Touhou and Castlevania are two nice flavours which have been paired for years now, however I believe that Touhou Luna Nights is perhaps the most effective mix but. A slick metroidvania by Team Ladybug (the parents behind that neat Shin Megami Tensei promo game), it’s been in early entry since August final 12 months, including a brand new zone each couple months. Today, the ultimate ranges had been added, and the game formally launched. Take a take a look at its time-freezing powers, puzzling, platforming and a few bosses that appear fairly fond of screen-filling rainbow lasers within the launch trailer beneath.
The story – as with most issues Touhou – is a imprecise excuse for lots of explosions, so no sequence data is required. Sakuya, the time manipulating, knife-throwing maid of the vampire-owned Scarlet Devil Mansion, has fallen right into a parallel dimension. To get residence, she has to battle via this other-world citadel, which is overrun by all method of monsters. Mostly ghouls, ghosts and different supernatural stuff, however with the occasional piece of amusingly high-tech gear. Seeing a tiny fairy firing a large autocannon or rocket turret is the sort of nonsense I’m all the time on board for.
Sakuya’s powers (closely impressed by the villainous Dio from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) principally revolve round stopping and slowing time, and throwing a ridiculous variety of knives. This makes for a reasonably enjoyable set of fight powers that double as puzzle-solving instruments, which evolve over time to take care of extra complicated stage design and enemy varieties. Later ranges have some obstacles which aren’t affected by your time-slowing powers, whereas others have water which – when time is frozen – turns strong. Great for strolling throughout it when it’s flat, however a waterfall turns into a strong impediment.
The game’s Touhou heritage shines via brightest within the boss battles. Lots of bullets and lasers flying round, and also you’re rewarded for ‘grazing’ enemy assaults; letting them hit your character sprite with out touching your central hitbox. There’s plenty of give attention to utilizing your time powers to increase secure home windows, supplying you with an opportunity to reposition safely away from an enormous laser barrage. It additionally helps that every one the bosses, enemies and Sakuya herself are fantastically animated – par for the course with Team Ladybug/Mogura games, however nonetheless good to see right here.
Oh, and one tech tip: Touhou Luna Nights and some different games don’t like my high-refresh Gsync laptop computer monitor and run approach too quick. After some experimentation, I discovered the simplest answer was utilizing Rivatuner Statistics Server to restrict it to 60fps – it’s surprisingly simple and intuitive.
Touhou Luna Nights is out now on Steam at its closing value of £14, with a launch low cost bringing it all the way down to £11.19/€11.99/$14.39 till March fifth.
