Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2016
RefRain - prism memories -
Developer RebRank
RefRain - prism memories - is an empowering, cyberpunk, bullet-hell shoot-’em-up that focuses on fast-paced, offensive gameplay. “Dive” into a hazardous digital world, cycle through 3 different attack modes, and delete the opposition with superior firepower. From the Steam store page
79 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 8, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
99
LovedLoved
76 positive · 1 negative
95% range 93–100%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 76 | 1 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
2 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
136 of 139 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 79 · most liked firstI've played this game's demo for 7 years. I went back to Japan for several times, looked around Akihabara to see if this game is still out there. No luck. Jump to 2016, now it's on Steam. A dream com true. Am I over reacting? no. This game is possibly my #1 favorite shmup out there. I wouldn't wait for 7 years trying to get the game. Gameplay: While the game seems like bullet hell, This is not a bullet hell shmup. The devs also mention this too, (in japanese) that the game was never meant…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Indie PC shoot'em'up game by RebRank that was originally released in 2011. Second game in the Samidare series. RefRain is not a game about dodging bullets. Your character has a lot of special abilities and ways to cancel enemy projectiles. Beating the game on any difficulty is more about shooting aggressively, learning to use your special attacks and timing bullet cancels rather than dodging or reactions. The game has superb presentation. Menus, interface and all the 2D art look super slick.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every now and then when the stars of the universe are in perfect alignment, you'll discover a game, look at a couple of screenshots, and before you even buy it you'll nod to yourself and say "this is perfection." You might not even know why, but your heart will tell you that this is it. And after 150 hours, I am happy to report that my heart was right. This is perfection. I've always considered "feeling one with your ship" (along with "player feedback") as the principal criteria of any…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, its the RefRain you know and love in all its glory! If you are new to bullet hell type games then I would suggest this game to you, The ships are very well balanced and the ship mechanics teach you very important concepts that you can apply to other similar games. Remeber the goal isnt to just beat the game, but to beat it within one life/credit/hit (1cc) depending on how far you like to take things. However its very challenging on higher difficulties as well so very recommended for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(Updated review) RefRain is the third game in the, maybe I should say, Samidare universe. While the first game Samidare and the second RedRive are not available on steam and relatively less-known, it is not so important that you must play them to get what is going on in the RefRain storyline. To prevent spoilers, I'd rather not say anything else about the story here. And after all, this is a bullet hell shooter, so gameplay surely matters. Judging from my game experience and mediocre skills,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looks like Rayforce and some japanese freeware bullet hell had a baby. That being said, I am personally not really a fan of true hardcore bullet hell, but I just love vertical arcade shmups, this one is really not that. I see it has a sort of cult following, personally have never heard of it until being available on Steam. Its an OK title for me, I wont be asking for a refund, but I definitely won't be spending much time with it either. But if you are an acheivement hunter, its quite easy to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really cool shmup with an emphasis on destroying bullets and using special weapons and bombs constantly instead of saving them. Your special weapon charges its levels very quickly and each level results in an extra attack being fired with higher levels clearing bullets. Your "bomb" actually does not do any damage but instead turns all the bullets into destroyable items which you can then kill to charge your special weapon more. I have only played on easy and normal, but my understanding is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game took me completely by surprise. I had not heard of it whatsoever (many of the other Degica games, at least near this quality I've at least heard of the series at some point or another) but It is easily in contention for the best Vertical STG I've ever played. I know there are a few games by a little developer named Cave I still need to try out so take that for what it is, nonetheless RefRain: Prism Memories is simply outstanding. The gameplay is very exciting and interesting. This…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super underrated Bullet Hell gem. Lots of replayability with the three playable characters and their different styles, fantastic art direction and music and satisfying-as-hell gameplay. Don't pass this one up, it's one of the best shmups on steam for sure.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What started off as a simple demo in 2006, evolved into the full game you see today in 2011, RefRain -prism memories- is a STG/Shump that's both classic formula, but also a bit wild, giving it a nice little niche in an already niche grouping. The storyline itself isn't too grand in it's aprotch, as you 'Dive' with one of three girls all stuck within the M.R.S. network, trying to recovery their memorys, pasts, and just escape outright. Told via E-mails and endings, it presents itself in a way…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playing REFRAIN: PRISM MEMORIES for the first time & this game is like a piece of art. #BulletHell #Danmaku #SHMUP
