Touhou: Lost Branch of Legend

98%
Game Brain Score Based on 387 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Touhou: Lost Branch of Legend Game Cover
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In "Touhou: Lost Branch of Legend," players navigate a mysterious labyrinth in the style of a bullet hell shooter, battling a variety of characters from the Touhou Project universe. With a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, players must uncover the secrets of the labyrinth and its connection to the Touhou world. The game offers multiple difficulty options and a range of unlockable characters and abilities.

Play Modes

Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 387 reviews
gameplay38 positive mentions
optimization2 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful artwork and animations, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The colored mana system adds depth to deck building and strategy, making gameplay more engaging.
  • Each character has unique mechanics and playstyles, providing a variety of options for players.
  • The game can feel unbalanced at times, with certain enemies being overly difficult compared to others.
  • Some players may find the game too similar to Slay the Spire, lacking enough unique content.
  • As an early access title, it currently has limited content with only a few characters available.
  • gameplay138 mentions

    The gameplay of "Touhou: Lost Branch of Legend" is a rich blend of mechanics inspired by "Slay the Spire" and "Magic: The Gathering," featuring unique character abilities, a colored mana system, and diverse deck-building options that enhance replayability. Players can mix and match character abilities mid-run, leading to a variety of strategic possibilities, while the game's visuals and music further elevate the experience. Although it retains familiar elements from its inspirations, the introduction of new mechanics and character-specific playstyles offers a fresh and engaging roguelike experience.

    • “This game strikes a beautiful balance of taking inspiration from games like Slay the Spire while also innovating and adding new, unique mechanics.”
    • “The mechanics are very unique and give you dozens of options for how you make your build; it's really cool and a lot of fun already, and it's not even finished yet.”
    • “It's like Slay the Spire but with Touhou characters and new mechanics that personally I find engaging.”
    • “Not a fan of the RNG mechanic required to reach the 'true' final boss.”
    • “I have played Slay the Spire for 400 hours and this game doesn’t bring too much new to the table gameplay-wise.”
    • “It feels like a waste of this game's potential to limit build variety like that, and I really hope the devs consider swapping that mechanic out for one that doesn't invalidate exhibit-based builds and a large part of the player's build decisions.”
  • music80 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its excellence, particularly noting its roots in the beloved Touhou series. Players appreciate the catchy and immersive soundtrack, which enhances the overall gameplay experience, making it a standout feature that many actively enjoy even outside of playing. While some mention occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music significantly elevates the game's appeal.

    • “Worth playing just for the music.”
    • “The music is excellent, as it should be for a Touhou game, and the art style and animations are extremely pretty.”
    • “The soundtrack is beautiful, easily one of my favorites in my Steam library.”
    • “Music was repetitive and/or on a pretty short loop.”
    • “But considering how there's only 15 music tracks in a fangame for a series known for its god-tier works, that's definitely worth the effort I feel.”
    • “Also, while I still really like STS to this day, at least for me the music and art weren't winning any awards... but in this game, I really like the art and the soundtrack fucking slaps.”
  • graphics70 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, detailed character artwork, and smooth animations, particularly in capturing the anime aesthetic and the bullet-hell style of the Touhou series. Many reviewers noted that the visuals significantly surpass those of similar games like "Slay the Spire," enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While the card artwork is generally praised, some inconsistencies were mentioned, but the overall artistic presentation and soundtrack contribute to a highly polished and enjoyable game.

    • “The visuals are excellent, particularly the animation, which mimics the bullet hell style attacks this series is known for.”
    • “Fantastic music, stellar visuals, and a rather mechanically and strategically deep card game system which feels incredibly fun and satisfying to learn and master.”
    • “The artwork and graphics are 100 times better than Slay the Spire.”
    • “Some artwork is really solid, but others look out of place or incomplete, and contrast with the high polish in other areas.”
    • “I don't know what in its graphics options is causing gigantic frame rate drops, but not having the option to figure it out kinda sucks.”
    • “Some may not take to the art style, and some of the later enemies (the fox youkai in particular) are underanimated or a little 'off'.”
  • story28 mentions

    The game's story is currently underdeveloped, as it is still in early access, with a story mode yet to be implemented and many characters and dialogue missing. While some players find the existing narrative simple and lacking depth, they appreciate the artwork and humor, noting that the core gameplay remains engaging. Overall, there is anticipation for future updates to enhance the story experience, but many players feel that the focus should remain on refining gameplay elements first.

