Touhou 6: The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is the 1,000th game I've played.

And what could possibly be more fitting for this occasion than a game in a series I haven't played, in a genre I've almost never touched?

I don't really know what compelled me to give Touhou a shot. If I had to assume, it probably had something to do with the really cool box art and my friend pushing me to play it.

As for the game itself, I think it's really good actually. Dodging crazy bullet patterns while firing back with your own attacks is a very frenetic and intense gameplay loop that never fails to keep me invested.

This game is actually pretty damn hard too, which works perfectly since Touhou 6 has some pretty good replayability. There's two playable characters, and both of them have a bit of customization to add a bit of spice to them. Throw in some difficulties, a secret stage, and multiple endings, and you've got the complete package.

As for the visuals, I think they're super charming. They're definitely rough looking, but they have that same genuine, amateur vibe as Ryukishi07's work. The environments are really nice too, and they give the game this very dreamlike atmosphere.

When it comes to music, I mean, what do you want me to say? It's Touhou.

I genuinely had like no idea what was going on with this game's story. Not only was this because of the rough (albeit amusing) English translation, but this was my first Touhou game, so I was extra lost. I also didn't really know much about who the characters were, but the interactions they had between one another were pretty entertaining.

Overall, Touhou 6 is a pretty good ass game. You can play this on just about any PC to ever exist as well, so I totally recommend giving it a shot. You'll probably get mollywhopped, but it's a fun experience nonetheless.

"The moon tonight is red. You will know death."

Reviewed on Mar 27, 2023


1 Comment


1 year ago

The atmosphere is something you mentioned that I always fail to mention when I talk about this game. I feel like the low quality textures, the colorful yet dark colors, and of course the absolutely amateur looking portrait sprites used for each of the characters, really create a unique atmosphere, it truly feels like something that could have only been made in the early 2000s. I don't know about you, but for me, an eerie feeling lingered throughout the entirety of the game, only getting stronger and stronger as the story progressed further. This atmosphere being broken up and cleared when you are faced with the boss of each stage, like you're being dropped in and out of the eerie feeling of entering the Scarlet Devil Mansion.