New Releases, Round Two: Touhou 11 Announced
Following up Tasofro‘s Scarlet Weather Rhapsody release annoucement, Team Shanghai Alice has revealed that a playable demo of Touhou 11 will be available for purchase during Reitaisai 5.
The new game, 東方地霊殿 ~Subterranean Animism. will most likely feature only Reimu and Marisa. For more details, here’s the actual announcement post from Shanghai Alice’s blog:
Touhou Project the 11th
[Touhou Chireiten ~Subterranean Animism~]
As always, 300 yen.
Since it’s a demo, I didn’t want a huge fanfare, so I’m announcing it quietly.As always, the demo will be three stages, with no Practice Mode and no Extra Stage.
Story:
“With the spouting of geysers, the spirits of the Earth emerge. Reimu and Marisa are fine with it, but the youkai can’t allow this. Sluggishly, they go underground, to the source of the disturbance. Sealed deep within the earth are youkai with a detestable ability… what will the pair do this time?”…or something like that. Same as always.
This time around, you can chose youkai you like. I tried to create the feeling that Reimu and Marisa are borrowing power from the distant earth above. Up until now, there hasn’t been much difference in playing style between characters, but this time, chosen youkai have different abilities that seriously impact playing styles, so players should be able to see the pros and cons of using different characters clearly.
Since actively engaging and destroying enemies will make playing a lot easier, this might be the first time where playing at a higher difficulty might actually be more simple.
Depending on what youkai you choose, the dialogue might change into something like rapid-fire stand-up comedy.
On the technical side, I’ve added the option of changing window sizes. If your computer is good enough, your window can be about twice as large as normal. In addition, you can also adjust input sensitivity and a host of other options.
Here’s a couple of screenshots:
The demo will be up for free download after Reitaisai 5.
Judging from the screenshots, we can make a few guesses:
1. Graze is back.
2. Faith, or some other third item, will make an apperance.
3. There seems to be something similar to a cellphone signal strength meter in the corner. Perhaps this denotes the extent to which Reimu or Marisa can be aided by her youkai partner above ground.
3. Two new bosses. The two spell cards are “Trap Sign [Capture Web]” (2nd screen) and “Flower Bloom [Envy Towards a Dazzling Man].” (3rd screen.) Names can’t be made out.
4. Two different power meters, set at 4.00 and 8.00 respectively.
5. MoF bomb mechanism will probably be used.
Currently no set release date.
Comments(38)
what
nooo gimme more playable characters
The new youkai asisstance system looks interesting.
Another thing that hints that it’s going to be a Reimu/Marisa Touhou is that the letters in yellow and green to the right read “Reimu” and “Marisa”.
The first one I read something like “Muruhashi Parsine”. The second one is unreadable to me, but judging from her spellcard, it probably is a spider youkai.
Let us welcome them. This is gonna be a heck of a Reitaisai…
OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD
yes graze is back
“Flower Bloom [Envy Towards a Dazzling Man]“? Sounds like Rinnosuke to me
Somebody called?
Goddamn Alice, we don’t want you.
Final screenshot reminds me of PC-98-ness. Go go PC-98 Cameos!
Holy c—!
They’re already announcing Touhou 11!?
last screenshot looks cool!!
Ae… just two?
hope there other playable chara in FV.
I see he’s still drawing drunk
To his credit, though, Reimu no longer looks like a zombie, she just looks ghostly pale.
i wonder the input sensitivity option would change the game. might be considered “cheating” when one moves slower or faster then another player. i thought the focus command to change speed is good enough..
The bomb/power system was the worst part of MoF. If there was anything I would have liked to see go, it was that.
At least ZUN didn’t show a screen of the bomb itself. Maybe… just maybe, we will have Master Spark back? ;_;
Oh, this is great news.
Will be looking forward to it.
YES! I was hoping this would be at Reitaisai!
Can’t wait for May 25 :V
Looks awesome. I loved MoF. I hope he brings back the lives counter set-up back. I hated starting with only 2 lives (maybe because I suck a bit…).
