Azure Reflections Hits PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch

By: GeekyGamerGirl87

In my gaming career, I have played quite a few bullet hell games, and I will admit it has been quite some time since I have gotten the chance to play a bullet hell. Therefore, when  thedailygamepad.com received Azure Reflections from the developers and publishers for the Nintendo Switch for free; I was more than happy to cover it. I have always had a love for shmups, and I like the difficulty that bullet hells add to them. Published by Unties Games and developed by Souvenir Circ, Azure Reflections is a bullet hell shmup that is available only on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The gameplay is different than what I am used to when it comes to shmups and bullet hells, but it was different in a good way. I thought it was a refreshing take on the genre and some of the elements they have added made it even more interesting. However, before I begin my review, I would like to thank the developers Souvenir Circ and the publisher Unties Games for providing thedailygamepad.com with a free copy of the game for Nintendo Switch so that I could write this review.

The story is that some years ago there was an incident that occurred know as the Scarlet Mist Incident. This incident was brought about by a lone girl name Remilia Scarlet, who resides in Scarlet Devil Manor. The Scarlet mist incident was an incident in which a deep red mist engulfed the world and made people sick as well as caused casualties. This incident came to an end with the help of two human girls, and everything was right in the world. However, one day the mist suddenly returns and the only people who seem to notice are two human girls Reimu Hakurai, who is a shrine maiden and is skilled in killing demons, Marisa Kirisame – a magician who specializes in light and heat, and an ice fairy name Cirno who is exceptionally strong to be a fairy. They then set out on the journey to stop the mist from spreading again.

When you initially start the game, you can only play story mode, and there are three modes that you can select from which are the Easy mode, Normal mode, and Hard mode. After selecting your mode, you then get to select your character. When you first start the game, you can only select  Reimu – you must unlock the other two characters. Local co-op is also available at this stage. I am not sure how the local co-op works as I am unable to play local co-op.  Also, once you have opened the additional shots you can go through what shot types you want to use for your character.

There are a total of six levels at least from what I gather during my playthrough, and one of the things that I found very interesting about the game and added to its difficulty in its more difficult modes was the fact that you had to be able to protect yourself from both sides. Defending from both sides would be easy in local co-op mode. However, it is brutal when playing solo. Luckily the game does offer accessories that you can add to your character. You can get these accessories by purchasing them in the accessory menu at the start of the game. You purchase them by using the currency you gather in-game. The accessories boost up your stats or give you additional boosts to assist you in the game.

Another thing that I was a little unsure about where the Spell Cards. Whenever you fight the boss, it says you captured a spell card. However, I was unsure if that meant these spell cards could then be used with your current character or not. Therefore, I would have liked a little more clarity when it came to the spell cards.

As I stated before, the game is a little bit on the difficult side. If you enjoy a challenge, which I do. Then this game is going to be right up your alley. However, if you know, you are not that great at Bullet Hells, and you have someone that you can game with I do recommend you game with another person. I will admit that I played the game on its easy mode and had a little bit of difficulty. Just keep that in mind when you start on your adventure with the game.

There is a total of three different ways to play this game when it comes to Nintendo Switch.  The first is through the TV set. The second is with the Nintendo Switch being used as the screen and the Joy-Cons detached, and the third is with the Joy-Cons attached to the Nintendo Switch console. I tried playing it all three ways. Ideally, I am not a fan of the kickstand for the Switch. I feel it’s just too flimsy and that if someone bumps into the surface it is sitting on, it will cause the system to fall. I know I may be over cautious, but I will rather be safe than sorry. It is because of this I never play the Switch this way. Although, I do not enjoy that play preference I mentioned it because it is an option for those who do enjoy playing It that way.

Due to this belief; that gave me the option of playing it in handheld mode and through the TV Set. I tried it in handheld mode and can say that the game looked beautiful on the Switch screen. The controls could have been a little bit better for me, and I felt the Joy-Cons added more of a difficulty to the game. The next time I played I played through the TV Set with a wired controller.  I will say that overall, I enjoyed playing this one through the TV Set as opposed to the handheld mode of the Switch. The controls moved a lot better and more fluid when using the wired controller and TV Set. Then again, I do play the majority of my shmups with an actual controller, so for me, this was more about my play style when it comes to this genre of games.

Overall, Azure Reflections is a very fun bullet hell and shmup, and I do recommend it if you are a fan of the genre. If you are looking for a challenge, Azure Reflections delivers that very well, and if you are a team player, then you are going to want to play this one with another person. However,  If you would like to experience Azure Reflections for yourself; you can purchase the game for USD 24.99 via PlayStation Store, or Nintendo e-Shop.