This is a demo review.
This review is for the demo which is available in 22 Jan 2017 (the game is playable up to chapter 4). It took me 77:41:29 (based on in game clock) to finish it (I finished until before Cave of Pandemonium). It might take longer though since i often used f12 to reset the game.

Please note that i'm not familiar with any Touhou games. I often refer to this, this, and this when I was playing this game.

Intro
Touhou Fantasy is a fan game about a bunch of girls who save the world. It's a RPG game with ATB (active turn battle) system, meaning that your opponent will keep on attacking although you haven't finished your turn.

Musics
You'll have to download music separately from the game. There are also two music packs available to download. Since both packs' size are very big (~200 MB), i only downloaded the Vanilla music pack. Sure, you can play the game without music pack, but the game will have no music in it. The music sounds very great (especially the main menu bgm) although (again), i'm not impressed with the music size.

Graphics
Most graphics in this game are customized. Although the outdoor mappings looks great, the indoor mappings in this game looks terrible. There are always a large space either with nothing in it or lots of nonsensible things (eg: miniatures) placed next to each other. There is also one occasion in Bamboo Forest map where you'll be placed to different corner of the map from the direction you're going to.

Story
This game starts by introducing 2 characters and it keeps on introducing new characters until I lost count. The worst thing is, I ended up having a hard time to know who is who. With the game introducing new names over and over, I hardly can catch up with the story. This makes it worse with the "final boss" which keeps on changing and "new enemies" (related to the story) which popped up every time. All I get from the story is "a bunch of girls who saves the world". Strangely, there is also "filler" episodes in the game where the story shifts to a completely different character which is playable for a short time.

The game
Let's talk about battles for starters. Although this game is using ATB for batle, it has delay between actions. The ATB bar also filled up slowly (especially when you are low leveled) which can make the battle to take longer than usual. The enemies are also incredibly strong; You can get one shoted from the enemies if you aren't careful. Some enemies also have a high chance insta death skills (there is even a 100% insta death skill for all party members which has level in multiple of 5) and a very high HP (or def) and attack. You'll spend a lot of time to kill the enemies and this make it worse with the enemies being a random encounter with a high chance of encounter. I kept on losing my concentration when I'm trying to make a map of the dungeon in my head since i encountered a battle every a few steps or so and the enemies which took ages to kill. Before I continue, I want to confirm that some areas are "touch encounters", where the enemies will appear on the map and will trigger a battle when you touch it. However, there are only two areas which have that type of encounter and those area have a bunch of enemies in one map, unlike most "touch encounters" type games have.

The battles have a completely different concepts compared to normal RPG Maker games either. In this game, one turn means a character (either enemies or allies) has completed his/her/its turn. This is very important since buffs and status effects revolves around turns. Faster speed also means that you can attack more than your opponents do.

There are a lot of characters that you can use. These characters will have their unique passives and skill sets. However, you can only use a maximum of four people as party members. These characters are usually very reliant on MP. Once their MPs are depleted, they can't kill the enemies unless you restore their MP. However, there is no MP regen item until later in the game. The game itself doesn't really offer a high MP regen item though.



Although there are a lot of playable characters in the game, some characters will leave your party because of the main story. I was really mad because I was grinding my character's level to ~50 (because I want to buy a certain equipment for my party members) just to find out that she's leaving for good a short while after that (well, at least until the end of chapter 4).

There are also various debuffs/buffs/special statuses in the game. However, the game doesn't display it very well. The game only display some special statuses and there is no way of knowing that your party member has a status effect if it's not displayed in the game. Speaking of special statuses, enemies tend to give a very long special statuses (50 turns or so) which can instantly kill the party. The funny thing is, most of your party member buff skill only last for like 5 turns.

This game has a lot attack types (fire, wind, etc) and it can be taxing to remember their weakness and resistance. I ended up writing them in a notepad although it might not really helpful since enemies (especially bosses) have their own specific weaknesses.

Since there are a lot of playable characters, this game needs a lot of balancing. There is this character (Reimu) which has an average skill (attack, healing, buff) in early game although it turns out that she can be useful in the future (mostly because of her passives). There is also this character (Patchouli) which has various elemental skill although they hit very weak compared to this character (Momiji) which has various elemental sword skill, despite the skills having the same attack power. Some other character which joined the party later on also have a tremendously powerful elemental skills.

You can buy some scrolls to learn or upgrade skills. However, it might be tiring if you want to use the scrolls since you have to dig through a long list of item inventory to use it. The same also happened when you try to look for a new item drop that you just got. Some scrolls, however, can't be obtained except from stealing from bosses and you'll be having a hard time to know which is it used for (the scroll is character specific) due to the lack of description.

