KIKURA

About

KIKURA is a single player platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by 県工情報処理部(KENKOUJSB) and was released on August 19, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

! This game has instructions ! ! You can download the manual from this store page ! ! Please read it before playing !The second installment of the "刻一刻(KIK)" series!　Setsuna is a human who has acquired the power of a yokai. 　Setsuna meets Tsukumo, a clock yokai. 　　They confront yokai in an attempt to solve 　the mysteriousness of the cursed beach!DescriptionRetro arcade-style STG is her…

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

The game features fantastic music, art, and visual presentation, making it a visually appealing experience.
Recent updates have significantly improved game mechanics and performance, addressing many previous issues.
The REN system is enjoyable to use, and the game offers a generous number of lives, making it accessible for players.

The game suffers from performance issues on lower-end PCs, with reports of long loading times and input lag.
Controls are poorly implemented for gamepads, with keyboard support feeling more natural, and settings often defaulting back to Japanese.
The graphics and overall UI design need significant improvement, as they can detract from the gameplay experience.

graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant use of color and character art reminiscent of the Touhou series, while others criticize the high-resolution visuals for appearing awkward and poorly composed. Many reviewers feel that the graphics do not effectively complement the gameplay, suggesting that the artistic choices detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as a missed opportunity, lacking cohesion and clarity.
- “Great music, great visuals (especially the use of color), the ren system feels really good to pull off - fun game.”
- “This game has beautiful wafuu music and zun-like character art styles.”
- “Now, let's talk about the graphics:”
- “The high resolution graphics look like they're supposed to be for an arcade/mid-2000 kind of pixelated look, but in HD, and something like this always looks weird on so many levels.”
- “In terms of graphics, the devs took the Touhou kind of approach, but not in a good way. Touhou games aren't great because of their graphics; they are amazing because of how they play, feel, and sound.”
- “I will not go further into details regarding the graphics here. The color composition is a mess, and the character art looks like hell's business (coming from an artist myself).”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic quality, beautiful wafuu style, and engaging soundtrack, which enhances the overall visual presentation. Many reviewers express a desire for the original soundtrack to be developed further, suggesting collaborations with skilled artists or a dedicated music release, indicating that the music could stand alone as a successful product. Overall, the combination of great music and visuals contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Fantastic music, art, and visual presentation.”
- “Yes, the soundtrack is really amazing and I loved what I heard so far.”
- “This game has beautiful wafuu music and zun-like character art styles.”
- “I wish the OST would have been given into the hands of people who actually know what to do with it, to create a spiritual successor to Guwange.”
- “As advice: just take the music and create a music CD release out of it; it'll probably sell for way more than the actual game.”
- “Or take the music and collaborate with skilled doujin circles or development teams.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization has improved following a major update on September 25, 2022, with many players reporting no significant performance issues. However, users with lower-end PCs still face classic Unity-related problems, requiring extensive tweaking for acceptable performance. Specific concerns include excessive bullet object lifetimes leading to frame drops and slowdowns, indicating that optimization remains a challenge for some players.
- “Having read the negative reviews, it would seem the major update on [9/25/22] addressed the problems, both game mechanics and performance-wise.”
- “I've had no performance issues with the game, and it runs and plays fine with no noticeable problems or gameplay grievances on my end.”
- “The only problems people are experiencing are the classic Unity problems and performance issues with those who have lower-end PCs.”
- “The only problems people are experiencing are the classic Unity problems and performance issues with people that have lower-end PCs.”
- “The result is that you need to understand how Unity works and tweak it to a point in heaven to get even an acceptable performance out of it... and even then, we're not talking about performing great.”
- “I'm not talking about intentional slowdowns (like in cave games) but real frame drops and slowdowns due to the game's bad performance.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay has seen improvements following a major update on September 25, 2022, addressing previous performance and mechanical issues. While some players report a smooth experience with no noticeable problems, others find the movement system cumbersome, particularly in the autoscrolling sections, which can lead to unfair difficulty spikes.
- “Having read the negative reviews, it would seem the major update on 9/25/22 addressed the problems, both game mechanics and performance-wise.”
- “I've had no performance issues with the game, and it runs and plays fine with no noticeable problems or gameplay grievances on my end.”
- “The movement system was something I always considered to be a bother. It may work for the puzzle and reaction gameplay, which is a lot clearer and slower, but with the autoscrolling nature of Kikura, it becomes a nuisance and makes the game a lot more difficult or even unfair, for all the wrong reasons.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story has been positively received, with users noting that the updated translations enhance the narrative's clarity and engagement. Players appreciate the depth and coherence of the plot, which contributes significantly to the overall experience.