unlabelledView post →I really loved this game the first 6-7hrs. A sensual and banger soundtrack that'll stick with you all day. It also has some awesome attacks and counters. It challenges you to play up close and personal not only for score but to gain energy. My issues with the game are: 1) Enemies and enemy missiles can be hard to see. Sometimes enemy missiles are faded into the background, and occasionally, bullets are shot from off the bottom of the screen if the enemy is blown up just off screen. You'll def…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really solid doujin game from the 2000s. Has a neat, chill soundtrack for most stages, culminating in a last stage boss sequence that I can only describe as fantastic. It's very different from a traditional shmup in that almost all bullets can be cancelled/absorbed through use of your sub-weapons and a bomb (or "Concept Reactor"), and most of the higher level gameplay is designed around using this correctly. It's quite a challenge on the Re:Extreme difficulty, especially s4 and s5, and one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really solid doujin shmup that's a great purchase for anyone who's a fan of the genre. RefRain does a great job of distinguishing itself in a genre of very similar titles by mechanically focusing on offense heavy gameplay and scoring rather than pure dodging. There is still much dodging to be done as is standard in the genre, however you have a very large, bullet destroying attack that charges very quickly when you deal damage. As well, your bombs charge based on point pickups encouraging…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful game with amazing focus on details Gameplay: : 4/5 Very fun gameplay with some neat features. For the most part, the story and the gameplay are separated, allowing for a more seamless shoot 'em up experience. Each character has their own playstyle and bomb patterns, which allows players to experience very different methods of beating the game. In addition to killing a boss, bosses can be waited out, allowing players to play very defensively and still win. This game has many…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Work of beauty. Peak game design philosophy, soundtrack and aesthetics. This game feels ahead of its time and it's such a shame its sequel has been on Dev Hell for so long... Brought to you by the team who worked with ZUN on early Touhou games and the responsible behind Seihou/Samidare/RedRive!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very stylish, the character designs are pretty, the soundtrack is mostly trance and techno and it ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rocks. It's not as heavy on dodging as some bullet hell because you have a couple attacks that can destroy bullets. It works great on the Steam Deck so far, if you're going back and forth between PC and Deck just make sure to select the "Controller Layout Tool" at launch to set your resolution.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THIS GAME IS GOD TIER
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first thing you should know is, this game is not a regular danmaku shooting game like the Cave games, Crimzon Clover or even Touhou games. You don't need to practice a lot to learn how to dodge bullets or move precisely. The most important part is use M.E.F.A2 and Concept Reactor to destroy the bullet, use shooting and Concept Reactor to charge M.E.F.A2 and use M.E.F.A2 and shooting to charge Concept Reactor. If you can remember all the parts of game and find strategy to deal with them, you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The enemy bullets in this game doesn't play by the rules. They just move however they want to move. The game still gives a hint though, so that should be fine. The gameplay is more on making use of the charged attack and bullet cancel mechanics. The soundtracks in this game are really good. One issue I had is the sound the player ship makes is so high pitch it gets annoying, but that's probably just me. You can still adjust the volume for the sound effects in the config. The game can save…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No pickups or gimmicks but highly engaging core gameplay that will keep you on your toes during each and every playthrough! The game puts an emphasis on the proper use of special attacks (MEFA2) and bombs (Concept Reactor) as dodging some bullet and enemy patterns is intentionally impossible. Each of the three ships requires a different approach to the various sections and (mid)boss fights during five short but brutal stages, which results in an overall rather learny shmup. Aesthetics and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just when you think you've seen it all! Ive spent many many years playing hundreds, maybe thousands of shooters across all the platforms. there are lots of really great games out there and some extra special ones that really make an impression on you. This game is one of those. The last time i was really really wowed by a shooter4 was when palying Radiant SilverGun. i know its not to everyones tatse but it certainly is to mine. i havent found that sort of impression in a shooter since. there…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like the game and wanted a hard copy, which was obtainable on a certian website. However one day the site vanished and I had to go with a illegal cracked version of it. Now the game is on steam and so I missed no time and bought it right away. The game is very good. You have 3 pilots each with its own ship. It hard to decide since every ship exceeds in a certian terrain. You got everything from area defence to focussed laser attacks. The game works as follows. You get coins by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very beautiful game with amazing focus on detail. A bullet hell style game. Gameplay: 4/5 Gameplay is fun with some very cool features. The more you play, the more characters/ship you can unlock. There are totally of 3 characters you can unlock (1st is given when you play the game and the other two you need to unlock). Each character have different play style, ability and special move ( bomb). This allow you to experience the game in many different ways and improve the ability to replay the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ultra-stylish shmup that looks like an early 2000s forum signature in the best way possible, and lets you chain super attacks to rip through bosses.