Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism

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Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism is a single player arcade shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by 上海アリス幻樂団 and was released on June 5, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism" is a bullet hell shooter game set in the fantasy world of Gensokyo. Players control either the scarf fairy Sanae or the Asian paladin Youmu, battling against a variety of spirit creatures in order to seal a hole leading to the subterranean realm. The game features fast-paced action, intricate patterns of projectiles, and a unique cast of supernatural characters.

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Single-Player

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism screenshot

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 321 reviews

music30 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features an incredible soundtrack with memorable tracks that enhance the gameplay experience.
Subterranean Animism is known for its challenging yet fair gameplay, rewarding players for mastering bullet patterns and improving their skills.
The character designs and unique shot types add depth and variety to the gameplay, making it engaging for both new and returning players.

The game is notoriously difficult, often considered one of the hardest in the Touhou series, which may frustrate new players.
Some players have reported technical issues, including graphical glitches and antivirus false positives, which can detract from the experience.
The bomb system can feel punishing, as using bombs drains power, making resource management crucial and sometimes frustrating.

music
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The music in this game is widely praised as exceptional, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to enhance the gameplay experience and create a memorable atmosphere. Tracks like "Hartmann's Youkai Girl," "Lullaby of a Deserted Hell," and "Nuclear Fusion" are frequently mentioned as standout pieces that complement the game's challenging mechanics. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best in the series, motivating players to continue despite the game's high difficulty.
- “The music and character design are really good as well; I listen to 'Solar Sect' and 'Hartmann's Youkai Girl' all the time.”
- “The music is also consistently quite good, being some of the best in the series; 'Lullaby of a Deserted Hell', 'Nuclear Fusion', and 'Green Eyed Jealousy' are some of note.”
- “Each song feels like it ushers you onwards, and like most of the songs in the series, each one sounds fun and fits well with its corresponding stage.”
- “While this game is much harder than its predecessor (which I recommend for a beginner), the atmosphere and soundtrack are quite superb.”
- “The music is as always with ZUN's music really good, but some of the later stage themes can be forgettable. It still has a lot of exceedingly excellent tracks (3rd Eye, Nuclear Fusion, Last Remote, Hartmann's Youkai Girl...).”
- “What motivated me to keep playing even though I was getting absolutely annihilated was the soundtrack.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The gameplay is easy to learn yet challenging, providing a satisfying experience that rewards skill over luck. While it lacks the depth of special mechanics found in earlier titles, it introduces unique features like the grazing mechanic and a power-for-bombs system that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the refined mechanics and engaging soundtrack, though some feel it could benefit from more innovative gameplay elements.
- “It was really easy to learn and yet the gameplay is still challenging, so it doesn't feel boring.”
- “Firstly, I will say the mechanics of the game are very refined and to the point.”
- “Grazing also returns as a major mechanic, filling up a gradually decaying meter as you get in close proximity to bullets, auto-collecting items when at maximum and increasing your scoring potential.”
- “Gameplay: unnecessarily cruel.”
- “Very few special mechanics are present here; this game feels very vanilla compared to previous games.”
- “There isn't much difference between non-spells and spells gameplay-wise, apart from score.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The story is set in a hellish environment and features a mix of unique characters, with a narrative that builds on previous games in the series, particularly "Mountain of Faith." While some reviewers find the plot somewhat weak and simplistic, it is praised for its continuity and depth, particularly in character backstories. The gameplay's increasing difficulty aligns well with the story's themes, creating a cohesive experience, despite some criticisms of the art and overall plot complexity.
- “It is also notable for how the story makes good use of plot points from previous games, which keeps a strong sense of continuity.”
- “Love how the story, location, and atmosphere all match the difficulty level.”
- “The story in this game is a direct result of the events of Mountain of Faith and feels somewhat weak due to it relying on that, but it's passable for what the stories in this series are.”
- “The story is something about Reimu fighting against the industrial revolution (Moriya conspiracy) or something; I don't know, I haven't read the Unabomber manifesto.”
- “The weaknesses are the art and simple plot, but those aren't the selling points. To be fair, the developer is only one guy (look up ZUN); it's pretty impressive that one guy does all the game design, programming, music, art, and story.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with many reviewers noting its strong alignment with the Touhou series' signature ambiance, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and creative spellcards. The visuals and music effectively build anticipation, particularly leading to impactful final stages, while the overall atmosphere complements the game's challenging difficulty.
