless and unique artifacts hard to get.
- Slow and boring gameplay (weight 0.31): The game tempo is too slow, especially early on, leading to boredom and players quitting. Battles in later stages are drawn out and repetitive.
- Missing settings options (weight 0.25): Players request full screen and keyboard settings, as well as the ability to select characters via keyboard. Currently, character selection is mouse-only and there is no full screen option.
- Save file reset bug (weight 0.22): A critical bug causes character purchase, upgrade, and enhancement progress to reset completely after closing and reopening the game. This persists even after reinstalling and greatly affects play.
- Pekora character bug (weight 0.21): Players report that after using Pekora's ultimate, she stops functioning and cannot be used again. This bug has persisted for a long time without being fixed.
- Box system unrewarding (weight 0.21): Loot boxes give pitiful amounts of coins or low-rarity artifacts, and are few in number from normal runs and boss raids. Some characters are only obtainable from boxes, which feels bad.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.21): The game has many mechanics and parameters but lacks a proper tutorial, making it hard for new players to get started. Keyboard controls and leveling are not well explained.
- In-game currency issues (weight 0.21): HOLOMONEY earned per run is small and currency acquisition could be better. Restarting a level does not give currency, making restarts pointless.
- Limited team customization (weight 0.2): There are few options for customizing squads and units, and the starter team is sufficient for most content. This limits strategic experimentation.
- Art and design disliked (weight 0.19): Some players find the character art and design to be ugly or strange, feeling like a mass-produced game. The art style does not appeal to everyone.
- No exit button (weight 0.15): There is no exit option in the main menu, forcing players to use Alt-F4 or other methods to close the game. This is inconvenient, especially in full screen mode.
- Mobs not spawning (weight 0.15): Some players encounter a bug where mobs do not spawn, breaking the game flow. This prevents progression and makes the game unplayable.
- Performance issues over time (weight 0.15): The game suffers from lag and performance degradation the longer it is played, requiring restarts. Some players also experience GPU struggles.
- Watson character bug (weight 0.15): In the Laplace boss fight, Watson is not recognized during the tile pattern, forcing players to remove her. If she dies, she enters a state where she cannot receive healing or buffs.
- Lack of voice acting (weight 0.14): Characters feel monotonous due to the absence of voice acting. This makes them less engaging and reduces overall immersion.

Gameplay feedback:
- Character Upgrades and Progression (weight 0.78): Characters can be purchased, upgraded, and enhanced using in-game currency. Progression includes leveling up, tier upgrades, and unlocking new abilities or outfits.
- Grid-Based Unit Movement (weight 0.58): Units are placed on a grid with lanes and can be swapped or moved around during gameplay. This mechanic allows for dynamic defense and dodging enemy attacks.
- Character Roles and Team Composition (weight 0.51): Characters have specific roles such as healer, tank, boss killer, and AoE DPS. Team composition with four members is crucial for success, with recommended combos like Lamy, Korone, Pekora, and Noel.
- Hololive Character Roster (weight 0.5): The game prominently features Hololive members as playable units or towers. Players control characters like Lamy, Korone, Pekora, and Noel, each with distinct roles and abilities.
- Tower Defense Gameplay (weight 0.5): It is a tower defense game where players defend lanes against waves of enemies. The gameplay involves strategic placement and movement of units to intercept threats.
- Loot Boxes and Gacha (weight 0.48): Loot boxes contain artifacts of varying rarities and currency. Some characters are only obtainable through gacha, with box drops during play.
- Infinite Mode (weight 0.47): An endless mode with stages scaling up to 1000 and difficulty settings is available. It serves as endgame content with rewards upon quitting.
- Difficulty Modes and Progression (weight 0.37): The game offers multiple difficulty levels including Easy, Normal, Hard, and Extreme. Stage-based progression increases in difficulty as players advance.
- Plants vs Zombies Similarity (weight 0.36): Many players compare the gameplay to Plants vs. Zombies, with lanes and enemy progression. It is described as a Hololive-skinned version of that style.
- Artifact System (weight 0.33): Artifacts of different rarities can be obtained, disassembled, and used to enhance units. Duplicate artifacts convert to fragments for exchange.
- Skins and Costumes (weight 0.33): Characters have skins and costumes that can be obtained, often through leveling up or gacha. Skin collection is a feature.
- Currency and Shop System (weight 0.3): Players earn HOLOMONEY or holocoins to strengthen characters and buy upgrades. The shop allows purchasing characters and levels.
- Achievements and AFK Gameplay (weight 0.28): Achievements require lengthy AFK gameplay, such as opening around 3500 boxes. Build experimentation is needed to complete them.
