Abyss Soul Lotus

About

"Abyss Soul Lotus" is a Metroidvania-style game set in a mystical underwater world. As a lone warrior, players explore the depths of the abyss, battling a variety of strange creatures and acquiring new abilities to unlock previously inaccessible areas. The game features hand-drawn animation and a captivating soundtrack to enhance the immersive atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

music26 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
The bullet patterns are creative and challenging, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
The character-swapping mechanic adds depth to the gameplay, allowing for varied strategies and shot types.

The time and life-farming mechanics can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel more like a chore than a game.
Some character designs have been criticized for being inconsistent or poorly executed compared to their original concepts.
Performance issues, particularly during intense bullet patterns, can lead to lag and affect gameplay.

music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
24%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers describing it as "godly" and "great," highlighting specific themes from various stages as standout tracks. While the overall soundtrack is considered top-notch and beautifully composed, some players noted a disappointing change in music sync for certain bosses compared to the demo version. Overall, the music complements the game's graphics and mechanics, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The music selection is top notch and you can tell a ton of work and care went into the themes and danmaku patterns.”
- “The music's great, the controls are tight, and it's clear the team loves what they do.”
- “I loved the music of this game so much that I made several custom charts for it.”
- “For some reason though they decided to change the timing/hp of the first 3 bosses and now they lost the music sync they had in the demo version which is sad.”
- “The bosses seem neat, and the music is decent.”
- “On top of that it has an interesting system for survival/scoring (indeed, they are intertwined. brilliant, is it not?), good shottype balance, mostly fair bosses (setsuka final cough cough), great stages (even the extra stage, surprisingly enough), juicy cancels and juicy music.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
67%
13%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players praising its complex mechanics, beautiful bullet patterns, and rewarding stage design, while others criticize the time and life-farming elements, control issues, and performance problems. The scoring system, featuring tag-out and bomb chaining mechanics, adds depth and encourages strategic play, but the lack of a native translation can hinder the experience for some. Overall, while the gameplay has its strengths, it may not appeal to everyone due to its varied mechanics and design choices.
- “The gameplay itself is amazing.”
- “It looks amazing, the music is good, the patterns are fun and challenging, and the mechanics are really involved.”
- “Gameplay is also stellar: the bullet patterns are beautiful, and the stages' difficulty curve is neither too steep nor too low.”
- “I want to like this game, but I can't stand the time and life-farming mechanics.”
- “However, it is brought down by horrible bullet pattern design, horrible mechanics, performance issues compared to other shoot-em-ups, and control issues that all together make for a not-so-good experience.”
- “It's just that the mechanics make it not fun for me.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
28%
17%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and sophistication, showcasing a variety of styles that, while mostly consistent, can lead to jarring contrasts between character portraits. Although the visuals are vibrant and well-optimized for 2023, some players note that the bright colors can occasionally hinder bullet visibility. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's aesthetic, complemented by a decent soundtrack.
- “It's got beautiful graphics and music.”
- “This is what you call a 2023 Touhou game - with unlocked FPS, various optimizations, and good graphics.”
- “The artwork, despite being done by multiple artists, is still consistent, sophisticated, and enjoyable.”
- “But there's like 4 different art styles used for the character portraits - just compare Reimu and Yukari's portraits to the extra boss, the difference in style is jarring.”
- “The difference in art styles is very visible there.”
- “Unfortunately, the bright visuals harm bullet visibility in a few areas, but it's not blindingly annoying.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The story in the Touhou series is often underestimated, with some players finding characters initially uninteresting. However, many users highlight the surprisingly engaging narrative, which is well-documented and accessible through the Touhou wiki, enhancing both the story and gameplay experience.
- “Also, the story is surprisingly amazing.”
- “I'm just a casual Touhou player who mostly plays for story and gameplay.”
- “The story may make characters seem uninteresting while watching videos or even playing, but the translation, including both story and gameplay instructions, is already on the Touhou wiki.”
- “I'm just a casual Touhou player who mostly plays for the story and gameplay.”
- “The story lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics in the game, particularly the emphasis on time and life-farming, which detracts from their ability to engage with the core gameplay. This pressure to constantly optimize resources leads to a less enjoyable experience.
- “I want to like this game, but I can't stand the time and life-farming mechanics.”
- “You want to concentrate on what's going on, but you're always under the gun to maximize time and life-farming.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is criticized for significant performance issues, particularly lag during intense action sequences with numerous projectiles, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, control mechanics and bullet pattern design are noted as problematic, further compounding the game's optimization shortcomings.
- “However, it is brought down by horrible bullet pattern design, horrible mechanics, performance issues compared to other shoot-em-ups, and control issues that all together make for a not-so-good experience.”
- “Since this game is made in Unity, it's sometimes really laggy when there are many projectiles on the screen. The optimization is really bad.”
- “Since this game is made in Unity, it's sometimes really laggy when there are many projectiles on the screen. The optimization is really bad.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews highlight strong character design as a positive aspect of the game, with many praising its quality. However, there are some mixed feelings, as one user expresses a dislike for certain elements, suggesting that while character design is generally well-received, it may not fully meet everyone's expectations.
- “Character design is very good.”
- “Really good game, I must say. The OST is great, and the character design is very good.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its limited replayability, with players expressing that it offers a unique experience but lacks sufficient content or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.