Azure Reflections
- September 20, 2019
- souvenir circ.
Get on Steam"Azure Reflections" is a challenging, side-scrolling bullet hell game based on the Touhou Project series. It features a Danmaku Rush system to help players navigate through relentless bullet waves, and includes Practice and Tutorial modes for accessibility. The game also offers collectibles such as accessories, action figures, and achievements for players to unlock.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Azure Reflections offers a unique horizontal take on the Touhou formula, introducing interesting mechanics like Danmaku Rush and emergency bombs that enhance gameplay.
- The game features beautiful 3D and 2D art, charming character designs, and a fantastic soundtrack that resonates well with fans of the series.
- It serves as an excellent entry point for newcomers to the bullet hell genre, with multiple difficulty levels and a rewarding system that encourages replayability.
- The game suffers from visual clutter and poor optimization, making it difficult to identify important gameplay elements like hitboxes and enemy bullets.
- Some mechanics, such as the stun feature and Danmaku Rush, can complicate the gameplay unnecessarily, detracting from the straightforward fun typically found in traditional Touhou games.
- The repetitive stage backgrounds and lack of diverse character abilities can lead to a less engaging experience, especially for players familiar with the series.
- gameplay71 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a unique horizontal take on the Touhou series, featuring various mechanics such as charge attacks, danmaku rush, and a stun system that adds complexity and challenge. While many players appreciate the depth and customization options available through character accessories and shot types, some find the new mechanics overly complicated and visually cluttered. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with engaging boss patterns and a rewarding progression system, though it may require some adjustment for newcomers.
“Very fun to play with interesting mechanics and many things to unlock.”
“The gameplay stays very true to the mainline games and adds some fun new gimmicks.”
“The three main characters, three different shot types each, and the several types of accessories allow for lots of gameplay variance, and let you customize the experience to something much more enjoyable.”
“I get less than 5 fps during static image cut scenes; I can't really comment on anything else since it took so long I didn't even get to see the gameplay.”
“We have a stun mechanic now which, while it's meant to make the bullet hell shooter more forgiving, has actually screwed me more than it's ever saved me.”
“Second: danmaku rush, while an attempt to implement new mechanics into what should have been a simple and straightforward development process, adds even more complication and visual clutter to an already complicated clusterfuck.”
- music26 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising the soundtrack as a highlight, featuring both familiar and standout tracks that resonate with fans. While some reviewers note that the music is enjoyable and well-produced, they also mention it tends to play it safe without taking significant risks. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fantastic, with professional voice performances and a pleasing mix of themes that enhance the game's atmosphere.
“The game is fully dubbed and has an excellent soundtrack based on the original themes.”
“I would have to say that a key highlight of the game is the soundtrack as it has some wonderful music including some familiar tunes fans should recognize along the way.”
“The music is also all fantastic in my opinion, with very well done and enjoyable mixes across the board, with the Satori Maiden ~ 3rd Eye mix being my favorite rendition of the theme.”
“It's not quite outright banger status for most of them, and the soundtrack does feel very 'safe', sounding about what you'd expect and taking no risks, but it's still enjoyable to listen to.”
“A soundtrack that isn't overbearingly loud, obnoxious and riddled with cheap music production.”
“Music's mostly solid.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are described as cute and charming, with well-executed 3D modeling and texture work. However, many players find the visuals to be overly stimulating and distracting, complicating gameplay rather than enhancing it. While the artwork is appreciated, some feel that it overshadows gameplay mechanics that could have been better designed.
“The art style is cute and charming, and the 3D modeling/texture work is very nicely done.”
“The beautiful artwork.”
“[incredible shmup gameplay with plenty of unique and exciting mechanics, awesome visuals and delightful sound, lots of fun things to unlock].”
“If these accessories do so little, and I've tested out a few, then it's misplaced effort that could have gone into maybe rethinking or reworking some mechanics or some visuals to make them better differentiate from one another.”
“And it's overwritten by a game that complicates your situation more than it actually helps you by poor choice in visuals, forcing unnecessary mechanics onto you when its source material just let you get your victory in a simpler manner, and is generally just overstimulating.”
“Graphically, whilst the game is pretty, it's also riddled with issues.”
- story8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is presented in a fragmented manner, with each narrative delivered as a standalone piece upon completing levels, which diminishes the overall impact and coherence. Players noted that the individual stories lack interconnection, making the decision to lock them initially seem unnecessary. Each arcade/story run lasts approximately 40 minutes.
“One arcade/story run takes about 40 minutes to beat.”
“The game gives them to you one at a time for game clears, but the game does nothing with this, telling each story as a standalone more or less, meaning there's no real reason to start with them locked.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Azure Reflections is praised for its high replayability, particularly as an arcade-style shmup. Players appreciate the game's engaging mechanics and rewards system, which encourages repeated play, with some logging over 50 hours and achieving all accomplishments. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile investment for fans of the bullet hell genre.
“Overall, Azure Reflections is a very fun shmup, with a lot of replayability to its name. I managed to log in 50 hours and got every achievement, so I'd definitely say it's worth its price tag, and is personally one of my favorite bullet hell Touhou games.”
“Very replayable and has rewards to encourage you to keep trying.”
“Azure Reflections offers a great replayability value as an arcade game.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized, delivering excellent performance even on mid-range hardware like the GTX 1080, achieving 4K resolution at 60fps. Players appreciate the detailed graphics, professional voice acting, and overall aesthetic quality, which enhance the gaming experience.
“Performance is excellent on my PC (GTX 1080, 4K 60fps).”
“The game is beautiful, it has a lot of detail, the music does not disappoint, as you would expect from a Touhou game. The drawings are very well done and have a lot of personality, and the voice performances are from professionals.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a generally good soundtrack, featuring standout tracks that enhance the overall experience, particularly a notable rendition of "Heartfelt Fancy."
“The soundtrack is just good, but there are a couple of tracks that are standout, including its rendition of heartfelt fantasy.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in Azure Reflections is highlighted by its impressive 3D and 2D character designs, featuring three playable characters: Reimu, Marisa, and Cirno. However, the reviews do not delve deeply into the depth or progression of these characters beyond their visual appeal.
“Azure Reflections features impressive 3D and 2D character designs, showcasing three playable characters: Reimu, Marisa, and Cirno.”
“The character development in Azure Reflections is enhanced by the unique designs and abilities of each playable character: Reimu, Marisa, and Cirno.”
“With its captivating character designs and distinct personalities, Azure Reflections offers a rich character development experience through its three playable characters: Reimu, Marisa, and Cirno.”
