Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy
- April 3, 2024
- GAMEPULSE 游戏脉冲
- 24h median play time
Get on Steam"Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy" is a single-player Role Playing game that offers a sensational story and stunning gameplay. As Cirno, the Hero of Ice, players will engage in high-mobility fighting and dodge beautiful yet lethal bullets in a 2D bullet hell action. The game is filled with custom builds, hilarious adventures, and popular Touhou characters. It's recommended to play the free prologue version to understand the complete story better.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features smooth gameplay and well-designed boss fights that are both challenging and rewarding.
- The art style is charming and the soundtrack is exceptional, with many memorable tracks that enhance the overall experience.
- The story, while simple, evolves into something engaging and humorous, making it a delightful experience for players.
- The game can be frustratingly difficult, especially for players unfamiliar with bullet hell mechanics, which may deter some casual gamers.
- There are instances of questionable fanservice in character designs and defeat animations that may not appeal to all players.
- The English translation has some minor errors and awkward phrasing that could disrupt the immersion for some players.
- music199 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and fitting arrangements of both original and remixed Touhou tracks. The soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, creating an engaging atmosphere that complements the game's visuals and challenges. Overall, players find the music to be a standout feature, often describing it as "banger" and integral to their enjoyment of the game.
“The soundtrack is incredible, fitting every moment perfectly and adding so much to the overall atmosphere.”
“The music is a mixture of remixes and differing arrangements of existing Touhou songs and some original tracks.”
“The music, in particular, is something that I know I will be revisiting frequently in the future.”
“The music sucks.”
“I can't focus on this game because of the music; the guitar, the orchestra, the Japanese instruments, and even the vocals.”
“Even though I said not all songs are bangers, there are three I consider the best: 'Bunny Time,' 'Clown-phobia,' and 'Unfettered King of Oni.'”
- story116 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally perceived as simple and somewhat generic, often revolving around a classic "save the princess" theme, but it evolves into a more engaging narrative with unexpected twists, particularly in the latter stages. Players appreciate the humorous character interactions and charming art style, which enhance the overall experience, even if the story isn't the primary focus of the game. While some find the dialogue lengthy or the plot lacking depth, many express surprise at the heartfelt and well-crafted storytelling that complements the gameplay.
“The story is wonderful and well thought-out.”
“The story honestly caught me by a very pleasant surprise; I did not expect such a heartfelt story from a Touhou game like this one.”
“The story is charming and the art is cute while also doing a fantastic job at selling the high-octane moments.”
“The story seems insignificant at first, and easily brushed off as an excuse to have Cirno fight bosses.”
“The story is simple, not complicated at all.”
“As of now, there really isn't much of a story.”
- gameplay100 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its smoothness, responsiveness, and engaging mechanics, combining elements of bullet hell and boss rush styles. Players appreciate the challenge of learning boss patterns and customizing their playstyle through various items and abilities, making for a rewarding experience. The art and soundtrack further enhance the overall enjoyment, solidifying the gameplay as a standout feature of the game.
“The gameplay is super fun, the soundtrack is amazing, and the whole vibe perfectly captures the charm of Touhou.”
“The gameplay is a boss rush that feels satisfying and unique with a wide variety of tools to mix up how you play.”
“Gameplay feels fair and easy to pick up, and spending moderate time to master it is rewarding.”
“With very limited healing and the extremely poor dodging mechanics that I swear to god need to be given more iframes on startup, some of these fights become downright insane.”
“The gameplay feels dynamic and satisfactory.”
“The main gameplay is learning the boss patterns and dodging the bullet hell that any Touhou game brings.”
- graphics74 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and stunning art style, which captures the essence of the Touhou universe with a charming, storybook vibe. Reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals, character designs, and impressive animations, complemented by an outstanding soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The combination of cute artwork and engaging gameplay creates a memorable and enjoyable atmosphere for players.
“The graphics are both adorable and stunning, with a unique charm that perfectly captures the essence of the Touhou universe.”
“The fairytale-like aesthetic the game uses to tell the story is so cute; it has a unique feeling that captivated me and made me love it every time a cutscene like that appeared.”
“The game's graphics and sound design are top-notch, immersing players in the world of Gensokyo.”