This games consists of dungeons. While some dungeons have a easy/hard path variety with stronger or weaker enemies, some dungeons also have "puzzles". However, some puzzles can be annoying (Cave of Makai, where you'll fall down if you step on the wrong path) and some might be hard to solve unless you are the developer.



Speaking of confusing, this game has an overworld. You'll have to go through this overworld to go to a certain place (mostly dungeon). However it's hard to know where to go next after a cutscene. I ended up having to either watch a video or see the blog post to find out.

There is also a crafting system in this game, although it's quite confusing with a lot of text being provided at once. I'm also having trouble to find out which is which since you have to find a specific person's signature items in order to craft the item.

Pros:
- Dungeons
- Lots of playable characters
- Unique skills and passives

Cons:
- Lots of new (and/or) unique battle terms (turns, status effects, weakness/resistance list)
- Annoying or (too) hard puzzles
- Bland maps
- Delay in battles
- Hard to know the next main destination
- Confusing crafting system

Final rating: 2/5
This game has a great concept, but it needs a lot of adjustment.

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Since it took like 2 months for me to "finish" this game, I think I need to give some suggestions/bugs. I placed this on the review since some might be related. Just skip this if you think I'm being nosy or something.

Suggestions:

• Combine the downloads (game + music pack + extra)

• Explain most status effects (especially the uncommon ones in RPG Maker games). I don't know what status that the enemy inflicted and i suddenly died or taking damage.

• Balance enemies and allies buff. How come enemies have like 50 turn buffs while you only have 5 turn buffs?

• You might want to restore HP whenever there is a "sleeping" cutscene.

• Shop in Road of Consideration has a very expensive item compared to the ones in Remains of Hell and Momiji's sword even cost more in it. Not to mention the enemies which are harder to beat. You might want to balance this.

• Remains of Hell teleporter needs to be moved to somewhere closer to town.

• When Human Village was disturbed by Poltergeist, i think it's better that you make an event when you enter the village rather than talking to Keine and Akyuu first.

• In the cutscene in Poltergeist Mansion after Meimu boss fight, Court of Hell is called Higan. Komachi also refers it as Higan when you try to go there from the "village". You might want to standarize the name.

• I think it'll be better if you put the exact amount of money needed to rebuild the human village. Giving 10k from each dialogue is really taxing when it's still not ended after you gave 500k+.

• Enemies in Remains of Hell (second visit) after Yuugi's sacrifice seems to be stronger than the boss fight in the area (i always got that 5x fairy or something enemies and they are very tough to kill). You might want to balance the enemy.

• I got stuck in Remains of Hell second visit on the switches area. No, i didn't stuck as in i don't know where to go; In the corner where there are a lot of grey rocks, i stucked in a place with rocks around me and a bat in my right side. I ended up dying. You either want to make the bat gone or make the bat can't kill you (like.. give a minimum of 1 HP?)

• In Hakugyukurou event, you might want to move the confirmation that Youmu must be in the party before going to the stairway to save time.

• Lack of save point at the start of Yuuka Chapter and Remilia Chapter.

• Lack of save point before final boss fight in Iku's Chapter.

• After you defeat Order and you control the party (with Marisa changed as party leader), you can't access shop anymore; Hakugyukurou door is sealed, Youkai Mountain shopkeeps are gone, Human Village is destroyed. The only shop left is in Mayohiga, but she doesn't sell item. Well, at least you can buy some items from Nitori Call Shop skill, but it can be a hassle for those who doesn't have her in party.

• There is no dialogue which points that you have to go to Eastern Forest after Marisa changed to party leader, i recall.

• There was an event in Mayohiga that you need to find the yellow haired girl friend and there is no cutscene on this matter after you find her in the main storyline. Are the event even useful?

• There is no save point in Cave to Makai before Sara and Rikako's fight.

• Increase the unused party member levels especially when they are required to go to an area. My healer, Reimu, just leave the party and I have to take 2 of my non-main party members after that to the next area. This make me have to level at least 3 characters (1 healer + 2 required party members). It's not fun especially when you just level your party members to lv 50.

• There are way too many enemies in scarlet devil mansion with no way to save and.

• I mentioned that some puzzles can be annoying. The Cave of Makai puzzle is very annoying since you'll fall down everytime you step on the wrong path. The monster in that area took a long time to beat and you need to step down on the wrong path several times to know the right path. I suggest you to either mark the floor which can make you fall down (or maybe just the one which have been stepped on) or make it like Bamboo Forest puzzle (where it'll shake when you're next to a "blank floor")

Bug (mostly minor bugs):

• Music plays before the "two weeks later" text showed up in the intro and then stopped after the text showed up. Then, the music plays again after you press action button.

