Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia
- July 3, 2022
- potemki11
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia" is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up game set in the Touhou Project universe. Players control various characters as they battle through hordes of enemies and giant bosses in vibrant, hand-drawn environments. The game features a unique "Barrier" mechanic that allows players to deflect bullets and turn the tide of battle, adding an extra layer of strategy to the fast-paced action.
Reviews
- Artificial Dream in Arcadia is a fantastic tribute to classic first-person dungeon crawlers, successfully blending SMT mechanics with Touhou characters.
- The hijacking mechanic, which replaces traditional negotiations, adds a fun bullet hell element to combat, making recruitment engaging and rewarding.
- The game features beautiful pixel art, a phenomenal soundtrack, and a wealth of content, providing great value for its price.
- The encounter rate can be frustratingly high, leading to tedious grinding and backtracking in some dungeons.
- Some players may find the battery mechanic limiting, as running out of battery can restrict access to important game functions.
- The story and character development may feel shallow for those unfamiliar with Touhou lore, potentially leaving some players disconnected from the narrative.
- gameplay159 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a well-crafted blend of classic Shin Megami Tensei mechanics and modern quality-of-life improvements, featuring an engaging core loop centered around dungeon crawling, character recruitment through a unique hijacking mechanic, and resource management. Players appreciate the beautiful graphics, phenomenal soundtrack, and the addictive nature of the gameplay, although some mechanics, like the battery system and certain combat elements, have received mixed feedback for their execution. Overall, the game is highly recommended for fans of the genre, offering a satisfying experience with high replay value and a charming aesthetic.
“The gameplay is simple, but fun.”
“Really love the combat system - hijacking enemies is super fun and helps break up JRPG gameplay in a refreshing way, and other mechanics don't overcomplicate battles.”
“The fusion of Touhou with Shin Megami Tensei has been done wonderfully here, resulting in a highly involving and challenging RPG with an addictive 'gotta-catch-'em-all' gameplay loop.”
“The 'battery' mechanic is inconsistent.”
“Lastly, other mechanics the game featured which should have provided more depth, such as an item system and a 'battery' mechanic that was meant to encourage you to judge whether you needed a full team or not at times to save resources, were all unimpactful.”
“Despite these criticisms of the gameplay, I still do recommend this game.”
- music99 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its phenomenal quality and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic SMT titles. The soundtrack features a mix of original compositions and arrangements from the Touhou series, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere and gameplay experience. However, some players noted inconsistencies in the quality of music during late-game content, with a few expressing disappointment over repetitive themes in certain areas.
“The soundtrack is fantastic, perfectly encapsulating the atmosphere and serving as a nice homage to SMT during the SNES era while being its own thing.”
“The music is amazing, the art, the backgrounds, the ambience... this game is 100% worth the money.”
“The perfect fusion of Touhou music and SMT soundfont is worth it alone.”
“The music is a hit or miss at times; the human village theme is droning and monotonous, especially when it plays in other hubs where it doesn't fit at all.”
“Excluding the few exceptions, they all have the same song, so I was a bit disappointed to find that the major boss theme was only a remix of Utsuho's theme.”
“It's a very sudden and unexpected shift in quality of gameplay and quality of music, to the degree that it leaves me thinking that different people handled the main game versus postgame.”
- story50 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this Touhou fangame is generally considered light and not deeply engaging, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. While it introduces players to the Touhou universe without requiring extensive prior knowledge, the narrative is often described as simplistic and occasionally lacking in coherence, though some players appreciate its emotional core and character interactions. Overall, the plot is seen as a fun complement to the gameplay, with humorous dialogue and familiar character dynamics, but it does not stand out as a major selling point.
“As someone who is starting into Touhou, I really had a great experience playing. You don't need to know all the lore of the game to understand the story, since the story itself has no continuity from the other games and introduces you to most of the basic concepts of the lore, so don't worry.”
“The story is relatively light, but it's fun to interact with so many Touhou characters and to piece together what's going on as you play: the plot resolution itself is very rewarding and written smartly, giving the game an emotional core that really resonated with me and made me feel things, which was a very pleasant surprise.”
“A surprisingly deep plot and motivations once you piece everything together, that give the game a bit of a melancholic, yet wholesome tone that is quite appreciated nonetheless.”
“However, keep in mind that despite being heavily SMT inspired, it does not have a 'deep' story, nor does it have alignments or much story content at all.”
“The game treats the plot as non-existent and solely focuses on just the gameplay.”
“It sort of comes together by the end, but the main story thread is incredibly weak - you're mysteriously told to go places and take selfies to deal with a bunch of clones and a weird tower.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively captures the nostalgic aesthetic of classic SNES-era titles, particularly the early Megami Tensei games. While some reviewers note a simplistic design as a stylistic choice, the overall presentation is considered charming and visually appealing, enhancing the gameplay experience. The combination of vibrant art, character portraits, and a cohesive aesthetic contributes to a strong sense of nostalgia and enjoyment for fans of retro RPGs.
