Yohane the Parhelion is an official spin-off of "Love Live! Sunshine". Yohane's fantasy world sets the stage for a 2D metroidvania in "Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the Deepblue"!
Players take control of Yohane as she ventures into a mysterious underwater dungeon. The 2D Metroidvania level design encourages thorough exploration, as Yohane gains new abilities that unlock previously inaccessible areas. Each environment offers a distinct visual style, with secrets and treasures to discover through nonlinear traversal. Yohane's responsive movement, including double jumps and dashes, makes navigating the levels feel smooth and satisfying.
In combat, players can utilize Yohane's primary weapon attacks as well as summon abilities granted by her rescued friends. The game features a variety of craftable weapon types, from bows to whip-swords, each with unique attack patterns and properties. Yohane's companions, such as Hanamaru and Dia, provide a diverse set of offensive and utility skills that can be strategically deployed to overcome challenges. Managing resources like Darkness Points (used to power abilities) and health adds depth to the combat, allowing players to choose between aggressive and defensive approaches. The seamless integration of Yohane's equipped weapon and summon abilities creates a satisfying flow to the combat encounters.
The game features special areas within the dungeon that randomly change their layout each time the player visits. This adds an element of unpredictability and replayability, as players must adapt their exploration and combat strategies to the new room configurations.
The crafting system enables players to create and upgrade Yohane's equipment, including weapons and accessories. By gathering materials from the environment and defeated enemies, players can continuously improve their loadout, tailoring their playstyle to their preferences.
While the game is generally considered accessible for newcomers to the Metroidvania genre, it also provides opportunities for more experienced players to challenge themselves. The game's difficulty can be adjusted by limiting the use of healing items or powerful abilities, allowing players to customize their experience.