Touhou SouzinengiV -The Genius of Sappheiros-

while the base mechanics are all fine and there is alot of fun to be had the whole game has so so many other issues which seem extremly stupid and backwards. here are a few examples: - no (mini)map in a game in which alot of rooms look very simular and you are stoped for 30-180s each fight every 10-20 seconds of exploration. (now granted enemys dont respawn unless you get out of the dungeon or touch a save circle) - almost all bosses are a "use this one specific tactic with this specific party setup or fail" - party memebers lvl individualy, so if you need a relatively unused party memeber you have to grind for 2-6h just for them to be on the same/simular lvl as your party - almost all enemys 1-3 shot your partymembers, doesnt matter if you have a tanky frontliner or not (and depending on your formation alot of enemys act before you) - no duplicate of gear allowed. having trouble with 1 or 2 status effects in normal/boss fights? to bad no resistance gear for your whole party. - infliction ratings are a joke. almost all debuffs you cast will not trigger, even on normal enemys unless you go for a 200-300 infliction rating (ignoring all other stats you may need in said battles) - on…

Touhou SouzinengiV -The Genius of Sappheiros-, developed by ハチクマソフト and published by mebius., is a deeply system-driven turn-based RPG that prioritizes mechanical complexity and strategic planning over accessibility or narrative depth. As part of the broader Touhou fan game ecosystem, it draws from a familiar cast and setting, but its real focus lies in constructing a layered combat experience that rewards careful preparation and experimentation rather than quick adaptation or casual play. The story serves more as a backdrop than a driving force. Set within the world of Gensokyo, it revolves around a mysterious disturbance that compels a large roster of characters to investigate and confront its source. While there are moments of personality in the dialogue, the narrative itself is fairly straightforward and does not evolve into anything particularly intricate. Most of the time, it acts as connective tissue between battles, offering context without demanding much attention. Players looking for a strong, character-driven story may find it lacking, but those primarily interested in gameplay will likely see it as a secondary element. Combat is where the game establishes its identity…

While this game takes a lot of inspiration from Romancing SaGa 3 especially, the core design isn't all that much alike. SaGa games are often considered very difficult, but they're honestly not. SaGa games are all about giving the player a lot of freedom but you can make it through regardless of your choices with overall reasonable strategies. In this game, regular bosses are like superbosses in other JRPGs. Unless overleveled / overprepared, you need very carefully thought out strategies which will take a lot of trial and error or looking up online, and you will want to keep all party members leveled up so you can switch strategies based on the fight. For me, this gets very exhausting. 50 hours of labyrinth like dungeons with practically unavoidable enemies that spam status ailments or big AOEs followed by a boss that requires superboss-level preparations (more so later into the game than earlier). It's basically the same formula for the entire game. The difficulty options don't even matter much, everything I said applies both to Hard and Easy mode. Easy is just a little more lenient. It's just too much for me, I much prefer SaGa games. But if what I described sounds good to yo…

The most mechanically deep JRPG I have ever played. There are 12+ characters, and each one can be specialised further with their skill trees, weapon choice, skill choice, as well as equipment. In addition to that, the party is represented in a formation for further additional bonuses or penalties. Everyone has their own experience points and the game expects you to juggle the party members depending on the situation, so it's likely that everyone's levels don't align. However experience is greatly boosted if low level, 10x if the level difference is great. Since the freedom of customisation is so high, you can make some pretty bonkers team setups. Turn the land into a sea of fire while your party all regenerates from fire. Or perhaps a party so evasive that healing becomes unnecessary. Or perhaps a party that deals out encounter-ending debuffs like petrify or instant death and maybe a bit of incredibly lethal poison debuffs. Indeed, such debuffs are occasionally even very effective on [b]bosses[/b]. Random encounters however bite back quite seriously. The monsters are highly dangerous at times, maybe a bit referential (hello mind flayers from Final Fantasy I), you might wa…

Decided to give this game a second chance, and I'm glad I did! The game is a really fun and in-depth RPG with plenty of character customization and skills to discover. Every character feels unique and has their uses (even if some are more useful than others). The combat is also really fun and enjoyable! The postgame also has quests that guarantee rare materials, making grinding less of a hassle. The lack of a map, the aimless wandering, and some dungeon designs drag the game down at points, but the good heavily outweighs the bad. I'd recommend this over Devil of Decline, it's a much more worthwhile experience.

Play it in hard mode