• Lots of empty dialog showed up when you enter an area. Some are: eastern forest, youkai mountain, myouren temple, southern human village.

• You'll walk super fast when you take Sakuya to your party.

• Suwako's Hibernate doesn't seem to work.

• The doll in Youkai Mountain's entrance respawn although you took it when you were playing as Momiji before.

• Cirno's skill still unavailable in southern human village although cirno has been back to the party.

• Teleporter in Youkai Mountain gone shortly after a new event starts (and it'll respawned again sometime later on).

• After Forest of Bamboo is destroyed, the party automatically changes to Reimu only. However, when you try to enter the "brown rock" inside Forest of Bamboo, there is an error "(You cannot enter this area with 4 party members)".

• When Yuugi joined in Remains of Hell, her position changed from the 4th row to the 2nd row in the second map.

• Reimu's Pray doesn't heal temporary party member (Yuugi, Lunasa).

• No battle bgm in Hell of Blazing Fires.

• Tons of ommited texts. Check the ones whose explaining attributes for an example.

• Some dialogues can be skipped with action button while some needs you to wait until the dialogues to be typed out.

• Some of the item in crafting shop can't be crafted because the dialogue closes when you click it. For example: Inspect the broom (Marisa items), go to previous page, check on Mini-Hakkero.

• This- still happens. Momiji suddenly comes out of Hakurei Shrine Ruins and then "warped" to Remains of Hell. The same thing also happened when a new Youkai Mountain event available after that.

• On Youkai Mountain where you control Sanae, Hina, Shizuha, and Minoriko, if you go up to the village, the game will move you to Moriya Shrine(?) and you won't be able to move (you can still open the menu though).

• Mima's absorb MP (during Yuuka and Mima fight) is not working.

• You can't heal Koakuma with her healing skill.

• In HCRS, Marisa still says "Reimu" although Reimu has left the party.

• There is an invisible attack on Meira's fight everytime someone is attacking. I don't know where does it come from. Is it a skill?

• Faith doesn't remove the snail "slow" status debuff

Typos:

• In southern human village, there is an old man with green clothing in weapon and armory second floor. Some of his dialogue doesn't have a space.

• Wind Sickle Veiling lv 1 only works for self although it can be targeted to other allies.

• Marisa's skill sometimes written as Mug and sometimes written as Steal.

• "Imay" typo on poltergeist mansion basement (on the bookshelf beside where you put the genesis book)

I also have some with images. Just click the link to see the images.

• After the second dungeon, the coin box(?) "slammed" the door.

• Collision bug (see top of the chair) in the second room in Myouren Temple.

• Collision bug (see plants) on Scarlet Devil Mansion.

• Collision bug on Scarlet Devil Mansion, after you visit Misty Lake (where Dai dies).

• In the event where Yuugi tries to protect the party from Kanako and co (Remains of Hell second visit), Marisa is shown twice (no Momiji); dialogue should be in the bottom to make it easier to see the characters

• Komachi and parsee scene after Remains of Hell second visit. The camera moves too far. The c haracters are gone. I don't know if this is intended or not though.

• The items are not glittering on my first visit. Is it intended to make sure there is nothing I missed?

• Collision bug? I can't go right (Remains of Hell)

• Collision bug? I can't go left and right (Remains of Hell). You might want to recheck this area's collision

• Craft shop. I don't know what is it. The ingredients also written as '' although it seems that i have some of the items

• Typo on "Youkai Mountain event" in beta 4. "thinking".

• I don't know whether this is intended or not, but you can spam Z in this pot to get 10 Yen.

• Typo on Iku/Letty/Yuuka/Cirno battle. "This".

• Moriya Shrine. Collision bug.

• Hard to see text.

One question. Is Atai Scroll lv 1 for Cirno unavailable?

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Beta 5 bugs (mostly because it hasn't been implemented yet):

• At ruins of vina, if you exit the big house (the house east from the big place with stone wall), you'll be stuck in youkai mountain's building (the place with the save pentagram in it)

• You can't exit ruins of vina (except by using emergency stairway) since the main character sprites are blocking the exit.

• You can't go south from the map south of last save pentagram in Cave of Makai if you're using Phasing Mode.

• You get black screen when you go to fallen shrine.

• The only way to go through frozen fields is by using Phasing Mode. You can't exit the area either due to the lack of "charge" refills.

• I think the "earth machinery" monster in front of cave of Pandemonium needs to be nerfed. it literally 2 shotted my lv 60 Patchouli and 1 shotted my lv 39 Nitori (i know she has a very low defense, but still).

EDIT: centering the images to make it look better.. i hope.