Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost
- February 7, 2024
- UnknownX
Get on Steam"Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost" is a standalone rhythm game rebuild of the mobile title "Touhou Danmaku Kagura". It will offer two rhythm game experiences: Kagura Stage, where you hit notes in time with six lanes of music, and Danmaku Stage, which combines rhythm and shoot 'em up elements for a unique boss battle experience. With over 160 arranged Touhou songs and 68 original tracks, players can collect Mitama Cards and Fragments of Memories in their quest to rebuild Phantasia. Upcoming DLCs will add even more music to the game.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fantastic selection of Touhou music, with many beloved tracks and arrangements from various doujin circles.
- The gameplay is engaging, combining traditional rhythm game mechanics with unique danmaku (bullet hell) elements, providing a fresh experience.
- The art style and character designs are visually appealing, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the game.
- The difficulty spike between Normal and Hard modes is jarring, making it challenging for players transitioning from 4-key to 6-key gameplay.
- The story mode can feel tedious and repetitive, with unclear objectives and a lack of meaningful engagement.
- There are several quality-of-life issues, such as the lack of early/late indicators for note timing and the need to adjust note speed for each song individually.
- music283 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in this game is widely praised, particularly for its high-quality Touhou tracks and a diverse selection from various doujin circles, making it a treat for fans of the franchise. While many players appreciate the extensive song library and engaging rhythm gameplay, some express frustration over the paywall for additional songs and the need to unlock them through story mode. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience for rhythm game enthusiasts and Touhou fans alike.
“Amazing gameplay, brilliant music (but it is a Touhou game, what else was expected) and just an all-around good experience.”
“The music selection covers a pretty broad range of genres and styles, so if your musical preferences are very narrow then that'll be a large con, but to me it's a pro.”
“The songs are engaging and have good charts, and I've spent 70 hours so far doing my best to master them, despite not being the biggest fan of the genre.”
“The whole game itself just wasn't very interesting, and for the price it is, I expected a lot more songs as well.”
“It's also very inconsistent on the beatmap qualities; some songs are just boring to play and seem very badly calibrated.”
“When I booted up the game, there was no audio at all, and I looked over it thinking 'oh this is like background information, I guess it doesn't need music or anything,' then the first song started up and I found out that no audio was working for me, which pretty much makes this game unplayable, especially since it's a rhythm game.”
- story172 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it either boring or lacking depth, often describing it as filler or overly simplistic. While some appreciate its humorous moments and character representation, others feel it detracts from the gameplay experience, especially since many songs are locked behind story progression. Overall, the consensus suggests that the story is not a primary draw for the game, and players are encouraged to focus on the rhythm gameplay instead.
“Overall, it's a wholesome story that made me chuckle and reflect on some things.”
“This game... this brutal yet generous game is fun, if you love 'Touhou' as many of the hit songs and many of the characters are featured in this fascinating storyline of Reimu trying to figure out why Gensokyo and the world has been covered with desert sand; life as you know it has changed.”
“The story actually does a really good job in an aspect many Touhou fangames don't, and that's character representation.”
“This game campaign has a story and... I got bored of it pretty quickly.”
“Most of it felt like filler and by the 1/4 of the campaign I zoned out of the story and just read the pages fast to get the gist and go back to the good part.”
“The story is rather childish as well.”
- gameplay70 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of traditional rhythm mechanics and bullet hell elements, featuring two main modes: "kagura" and "danmaku." While many players appreciate the fun and imaginative experience, some find the transition between difficulty levels jarring and the danmaku mode overly challenging. Overall, the game is recommended for Touhou fans and rhythm game enthusiasts, though it may not appeal to those unfamiliar with the franchise.
“The gameplay is fun, a 6-lane rhythm game where you play lots of Touhou (fan) songs and play as Touhou characters.”
“The musical variety is strong, the varying gameplay styles provide an interesting change of pace and a novel twist on the basic six-key formula.”
“What I love about this game is how it merges bullet hell mechanics with rhythm gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very traditional - nothing fancy - except the danmaku mode, which I absolutely don't like.”
“Unfortunately, the gimmicks aren't always the most inspired, either reducing timing windows slightly or obscuring your vision with fog, or... quite literally shaking the gameplay: the earthquake gimmick is possibly the worst part of this game as it's not only not fun in the slightest, but also potentially dangerous for anyone with epilepsy.”
“The jump between normal mode and hard mode is simply too jarring, as the game suddenly goes from being a 4 key game to being a 6 key game, and there aren't really any precautions taken to help ease the player into the more complicated gameplay.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and artistic style, with many users appreciating the artwork and character designs. However, some critiques mention that while the visuals are appealing, they do not stand out significantly compared to other titles, and there are concerns about certain gameplay elements, such as boss battles, that detract from the overall experience.
“Despite never having played in 6K before, I can now get SS rank on most lunatic songs. The song choices are very great, and the beautiful character card artworks enhance the experience!”
“The art style is also great, and I like the story in this game as well.”
“The graphics aren't anything special, the story is unbearable, and the amount of content that is hidden behind DLC is insane.”
“The story and artwork were cute, but the graphics leave much to be desired.”
“The graphics are really pretty.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find it tedious and overly reliant on grinding to unlock content, others enjoy the sense of progression it offers through daily tasks and rewards. The grind can be extensive, especially with numerous cards to manage, but some players appreciate the challenge and fun it brings once they adapt to it. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant but polarizing element of the gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It can get extremely grindy when you have hundreds of cards to make use of depending on the stage.”
“I am not a fan of how this game relies on grinding to unlock songs (including DLC!!!).”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players noting plenty of funny moments and amusing dialogue, particularly from familiar characters like Reimu. While the story itself may be considered weak, it still manages to entertain, especially for fans of the Touhou series. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch that enhances the gameplay experience.
“Plenty of funny moments too.”
“The story is nothing special but can be funny sometimes; you will just have to go through it to unlock every base game song/stage, but it shouldn't be a big problem.”
“It is good, it does capture the feeling of the original, and the story has been pretty funny so far.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its wholesome narrative that evokes both laughter and reflection, with certain sections resembling a children's social-emotional learning book. However, while it offers emotional depth, some players feel it lacks replay value, and the fog effect adds a poignant touch that resonates deeply.
“Overall, it's a wholesome story that made me chuckle and reflect on some things.”
“Otherwise, Reimu's sections outright read like a book on social-emotional learning for children.”
“Also, the fog effect makes me want to cry.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have subpar optimization, particularly for low-end computers, though it remains playable. Users have noted that disabling character animations can alleviate some lag issues, but there are still concerns about performance related to resolution settings. Players are advised to wait for discounts and updates for potential improvements.
“This game is not very well optimized for low-end computers, but it's serviceable. They also added the option to deactivate the character animations, which really helped with the lag.”
“Otherwise, wait for a discount and updates to get it optimized for the time.”
“Not sure if it's an optimization issue with my resolution; maybe it's very distracting.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck without any significant bugs or glitches, indicating a stable performance right from the start.
“Runs great on Steam Deck out of the box.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
“The game is riddled with bugs and glitches that make it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced frequent crashes that ruined my gaming sessions.”
“There are so many stability issues; I can't progress without encountering a game-breaking bug.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express disappointment regarding replayability due to the limitation of not all characters being playable, which may hinder the desire to revisit the game for different experiences. This restriction can lead to a feeling of stagnation in gameplay, reducing overall engagement in multiple playthroughs.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly change the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and different character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possible scenario.”
“The dynamic world and evolving storylines ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
“Not all characters are playable, which limits the replayability significantly.”
“The lack of diverse gameplay options makes it hard to want to replay the game.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
