Touhou Kinjoukyou ～ Fossilized Wonders. Review Summary

Balanced difficulty and customization: The game offers a balanced difficulty that is challenging yet fair. Players appreciate the customizable shot types and the strategic depth they add to the gameplay.

Engaging story and characters: The game features an interesting and well-developed story with appealing character designs. Players find the narrative engaging and the characters memorable.

Fun and addictive gameplay: The gameplay is widely praised for being fun, addictive, and challenging. Players enjoy the high-quality mechanics, strategic elements, and high replayability.

Highly regarded in the series: The game is considered one of the best in the Touhou series, with many players calling it a masterpiece and a favorite.

Improvements from the demo: The final version of the game has seen significant improvements from the demo, including better balance, more lives and bombs, and helpful enemies.

Poor bullet design and visibility: The bullet patterns are criticized for being poorly designed and difficult to see. The visual effects and backgrounds often clutter the screen, making it hard to perceive and avoid bullets.

Disappointing music: The music in the game is considered lackluster and unmemorable. Many players find the soundtrack disappointing compared to previous titles.

Overemphasis on reflexes and precision: The game relies too much on reflexes and precision, making the gameplay feel monotonous and unrewarding. Players feel like they are just going through the motions without a sense of accomplishment.

Numerous bugs and balancing issues: The game has several bugs that have not been fixed, along with balancing issues that affect gameplay. Some stages and characters are noted for being particularly problematic.

Buggy replay system: The replay system is noted for being buggy and corrupted. Issues from the demo version, such as incorrect hitbox positions and replay errors, persist in the full release.

Balanced difficulty with multiple levels: The game offers a range of difficulty levels, including Easy, Normal, and Extra modes. The difficulty scales based on player skill, providing a balanced and accessible experience.

Unique balance and equipment system: Players can earn extra lives and use a variety of equipment and abilities to clear enemy bullets. The game features a powerful item that can clear bullets, significantly affecting balance.

Innovative mechanics and systems: The game includes complex and interesting mechanics, such as the Anomaly Stone System and detailed system mechanics.

Complex bullet patterns: The game includes a variety of bullet patterns with high density and specific mechanics. Some patterns are criticized for being poorly designed and difficult to see.

Variety in shot types: The game offers a wide range of shot types that play differently, including customizable options for primary, unfocused, and focused shots.

Frequent game crashes: The game experiences frequent crashes, including instances when buttons are pressed quickly, in fullscreen mode, and specifically in the demo version.

Various bugs affecting gameplay: There are multiple bugs affecting gameplay, including graphical bugs, issues with the replay system, and an alt-tab bug.

Performance issues: Players report frame drops and FPS issues, particularly when there are many projectiles on screen, leading to a chugging gameplay experience.

Launch and compatibility issues: Some players encounter issues with the default version launch, requiring DirectX installation, and experiencing execution issues.

Progress loss due to crashes: Crashes can result in lost progress, which is a significant issue for players.

Recommended for Touhou fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of the Touhou series and experienced players seeking a challenge. It may not be suitable for beginners or casual players.

Not for beginners: Beginners might find the game tricky and are advised to start with easier games in the series. The game is suggested for those up for a challenge rather than new players.

Not recommended as first game: Reviewers do not recommend this game as the first entry point into the Touhou series. Other games in the series are suggested for beginners.

Worth the current price: The game is considered worth buying at its current price point, despite some issues mentioned by reviewers.

Try the demo first: Players are encouraged to try the demo before purchasing the game. It is also recommended to install DirectX for a better experience.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience with Touhou Project games reveals significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay. Additionally, there are notable concerns regarding controller functionality and visibility. Despite these issues, the game demonstrates good compatibility with external controllers, such as arcade controllers. The overall experience is marred by these technical barriers, which require attention to improve user satisfaction.

Controller settings guide needed: Players are requesting a guide or better documentation for controller settings. This suggests that the current in-game instructions or menus may be unclear or insufficient.