Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
Tags
(2 edits)

I absolutely have skill issues with danmaku games, alas, so I can't speak too much on the specifics of the gameplay. (Truly an ironic thing, no?) 

But what I CAN speak to is the art, presentation and writing. 

It's apparent right away that this is meant to feel very different from normal Touhou fare despite the similarities. There's no score being kept, the cool down/build up mechanics are graphically represented on the left, and-- the most fascinating part to me-- continuing dialogue on the right side over a picture background. 

I'm unsure of what the actual intention is, but I read it much like you would poetry, and it most certainly seemed to fit the overall idea of the plot, which is a sprawling, fascinating talk on the idea of relationships in general. Whether the nature of the relationships is work, familial or romantic, and even if it's just relating to one's self or with others, there seems to be a lot to say about boundaries and respect. 

It's an angle I appreciate; the melancholic slant lends an unexpected emotion to the visually lovely (though PC-slowing) danmaku fights, especially given you're able to get through them no matter what with the infinite lives mechanic.

I unfortunately played the Jam version, which does not have music, but Tami's work is superb, and in have no doubts it adds to the experience. 

The ending is a little bit silly, but with how Komachi is characterized, it honestly makes a lot of sense.

The completed arts are also very nice; backgrounds are pretty without being distracting and have a nice atmosphere. The character portraits were also nice when completed (Rei'sen, however, haunts my dreams.) The sprite art is also wonderful. Yuyuko's especially feels overwhelming to overcome with how big it is on the screen, which feels appropriate. Komachi's is also gorgeous. Lots of subtle details which I could point out and adored. 

I wish it wasn't so unbalanced as a game; even with the infinite lives, it was a very high degree of difficulty from the word go. It would have felt more earned to get an ending with a more friendly difficulty setting, but for a first attempt at a danmaku game, it's a very solid effort all around.