Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the DeepBlue

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 301 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the DeepBlue Game Cover
Yet another action-platformer from Inti Creates.
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"Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the DeepBlue" is a 2D metroidvania game set in the fantasy world of Yohane from "Love Live! Sunshine." As Yohane, players explore a monster-infested labyrinth, rescuing missing friends and gaining new abilities from items found. The layout of certain areas changes each visit, ensuring a fresh experience. Discover new items and treasures to enhance your abilities in this action-packed adventure.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 301 reviews
gameplay15 positive mentions
replayability7 negative mentions
  • The game features fantastic art and voice acting, creating an engaging atmosphere.
  • Controls are smooth and intuitive, making gameplay enjoyable for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
  • The game offers a fun and light-hearted experience, especially for fans of the Love Live franchise.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in around 6-10 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
  • Boss fights can be frustrating due to clunky mechanics and some attacks feeling unfair or difficult to dodge.
  • There is a lack of replayability and depth, with many players feeling that the crafting and item systems are underdeveloped.
  • gameplay48 mentions

    The gameplay is generally described as fun and easy to learn, featuring enjoyable mechanics and colorful environments, though it suffers from a lack of depth and replayability. Boss fights are highlighted as a standout feature, offering interesting mechanics that encourage experimentation with different strategies. However, some players find the overall experience to be short and somewhat simplistic, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped or overly easy, leading to a mixed reception.

    • “Inti Creates did a good job here as usual - the gameplay itself feels great, and graphically the game is very well presented - cute CGs, high-quality pixel work, and the environments are interesting - the undersea theming fits Aqours nicely and the areas are colorful and unique.”
    • “The boss fights especially stood out - mechanically well done, and felt exactly like what you might fight in a DS Castlevania or even a Mega Man game.”
    • “Fun to control, the different character abilities never got too overwhelming despite having like 18 of them. Bosses were fun and some of them were pretty challenging, exploration segments were also fun because of the different environments, mechanics, and enemies.”
    • “This will lead to some very frustrating boss mechanics.”
    • “It is 30 euros for around 8 hours of gameplay and close to no replayability, so you really have to take that into account.”
    • “This isn't necessarily a bad thing-- a lot of metroidvanias are short-- but it's just not good when the gameplay is largely comprised of okay exploration and then terrible bosses.”
  • story48 mentions

    The game's story is largely minimal and serves primarily to support the gameplay mechanics, lacking depth and engagement. While character interactions and voice acting are enjoyable, the narrative is often described as basic, with little connection to the source material and no significant plot developments. Overall, players seeking a rich story may find this title lacking, as it prioritizes gameplay over narrative substance.

    • “The story conversations feel like they fit right in with the anime it's based on and highlight each character's traits.”
    • “As you progress through the story, you meet more of her squad of friends, and can use their abilities to better move around the world.”
    • “Highly recommend for anyone whether you're a fan of Love Live or Metroidvania games, the game was very fun and the story was pretty good!”
    • “The story is very basic and straightforward, and generally amounts to your typical 'the story exists to justify the gameplay mechanics' type narrative in which there's no huge plot twists or anything; it really does all just seem to be there to add to the gameplay, like adding salt to pasta.”
    • “Additionally, the game gives you no context as to who you are or the overall story when you begin, so it's hard to have any buy-in unless you are already familiar with the character.”
    • “The story is a bunch of nonsense stuck together with duct tape.”
  • music42 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for being catchy and enjoyable, with standout tracks that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the atmospheric soundtrack and the unique musical mechanics, such as the revival item that plays a special song, although some express disappointment over the limited availability of certain tracks. Overall, the music complements the charming pixel art and engaging gameplay, making it a highlight of the game.

    • “The music and sound effects are also very nice, especially the song that plays when Yohane uses her revival item and the one that plays at the end of the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is very boppin!”
    • “Music was a bop throughout, and some of the bosses had some neat gimmicks going on.”
    • “The pixel art is charming and expressive for the most part, the OST is good but it's a bit disappointing that some of the songs you can only hear when you use a music score, which is a rare drop and once you use it you have to farm it again.”
    • “I managed to get only 2 music scores throughout the entirety of the game.”
    • “This game is quite the risk for the Love Live franchise as it doesn't really have a lot of rhythm-based, musical, fashion, or slice of life elements.”
  • graphics24 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their high-quality pixel art, vibrant environments, and charming character designs, showcasing Inti Creates' consistent ability to deliver visually appealing experiences. Reviewers praised the unique enemy designs and beautiful backgrounds, although some noted minor inconsistencies in certain visual effects. Overall, the aesthetic is described as bright and engaging, making it a strong point of the game.

