GENSOU Skydrift

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 243 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • story
GENSOU Skydrift Game Cover
Mario Kart: Double Dash rises from its grave in a variety of ways with this anime-inspired kart racer.
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Gensou Skydrift is a racing game set in the Touhou Project universe, where humans and yokai coexist. Choose from 20 characters and swap between the rider and board, using spell cards for attacks or defense. Race through 16 varied courses in online multiplayer or campaign mode, with a secret episode available post-game. Suitable for both Touhou veterans and newcomers.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 243 reviews
music36 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • Fun and engaging gameplay that combines elements from Mario Kart Double Dash with unique mechanics like character switching and spell cards.
  • Vibrant graphics and a fantastic soundtrack featuring remixes of popular Touhou music enhance the overall experience.
  • Offers a variety of characters and tracks, providing a good amount of replay value, especially in multiplayer settings.
  • The single-player campaign is quite short, often completed in under two hours, leaving players wanting more content.
  • Online multiplayer is mostly inactive, making it difficult to find matches and diminishing the game's longevity.
  • Controls can feel awkward and unresponsive at times, particularly with drifting and item usage, which may frustrate players.
  • music51 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its high quality and energetic remixes of classic Touhou tracks that enhance the overall gameplay experience. The soundtrack is described as "fantastic," "amazing," and "dope," fitting seamlessly with the game's colorful and charismatic design. Additionally, the inclusion of a music room allows players to enjoy their favorite tracks outside of races, further highlighting the game's strong musical component.

    • “The soundtrack, as expected of a Touhou game, is phenomenal and lives up to the quality of the official remixes in the Twilight Frontier spinoffs, while retaining the feel that it belongs in a racing game.”
    • “The music is great, and if you have friends, it only gets better.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, the visuals are pleasing, the wide selection of characters with different stats and spell cards add some nice variety, stages are fun to race through, and of course, the music is stunning.”
    • “Now I feel like I have to buy the soundtrack to make up for my down-voting this game.”
    • “The music is fine.”
    • “It's a good game if you're a fan of Touhou, good quantity of characters with their own special abilities, different stages, the online community doesn't seem to be very active, and it would be better if the game had more modes, like a battle mode, the character designs are well done, and the music doesn't get left behind.”
  • gameplay43 mentions

    The gameplay is a unique blend of mechanics inspired by Mario Kart: Double Dash, featuring a character-switching system that adds depth and strategy to races. While the controls are smooth and responsive, and the character variety enhances the experience, some players find the gameplay to be somewhat casual and lacking in complexity compared to mainstream kart racers. Overall, it offers engaging multiplayer fun, especially for fans of the Touhou series, despite some minor issues with map design and mechanics.

    • “The constant three-way balancing act between handling, recharging, and boosting makes for really engaging gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay feels amazingly good; it's so smooth and you can actually feel the difference between picking a character with no handling and a character with max handling.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, the visuals are pleasing, the wide selection of characters with different stats and spell cards add some nice variety, stages are fun to race through, and of course, the music is stunning.”
    • “Core mechanics are very clumsy.”
    • “The mechanics take a moment to get used to, but once you got the hang of it, it's very fun and you'll find this game actually rewards skill over just spamming items.”
    • “And you have a tag-team mechanic - albeit one that doesn't seem quite intuitive and might've done better with more explanations about some of the finer mechanics that underpin it.”
  • story30 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered minimal and lacks depth, with many players noting that the campaign is short and not particularly engaging. While some appreciate the inclusion of unlockable content and character interactions, the overall narrative is often described as basic or even non-existent, serving more as a tutorial than a compelling storyline. Players suggest that those looking for a rich narrative experience may be disappointed, as the focus is primarily on gameplay rather than storytelling.

    • “The game offers a campaign mode which kind of serves as a tutorial as well as telling you a basic story, a vs mode with limited local play (and a somewhat empty online play), and free run mode which is basically like a time trial/practice mode.”
    • “Starting off, it's a simple but solid fun racer, with 2 story mode campaigns to play through and a 3rd currently in development.”
    • “As the story unfolds, you can meet and interact with new Touhou characters.”
    • “The story mode might as well not be there, and the online for a 4-year-old fan game is, well, you know.”
    • “The story is non-existent.”
    • “Story mode took me 50 minutes to beat and has no replay value.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant colors, cute character artwork, and creative track designs, while others criticize the overall quality as reminiscent of early 2010s or even PS2-era visuals. Despite these shortcomings, the aesthetic appeal and engaging visuals contribute positively to the overall enjoyment of the game. Players appreciate the combination of charming graphics and a lively soundtrack, making it a fun experience despite its technical limitations.

    • “The character artwork and models are very nice as well.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, the visuals are pleasing, the wide selection of characters with different stats and spell cards add some nice variety, stages are fun to race through, and of course the music is stunning.”
    • “It's janky, the netcode is terrible, and the graphics look like they came out of the early 2010s - but this has got to be the most enjoyable time I've ever had with a racing game, hands down.”
    • “But the graphics themselves are PS2 tier.”
    • “Being a game migrated from Switch, don't expect this to have top-notch graphics, but it is still presentable enough through the use of vibrant colors and varied landscapes.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability varies significantly among users. While some titles are criticized for their short story modes and limited replay options, others, particularly a Touhou fangame, are praised for their high replay value and engaging gameplay. Multiplayer features and time trials also contribute to replayability in certain games, but many players find the overall replay value lacking.

    • “It's a Mario-style racing game with infinite replayability, multiplayer split-screen, online, and the recent remote play together.”
    • “This Touhou fangame has high replay value and is a lot of fun.”
    • “This game has good replay value.”
    • “The story mode took me 50 minutes to beat and has no replay value.”
    • “Replay value is not that great; it's just time trials, pretty much.”
    • “There's very little replay value, and it's just really short.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding it both funny and entertaining, particularly through quirky characters and amusing scenarios. While some mention issues with controls and gameplay understanding, the overall comedic elements, including a cute story mode and humorous visuals, contribute positively to the experience. The game's charm lies in its ability to elicit laughter despite its flaws.

    • “But it controls very well, most of the stages are good and the music is fire, plus watching Alice marisaboard around the corner doesn't really stop being funny.”
    • “Game looked weird but in the end I bought it and it's actually funny as hell.”
    • “This game also has a funny and cute short story mode that you should play to unlock racers and courses (unlockables in a game in 2019, wow).”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for numerous bugs, including issues with controller support, resolution settings, and the requirement for an internet connection to access the title screen. Users have reported that these problems significantly detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to justify purchasing the game.

    • “Especially with those buggy maps.”
    • “Waited for this game to come out on PC and was more excited to learn that it had 'controller support'. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case as the controller configuration is currently buggy and untranslated. A friend said it was good, but unfortunately, I couldn't justify buying a game that convinced me to buy it because it claimed to have controller support.”
    • “Buggy, requires internet to even get to the title screen. The resolution options are lined up off the screen and don't scroll (good luck seeing what you apply if your monitor is above 1600x900, which is more than likely).”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be enjoyable, particularly for those who appreciate time trials, but may feel excessive or tedious for others. A discount of around 30% is considered reasonable for grinding enthusiasts, while a 70% discount is suggested for those less inclined to engage in it. Additionally, players may find the need for extra lives to effectively manage the grinding process.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “It's worth it at 30% off if you enjoy grinding through time trials; otherwise, it feels more like a 70% experience.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

59% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
1-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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