This was written before the demo released. original date of creation: (2025/04/17) - holy shit new 2hu game?! - it was announced in like 12/4, and i just missed it? - i see new shot types. is it gonna be like wbawc? - please tell me yuuma's gonna be a playable character, it would be so perfect - oh wait, it's ONLY Reimu and Marisa this time. that's kinda a bummer. but considering there's like 8 stones for each char, maybe that's for the best - i thought those weird triangle thingies were bombs, but i guess they're enemies? and there're levels to them too? - may huh? i guess I'll wait until then - the poses aren't that dynamic this time (in my personal opinion), but we'll see - wait will the char portraits match the gems they pick? that's what I'm getting from reimu's portrait After demo released: original date of creation: (2025/05/10) - did not expect it to release today - the title screen did not sound spacey like i imagined - also did not expect it to move like waves. i thought it was gonna pop in ala ten desires - music...is a mixed bag, sorry. i didn't find them very memorable. they have very weird chord progressions. one standout would be 3rd stage boss's theme. that was the only one i liked in my 1st playthrough. - i know i had almost the same reaction when i first played unconnected marketeers, but this is different. my opinions have not changed since subsequent playthroughs. - there's a new soundfont this time, which is interesting - also i swear the results screen music did not sound like this. maybe i just haven't listened to it much - the beginning portion of 3rd stage theme too i guess - story mode is basically the same for the diff gems? like, it just replaces the colour of the gem with the one you chose. unless the later stages (drastically) change, or the final boss changes depending on your gem (which would be sick, but i highly doubt it) - i know the past games had different endings for other shot types, but it explicitly says different story mode here - stage portions seem faster? i think. it doesn't rly drag - the wonder stones appear IN battle. zun why - is normal mode supposed to be this grueling?? like, i couldn't even 1cc. i swear the patterns changed drastically - i like marisa's smug facial expression - okay why is reimu's exasperated expression funny as hell - the char designs are... sth. i expected more of an ocean and princessy vibe from the 1st stage boss judging from the cd cover. i won't comment on the 2nd stage boss. honestly, the most surprising design would be the 3rd stage boss's. i didn't expect an Egyptian touhou char - wait, did it say sth abt time stopping? and there's an Egyptian theme? is this hsob?? - new bullets?? - reimu with blue gem is op as hell - i wonder if there'll be an in game explanation for the wonder stones - oh the game ui screen is different - there's english in the controls screen - focus is called slow (wonder if that was sth fandom claimed) - i think the fairy enemies have a different death effect - calling it now, second stage boss is gonna be extra stage midboss (or even funnier: the extra boss) full game release: original date of creation: (2025/08/17) - reacting to the new 2hu chars - ooh asama has a sick design - watatsuki no- - ... - YOU!!!!! - her theme has the fucking word 'spell card' in it - oh yeah it has her damn name in it too - oh i actually sorta predicted last boss's design - like she has short hair and burning wings (singular) - also do these two have more boob than the others - wow two ending themes - I'm sorry but the way they're named reminds me of danganronpa. like, deadly life and daily life. actually no, wonderful dead and its variants are a better example - ost reactions: [this section was originally way harsher until i cut my rants out. honestly, the songs aren't bad. there are parts that i enjoy. i still stand by what i said about the lack of variance and repetitiveness tho] - stage 4 boss theme had a promising start. was expecting it to drop a sick beat. it did not. by stage 4 standards, it's pretty weak. oh wait, picks up at the end. then it loops. as always, fast piano saves the day - the piano part is the best thing in the whole soundtrack. - stage 5 theme. sounds familiar? album sea song? sounds kinda boss sounding there - oh toyohime's theme kinda fucks. background trumpet from title theme? now THIS sounds a formidable boss theme. looping a lot tho. hm but... doesn't it sound kinda midbossy? kinda sounds too relaxed? like toyohime's just fucking with you (i haven't seen the story yet). kinda.. repetitive... I've heard enough of the same melody. - that last line unfortunately applies to a lot of the songs here - why does it sound so relaxed? this is a stage 6 theme. zunpets picking up a little. it's already looping back. also a specific portion sounds like chimata's theme - starts with piano, ok. repeating again so quick. hm? that's it? where's the moment where it, like, spotlights a particular section in a dramatic way? the earworm, i mean. maybe 2nd loop will have it. ah okay i think it's coming. there we go. tho, it's not really that dramatic. maybe it'll be better in game? -[insert heated rant about this song being underwhelming or sth. honestly on further listen, it's not that bad. i still think the ones before this (as in those from the previous installments) are better though. 1st phase of electric guitar segment is kinda... meh.] - extra stage theme is promising. sounds like a boss theme. pretty repetitive. - relaxed yet intense. it's okay. the earworm part was kinda underwhelming - final ost contenders: stage 1 + boss, stage 3 + boss, stage 4 boss (not the entirety of the songs, but portions of it) - the songs aren't bad per se; they just aren't very memorable -Misc: - [edit] why the princess in another castle bs again - omg it's just hsob. the final boss has bird wings too FUCK - I fail to understand why the usage of ai is relevant to the plot. like, does the extra explain why? is it just lunarian purity bs again? - is it the hallucination thing? is she a parody of ai? well, her dialogue does have an ai quality to it. still doesn't really justify the use of ai images tho - lol why is reimu yellow huh-ing back and forth with her. that's the best dialogue thus far - no gem-exclusive boss in the end. damn. missed opportunity considering you use different entrances depending on your gem of choice - oh different attack patterns depending on your gem, that's interesting-doesn't look like it's ever used again tho - i was wrong on the gem repeating the same dialogue; it was slightly different. - wait what another character got the defeated-portrait-in-a-spell-card treatment again? - 'deer genocider'? man this is taking some kind of weird route... - omfg the extra boss is a fucking conspiracy theorist - wait the final boss kinda looks like goro akechi from the side. brown hair; white outift; the mask...-i still think the attack designs are lackluster