Touhou SouzinengiV -The Genius of Sappheiros-

About

"Touhou Soujinengi V: The Genius of Sappheiros" is a bullet hell shooter game set in the Touhou Project universe. The player controls Sapphire, a Youkai detective, investigating strange occurrences in the Youkai district. Gameplay involves fast-paced shooting and dodge mechanics, with boss battles that feature intricate attack patterns. The game boasts beautifully hand-drawn graphics and an immersive soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Touhou SouzinengiV -The Genius of Sappheiros- screenshot

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

The game features deep gameplay mechanics and a variety of character roles, allowing for strategic party compositions and unique combat experiences.
Combat is fast-paced and challenging, with encounters that require players to think critically and adapt their strategies without excessive grinding.
The game respects player time with quality of life improvements, such as no penalties for party wipes and the ability to freely redistribute skill points.

The game can be extremely grind-heavy, with low drop rates for crafting materials and new characters starting at level 1, making it difficult to catch up.
The story is linear and lacks depth, often feeling like a mere backdrop for the combat rather than a compelling narrative.
Some mechanics can feel player-hostile, such as ambush encounters and the lack of random encounters, which can lead to tedious backtracking.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay of this Touhou-inspired RPG is praised for its solid mechanics, strategic boss battles, and a fast-paced, engaging experience that balances challenge and enjoyment. While some players find the grind tedious, the game offers a variety of mechanics and character roles that enhance the overall experience, making it a standout title for fans of turn-based RPGs. However, newcomers may find the difficulty daunting, and a thorough understanding of the game's systems is essential for success.
- “Fun game, plenty of mechanics without being overcomplicated, fast pace.”
- “Bosses have unique mechanics that you have to either learn to exploit or otherwise deal with, and the dialogue is quite enjoyable.”
- “I cannot stress this enough, this is peak turn-based gameplay, the bosses are challenging and require actual strategy, the game does not require any grinding beyond just battling stuff normally.”
- “The grind is utterly excruciating and there are a host of mechanics to make it even worse.”
- “If you don't fully explore or understand every mechanic, from status ailments to how attacks from bosses interact with your own, and even the dungeon puzzles themselves, I've seen people get very frustrated.”
- “I admit it's not for everyone, as it can be very challenging for newcomers and the story being what it is means you're only playing it for the gameplay.”
story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
The story is described as linear and typical of the Touhou series, featuring Reimu solving incidents by defeating various characters without much depth or complexity. While it may not be memorable or rich in narrative, it is light-hearted and charming, making it suitable for players who prioritize gameplay over story. Overall, the game offers a simple plot that complements its extensive content and classic turn-based RPG mechanics.
- “The story is really simple but fits Touhou stories perfectly; it's a bit funny, a bit charming, not overly serious, and especially not absurdly long and verbose, which is a breath of fresh air when modern RPGs are so text-heavy.”
- “Extremely rich with content; you can easily spend 100+ hours just to clear the main story, and hundreds more in the post-game.”
- “While this game doesn't really offer much in terms of story, if you are a fan of classic turn-based RPG combat, then I definitely recommend you give this wonderful gem a try.”
- “The story is very linear, and as expected from Reimu in every Touhou game: beat them first, ask them later.”
- “The plot, on the other hand, is silly and nobody is going to be making analytical videos about its characters or themes twenty years from now, and that's fine.”
- “The story itself is emulating a standard Touhou plot - there's an incident happening in Gensokyo, and the protagonists run around looking for the culprit, eventually confronting them at their own home base - not that memorable for JRPG plotlines in general, but okay if you're more focused on the gameplay aspect.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, grinding in the game is minimal and not a requirement for success, as players can progress through boss fights by focusing on strategy and party composition rather than leveling up excessively. While some grinding may enhance character performance, it is not necessary for completing the game, and improvements in the latest version have reduced the time spent on grinding. Players aiming for 100% completion may find grinding tedious, but the emphasis remains on mastering game mechanics rather than grinding for levels.
- “You don't have to grind a lot if you're just aiming to clear the game, but getting to 100% completion will be tedious.”
- “Grinding is nowhere near as rewarding as learning more and more about how this game works.”
- “Although some degree of grinding is necessary if you want to make certain characters shine, but even then they can still function if you don't want to bother doing so.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by witty banter and amusing interactions among characters, particularly during combat scenarios. While the plot is simplistic and serves mainly as a backdrop for action, the light-hearted and charming dialogue adds a refreshing touch, making it enjoyable without being overly verbose. Overall, the humor effectively complements the game's tone, providing a fun and engaging experience.
- “Pretty funny banter too, given the plot's paper-thin nature and its role as an excuse to get into cool fights.”
- “The story is really simple but fits Touhou stories perfectly; it's a bit funny, a bit charming, not overly serious, and especially not absurdly long and verbose, which is a breath of fresh air when modern RPGs are so text-heavy.”
- “Their bickering can be funny, but you probably won’t be playing this for the twists and turns of the narrative.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game's music is widely praised for its memorable and engaging soundtrack, particularly highlighting the exceptional boss battle theme. While some tracks may not resonate as strongly, the overall experience is considered great, with players expressing a desire for the original soundtrack to be available for purchase on Steam. The expressive character sprites complement the enjoyable musical backdrop, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- “The soundtrack is great, with the theme for boss battle 1 being one of the best boss songs you can find in this medium.”
- “The game's soundtrack is very good and definitely memorable; I have heard so many hours of the overworld theme while changing gear and respec'ing, it is stuck in my head forever. Even if I'll never get over how good boss theme #1 is, which sadly gets replaced halfway through the game for something a little more sober.”
- “Not every song is perfect (looking at you, Garden of the Sun), but it is overall a very great experience.”
- “I wish the original soundtrack could be bought here on Steam.”
- “I wish the original soundtrack could be bought here on Steam.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The graphics in Gosv represent a significant upgrade from previous versions, featuring widescreen support and higher resolution visuals. The game showcases stunning, unique spritework that gives environments a distinct identity, while character sprites are both cute and highly expressive, enhancing the overall visual appeal.
- “Gosv is an improvement over the previous versions of the game, namely in terms of visuals by being widescreen and in a much higher resolution.”
- “I guess this is where a typical review would talk about something else, so we'll discuss sound and visuals, I suppose.”
- “Environments all establish an immediate identity for themselves and are constructed of unblemished, beautiful spritework you won't really find almost anywhere else, while character sprites have a cute, endearing aesthetic and are very expressive.”