Touhou Lensed Night Sky, Kaseigai

The night sky is a purple hue. [h1]東方果世外 ～ Lensed Night Sky[/h1] [hr][/hr] I decided to redo my review of this game. This still is a good review, but after spending close to... 25?ish hours, I think it deserves a detailed overview. When the overview says it's not a bad starting point as a way to wet your feet into the STG scene due to its modifiers, it technically isn't lying. Bullet densities as well as fun patterns are there to get you engaged with its systems, but once you unlock more items, the game becomes less and less a bullet hell STG game with [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1566410/Touhou_Kouryudou__Unconnected_Marketeers/]Unconnected Marketeers[/url] systems and more into a Binding of Isaac game that still requires you to dodge over a hundred projectiles at a time. What the game excels in is in getting you engaged with it. The bad endings provide flavor to your failures making sure that the sting of not being able to beat a stage or a boss is blunted, because you're still getting lore out of it. The game initially makes you think with its approach that it's half and half ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and serious plot, but in truth, it does speak of a tale of bravery and responsibilities for all involved. It's also rather ballsy in that the very first splash screen features Marisa but otherwise does not have her here aside from her items. What crew of people it has in its story is pretty efficiently used unless it's the first four bosses, which serve to set the stage but do little beyond that. For the actual game systems, the requirement to actually dodge spellcards is both a novel innovation and also a natural consequence of not penalizing players who are using spellcards or its variant here, the sidearms, during spells. In classic Touhou, bombing invalidates your spell capture. Adding that here would simply be an insult since capturing spellcards is one way to restore your health, of which you start with 4 HP and 2 additional lives, also a consequence of making it possible to use and create items that encourage you to get hit or play riskier. In any case, I highly welcome the ability to require actually dodging the spellcards in order to engage with them. I suppose what would be a con for this game is that the reason why it is priced a significant amount versus most shmups (costs twice as much as a standard Touhou game here where I live) is not readily apparent, but can be understood once you engage with the systems the game gives you after a bit. If Touhou UM: Binding of Isaac is an idea that appeals to you, then you'll prolly get why the game is a bit costly. If you still don't want to pay, there's a special demo version out there with its own subplot and access to most of what this game offers to you readily available to obtain, if you know where to look. That game too, interfaces with this game seamlessly and allows you to obtain the achievements you've been missing, if you decide to go that way. We will remember your sacrifice, Captain of the Drowned Voyage. [hr][/hr] [b]Pros:[/b] - Multiple funny fandom in-jokes and nods as items. - 7 stages. - A variety of modifiers you can use to change the gameplay to a certain level. There are wards (difficulty-lowering modifiers) and curses (same but opposite), and you need a positive amount of challenge value in order to gain achievements. - A demo with its own subplot exists out there if you need convincing. - Opportunity cost-style gameplay where you will either spend your power or one of your items to buy another item. Building your loadout is a breeze since you can sell items for the same price you bought them. [b]Cons:[/b] - The enemy variety in the stage portions aren't too interesting; you either get overwhelmed quick or you will kill them almost immediately. - Some spellcards, especially lategame, are either too gimmicky or shoot too many bullets. With certain modifiers this brings the game closer to a Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom experience. - Game is somewhat unstable with more ridiculous builds. I have had crashed three of my runs out of the blue without using the deliberately-glitched items the game gives you after a certain point of progression. FPS drops due to 1000+ bullets on screen is common. [b]Neutral:[/b] - Characters cuss quite a bit. This can be offputting to some people; in particular Chiyuri speaks like a zoomer with half of a sailor's tongue. I didn't really mind it at all, but some people will scream canon defilement.