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If modern AAA games could be likened to long novels, STGs could be thought of as poems. Like a poem, STGs may be shorter, but they are no less powerful, condensing a complete experience into a lean, sculpted form with no room for excess. And while a poem’s content may be the same on each reading, what the reader finds in it—and himself—can change radically over repeated readings. And for my money, RefRain might be the most poetic STG ever made. Beauty suffuses every aspect of this game, from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a 58 yo father, probably one of the oldest people playing this game. I am a single father to my Son, who is 14 now. My son got this game for Christmas in 2021 from his uncle, so we installed it on his computer and he started playing. By the end of the week he had 40 hours on this game. This was horrible for me, as it was already hard for me to find ways to spend time with my son, as he is always out with his friends or just watching Ukrainian men French kissing canines on YouTube. So i…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good. Very unique pattern design.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A 5-level bullet-hell shooter isn't much of a value proposition these days, but when done right, the experience one can get from it rivals no other. Despite being no master of the genre - I find it challenging enough to make it to the end of these games on Normal, let alone chase mathematically pornographic high scores - I can be quite picky about my shmups. I want the soundtrack to draw me into the trance from the start. I want panic buttons to feel powerful, I want attack options to feel…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful cyberpunk bullet-cancelling shmup game with an OST which rivals its insane amount of polish. Only the most foolish of bullet hell fanatics would miss out on this gem of a title.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unlike many other reviewers, I did not have an older/demo/cracked version to base my experience off. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game. I'm not the best SHMUP player, and I generally don't love heavy bullet hell-style games. This one is different in that it's a bit more forgiving in your ability to counter the enemy. Even if you're not super coordinated, you've still got a chance to progress. That doesn't mean, however, that the game is easy or that you'll beat it your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Preddy cool counterattacking-type shmup. Can play as an attractive glasses OL.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty great and unique game. Wonderfully nostalgic. I love this period of Japanese indies. I just wish it had some better visual options and a stage select.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great shmup, really fun score system and mechanics. Pretty unique! This game is all about pointblanking and cancelling bullets, much less about dodging.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful shmup that plays somewhat differently. It has heavy focus on bullet-cancelling and stun-locking bosses with special attacks, which requires properly managing the meters – to the point that playing normally would be detrimental. As a result, the gameplay may feel rather "stiff" – I enjoyed learning the system and routing the stages, but it might not be for everyone. Visuals, music and patterns are great; and the lore was interesting too.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Favorite danmaku shmup on Steam above Crismon Clover.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RefRain is easily one of the best shmups I've played, it is easy to pick up and learn and has an amazing soundtrack. As one of my favorites, I am glad I finally purchased the Steam version to complement my physical import.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a bad bullet hell for the price, which was $12 when I got it. As is expected from bullet hells, the music is nice and the shot patterns are pretty, etc. etc. There aren't quite traditional bombs in this game. There's a bomb that turns all enemy non-laser shots into safe, shootable targets to charge your special shot. The special shot has 4 levels, with levels 3 & 4 providing minor invul and all shots destroying enemy shots. Additionally, levels 3 & 4 stun bosses for a while and they all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →IF you have a controller... ...Only then would I recommend this (Pos. review because so far this is the only issue I'm having). Could be a me issue, but without a controller the game runs abysmally slow, I tried the very few suggestions I could find on the discussion page but to no avail, besides plugging a controller in before booting it up. If you can get past that major hiccup bordering on the edge of being a straight up barf, the game is absolutely beautiful, in it's UI and general design,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very entertaining shmup, difficult somewhat if you're used to dodging-type shmups rather than the clear-focused style of RefRain, but manageable with frequent playthroughs. I love the characters; my favourite is Mews since Bronx Terror is the ship best suited to my playstyle. The OST is very good and not too repetitive which is good for a shmup that needs multiple playthroughs to master.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Need to come back to this one. Fun gameplay, excellent presentation. The ship variety feels very good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Out of my attempts to develop the brain-worm for STGs this is one of the ones that managed to hook me despite how terrible I am. Funny to think I only came across this just going far down the "Shoot 'Em Up" tag and ended up with such a gem. Makes me wonder how many more great Japanese indie games I'm unaware of. I very much look forward to C.C.S.B. when it finishes development and hope for an English translation.