Touhou: Genso Wanderer (PlayStation 4) Review

The bullet dodging girls have been seen in many different genres through the power of the wide array of Touhou fan games. Touhou Genso Wanderer brings them into dungeon crawling territory, and while the two genres are very different, they both touch on what makes Touhou appealing to a modern crowd. They are old-school, known to be tough as nails, and both benefit greatly by the cuteness of the varied crowd that makes up the Touhou universe.

Touhou Genso Wanderer plays very much on these two aspects when it makes a mazelike dungeon crawler that takes all of the elements of games from yesteryear and uses them to create cruelly high difficulty levels that extend play time. It delivers a strong arcade-like feeling with the option of having a one-try style of gameplay, which means that any single mistake can throw players back hours of progress, which is sort of a problem.

The thing with old-school games was that they were kind of short, so even if you lost, only about half an hour of progress tops was gone for an average player. While an elite player could lose far more progress, that was uncommon, and such players were not just trying to beat the game, but trying to chase unbelievable high scores.

Fans of Touhou are used to punishing game mechanics, and to these fans, it might feel be completely welcomed, but for a wider audience, it is something to keep in mind. This isn't a modern dungeon crawler, this is an old-school arcade roguelike dungeon crawler, with all the cruel mechanics used back then to add to the difficulty.

With this out of the way, and if still interested, Touhou Genso Wanderer offers a full DRPG experience with an adorable cast of characters, enemies to fight, and a story that is slightly more present than in other titles in the genre. The game has everything older dungeon crawlers offered, mixed with some great RPG elements such as villages, shops, and places to upgrade the gear.

Beside the story mode, there is also an extra treat for those who truly loved the old-school dungeon crawlers: a classic mode in which all objects in true old-school roguelike fashion are unknown and have to be tried to figure out the effects, which can lead to some less-than-optimal potions during the worst possible situations. It is fun and interesting, and is certainly going to be a home run for fans of the older roguelike titles.

While it has a lot to offer Touhou fans and old-school gamers, there is not much for more casual players. This is to be expected with the Touhou brand, but it is worth stressing that this game is really punishing. If still interested after hearing this, Touhou Genso Wanderer is going to be a certain hit!