- Game Modes and Features (weight 0.26): The game includes standard and endless modes, boss rush, and speed-up functions. Updates have added new characters and features.
- Update Changes in v0.2.2 (weight 0.23): In version 0.2.2, gacha was removed, levels are upgraded from the shop, and mobs are faster with lower health. Koyori's bomb attack deals at least 50 damage.
- Roguelike Elements (weight 0.18): The game incorporates roguelike elements with upgrades and artifact selection during runs. This adds variety to each playthrough.
- Boss Fights and Enemies (weight 0.18): Boss battles with different difficulty modes are present. Enemy types include giant Mikopi and Shiokko that tank and deal damage.
- Character Unlocking via Gacha (weight 0.17): Some characters are unlockable only through gacha or boxes, while others can be purchased in the shop. This creates a mix of obtainment methods.
- Controls and Interface (weight 0.17): The game uses keyboard controls and mouse clicks for character selection. It is noted to be better on a touchscreen.
- Free-to-Play with Microtransactions (weight 0.15): The game is free-to-play with optional purchases. It includes a gacha system for obtaining units and skins.

Performance notes:
- Progressive Lag and Optimization Problems (weight 0.09): Optimization issues cause increasing lag as playtime continues, forcing players to restart the game. This suggests memory leaks or resource management flaws.
- GPU Overload and High Demands (weight 0.08): Players report that the game is very demanding on GPU hardware, causing performance issues. This indicates poor optimization for a range of graphics cards.
- Crashing During Long AFK Runs (weight 0.08): The game has a high risk of crashing during extended idle or AFK sessions. This disrupts players who leave the game running for long periods.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for Hololive Fans (weight 0.37): Multiple reviewers explicitly state the game is best suited for dedicated Hololive fans, often suggesting it as a way to pass time. It appeals strongly to that specific fanbase, with some noting the brand is the main draw.
- Recommended for Roguelike or Tower Defense Fans (weight 0.35): Reviewers recommend the game for those who enjoy roguelike or tower defense gameplay, comparing it to Plants vs. Zombies. It offers a casual tower defense experience that fits those genres.
- Worth Trying Because It's Free (weight 0.31): The game is frequently praised for being free, meaning there is no financial risk to try it. Many reviewers recommend giving it a chance simply because it costs nothing.
- Good for Short, Occasional Sessions (weight 0.28): Some reviewers note the game is worth trying for a brief period or occasional play. It is seen as a short experience that may not hold attention long-term.
- Positive but Brand-Driven Recommendation (weight 0.28): Recommendations are often given primarily due to the Hololive brand rather than the gameplay itself. This suggests the game's appeal is heavily tied to existing fan interest.
- Unlock Lamy and Korone Early (weight 0.25): Several players advise unlocking Lamy and Korone as early as possible to make progress easier. These characters are highlighted for their strong early-game performance.
- Implicit Positive Recommendations (weight 0.22): Several reviews give positive recommendations without strong enthusiasm, often to observe rather than strongly endorse. These are mild endorsements with minimal detail.
- Recommended for Casual Play (weight 0.2): Reviewers suggest the game is a fun casual experience that is easy to pick up and put down. It is described as a short, free game that is not difficult on easy-medium settings.
- Potential with Needed Updates (weight 0.19): Some reviewers feel the game has potential but currently lacks features or polish. They recommend waiting for updates or additional content before fully committing.
- Achievement Hunters May Be Disappointed (weight 0.07): One reviewer warns that achievement hunters should not waste their time on this game. This implies the game may not offer satisfying achievement progression.
- Gacha Aiming Suggestion (weight 0.07): One reviewer suggests actively aiming for gacha pulls to obtain certain characters. This is presented as a strategic recommendation.
- Suitable for Tactical RPG Fans (weight 0.07): A reviewer recommends the game for fans of tactical RPGs and futuristic settings. This indicates the game may appeal to that specific niche.
- Avoid Buying Calli (weight 0.07): A single review explicitly advises against purchasing the character Calli. No further context or reasons were provided.

Other player notes:
- Early access with limited content (weight 0.48): The game is in early access with bare-bones content, including only three levels with bosses and a short playtime. It has limited content relative to the grind for unlocks.
- Free-to-play fan game (weight 0.36): The game is free to play and fan-made, with no microtransactions. All unlockable content is obtainable through gameplay.
- Hololive-themed tower defense (weight 0.35): The game features a Hololive/holoX theme and is compared to Plants vs. Zombies. It combines roguelike elements with collecting Hololive characters.