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty cool indie shmup! The pacing is great and I really dig the style. I like the subweapons, but I do think they could stand to be nerfed a little. A lot of the patterns are almost entirely nullified by decent gauge management. Unlike other games like Akashicverse and Hellsinker that have similarly powerful defensive tools, this one doesn't quite have the sheer input difficulty or technical complexity to justify having that much bullet deletion and damage output. Overall solid game aside…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I highly recommend this game. It is a cohesive experience, where every aspect of the game is well polished and balanced. There isn't really any point where one aspect overshadows the others. The gameplay, music, graphics, visuals etc are always in harmony. It plays like an experience, more than a classic arcade-style shmup. You're playing the game the moment you launch it, way before you select your character and difficulty. While nothing would really compete with the giants of the industry…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is top 5 shmups on stream easily, all the ships are super fun, the modes are super fun, the controls are smooth as silk, the game looks amazing, has so much flavor, even the menus, EVEN the LORE is really good, THE MUSIC IS OUTSTANDING. BUY THIS GAME JUST BUY IT. Now excuse me while I go in for another dive...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RefRain, come and play Make all the bullets go away
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super underrated STG. Interesting and unique mechanics, bunch of difficulty options, and a great soundtrack.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am probably a little biased when it comes to shmups as I love them with a special kind of passion, however this game is just pure art. It's beautiful in every aspect, it's design, music, gameplay - everything is tight and really well produced. Absolutely worth the asking price and highly recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What pulled me into this game was a marketing email from Degica that described this game as follows: "...boss fights can feel like even one-on-one duels rather than desperate struggles." I like hard bosses as much as the next shmupper, but this game's special attack and bullet cancelling system intrigued me. I have not played much but what I played was so addictive. The music is amazing, and the game just plays so smoothly and stylishly. I like how cohesive the world feels with a message…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game, and my god those bullet patterns are hypnotic. Only negatives in my opinion is the sound effects in places lack punch and the background can be rather simplistic at times. BUT who cares about that when the screen it covered in bullets :) Recommend it highly.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →athgam air conditioner on full blast thiss
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RefRain Prism Memories normal mode playthrough done. That game goes from 0 to 11 real quick starting with Stage 5 lol. That final boss is brutal, first clear I got was me using all of my credits and lives in a war of attrition and just barely managing to squeeze out the victory
unlabelledView post →This game is really cool. It has that hackerman "I'm in." with a side of diving into the internet type of aesthetic that I adore. The ship variants have their own unique personality in their playstyles and even down to the little desktop environments before you hop into a run. Using your bombs as the gauge builds up lets you pull off combos that are really satisfying, and I like that if you do it right they have a portrait cut-in with extra effects. The boss fights have intricate patterns…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of my fav doujin shmups. kinda has a serial experiments lain vibe. unique mechanics, nice presentation, and banger soundtrack.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is an abusive women who holds you tight and whispers her eternal love into your ear, then beats you with cable ties and kicks you till your ribs break, then holds you close and cries at what she has done. I love this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Touhou with spaceships instead of anime girls, and a dash of Treasure. A must-play for any shmup fan, but especially the people who couldn't get into Touhou due to the anime girl thing. Intensely creative and satisfying bullet patterns with an emphasis on micro-dodging but a dash of arcade vibes to keep you on your toes. Secondary weapon-system nicely feeds into bombs as well creating a cohesive gameplay loop of building meter to bomb to build meter to bomb with some tasty bullet cancels.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worth it for the music alone but the game is very fun too. The menus are very charming as they change based on which character/ship you want to play as and fit the whole VR/computer aesthetic very well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very cool unique cyberpunk bullet hell. Definitely worth picking up for your collection. Amazing music and atmosphere
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good bullet hell shooter cannot get past the final boss but it's a progress pew pew pew
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very well designed shmup with interesting mechanics - a bullet cancel and a "special meter" similar to fighting games, that fills when killing enemies and can be used to perform 4 different levels of special attack. Not so hard as to put off new players, but with plenty of challenge and depth for experienced players. Definitely one of the best shumps on steam. Also plays perfectly on linux.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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