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING BACK MASTER SPARK
“Depending on what youkai you choose, the dialogue might change into something like rapid-fire stand-up comedy.”
Ohohoho! Wonder what that’ll be like. Maybe it’ll be the same as it usually is. Or maybe there’ll be rapid-fire stand-up comedy danmaku!
wheres mah aya??????????
SPOILER!!! CIRNO WILL BE BACK AS THE STRONGEST BOSS!!!
@Ninetales: Actually, the MoF bomb system was actually pretty good in that it was partially what made the game incredibly challenging for players, as one had to choose between keeping your shot power or getting a bomb to free yourself from death. It also meant that you didn’t automatically get another three bombs upon losing a man, so you couldn’t just spam the bosses that way if you werent skilled enough. That being said, I also wished it would go, or at least we’d get individualized bombs back (Yes, like the master spark).
However, it seems in the screenshots that the two power meters could be separate meters for both shot power and bomb power, so maybe there’s seperate pickups that increases shot power and how many bombs one can use? One can only hope.
That being said, TOUHOU CHIREITEN DO WANT.
¡Nice, the next Touhou!
¿Can I wish for some Alice there?
Random comments and speculations from a random person:
3rd screenshot:
1) Some sort of magic napalm, but it’s being fired horizontally from the options (which are set up vertically).
4th screenshot:
1) Possible change in shot once player exceeds 4.00 power.
2) 6.00/8.00 power seems to be the max.
3) Marisa and lots of DOLLS (Little Shanghai’s behind Marisa and one Hourai in front).
All screenshots:
There seems to be some sort of wing behind the score and player information.
Jokes aside, I’m hoping the next touhou games evolve abit more, instead of being more of the same but with a few minor additions and lots of omissions. He needs to get back to thinking why the old series of games were great and expand from that, not take from it. MoF was decent but after I played it I still believe that ZUN’s greatest works are probably past him if he continues down this path. MoF just felt abit rushed, I know he is but one man, but if you dont have time.. please take longer to make a game… instead of taking 1 year.. take 2 years! as long as the quality is good and the games are up to par with the previous’ ones I dont care how long he takes to make them… Still I’m looking forward to touhou 11 though, but please ZUN expand the gameplay not simplify it and definately dont rush it. I do have great hopes for this game getting back to form but not overly optimistic about it after seeing how MoF turned out.
yesssss
i don’t really care if it does anything new, as long there’s lots of barrages and funtime
@ inu — most likely Alice will be in the game, I just noticed the Shanghais and Hourai there—and the shots are rainbow, and they don’t call Alice ‘the Seven-Colored Puppeteer’ for nothing. 8D
m’thinks the touhou girls somehow got their hands on cell phones and are helping eachother out by casting spells over the phone
but can they cast magic via text message?
why do i get the feel from payon underground cave (RO) when i see the screen shots
well, time to train reflexes and eyes again.
Yes! This is so exciting! Maybe, just maybe there’s hope for Mima popping up…
@ suki: I also have an odd suspiscion that Mima or any of the other PC-98 chars will return, just something about the whol ‘Underground thing’ I guess….
What the series needs is continuity once again. What happened to characters from previous games being playable and having a storyline in the new game? Nobody likes you Reimu, go away! The series was good up to IN, but then they just stopped developing the existing characters. Well POFV had lots of old characters, but I can’t say there was any character development beyond knowing Yuka still exists.
Hopefully the Youkai you can select as an assist will have dialogue during the game.
@ kevinblue035. I totally agree. The whole idea relays that possibility. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
@ anon. Indeed, though hasn’t that been a slight trend in the Windows Touhou games already? Perhaps ZUN plans to have character development through the literary and art works?
Touhou 11: Watch Reimu wreck more homes and destroy more lives.
Looking forward to it.
“5. MoF bomb mechanism will probably be used.”
Fantasy Seal, Master Spark… I miss you two. *sniffs*
So uh yeah I played the game and got a better look at Reimu and now I feel dumb because she still looks like a zombie.