- “It shares the quality and sense of atmosphere of its Touhou game siblings, along with what felt to me like a bigger emphasis on anticipation for the later stages of the game, with a fantastic finale.”
- “I like how it creates an atmosphere with just the visuals and music; reaching the last stage is always very impactful.”
- “While this game is much harder than its predecessor (which I recommend for a beginner), the atmosphere and soundtrack are quite superb.”
- “However, the characteristic horrible atmosphere of this work is really good.”
- “Love how the story, location, and atmosphere all match the difficulty level.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the graphics are praised for their quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that they are among the best in the genre. However, some users reported graphical and launching issues that could detract from the experience. Despite these concerns, the visuals contribute positively to gameplay, particularly in terms of bullet clarity and the impact of the game's final stages.
- “10/10 graphics for the genre, but you'll lose if you spend any time looking at them.”
- “Best balance of shot types having variety and also being useful, incredible spell cards, the best music out of them all, and beautiful visuals.”
- “Graphical issues, launching issues, false detection, etc.”
- “Going back to the visuals related to gameplay, however, the bullet clarity was never an issue in this game, which is a plus.”
- “I like how it creates an atmosphere with just the visuals and music; reaching the last stage is always very impactful.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by quirky and memorable characters, such as a funny cat and catgirl, alongside amusing dialogues and absurd scenarios, like a nuclear bird. Overall, players find the humor to be a mix of whimsical and entertaining elements that enhance the gaming experience.
- “Shooty funny hat girl”
- “Funny nuclear bird goes brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”
- “(mostly) funny dialogues and memorable characters (like Satori having the spell cards of the guest stars, for example)”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the game highly replayable due to its engaging dialogue and the unique mechanics associated with different shot types, which encourage varied playthroughs. Additionally, those who appreciate challenging gameplay reminiscent of classic titles will enjoy the mastery aspect, further enhancing the game's replay value.
- “The dialogue in the game is fun to read and adds replayability.”
- “Not to mention, the game is very replayable; each shot type has its own special gimmick that is more fleshed out than usual.”
- “This allows for variation in the dialogue based on which shot type you're using, adding that small bit of replayability to the game.”
- “If you grew up on older 'Nintendo hard' games that similarly didn't pull their punches and forced you to get better, and you enjoyed that feeling of accomplishment and replayability from mastery, you'll not go wrong picking this game up.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character design in the game, highlighting its quality and appeal, particularly noting Utsuho as a standout favorite. Additionally, the music complements the character experience, enhancing overall enjoyment.
- “The music and character design are really good as well; I listen to 'Solar Sect' and 'Hartmann's Yokai Girl' all the time.”
- “The character designs are also really good in this game, and Utsuho is my favorite character in the series.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional response to the character Parsee, highlighting feelings of frustration and trauma from repeated defeats. In contrast, they also appreciate the emotional depth of the song "Heartfelt Fancy," which enhances their connection to the character Satori, showcasing the game's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions.
- “I could go on forever about how much I love 'Heartfelt Fancy' and how it's a brilliant song that leads into Satori and into her character.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game eliminates grinding and tutorials, allowing for a more respectful and engaging experience that encourages skill development without a significant time commitment.
- “No grinding, no tutorials, no major time commitment -- the game respects you as a player and doesn't pull its punches so you can become better.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for resembling the misleading tactics often seen in low-quality mobile game ads, suggesting a focus on exploiting player frustration rather than providing a fair gaming experience.
- “If you've seen those terrible mobile game ads that have captions like 'I can't get past level 3!!1!', this is basically that but for real.”
- “The monetization strategy feels like a cash grab rather than a fair system for players.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”

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Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism is a arcade shooter game with fantasy theme.

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism is available on PC and Windows.

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism was released on June 5, 2020.

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism was developed by 上海アリス幻樂団.

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its story.

Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism is a single player game.

Similar games include Touhou Tenkuushou: Hidden Star in Four Seasons, Touhou Fuujinroku: Mountain of Faith, Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II, Touhou Kouryuudou: Unconnected Marketeers, Touhou Shinreibyou: Ten Desires and others.

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