“A really nice game, having great soundtracks and the same Touhou feel like the old games with enhanced graphics and recognizable characters, though it was kinda hard to recognize Nitori; seems like she changed quite a bit.”
“The visuals and music are top-notch for a game that doesn’t cost a lot.”
- humor32 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy" is widely praised for its blend of funny character interactions, goofy storytelling, and subtle jokes that often require a deeper understanding of theoretical physics to fully appreciate. Players enjoy the engaging and humorous dialogue, alongside charming visuals and a captivating soundtrack, making the game a delightful experience for both fans and newcomers. While some find the dialogue occasionally lengthy, the overall comedic elements significantly enhance the gameplay.
“All in all, Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy is a fantastic and hilarious experience that any Touhou fan shouldn't pass up.”
“It has a simple yet fun little story, hilarious character interactions, fair and skill-based gameplay, charming artwork, and phenomenally memorable music as expected.”
“For a Touhou fan game, this one takes the place for the best one; it's fun as hell to fight foes and hear their funny dialogue when beaten.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, particularly due to the newly added roguelite mode and various challenge modes that encourage experimentation with different builds and strategies. The flexible inventory and hub systems further enhance the replay value, making each playthrough enjoyable and unique. Overall, the game offers a rich experience that keeps players coming back for more.
“Gamepulse just released a new roguelite mode, which offers incredible replayability for any returning players after beating the game. This is a free update that other developers would have likely charged extra for as DLC, and it's a lot of fun.”
“The inventory and hub systems are really nice too and allow flexible gameplay techniques, adding replayability.”
“Solid twin-stick shooter experience with decent replayability due to the challenge modes and item combos.”
“The fact that you are timed for each battle adds replayability for those who really want to challenge themselves.”
“This adds to the game's replayability as players can experiment with different builds and strategies.”
- character development6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its high-quality designs and artwork, with a unique artistic style that enhances the storytelling and world-building. While initial concerns about character designs were noted, they were ultimately justified by the engaging narrative and gameplay, leading to a positive reception overall. Players express a desire for more character variety in future updates, highlighting their enjoyment of the existing characters and their designs.
“Though at first I had some complaints over character designs, the story and world-building behind it were justified and complemented it.”
“I really enjoyed Takki's unique take on the character designs, and I'm hoping that I'll get to see more characters than just Reimu in future updates.”
“I love the character designs, the story, and the attacks!”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of growth in the characters throughout the game; they felt static and unchanging.”
“While the artwork is impressive, the characters themselves don't evolve in a meaningful way, leaving their arcs feeling incomplete.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players are pleasantly surprised by the heartfelt story in the game, particularly highlighting the emotional depth of the character Nitori. The immersive cutscenes and impressive sound design further enhance the emotional experience, making the narrative resonate strongly with players.
“The story honestly caught me by a very pleasant surprise; I did not expect such a heartfelt narrative from a Touhou game like this one.”
“Nitori made me feel a certain way...”
“The story is awesome; the cutscenes made me feel immersed, and the sound design is fantastic in certain moments.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While users acknowledge that the game has some performance issues, many find them manageable and overall consider the optimization to be satisfactory.
“I'm not gonna say it doesn't have any problems; even now there are issues regarding performance, but I can stomach that.”
“Best performance.”
“I'm not going to say it doesn't have any problems; even now, there are issues regarding performance, but I can stomach that.”
“The optimization is a mess; the game frequently stutters and lags, making it hard to enjoy.”
“Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization ruins the experience, leading to frustrating gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is significantly enhanced by an incredible soundtrack that perfectly complements each moment, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The soundtrack is incredible, fitting every moment perfectly and adding so much to the overall atmosphere.”
“The game's visuals create a hauntingly beautiful environment that immerses you completely.”
“Every detail in the world contributes to a sense of tension and wonder, making exploration feel truly rewarding.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it fosters skill development beyond traditional leveling up, making it accessible even for beginners in the bullet hell genre. The experience encourages learning through practice rather than just repetitive grinding, enhancing overall gameplay.
“The best bullet hell game I ever played, totally beginner friendly for the genre—my skills are usually borne of patience from grinding in metroidvanias, but this one made me really learn how growth should not just be from concepts of 'leveling up'.”
“Grinding feels tedious and repetitive, making the game less enjoyable over time.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
