Typhoon Unit ~ Butterfly Requiem (SAGE 2021 Demo)

I'm not a fan of SMUPS in general, but I really love what I played of this game. Good art, distinctive characters, fun dialog and accessible gameplay.

I think this is one of the most fun and accessible danmaku games I've played in a while. The switching mechanic and the pace of the game is really inviting to newcomers, and the switching mechanic is very well done. It takes a while to get used to, but the pace of is pretty good!

My only problem I suppose is that the time stop ability doesn't really help/last that long. Really in many cases it may be easier to dodge the bullets as they come rather than stop all momentum and lose track. The character doesn't get used nearly as much, to the point where their attack almost seems useless in comparison to the damage you deal with stun -> crit.

Still, nitpick aside, it's a very fun game. It ramps up difficulty very quickly but I think it's still manageable overall.

Shut up and take my money. When I finally have a paycheck. q.q

High Points:
+Sure, it looks busy, but you have more than enough tools to assess your situation and deal with it accordingly. Casey breaks Red Bullets with her Charged Attack, Fia can pause time and let you phase through bullets for a split second(erasing Purple) and if you can get the timing right for Gale's Critical Strike, she'll erase bullets a single enemy fires by interrupting them. Your task: figure out which Unit to use when. In ways, it almost acts like a puzzle, a la Punch Out!, where everything has a hard counter and any mistake you make is usually your fault~ It's wonderful design~

+The characters have very natural and adorable exchanges, both allies and enemies alike~ I refuse to forget Maggie!

=Great music, great presentation all around~ It's a treat~

Tripping Points:
-This being a Danmaku, the only thing I'll say is this: PLEASE USE A CONTROLLER IF YOU HAVE ONE. Not to say it's disastrous to use the keyboard, but without a way to focus up and slow your movements, outside using Casey's Dragon Punch Charge, you're left feathering keys and praying you don't get smacked.

Mixed Nuts:
=That said, I won't lie that shot patterns look intimidating, and they should. If Danmaku look scary at all, the harder levels will give you a hard time. I'm not great at them myself, but Chapter 3 really is difficult if you don't master switching characters and using Synergy Boost! Don't be afraid of bungling a run or two, just so you can learn! This is a wonderful game to teach gamers how to remain calm under pressure!
=And again, this being a Danmaku, please remember that the place where you suffer damage is the White Heart at the center of the Unit, not the entire Unit. This ain't Gradius! That said, you would be forgiven for not recognizing why you get hit in places. I know I did~ Maybe the Heart should have a clear and concise border so you can better keep track of it? Some sorta outline or subtle animation to make it stand out as the Weak Point you need to protect.
=A final item to mention, part of the reason why I'll always remember Maggie is because her Puppets keep clotheslining me! Mind you, it's my fault for using Casey too much, which requires you to be close to what you want to whack. I can't help it! The punch is so satisfying!