“The graphics and music are an excellent Super Famicom throwback and perfectly capture the style of this game's inspirations in addition to looking and sounding wonderful on their own.”
“With fantastic dungeons, killer soundtrack, and a lovely pixel art style, I cannot recommend this game enough!”
“Their aesthetic mixed with the SNES style graphics makes for a wonderful pixel art experience.”
“The graphics are a little simplistic, but this is a stylistic choice to better reflect the older SMT games.”
“From the graphics to the menus, the game is almost indistinguishable from its inspirations.”
“Classic dungeon crawler gameplay, with visuals reminiscent of the SNES era, right down to the amusingly fake 3D turning.”
- grinding27 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with players often feeling forced to engage in extensive grinding to progress, especially in harder difficulty settings that penalize experience gain. While some players appreciate the efficiency of item and money grinding, many find the high encounter rates and cumbersome menu systems detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy grinding, but it may alienate players who prefer a more streamlined experience.
“The gameplay is cool at first, but very quickly becomes tedious and repetitive.”
“An initially wonderful dungeon crawler RPG with a huge cast of Touhou characters and generally solid gameplay, held back by specific problems where you are expected to grind to get by, and the game wants a *lot* of grinding.”
“People who can't stand grinding will hate it, and people that like grinding may also grow to dislike it.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its intelligent and cute writing, with players enjoying the protagonist Sumireko's witty comments and the amusing scenarios that arise from her psychic abilities and interactions with Gensokyo's locals. The dialogue is consistently funny, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere, while the game also incorporates humorous side quests and NPC interactions. However, some players find the game's mechanics, particularly the penalty for dying, to be frustrating, contrasting with the otherwise enjoyable comedic elements.
“The writing is intelligent, cute, hilarious, and had me smiling through nearly every single block of dialogue.”
“Game does have humorous dialogue, side quests, and secret rewards that require you to be thorough in your exploration, challenging but fair gameplay and enough quality of life changes from the more recent Atlus RPGs to make it accessible for less experienced players in the dungeon crawler genre.”
“The creator obviously knows his Touhou lore and characters too, because everything seems to be in place and accurate, and there's a decent amount of humor talking with all the NPCs.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional music that enhances each level and creates a vibrant, engaging environment. The pixel art and overall design contribute to a tense yet cozy ambiance, reminiscent of classic titles like SMT, while the soundtrack serves as both a tribute and a unique element that captivates players. Overall, the game successfully immerses players in its world, making it a standout in the dungeon-crawling genre.
“The music fits the atmosphere at every level I have been to so far.”
“Amazing atmosphere, great pixel art, very engaging and tense, truly pushing the envelope on what a Touhou fan game can be.”
“The soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere and is a nice homage to SMT during the SNES era while being its own thing.”
“Even the atmosphere of the game elicits memories of SMT 1 and 2.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a surprisingly deep and rewarding plot that resonates emotionally, blending a lighthearted tone with moments of melancholy and wholesomeness. Players appreciate the engaging interactions with characters and the clever narrative that evokes genuine feelings, enhancing the overall experience.
“The story is relatively light, but it's fun to interact with so many Touhou characters and to piece together what's going on as you play: the plot resolution itself is very rewarding and written smartly, giving the game an emotional core that really resonated with me and made me feel things, which was a very pleasant surprise.”
“A surprisingly deep plot and motivations once you piece everything together, that give the game a bit of a melancholic, yet wholesome tone that is quite appreciated nonetheless.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its integrated cheat codes (grimoires) that allow players to modify gameplay, alongside a variety of units and deep mechanics that encourage variant and challenge runs. This flexibility in gameplay options significantly enhances the overall replay value.
“It has integrated cheat codes (grimoires) that mix up the gameplay, and generally has a high replay value, in my opinion.”
“There's plenty of scope for variant/challenge runs, thanks to the deep mechanics, wide variety of units to use, and the grimoire system that lets you alter the rules of the game slightly, making the replayability factor very high.”
“There's also plenty of scope for variant/challenge runs, between the deep mechanics, wide variety of units to use, and the grimoire system which lets you alter the rules of the game slightly, or simply make it easier or harder across the board, so the replayability factor is very high as well.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in this JRPG is highlighted by its addictive gameplay and unique designs by Zun, which contribute to a visually appealing and engaging experience.
“Genuinely addictive JRPG with Zun's ingenious character designs.”
“The character designs are pretty cool.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is noted to be on par with other expansive RPGs like "Touhou Shoujo: Tale of Beautiful Memories" and "Touhou Puppet Dance Performance: Shard of Dreams," suggesting a well-crafted experience that effectively manages its scope and performance.
