UDONGEIN X
- December 3, 2021
- potemki11
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"UDONGEIN X" is a platformer game where players help Reisen, a Moon Rabbit, rescue her comrades who have crash landed in Gensokyo. The game features 14 unique boss fights, each with their own mechanics and strategies required to defeat them. Players can also upgrade Reisen's abilities using power-ups obtained from stages and bosses, with three difficulty settings available to adjust the challenge level.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The controls are solid and the movement feels great, capturing the essence of Mega Man X gameplay.
- The boss fights are well-designed, offering a good challenge while being fun and varied.
- The visuals and music are appealing, with vibrant pixel art and enjoyable remixes of Touhou tracks.
- The level design is often flat and lacks distinct identity, making some stages feel repetitive.
- The game can feel unbalanced at times, with certain bosses and enemy placements being frustratingly difficult.
- There is a lack of special weapons and upgrades from bosses, which diminishes strategic gameplay elements.
- music54 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its excellent arrangements of Touhou tracks in a Mega Man X style, while others find it mediocre or forgettable. Many players appreciate the nostalgic feel and vibrant compositions, noting that it enhances the overall gameplay experience, though a few critiques highlight a lack of originality compared to classic titles. Overall, the soundtrack is generally seen as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“The pixel art feels quite on point for a Megaman-style Touhou game and the soundtrack has some nice renditions of the Touhou tracks.”
“Music is brilliant and it shows again how well they've mixed up both styles, Touhou as well as Megaman X.”
“The soundtrack sticks out as the best to me since I love both Megaman and Touhou music, so it was an absolute treat to hear all the well-composed Megaman-style Touhou music.”
“The music is incredibly mediocre, trying to emulate the SNES prog rock/hard rock that X2/X3 offered, but it sounds more like a shoddy doom MIDI than it does Mega Man X music.”
“Graphics are alright, but the music is terrible.”
“The soundtrack is very forgettable, but none of it is outright bad.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of platforming and bullet hell mechanics, requiring familiarity with the genre for optimal performance, particularly in challenging stages. While some players appreciate the fluid movement and engaging level design, others criticize it for being limited and unfair, with a lack of certain mechanics familiar to fans of classic titles like Mega Man X. Overall, the game is praised for its vibrant art direction, excellent music, and fun, engaging experience, appealing especially to fans of retro-style gameplay.
“The gameplay is fluid, with good challenges, a funny story, retro graphics that don't break the mechanics, and the music is just as good.”
“From the sound design to level layouts, gameplay, unlockables, pretty much everything about this game is beautiful, fluid, and most importantly: fun.”
“The gameplay is fast and tight, the art direction is vibrant and appealing, the levels are well-designed, the music is excellent, and the bosses are all well-balanced for pure blaster combat.”
“Mind-numbingly boring and unfair gameplay.”
“The price is right, but the gameplay and level design aren't.”
“It's completely garbage from the concept, technical implementation all the way through to the lackluster gameplay.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant colors and pixel art style, while others criticize the use of outdated 2D visuals that lack depth and quality. Although the art style resonates with fans of retro aesthetics, many feel that the simplistic graphics do not meet contemporary standards, especially on PC. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated by some, they are seen as a significant drawback by others, impacting the game's overall presentation.
“The visuals are incredibly nice, and I especially love the colors being used for the environments.”
“The art style is great; I am a sucker for pixel art, to be honest.”
“Great gameplay, great visuals, great music.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers a decent level of replayability through various modes such as lunatic and survival modes, as well as extra challenges and higher difficulties. While players can engage in self-imposed challenges to extend their playtime, the absence of Steam achievements is noted as a missed opportunity to enhance replay value. Overall, it provides a satisfying bite-sized adventure with options for those seeking additional challenges.
“The extra challenges seem like a nice option to add some replayability for those who particularly enjoy it.”
“It's a great bite-sized adventure with some replay value in the form of challenges and harder difficulties.”
“Still, as I mentioned, this game offers some things you can do after you finish it, such as lunatic mode, survival mode, and an extra stage. Other than that, to squeeze more replay value out of this game, you will have to do self-imposed challenges (such as playing without upgrades) just like in the old school times.”
“Still, as I mentioned, this game offers some things you can do after you finish it, such as lunatic mode, survival mode, and an extra stage. Other than that, to squeeze more replay value out of this game, you will have to do self-imposed challenges (such as playing without upgrades) just like in the old school times. I wish it had Steam achievements with extra challenges to help with the replay value.”
“In my opinion, Steam achievements can improve the replay value, especially for this kind of game which is considered short by today's standards. It would really help a lot, so I hope the developer adds Steam achievements in the future.”
“Superficial stuff could be improved and it lacks a little bit in the replay value aspect, but it did what it could. Honestly, there isn't much they could have added other than Steam achievements.”
- story14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story is described as cute and simple, featuring a moral about perseverance and the unpredictability of life. Players can switch between characters Reisen and Seiran, each offering distinct gameplay and narrative styles, with Seiran's side noted for its humor. Overall, the story complements the fluid gameplay and retro graphics, providing a fun and challenging experience.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“I think it is pretty fun and still quite the challenge; the story is quite cute and simple, and Seiran's side is kind of funny, to be honest.”
“You can switch between Reisen and Seiran by going to survival mode, picking the one you want, exiting, and then going back to story mode, which is a little unorthodox, yes, but it works.”
“Plus, Seiran has a whole different style of gameplay and story, so that's also a thing.”
“After beating the main story, you unlock an extra stage.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as charming and lighthearted, with a cute and simple story that includes amusing elements, particularly in the Seiran side. Players appreciate the witty writing and find the overall experience fun and engaging, complemented by retro graphics and enjoyable gameplay.
“The gameplay is fluid, good challenges, funny story, retro graphics without breaking the mechanics, and the songs are just as good as well.”
“As a smaller point of praise, the writing is also funny in that adorable Touhou way.”
“I think it is pretty fun and still quite the challenge; the story is quite cute and simple, and Seiran's side is kind of funny, to be honest.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with enemies described as spongey and lacking engaging patterns, making battles feel repetitive. However, some users noted that watching speedruns can provide insights that help improve gameplay and make previously challenging obstacles more manageable.
“Admirable effort, but the enemies are spongey and tedious to fight and aren't arranged in interesting patterns.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Monetization in games developed with Gamemaker Studio is often criticized for relying on retro pixel aesthetics and producing low-quality "shovelware" and cash grabs. Specifically, Udongein X is noted for its overpriced base game and additional DLC that many users deem unnecessary, especially when compared to the abundance of free, higher-quality alternatives available on platforms like Steam.
“Udongein x has the comically over-optimistic price of around $5 USD (plus almost as much again for pointless cash grab DLC). It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings with the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by intense moments of frustration and tension, as players navigate challenging attacks that require precise timing and quick reflexes. This creates a heightened sense of urgency and emotional investment, as players must constantly adapt to avoid devastating consequences.
