Floral Aroma in the Shrine

About

"Floral Aroma in the Shrine" is a visual novel game, with a focus on story and player choices. The game follows Marisa's journey of dealing with the loss of her friend Reimu, with the story unfolding over five chapters. The game is set in the Touhou Project universe, but with some changes to the original setting and characters. It contains mature themes and yuri undertones. Players can expect to spend over an hour exploring Marisa's emotional journey.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 137 reviews

story27 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful art and character designs, enhancing the emotional experience.
The soundtrack is well-composed, with a variety of tracks that complement the story's tone.
The narrative is deeply emotional and engaging, successfully pulling players into the characters' journey of love and loss.

The translation quality is poor, with numerous typos and awkward phrasing that disrupt immersion.
The pacing of the story is inconsistent, with emotional moments often interrupted by fanservice, detracting from the overall impact.
The game lacks interactivity and choices, making it feel more like a visual novel than a traditional RPG, which may disappoint some players.

story
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The story of *Floral Aroma in the Shrine* is generally praised for its emotional depth and poignant themes, particularly focusing on the relationship between the characters Reimu and Marisa. However, many reviewers criticize the execution, noting issues such as rushed emotional scenes, a lack of interactivity, and a disappointing ending that disrupts the pacing. Despite its flaws, the narrative resonates with players, making it a memorable experience for fans of the Touhou series.
- “The story unfolds in five chapters, each more poignant than the last, drawing you deep into its emotional currents.”
- “As a Touhou Project fan game, *Floral Aroma in the Shrine* draws heavily from established lore, but it carves its niche by focusing on personal, emotional storytelling rather than grand cosmic battles.”
- “The story is its strong point, great writing.”
- “The story is a mixed bundle: the overall story is good, but the execution is terrible.”
- “Some of the most emotional scenes were rushed, the most intense parts of the story were interrupted by spicy scenes, and the ending is... I have no words.”
- “I kind of saw it coming, but not only is the ending bad in itself, it's so sudden that it yet again throws off the pacing of the storytelling.”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of *floral aroma in the shrine* is highlighted by its poignant storytelling and character dynamics, which resonate deeply with players, often evoking tears and a sense of heartbreak. While some scenes may feel rushed or interrupted by lighter moments, the overall narrative is praised for its heartfelt depth and ability to leave a lasting impact, particularly for fans of the Touhou series. Despite tonal shifts, the game successfully delivers an emotional rollercoaster that many players find unforgettable.
- “The story unfolds in five chapters, each more poignant than the last, drawing you deep into its emotional currents.”
- “People who know me will probably laugh about this, but I'm writing this review after I cried for at least 15 minutes straight with no break in between because this game is so terribly sad and depressing. The character dynamics and dialogues are incredibly beautiful and faithful to the original characters.”
- “The story is really beautiful and heartbreaking; tears are to be expected if you're a bit sensitive.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay of this Touhou fan project is primarily minimal, resembling a visual novel with limited interactivity, such as fetch quests and simple exploration. While the narrative and character dynamics are praised for their depth and emotional impact, the overall gameplay experience is criticized for its low-quality visuals and lack of substantial mechanics, leading to a perception that it falls short of traditional gaming expectations.
- “While it was very short, I really enjoyed the gameplay and the story.”
- “The gameplay is pretty simple: chilling, reading dialogues, and looking around.”
- “People who know me will probably laugh about this, but I'm writing this review after I cried for at least 15 minutes straight with no break in between because this game is so terribly sad and depressing. It's basically a visual novel, so don't expect a lot gameplay-wise, but the character dynamics and dialogues are incredibly beautiful and faithful to the original characters.”
- “As a visual novel, the gameplay is minimal.”
- “Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
- “This 'RPG' (in reality, it's just a visual novel made in RPG Maker), has far too rough of a translation to really be enjoyed for its writing, and since it isn't really an RPG, there's basically no gameplay.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and emotional impact, featuring a diverse soundtrack that blends traditional Japanese melodies with somber piano pieces. While some tracks are noted as recognizable royalty-free or RPG Maker stock music, the overall composition is described as beautiful and evocative, enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
- “The music and art are beautiful, and I found myself on the verge of tears throughout the entire game.”
- “Music was amazing, kept the mood right where it needed to be at the right time.”
- “Some background music is recognizable as royalty-free RPG Maker stock music.”
- “The soundtrack is a soothing blend of traditional Japanese melodies and somber piano pieces, perfectly complementing the story.”
- “The music is a soothing, evocative soundtrack.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The game features charming hand-drawn visuals and atmospheric backgrounds, appealing to fans of cute art styles, particularly those who enjoy Touhou. However, it suffers from limitations typical of RPG Maker games, such as poor fullscreen display, lack of HD support, and minimal graphics customization options, which may disappoint dedicated modern PC gamers. Overall, while the artwork is endearing, the graphical quality is simplistic and inconsistent with the visual theme.
- “Lovely hand-drawn visuals and atmospheric backgrounds.”
- “Cute artwork too; if you like Touhou and have a couple of hours to spare, definitely give this a go!”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “Except for the CGs, the graphics are quite simple.”
- “Some visual effects and graphics do not fit the visual theme.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by charming hand-drawn visuals and serene backgrounds that enhance its heartfelt narrative, making it appealing to fans of the genre. However, some users note that the atmosphere may feel less immersive due to technical limitations and a lack of interactivity, with one reviewer describing it as feeling "hard as stone." Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a strong point, despite some criticisms.
- “The game features charming character sprites and atmospheric backgrounds.”
- “Lovely hand-drawn visuals and atmospheric backgrounds.”
- “It’s not perfect, but its heartfelt narrative and serene atmosphere make it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.”
- “The atmosphere doesn't look real; it's as hard as stone.”
- “While its technical limitations and lack of interactivity may deter some, its story and atmosphere are more than enough to compensate.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's limited branching paths restrict its replayability, though this design choice contributes to a more cohesive narrative experience.
- “The story’s lack of branching paths limits replayability but ensures a cohesive experience.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive after the first playthrough, making it hard to find reasons to replay.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted for its depth and emotional resonance, with players noting the strong bonds that form between characters as the story progresses. The relationships evolve organically, enhancing the overall narrative and player investment in the characters' journeys.