An extremely well made game with some surprising features they didn't need to add, but did.

I'm not that good at action games, but after one or two stumbles, the game does an amazing job of feeling good for people who struggle as long as you're willing to interact with the system. Some aspects of gameplay are a little too deep into the unlockables - such as grappling an enemy to extend how long they're stunned for - but every run really does make you feel a bit stronger until you gain more experience, confidence, and drive to push further. For those far better than me, there are no-hit achievements for the bosses as well as a prestige system to make each successive run harder.

The game FEELS good. It feels meaty. Your abilities feel impactful, and the choice of characters offers different feeling playstyles that reward either aggression or caution, on top of the regular rougelite upgrades-between-stages.

Knowledge of Touhou isn't required, but is rewarded for those who know it. Nothing goes on that makes you feel like you're out of the know; it's like jumping into any universe with characters that have diverse powers.

I want Suwako to hit me over the head with a large rock

An extremely well made game with some surprising features they didn't need to add, but did. I'm not that good at action games, but after one or two stumbles, the game does an amazing job of feeling good for people who struggle as long as you're willing to interact with the system. Some aspects of gameplay are a little too deep into the unlockables - such as grappling an enemy to extend how long they're stunned for - but every run really does make you feel a bit stronger until you gain more experience, confidence, and drive to push further. For those far better than me, there are no-hit achievements for the bosses as well as a prestige system to make each successive run harder. The game FEELS good. It feels meaty. Your abilities feel impactful, and the choice of characters offers different feeling playstyles that reward either aggression or caution, on top of the regular rougelite upgrades-between-stages. Knowledge of Touhou isn't required, but is rewarded for those who know it. Nothing goes on that makes you feel like you're out of the know; it's like jumping into any universe with characters that have diverse powers. I want Suwako to hit me over the head with a large rock