LABYRINTH OF TOUHOU - GENSOKYO AND THE HEAVEN-PIERCING TREE
- August 23, 2021
- CUBETYPE
- 525h median play time
Get on SteamLabyrinth of Touhou - Gensokyo and the Heaven-Piercing Tree is a challenging dungeon crawler RPG set in the Touhou Project universe. Explore randomly generated levels, battle strange creatures, and use a variety of magic skills and items to survive. The game features a unique bullet hell-inspired combat system and includes over 120 stages with increasing difficulty. Your goal is to reach the top of the Heaven-Piercing Tree, but can you make it?
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Tablet
Reviews
- Incredibly in-depth combat system with a unique 12-party, 4-active and 8-reserve setup that allows for strategic switching and flexibility.
- Extensive character roster with meaningful customization options, allowing for diverse team builds and strategies.
- Challenging boss battles that require careful planning and execution, making victories feel rewarding.
- The game can be excessively grindy, especially in the post-game content, which may deter some players.
- Lack of clarity in certain gameplay mechanics and character abilities, often requiring players to consult external wikis for detailed information.
- No controller support and clunky menu navigation can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- gameplay74 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its fast-paced, addictive nature, particularly during boss battles that require strategic planning and team optimization. Players appreciate the depth and versatility of the mechanics, though some aspects are not clearly explained in-game, necessitating external resources for full understanding. Overall, the game offers a rich and rewarding experience, especially for fans of JRPGs and dungeon crawlers, with a significant amount of content that encourages experimentation and replayability.
“The gameplay loop comprises three main components: dungeon-crawling, combat, and building your team.”
“The bosses range from simple DPS checks to tough hour-long fights that go through several phases with multiple mechanics that require a level of preparation and strategy above and beyond anything you’ll see in other RPGs.”
“A surprisingly mechanically rich game that rewards careful planning and a lot of experimentation.”
“One downside is that many of the in-depth mechanics, such as spell damage formulas, ailment chance/strength, and action delays are not directly stated in the game itself - but there is a wiki that others have kindly filled if you want to get into the numbers of the game.”
“The largest issue with the game is definitely information regarding mechanics.”
“~ the sheer amount of systems and mechanics at play can potentially overwhelm newcomers to the genre.”
- grinding62 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game is characterized by a significant amount of grinding, particularly in the endgame, where players may need to invest hours to prepare for challenging bosses. While some players appreciate the grind and the flexibility it offers in team building, others find it tedious, especially in postgame content. Overall, the grinding aspect is a defining feature, appealing primarily to those who enjoy deep, grind-heavy RPG experiences.
“Deep, fun, and overall not grindy until the endgame!”
“I do not recommend you play this if you're expecting casual, turn your brain off type of Touhou content; this game is hard and grindy.”
“Expect a ridiculous amount of grinding in order to have a decent chance against any of the bosses, and don't even think about attacking them at the 'recommended' level-- you'll lose in the blink of an eye.”
“The endgame grind can get tedious with how high the superboss levels get.”
- story46 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally viewed as inconsequential and filled with filler, yet it features entertaining dialogue and a charming cast of characters that enhance the experience. While the overall plot becomes more engaging in the later acts, many players find the narrative to be secondary to the gameplay, with a focus on character interactions rather than a groundbreaking storyline. Despite its fan-made nature, the story ties in well with the Touhou universe, offering a humorous and self-aware experience that appeals to those who enjoy RPG mechanics over deep lore.
“The story is what's probably what I really enjoyed, even if it was a pretty minor part of the game. Despite it being a fanmade game, it really ties in nicely to Touhou's usual story.”
“The story is hilarious and in-character.”
“+ very charming dialogue and a lovable cast of characters, making for an entertaining story.”
“The story and writing, even if it manages to be funny sometimes, is mostly inconsequential filler.”
“Story and narrative are practically non-existent; the conflict merely exists to push you up a 20-floor labyrinth which gets increasingly complex and challenging as you climb up.”
“You don't need to understand the Touhou universe, as the story in this game is mostly non-existent and very self-aware.”
- music40 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while many players appreciate its aesthetic appeal and catchy tunes, some criticize it for not being closely related to the Touhou series and for issues with looping. Overall, the soundtrack is described as lovely and varied, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, though some players express a desire for more original compositions and modifiable tracks.
“The music is still wonderful, the art style seems more 'standard' anime rather than the more old school 80s-esque look they had for the first game.”
“This game finally available on Steam and with it, it brings us a very lovely OST and quality gameplay.”
“Aesthetically, the music is fine despite not being Touhou; some of the tunes are rather catchy.”
“But the much bigger flaw is that the music does not properly loop.”
“I really hope the next game properly loops its music.”
“The only things this game is missing are moddable music (the postgame/plus disc boss tracks get old fast) and a turn order list in the style of Final Fantasy X.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally solid, featuring polished visuals and beautiful character artwork, particularly for the Touhou characters. While the art style leans towards standard anime rather than the retro aesthetic of its predecessor, some players noted a lack of dynamic 3D elements and limited graphic settings, which may detract from the overall experience. Despite some inconsistencies in enemy designs and menu navigation, the visuals are considered appealing and well-executed for a dungeon RPG.
“Visuals are solid for a DRPG and feel incredibly polished.”
“The artwork in this game is also really pretty; the characters are rendered beautifully.”
“+ Overhauled HD visuals, featuring some truly beautiful dungeon and UI layouts.”
“As far as graphics go, it's on par with the DS Etrian Odyssey, but there are no dynamic 3D bosses like in the 3DS games.”
“Also, there are no graphic settings beyond picking your resolution, and that maxes out at 1080p.”
“Story is meme-tier and the graphics are nothing to write home about.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its character-driven writing and witty dialogue, which many players found engaging and enjoyable, even if some inside jokes were missed. While the story is often described as hilarious and in-character, some reviewers noted that it can also feel like inconsequential filler at times. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm and keeps players invested despite its challenges.
“The cherry on top is the genuinely funny character-driven writing, which you get tons of on any given floor.”
“It was a rather difficult RPG, but seeing many familiar characters and funny dialogue kept me hooked.”
“The story is hilarious and in-character.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through various modes, including hard mode and the ability to start new saves with all party members unlocked, encouraging players to experiment with different team combinations. With a large cast of characters and high levels of customization, players can enjoy a diverse and engaging experience, making it appealing for those who appreciate extensive replay value.
“Once you've beaten the game, you can play through it with all party members unlocked, which adds a lot of replay value.”
“It's also pretty replayable to a point, as there is a very large cast of potentially playable characters.”
“If you enjoy games with high levels of customization, big numbers (max level is 12,800 for instance), and infinite replay value, this will be something you like.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally well-received, with players noting that character performance can fluctuate based on game progression, which adds a layer of strategy to combat. While some find the gameplay a bit grindy, the emphasis on strategic party optimization during boss fights is highlighted as a strong point. Overall, the game effectively balances these elements, contributing to an engaging experience.
“Touhou puppet dance performance executed this wonderfully.”
“The main draw here are specifically the boss and foe fights which require increasing amounts of strategy and party optimization.”
“Characters will vary in performance over time as the game's context changes, which can affect overall optimization.”
“The game can get a little grindy at times, which impacts the overall optimization experience.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the reviews, but players highlight the depth of customization, suggesting that it may enhance personal connections and emotional investment in the game.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its incredible music, engaging character interactions, and immersive dungeons, all of which contribute to thrilling boss encounters and an overall captivating experience.
“The incredible music, the silly character interactions, the atmospheric dungeons, the thrilling boss encounters - I could go on forever about this series.”
