| Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- is a 2D roguelite that takes place after the events of Imperishable Night. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Review Overview
What is Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT-?
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- centers around Reimu Hakurei as she faints from a battle and finds herself without any memory at Hakurei Shrine. Wanting to recover her memories, she’s accompanied by her friend Marisa Kirisame to discover what transpired before she fainted. In her quest, she’ll find herself solving incidents across Gensokyo, slowly saving the city one by one.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- features:
⚫︎ Roguelite gameplay
⚫︎ Turn-based action
⚫︎ Multiple partner characters
⚫︎ Gear customization
⚫︎ Voice-acting
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT-'s gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
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| Price | $34.99 | ||||
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Nice Artwork |
Story’s Almost an Afterthought Artificial Difficulty Downgraded Progression Systems |
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Overall Score - 56/100
Aside from decent audiovisuals, finding words beyond “average” to describe this game is almost as tough as 1cc’ing Perfect Cherry Blossom’s Phantasm stage—and trust me, I’ve done that. It’s no longer a roguelike or even a roguelite anymore, either. In many ways, it’s a direct downgrade from its predecessors, which were much better games with a lot more heart.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Story - 4/10
FORESIGHT tries to compress the events of early games like Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and Perfect Cherry Blossom in order to fit its original story. But in doing so, it completely botches key plot points and completely skips fan-favorite characters like Rumia. For long-time fans of the main series, the story is even worse, and familiarity with Touhou’s canon will only make this game more confusing on a first playthrough.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Gameplay - 5/10
If you bought this game on Steam expecting a roguelike or roguelite because of its tags, brace yourself for disappointment. FORESIGHT technically fits the tags, but only because it inherits a fraction of its predecessors' gameplay. In reality, it’s more like a simple dungeon crawler with randomized dungeons and an overly grind-heavy gameplay. Unfortunately, it doesn't even pull that off well due to its lack of gameplay variety, one-dimensional combat, and artificial difficulty.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Visuals - 7/10
The visuals in FORESIGHT look like they’re straight out of the mid-2010s. They’re decent, sure, but they feel dated, even compared to its earlier entries. Worse, the game loses some of the more engaging and beautiful 3D cinematics its earliest predecessors had.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Audio - 6/10
While the game features iconic Touhou sound effects and music, as well as a full cast of professional voice actresses, it doesn’t showcase them well. Instead, you’re stuck listening to the same repetitive sounds as you grind through each dungeon, making the audio experience tiring and dull.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Value for Money - 6/10
At $34.99, this game offers too little for the price. Sure, you can sink dozens of hours into it, but most of that time will be spent grinding through padded content to overcome hard stat walls. It’s not even a great Touhou game, with a lackluster character roster beyond the forced cameos and a storyline that fails to make the grind feel worthwhile.
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Review: Utterly Baffling. Completely Disappointing
Oh God, what did they do to Touhou Genso Wanderer?
I remember playing the fourth game in the series many years ago, back when it didn’t even have that name. It was initially known as the Fushigi no Gensokyo (不思議の幻想郷) series, also developed by AQUA STYLE. The fourth one, specifically Miracle Party, starred Sanae Kochiya as the main protagonist.
Miracle Party wasn’t perfect by any means. For one, it lacked a substantial story, and many beloved characters were relegated to just regular enemies. There wasn’t much variety in the gameplay either. But despite its flaws, it had a lot of heart, especially with the addition of voiced dialogue by professional voice actresses who, at the time, really seemed to enjoy their roles (sometimes a bit too much, too).
This was back in the early 2010s, when the game wasn’t released with an English version. Fan translations were rare and took ages to come out. Google Lens wasn’t around, so we had no choice but to play most Touhou fangames without understanding the story, and we had to guess at the gameplay mechanics.
Fast forward to 2024 with the release of Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT-, and honestly, it feels like we’ve gone back ten years. And not in a good, nostalgic way.
Everything in FORESIGHT feels like a downgrade from its two predecessors that were released on Steam. You could even argue that the series has been on a downward trend since the release of Fushigi no Gensokyo 3 on Steam as Touhou Genso Wanderer -RELOADED-. Gameplay? Simplified to focus on grinding. Visuals? Sure, the art is nice, but compared to the prequels? It's a step down. Audio? Decent, but it gets old really fast.
It's supposed to be mukyu,
translator.
As for localization? It’s not great either. Whoever did the translations seems out of touch with the fandom, missing key character quirks like Marisa’s signature “ze” (ぜ) at the end of her sentences, or Patchouli’s “mukyu~” after a loss or disappointing result. The translation isn’t terrible, but it’s just… passable.
It’s Not Hard, Just Annoying
As a game, the most frustrating thing about FORESIGHT is its heavy reliance on the new Izanagi Link upgrade system. Sure, you still have weapons, seals (basically gear properties), spellcards (area-wide or utility skills), and talismans (combat skills), but they all feel like a shadow of what they were in RELOADED and Lotus Labyrinth R.
