Touhou: Red Empress Devil
- March 7, 2024
- STUDIO POCO
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Touhou: Red Empress Devil" is a dungeon-crawler game set in the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where the mansion changes every time you enter, thanks to Sakuya Izayoi's ability. Play as one of the 10 playable characters, including Reimu, Marisa, and Remilia, with more to be added in future updates. Strengthen your character through collecting items and build your ideal style with the high-tempo reinforcement system. Wishlist now on Steam!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and great music, enhancing the overall experience.
- There is a variety of characters to choose from, each with unique abilities, which adds some replayability.
- Despite being short, the game is fun and serves as a good time killer.
- The game is extremely short, with most runs taking only 10-20 minutes to complete, leading to a lack of content.
- Gameplay is overly easy, with many players able to beat the game on their first attempt, resulting in minimal challenge.
- Character balance is poor, with some characters being significantly stronger than others, which affects the overall gameplay experience.
- replayability18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a significant point of contention among reviewers. While some appreciate the potential for replayability through multiple characters, many criticize the current lack of engaging content, repetitive enemy encounters, and minimal challenge, leading to a generally low replay value. As it stands in early access, players express hope for future updates to enhance replayability and content depth.
“Relatively short game with replayability.”
“Very replayable but very hard depending on who you go in as.”
“The game is still incomplete in its current state, but it's pretty fun and has some replayability in the form of multiple playable characters.”
“And replayable this game is not.”
“Long story short, it's a good game with a lot of potential, but for a roguelike, its lack of replayability is one big kick to its crotch.”
“Massively lacks replayability and every room is near identical, but I see a lot of potential in this game.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and smooth, particularly praising its bullet hell mechanics and visual presentation. However, many criticize it for being overly simplistic, lacking variety in levels and items, and not providing a compelling challenge, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, while the art and music are highlights, the gameplay itself is seen as needing significant improvement to enhance long-term engagement.
“As someone who's played this game and at the time of writing this had just completed my first run (Marisa, my beloved), I can say that in terms of visuals and gameplay, this game hits the nail right on the head.”
“The bullet hell gameplay translates well to the roguelike setup.”
“The pixel art is cute and the gameplay is entertaining.”
“The gameplay actually sucks garbage, but its art, music, and presentation make it worth hoping for better updates in the future.”
“I might be eating my words if any updates made to the game actually spice up the in-game variety rather than just new characters made for the sake of covering just how bland the gameplay loop is when you view it from a long run perspective, but as of now you may as well be better off spending your money somewhere else to scratch that touhou roguelike itch.”
“Very solid artstyle but has an insane lack of variety in levels, gameplay, and items.”
- music13 mentions
- 85 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its gorgeous compositions and engaging leitmotifs, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and presentation. While many players appreciate the quality of the music and art, they express concerns about the game's lack of content and replayability, suggesting that these elements alone may not justify the price. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, with potential for future improvements as the game develops.
“As for the music: it's gorgeous!!!”
“The regular level music is also wonderful and you can really pick up on the leitmotifs.”
“In terms of presentation, this game is pretty phenomenal: the pixel art is well made, the rooms look nice, with special mention going to the main hub area, and the music is both great and interesting, with stuff like the 1st stage theme being both eosd's stage 3 stage and boss theme.”
“The gameplay actually sucks, but its art, music, and presentation make it worth hoping for better updates in the future.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their gorgeous and charming art style, with vibrant visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. However, many reviewers note a lack of variety in levels and content, which detracts from the overall appeal despite the strong artistic elements. The game's short length and limited replayability are also highlighted as significant drawbacks.
“As someone who's played this game, I can say that in terms of visuals and gameplay, this game hits the nail right on the head.”
“Visuals: they're gorgeous and very charming. I love the way the bullets and attacks look; they really pop out but not obnoxiously. You can tell they're glowy, and I think it's really helped by the somewhat dark atmosphere of the levels.”
“Game has a very cute art style, and the music covers are good.”
“Very solid art style but has an insane lack of variety in levels, gameplay, and items.”
“Has potential and I love the art style, but the current game is too lackluster and has close to no replayability.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its gorgeous visuals and charming design, with attacks and bullets that stand out without being overwhelming. The somewhat dark ambiance of the levels, combined with excellent music, creates a captivating experience that resonates well with fans, suggesting strong potential for growth and community engagement.
“The visuals are gorgeous and very charming. I love the way the bullets and attacks look; they really pop out but not obnoxiously. You can tell they're glowy, and I think it's really helped by the somewhat dark atmosphere of the levels.”
“This game has huge potential to be the equivalent of The Binding of Isaac for Touhou fans. The design, music, and atmosphere are perfect; the developers just need to improve over time and listen to community requests.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
“Despite the beautiful visuals, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
“The game tries to create a dark atmosphere, but it ends up feeling more dull than engaging.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by buggy controller support, which affects gameplay experience. However, players find that certain characters, like Cirno, offer unique tactical advantages despite their limitations, suggesting that character balance may influence overall stability in gameplay.
“The controller support is incredibly buggy, making it frustrating to play.”
“The game suffers from frequent crashes, which disrupts the overall experience.”
“There are numerous stability issues that make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story conveys a powerful message about resilience and the unpredictability of life, emphasizing that perseverance in the face of adversity can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.
“The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the game can be completed in about 20 minutes if they aren't focused on grinding for every achievement, suggesting that grinding is not essential for enjoying the core experience.
“The playtime is incredibly short; if you're not grinding for every achievement, you can complete the game in roughly 20 minutes.”
“Grinding feels tedious and repetitive, making the experience less enjoyable.”
“The game forces you to grind for resources, which can become frustrating and detracts from the overall fun.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its playful and random elements, particularly highlighted by the exaggerated reactions of characters, such as blushing and revealing moments that evoke laughter. While the art quality may vary, the comedic situations, like Sakuya's awkwardness, contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
“The in-game art of characters after defeat is not drawn to the same level of detail as the title screen, but what is drawn is how much they blush. It's so funny and random that I dropped my spork!”
“The humor in this game is top-notch! The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game mixes humor with gameplay; the unexpected jokes and funny character interactions keep me entertained throughout!”
