Before beginning this review, Catholic Game Reviews would like to give thanks to the developer fluury for providing us with a review copy of the game with no expectations of a positive review. This article was created with the author’s best attempt at an objective analysis of the game that was free from the influence of pleasing the developer for their generosity. 

If you know my love for the Touhou series, then it will be no surprise that I am reviewing yet another Cirno fan game. This game in particular really stood out to me as its gameplay seemed really reminiscent of A Hat in Time, one of my favorite games of all time. I was also heavily drawn in by the fairy tale-like presentation with its soft musical score and very colorful world. 

Story

After a peaceful stroll around the Misty Lake, Cirno has come to find that her house has been blocked by a giant boulder. After many attempts to lift the boulder out of the way, Cirno throws in the towel until her best friend Diayousei comes and tells her to collect enough items known as P blocks, so that she can become strong enough to lift the boulder. With this suggestion, she is off on a mission to become the strongest.

This simple premise is great for a story about Cirno as it ties in her personal quest to be “the strongest” and fits the silliness that Touhou fairies are known for. Also the presentation of the intro through comics strips was quite charming as the art was very cute and exaggerated, I loved the funky look of Cirno’s pointed socks. 

Gameplay

This is not a revolutionary game and that is okay. It is a simple collectathon that players will finish in a couple hours, with the goal being to collect enough items known as P blocks, so that Cirno can grow strong enough to lift the titular boulder that has blocked the door to her igloo. To accomplish her goal, Cirno can move around freely in any direction and jump like any typical 3d platformer.

She also unlocks abilities as she grows in power. The first ability you unlock allows you to glide which is useful for carrying momentum to reach far away places but also gives you the necessary precision needed to reach tight places. There is also the flutter jump which is a jump with a lot more height to it. Lastly there is the ability to create an ice platform in mid air.

All of these abilities are tied to a stamina gauge which requires you to chain your abilities efficiently to be successful. This moveset is relatively simple, but it flows well together as you flutter jump, glide as far as you can, and then cast an ice platform to regain your stamina. The architecture present also encourages players to use their abilities well as there are quite a variety of obstacles presented from the various locations such as homes built into a cliffside, a giant snowman as tall as a skyscraper, and even the famous Scarlet Devil Mansion.

My only complaint with the movement is that I wish that Cirno could grapple onto ledges as it felt like I was being cheated of reaching places many times due to me instinctively trying to do so from playing so much Mirror’s Edge and Destiny.

There are also other collectibles such as score blocks for those who enjoy seeing a number grow progressively larger and larger. There are also hidden frogs scattered around the world which give you large amounts of score and P blocks. Players will hear the frog begin to ribbit when they are nearby and they are usually camouflaged or hidden in clever areas.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of these as I can get easily stressed out when I am tasked to find something and I can not find it, thankfully these weren’t too hard to find and most of the places they were in felt fair. However sometimes it felt like some frogs were too close to one another and I got lost because of trying to track down competing ribbits. I can, at the very least, respect their inclusion because one of the funny things about Cirno’s lore is that she is known to freeze frogs. 

My final complaint is something unrelated to the main gameplay loop, and it is the inclusion of a speedrunner’s clock. I personally am not a fan of being timed as it ruins the immersion of playing at your own pace. There is something about being constantly reminded of how much time you have spent playing that takes you out of an experience, it ruins your ability to get lost into the gameplay as you always have this thought hanging over your head that you have spent too much time playing.

While this may sound overdramatic or petty, it is a psychological phenomenon that many people have reported and was even part of a video essay by youtuber Daryll Talks Games. Hopefully there is an option to disable it in a future update. 

Lastly, the developer, fluury, should be complimented for the ability for the player to have Cirno sit, and while this may sound like another weird take, allow me to explain why it’s a great addition. Firstly it’s great for taking a moment to relax, while this game is the opposite of intense compared to other games I play, like Rainbow Six Siege, as you are in absolutely no rush to complete the game, it’s still wonderful that players can take a moment to appreciate the Misty Lake’s beauty and fun additions like the various snowmen who are meant to be references to characters from the world of Touhou.

I argue from this position as I am someone who greatly misses when Pokémon let you use the various benches and chairs present in their worlds like in Pokémon X&Y. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of how those games looked, I was at least given the option to intentionally take in their world. Lastly, it’s great for screenshots, who wouldn’t want to take a picture of Cirno sitting on the roof of a giant mansion?

Music

Various remixes of Cirno’s character theme play as you go about your journey, they are much slower then the high energy of the original composition, these peaceful remixes make for a quite cozy experience. Cirno’s theme is just so great with its progressive melody that one can’t resist humming along to it, so getting to hear some excellent remixes makes for a great experience.

Lastly the small pause that plays between song transitions is greatly appreciated as it gives the moment to catch their breath, it should have been longer, but its inclusion is still enough for a player to catch a small breath as overstimulation in today’s world is a very real issue. 

Artstyle 

Much of a player’s enjoyment will come from how full of color and life the Misty Lake is. In general the game’s color palette is quite bright and will be immediately felt with how much the blue of Cirno’s dress pops. There are also various fun crayon drawings done by Cirno scattered across the lake that have that rough but creative energy one would expect from a childish mind such as her’s. It was genuinely a treat to come across them as they feel like something drawn on paper, and not digital art trying to mimic it, which helps a player’s immersion.

Cirno’s model will give off a sense of nostalgia for older games such as Mario 64 as it’s built with blocks and polygons. She also has really energetic character animations from her striking her iconic pose with her arm at her side in her idle animation, to the confident smug smile she puts on during a glide. The snow present is thick and fills the world with some fog which both is representative of the presentation of the lake from the mainline games but also adds to the fairy tale atmosphere mentioned earlier. 

Spiritual Reflection 

Like Cirno, everyone comes across obstacles in life that feel like immovable boulders, the question then becomes, what do we do about it? 

We are to turn to our Lord, who is always joyfully awaiting our pleas for help. Recall the words of St. James when he says in his epistle “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him”. 

Conclusion

Closing thoughts are that Cirno! Lifts a Boulder was a very fun, creative, and relaxing experience which delivers spectacular value for its $6 price tag. Quite deserving that the series’ best character gets such a fun entry! And once again thank you to fluury for providing us with a review code. 

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