Hifuu Nightmare Diary ~ Violet Detector

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 114 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Hifuu Nightmare Diary ~ Violet Detector Game Cover
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Violet Detector, like its predecessors Shoot the Bullet, Double Spoiler and Impossible Spell Card, is a collection of many individual danmaku patterns that the player can choose from at their leisure. In addition to the usual mechanic of taking photographs that clear enemy bullets, Sumireko has several psychic superpowers at her disposal, such as teleportation. The game features all of the charact…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 114 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique photography mechanic that adds a fun twist to the traditional bullet hell gameplay.
  • The soundtrack is enjoyable, with tracks that enhance the game's atmosphere and mood.
  • The difficulty curve is engaging, providing a sense of accomplishment as players progress through challenging spell cards.
  • The teleportation mechanic is clunky and frustrating, requiring precise inputs that can detract from the overall experience.
  • Many spell patterns feel recycled from previous Touhou games, leading to a lack of originality in some encounters.
  • The game lacks a proper English translation, making it less accessible for non-Japanese speaking players.
  • gameplay44 mentions

    The gameplay features a unique blend of photography and teleportation mechanics, which introduce fresh challenges but can feel clunky and unintuitive at times. While the game draws inspiration from previous titles in the series, many players feel it lacks the polish and replayability of its predecessors, particularly due to the cumbersome teleportation mechanic. Overall, the core shooting and spell card elements remain enjoyable, but the execution of new mechanics leaves room for improvement.

    • “The gameplay is reminiscent of impossible spell card and the Aya games, where you complete individual scenes to progress. Like Aya's games, you must advance by taking pictures of the boss and her danmaku (only one photo per scene is required to progress in this game; once you do that, you can feel free to simply take the boss out with your bullets).”
    • “Some fun mechanics are mixed in, and although the teleportation can feel clunky, it gives new fun ways to survive danmaku.”
    • “My favorite aspects of this game and why I like it so much are the new photography gameplay mechanic and the dream diary itself.”
    • “The teleportation mechanic is the biggest deal breaker once it's introduced, as using it feels extremely clunky.”
    • “This is an extremely butchered mechanic since shift also manages your focused speed, which is needed to get through tighter spaces.”
    • “These two games are what Violet Detector tries to uphold the legacy to, but the previous two games offered this gameplay style in a much more focused and well-presented manner that offers more challenge and replayability than what this game can offer.”
  • story28 mentions

    The story of the game centers around Sumireko Usami, expanding on her character and connections to previous Touhou narratives, particularly her ability to enter Gensokyo through dreams. While some players find the story intriguing and well-integrated with the game's mechanics and music, others feel it complicates the dream world unnecessarily. Overall, the narrative is seen as charming and engaging, with a mix of new and returning characters that enhance the experience.

    • “This game excels in giving more story to the character Sumireko Usami, a character whose existence within the current Touhou canon has already been very explosive. This game further explores that with the comments she provides for each attack she faces, along with a small but significant story that partially ties in with the music albums ZUN has written stories in dating back to 2003.”
    • “The game even tells a pretty intriguing story as it goes on.”
    • “Interesting story with beloved characters returning and a different approach to photography games than before.”
    • “The only exception I find are two tracks lifted from 'Dateless Bar -Old Adam-' as the tracks do feel a lot more appropriate for... well, a bar, rather than to assist in telling the story.”
    • “While I was unsure of this game's main character's backstory with 'Antinomy of Common Flowers', which overall, I enjoyed as the first fighter I played in years, now I really appreciate the idea with this game and its really cool photography mechanic.”
    • “Violet Detector follows the story of Sumireko who just bought a new cellphone to sh!”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game, while not featuring many original tracks, is highly praised for its quality and emotional resonance, particularly the final week theme and the "Nightmare Diary" piece, which players find themselves humming long after playing. The soundtrack effectively complements the game's narrative and atmosphere, enhancing the intensity of battles and the overall experience. Overall, the OST is considered excellent and fitting for the game's themes.

    • “The music is pretty great and I was humming 'Nightmare Diary' (the music for the third set of scenes) for a while when not playing it, honestly.”
    • “Some very interesting pieces of music that'll surely be worth listening to, and extremely fitting to the story and feeling of the game.”
    • “The music along with the more intense fights create a feeling of desperation while you're fighting through a living nightmare.”
    • “There aren't too many original songs in this game, but the final week theme is very good; it'll grow on you while you spend hours trying to beat all those final spells.”
    • “The music along with the more intense fights creates a feeling of desperation while you're fighting through a living nightmare.”
    • “Music-wise, well, it's Touhou.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics in the game feature only a few new elements, such as Sumireko's sprites and updated menus, while the majority are recycled from previous titles. This results in a noticeable disparity in style, particularly with older characters whose sprites date back to 2004, contrasting sharply with the cleaner aesthetics of the newer graphics.

    • “While some graphics fit in with the clean aesthetics, it's when you get to older characters that you see sprites that have been used since 2004, and the style difference is really obvious.”
    • “The only new graphics are Sumireko's sprites/portraits and various menus and HUDs.”
    • “Aside from that, all the other graphics are lifted from other games.”
    • “While some do fit in with the clean aesthetics, it's when you get to older characters where you see sprites that have been used since 2004, and the style difference is really obvious.”
    • “Lastly, in terms of graphics, the only new ones are Sumireko's sprites/portraits and various menus and HUDs.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game features infinitely replayable attacks that can be revisited later, enhancing flexibility for players not aiming for 100% completion. However, compared to its predecessors, it lacks the focused challenge and overall replayability that made those earlier titles more engaging.

    • “Each attack is infinitely replayable, and can even be skipped and come back to later if you're not trying to 100% everything.”
    • “These two games are what Violet Detector tries to uphold the legacy to, but the previous two games offered this gameplay style in a much more focused and well-presented manner that offers more challenge and replayability than what this game can offer.”
    • “These two games are what Violet Detector tries to uphold the legacy to, but the previous two games offered this gameplay style in a much more focused and well-presented manner that offers more challenge and replayability than what this game can provide.”
    • “These two games are what Violet Detector tries to uphold the legacy to, but the previous two games offered this gameplay style in a much more focused and well-presented manner that offers more challenge and replayability than what this game can provide.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting a sense of personal growth and achievement when overcoming challenging obstacles, such as dodging fast projectiles. This feeling of improvement contributes to a rewarding and engaging gameplay experience.

  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game has been met with mixed reactions, as many users find the jokes about the characters to be unfunny and lacking in creativity. Overall, the comedic elements seem to fall flat for a significant portion of the audience.

    • “Another unfunny joke about a character from this game.”
    • “Yet another unfunny joke about a character from this game.”
    • “More unfunny jokes about characters from this game.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding mechanics tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the cumbersome control scheme that requires multiple key presses during intense gameplay.

    • “Having to press shift twice and then a direction during constant bullet fire is very tedious and stupid.”
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