Shikhondo(食魂徒) - Soul Eater

Very stylish v-shump that seems to be heavily inspired by the long running series of Touhou bullet hells. Nice music (er, mostly, a few songs just sound like club music) and gorgeous, watercolor styled backgrounds provide a beautiful backdrop for you to weave in and out of the bullets. You have a standard shot, a focused shot that also allows you to move more precisely, and a soul collect shot that captures all the bullets on the screen and gives you about 5 seconds of an overpowered shot. Plays well, looks great, the problem is it's light on content. 5 levels, took me about a half hour to make a 2CC run through it after about a half hour of familiarization. Only local leaderboards and there's also a boss rush mode, but I've never liked those. Still well worth its slim price though, and they'd beef this game up in 2024 with the Shikhondo: Youkai Rampage edition.

[h1] Bullet hell shoot'em up with epic boss battles and weird yokai creatures. Spam those bullets everywhere and don't get hit. Decent gameplay and reliable controls. Truly awesome soundtrack included. [/h1]

Shikhondo: Soul Eater is a bullet-hell shoot-'em-up that takes familiar arcade foundations and enriches them with a distinctive supernatural theme inspired by Korean folklore. Developed and published by DeerFarm, the game places players in a world populated by wandering spirits, restless souls, and terrifying creatures from the afterlife. Instead of relying on the common science-fiction settings often seen in the genre, it embraces mythology and spiritual imagery to create an atmosphere that feels both mysterious and memorable. From the opening moments, the game establishes a strong identity that helps it stand apart from many of its contemporaries. At its core, Shikhondo: Soul Eater is built around precise movement, quick reactions, and an understanding of intricate projectile patterns. Players guide one of two available characters through stages packed with enemies and screens overflowing with bullets. While survival is naturally the primary goal, the game encourages a more daring approach through its Soul Collect mechanic. Flying close to incoming attacks allows players to absorb spiritual energy and earn greater rewards, turning every encounter into a calculated balance betwee…

2 Characters 5 Bosses (each has a p2) Honestly a pretty good experience. I had a bit of a learning curve since even though I can do touhou on lunatic there was some patters (like the 4th boss) that you have to engage with the soul system (might also be washed up). Doubt this game would get any more attention from devs but think this game would get more replayability from either some more characters to choose from or some new bosses locked behind the harder difficulties or even the boss rush.

Gorgeous art, great music, and a fun vibe. I’m not a bullet hell expert, but this is the most intriguing one I’ve played since Vampire Survivors. Beat the first three levels and will finish it later (note: no save option). I picked up the Loyalty Pack that also includes Shikhondo: Yokai Rampage and a soundtrack, no regrets. If you’re unsure, add it to your wishlist and grab it on sale.

Does have the screams of the damned destroy my ears after every boss fight.