In previous games, enhancing weapons could also make them change forms in addition to boosting their stats. Seals were diverse and could combine to create unique effects. Spellcards and talismans offered a wide range of abilities, from wiping out entire rooms to just giving you a speed boost.
In FORESIGHT, weapon transformations? Gone. Seals, spellcards, and talismans? Way less variety. So where did all those cool effects go? To the Izanagi Link.
Now, you might think, “What’s so bad about that?” Well, aside from losing weapon transformations, the Izanagi Links are super grind-heavy to get. You can’t just power through the game with what upgrades you find. There are hard stat walls that will absolutely destroy your party if you try.
This means FORESIGHT leans way more on grinding compared to earlier games, which focused more on smart and creative gear planning. It’s especially jarring if you compare it to Lotus Labyrinth R, where you had to craft several gear sets for your party.
The worst part? The game isn’t even difficult once you get past the grind for the Izanagi Links. After that, with not much enemy gimmicks to worry about, you can just bulldoze through the dungeons like you originally wanted to.
Touhou: Director's Terrible Cut Edition
The plot of FORESIGHT picks up after the first few Windows-era Touhou games: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, Perfect Cherry Blossom, and Imperishable Night. This is a common approach for fangames, sticking to familiar territory and avoiding absurd retcons. But somehow, this game still manages to mess things up early on with an overload of cameos, likely in an attempt to expand the character roster and appeal to more fans.
For instance, Suika Ibuki, introduced in Immaterial and Missing Power, shows up right away and is already buddies with Reimu. This makes it nearly impossible to fit her story into the timeline since her events are supposed to happen between Perfect Cherry Blossom and Imperishable Night. Then there are characters like Misumaru Tamatsukuri, Wakasagihime, and Takane Yamashiro, who show up way earlier than they should, throwing off Reimu’s development as a Youkai Exterminator who eventually learns to coexist with them (she still kicks their butt regularly, though).
On top of that, the game's depiction of these three Windows-era games is so rushed, they’re practically unrecognizable. Fan favorites like Rumia and the Prismriver Sisters? Completely cut. Deep lore drops? Gone. Memorable moments between characters like Patchouli and Marisa? No more.
I could understand the rushed pacing if they were trying to set up an original story like in Touhou Pocket Wars and its sequel. But instead, they decided to adapt the first few Windows-generation Touhou games, which are especially thick with world-defining lore such as Yuyuko’s tragic past, and then compress them to the point where none of those remain in favor of its weird, overarching plot.
Is It Really A Roguelike Anymore?
One of the biggest changes from RELOADED and Lotus Labyrinth R to FORESIGHT is the loss of the level reset mechanic. Normally, in roguelikes, you only carry your gear between runs (or none at all, really), but in FORESIGHT, you get to keep your levels too.
Yes, you keep your levels. And not just that, you also keep your gear, upgrades, and the consumables you lost on the floor you died in. At that point, can it really be considered a roguelike? As someone who enjoys the genre, the only thing this game still has in common with it is the randomized map layout and item drops.
Honestly, FORESIGHT feels more like a watered-down version of the Labyrinth of Touhou games (which are amazing, by the way). But even saying that feels like an insult to Labyrinth of Touhou, given the difference in quality.
The Artworks Are Nice, Though
Credit where it’s due—the artwork in FORESIGHT is nice. It does a great job of capturing each character’s personality at a glance. But, even here, the prequels’ artworks looked better.
Considering the only praise I can give Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- comes with a but,
you can imagine how disappointed I am with the game. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re absolutely desperate for a new Touhou title. And even then, there are plenty of other games out there that don’t feel this half-baked.
Is Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Worth It?
No. Unless You’re Desperate.
If you’re looking for a true Touhou roguelike, this isn’t it, chief. You’re better off with Touhou Genso Wanderer -RELOADED- or even Lotus Labyrinth R. Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- feels more like a basic top-down dungeon crawler with randomized maps. And if that’s what you're after, you might as well grab Labyrinth of Touhou instead.
Progression in this game can go absurdly fast at one point, then glacially slow in another, and the mechanics don’t demand careful decision-making, even in major boss fights. The story is also annoyingly compressed, which is frustrating given how rich and intricate Touhou’s lore can be. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you’re still determined, I’d suggest waiting for a sale.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
|||||
| Price | $34.99 | ||||
Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- FAQ
Is Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- a sequel?
No, it isn’t. In a way, you can even consider it as a narrative prequel to -RELOADED- as it adapts the earlier Windows-era Touhou games than the latter.
Does Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- have multiple playable characters?
You have multiple characters to choose from to partner with in the dungeon. But as for playable characters, you’re limited to only using Reimu.
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Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Product Information
 | |
| Title | TOUHOU GENSO WANDERER -FORESIGHT- |
|---|---|
| Release Date | May 15, 2024 |
| Developer | AQUASTYLE, ankaa studio |
| Publisher | Phoenixx Inc. |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam) |
| Genre | Adventure, RPG, Roguelite, |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | Touhou Genso Wanderer -FORESIGHT- Official Website |