    • “Inti Creates did a good job here as usual - the gameplay itself feels great, and graphically the game is very well presented - cute CGs, high-quality pixel work, and the environments are interesting - the undersea theming fits Aqours nicely and the areas are colorful and unique.”
    • “No shocker from Inti Creates as they always deliver on amazing visuals, but major props go to the very unique and interesting enemy design and to the backgrounds which are just breathtaking.”
    • “The visuals and effects are beautiful, although some of them look a bit odd in my opinion.”
    • “- graphics and animations/sprites are not great”
    • “---{ graphics }---”
    • “- graphics are pixels, very much a fan of that!”
  • replayability13 mentions

    Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with most players completing it in 6-8 hours and feeling that a single playthrough is sufficient. While some enjoy the experience for speedrunning or experimenting with different builds, the general consensus is that the game offers little incentive to replay after achieving 100%. Additionally, the price point is seen as high for the limited content available.

    • “Had fun with it for my first playthrough, definitely replayability for the speedrunners and people who want to try different builds.”
    • “But the boss fights are incredibly fun (maybe even the best part of the game) and the environments are stunning, and of course our favorite Aqours girls are playable.”
    • “-- replayability --”
    • “Sadly, there isn't really much replayability with this one, as you can pretty much get all that you could want out of a single playthrough.”
    • “It is 30 euros for around 8 hours of gameplay and close to no replayability, so you really have to take that into account.”
    • “8 hours to 100% the game with no replayability for $30 doesn't seem like great value.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the exploration is engaging, the process of farming items and resources can become tedious and frustrating, especially due to unclear crafting systems and reliance on RNG for valuable accessories. Although grinding is deemed necessary for certain upgrades, it can detract from the overall enjoyment, leading some to feel overwhelmed by the repetitive nature of the task.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I was intending to make everything, but by the end of the game, the tedium of both trying to find the items and grinding for them (being either drops from enemies or destructible objects) kind of got to me, but what I ended up beating the game with was still very useful.”
    • “Grinding is fine in games like this, but some of the accessories are super useful and extremely obnoxious to grind for.”
    • “But they also made it very grindy and tedious due to the RNG involved.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by cute and amusing character interactions, particularly between Yohane and her friends, which lead to ridiculous and funny cutscenes. Fans of the Love Live series will appreciate the quirky dialogue and character abilities, with standout moments including humorous references and antics, such as Hanamaru's unexpected behavior and the amusing "fat frog" character. However, some players may find certain comedic elements, like loud screaming, less appealing.

    • “The dialogue is cute and pretty funny sometimes - Yohane seems to be taking her adventure a lot more seriously than some of her friends do, resulting in some ridiculous cutscenes.”
    • “From the 'zura' to 'gambaruby' to the sweet and often funny interactions between the members and Yohane (not Yoshiko) are what make the game even better, if you are a fan of the idol group.”
    • “Funny thing is that the characters have more of their quirks from Love Live than from the Yohane anime.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game's stability is mixed; while some users report significant bugs, such as freezing during gameplay, others have experienced smooth performance without glitches or crashes, particularly on the Steam Deck.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck for those wondering!”
    • “The game maintains a solid frame rate, even during intense moments.”
    • “I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “Seems buggy; I was running around and attacking with my main weapon at 0 HP and 0 AP.”
    • “And while doing so, she freezes in place... everywhere.”
    • “I didn't encounter any glitches, errors, or crashes.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization is notably poor beyond the initial areas, which seem to have received more careful attention, leading to a disjointed experience as players progress. Many reviewers highlight the need for patches to address performance issues and subpar boss design.

    • “It feels like the first few areas of the game had extra attention paid to their optimization and balancing in order to create an appealing demo, but then the rest was sloppily cobbled together.”
    • “Tl;dr: poor optimization past the first few areas, atrocious boss design, needs to be patched for these issues.”
    • “It feels like the first few areas of the game had extra attention paid to their optimization and balancing in order to make for an appealing demo, but then the rest was sloppily cobbled together.”
    • “Performance issues are prevalent throughout the game, significantly impacting the overall experience.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is criticized for its bland and uninspired designs, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the lack of engaging weapon and magic mechanics, along with the absence of mana regeneration, further diminishes the depth of character progression.

    • “The character design is extremely bland and boring.”
    • “Weapons and magic feel terrible.”
    • “There is no MP regeneration.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, as it doesn't come across as a cash grab and reflects the developers' dedication. However, some users feel that the initial price is somewhat high.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, with prices that are far too high for the content offered.”
    • “I was disappointed to see that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overwhelming and disrupt the overall experience, making it feel more like a money-making scheme than a game.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is subtly intertwined with gameplay mechanics, as touching a save point not only restores health and resources but also evokes a sense of safety and relief, enhancing the player's emotional connection to the journey.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its charming spritework, beautiful backgrounds, and engaging music, all of which contribute to an immersive and enjoyable experience.

    • “I love the sprite work for the enemies and bosses; the backgrounds are lovely, and the music is atmospheric and fun.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the DeepBlue

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
7-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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