- Character roster and abilities (weight 0.29): The game includes about 20 characters, with specific abilities like Koyori's bomb, Gura's wave, and Watame's multi-target attack. Players are excited for new characters like Lapu.
- Ongoing updates and bug fixes (weight 0.21): The developer provides frequent updates with bug fixes and new characters. A reported bug was fixed within nine hours.
- Accessible to non-Hololive fans (weight 0.2): Prior Hololive knowledge is not required to enjoy the game, similar to Holocure. The game is a derivative fan work that can appeal to newcomers.
- Major gameplay changes in v0.2.2 (weight 0.19): Version 0.2.2 shifted the game in a different direction, removing the gacha system and moving unit leveling to the shop. These changes alter the core progression.
- Localization issues (weight 0.14): The English localization has some inaccuracies. A Korean localization is also present.
- Infinite mode included (weight 0.08): An infinite mode is available for extended play. This adds replayability beyond the main levels.
- Pleasant and unobtrusive music (weight 0.08): The music is pleasant and does not distract from gameplay. It enhances the overall experience.
- Runs on low-end hardware (weight 0.08): The game can run on any sort of calculator, indicating very low system requirements. This makes it accessible to a wide range of devices.
- Lacks Steam Cloud support (weight 0.07): The game does not support Steam Cloud for saving progress. This may inconvenience players who switch devices.
- Minimal social media promotion (weight 0.07): The game is not widely advertised on social media platforms like Twitter. This may limit its visibility.
- Achievement system included (weight 0.07): The game features an achievement system. This provides additional goals for players.
- Seen as character advertisement (weight 0.07): Some players feel the game is made for character advertisement. This perception may affect how the game is received.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by severe bugs that break character abilities, save data, and core gameplay, such as Pekora's special making her unusable and progress resetting. Additionally, excessive grinding, poor drop rates, and difficult achievements create a tedious and unrewarding experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.15): Disappointment stems from persistent bugs, slow early game tempo, and a lack of content that makes the game feel barebones. Unfixed issues, weak supporters, and missing features contribute to an incomplete experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players enjoy the busy tower defense action with Hololive characters, finding the gameplay fun and easy to pick up. The sense of progression through upgrades and the variety of builds add to the enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction comes from successfully overcoming difficult challenges, such as clearing Extreme mode with a single character or creating powerful builds. Continued updates and the ability to overpower the game with favorite characters also contribute.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement is driven by the game's potential, the achievement system encouraging replay, and anticipation for new characters like Lapu. Players get hooked quickly and look forward to more content.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance arises from bugs like Watson not being recognized in boss patterns, frequent crashes during long runs, and missing artifact visuals. Balance issues, such as long cooldowns, also irritate players.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Players hope that existing bugs will be fixed soon and that the full version will be more complete. They are willing to watch how the game evolves over time.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.03): Dissatisfaction is caused by a lack of strategic depth, limited characters, and slow pacing. Core systems are not fun, and the art style and balance issues further detract from the experience.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is directed at the design of the 10-1000 trophy/achievement and the nerfed loot box rewards with extremely low unique artifact drop rates. These mechanics feel unfair and punitive.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom results from repetitive stage grinding to collect currency for Infinity Mode and insufficient content that becomes dull within an hour. The lack of variety leads to a tedious experience.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Dislike is expressed for the character art and the grind for coins and artifacts. These elements are seen as unappealing and tiresome.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.02): Players are pleasantly surprised by the dynamic gameplay and cute visual style. The unexpected 'move your towers around' mechanic is particularly well-received.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Engagement is maintained through character development, team customization, and the difficulty that keeps players focused on team composition. The strategic elements hold attention.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is felt for the free-to-play model with no microtransactions and the high-quality background music. The game is seen as a labor of love.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness comes from having a good Hololive game that is actively updated. Players are glad that concerns were addressed in v0.2.4, making the game fun to play again.
- Exasperation (weight 0.01): Exasperation is caused by the unfixed serious bug with Pekora's ultimate, which makes her stop acting. This persistent issue frustrates players.
- Weariness (weight 0.01): Weariness stems from overwhelming grind and a lack of meaningful progression, leading to a sense of futility. Players feel exhausted by the repetitive tasks.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): The Infinity Mode achievement requiring maxed over-spec characters presents a significant challenge. Players find it demanding and time-consuming.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern is expressed over the fair amount of grinding required to unlock and upgrade characters. This may deter players or make progression feel slow.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt because a 3rd generation member is missing from the roster. This omission disappoints fans of that generation.}