    • “It's a very simple story - Kaguya of the bamboo cutter's myth is hosting an exposition to show off all of her amazing things as 'exhibits', and someone has stolen the most valuable one - the titular lost branch.”
    • “Some of the story and lore bits can be tough to follow for a westerner but are quick to learn.”
    • “There's also a 'story mode' option that currently isn't available, not sure how different that'll be but I assume it will add some more story scenes to the game.”
    • “The story mode dialogue is not complete.”
    • “The game is still missing its final character at the time of this review, lots of cards lack flavor text (if it's intended to exist for all of them), story mode hasn't launched, and free mode has elements that feel unrefined (such as the true final boss requirement).”
    • “Story isn't built out.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse character archetypes, unique mechanics, and deck-building possibilities, allowing for varied gameplay experiences. Players appreciate the potential for future content, including additional characters and modifiers, which could further enhance replay value. Despite being in early access, the current offerings provide enough depth and variety to keep players engaged.

    • “Fun mechanics and pretty art and tons of replayability as no two runs are likely going to be the same unless you set a seed!”
    • “This game has tons of replay value, with harder difficulties and modifiers.”
    • “High replayability - with 4 currently released playable characters, regular updates, difficulty selection, and request modifiers?”
    • “Only real criticism of this game I have is the lack of content, because I would play this every day if it had mod support and more replayability.”
    • “The game is still in early access, and only three of the five characters are playable right now, so I'm optimistic for the remaining 2/5ths of the content.”
    • “Not to mention this game is still early access and is missing 2 more playable characters and more green mana support, which is a bit lackluster right now.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as lighthearted and clever, featuring a mix of artistic craftsmanship and amusing, sometimes violent imagery. Players appreciate the balance between humor and canon, avoiding overused memes while enjoying pop culture references, including nods to Dota 2. Overall, the game is noted for its funny elements, highlighted by standout features like the "knife car" card.

    • “The humor is more lighthearted but still much closer to canon than the usual meme-filled crud, so there's no dreading the old overused garbage.”
    • “The artwork is golden, ranging from some truly amazing stuff like you see in the gap, to some funny pieces that you'll see on some of the cards.”
    • “There's also some funny pop culture references in the game that I won't spoil, and I actually found a couple of exhibits that are straight-up Dota 2 references, which was cool.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its captivating music and stunning visuals, effectively capturing the essence of Gensokyo from the Touhou series. Reviewers note that the world feels vibrant and alive, showcasing a beautifully creative and inspired environment.

    • “Good music, great visuals, and absolutely nails the Touhou atmosphere that permeates Gensokyo.”
    • “The Gensokyo world in this game feels very alive, with a beautiful, creative, and inspired atmosphere.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is enjoyable but suffers from significant performance issues, which detracts from its overall value, especially when compared to similar titles like "Slay the Spire." Users find the optimization lacking and consider the poor performance inexcusable.

    • “It's a fun game, but a) I'm not sure it's worth the cost compared to Slay the Spire, which this resembles a bit too closely, and b) the performance is terrible.”
    • “That kind of poor performance isn't excusable.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's emotional depth, noting the heartfelt attention to detail that evokes warmth and connection, which is often missing in contemporary titles. This subtlety adds a unique charm that resonates with players on a personal level.

    • “I appreciate the subtle, heartwarming care the developers have put into this game, which is often lacking in many games today.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
    • “This game beautifully captures the complexities of human emotions, leaving a lasting impression long after the credits roll.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted through its intricate character design and visually appealing card art, which enhance the players' connection to the characters and their narratives. Reviewers appreciate how the artistic elements contribute to the overall storytelling, making each character feel unique and memorable.

  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, players report that the game exhibits impressive stability for an early access title, with minimal bugs and a smooth experience.

    • “Quick note, the game is obviously in early access, but it doesn't feel like it in terms of stability; it feels bug-free as far as I can tell.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Touhou: Lost Branch of Legend

Play time

28hMedian play time
55hAverage play time
10-115hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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