Tamashii | Puzzling Occult Horror

Normally one wouldn't think of occult horror when they think of December or the Christmas holiday season. That sort of entertainment is usually reserved for Spring time or October for Halloween's sake. Oddly enough Digerati Distribution decided to publish, and release such a game though. That game being "Tamashii". Tamashii which could best be described as Luciferian, or Pagan in nature features a light illuminated, and pyramid headed female-like God whose temple has been corrupted by minions of darkness. To combat the problem he/she send his/her loyal subject, which happens to be the character you play as, to deal with the corruption culprits. To do this you will be entering portal chambers in puzzle platforming areas that require your timer inclusive effigies (a limited set of 3) that can be sped up to deactivate or waited on in order to activate switches, avoid hazards, and do what needs to be done to open up sealed gates to the next area. Along with an additional double jump or delayed jump you will need to figure out each room's puzzle, solve it, and move on until you reach the boss. Between start, and finish you will find challenge portals that are either difficult and highly rewarding, or easier and less rewarding. A play on the left hand and right hand of God premise with the left handed choice bringing the biggest reward.

As you begin Tamashii you will be able to set on or off visual effects in the options menu. Effects that can be debilitating to sufferers of epilepsy or seizures. This includes animation glitching, and flashy lights. Once you choose your poison you'll be ushered into a tutorial giving you a tease of the plot while the game simultaneously gives you a hands-on experience with the mechanics. The mechanics I disclosed in the opening paragraph are all you get. What changes are the puzzles, hazards, and layouts of each boss inclusive portal. Each God/Goddess named portal realm also houses character interactions via text blocks that further explain who you are as well as the situation you are in. Sometimes giving you multiple choice questions that may or may not lead to different outcomes. All of the portal realms are located within a platforming hub known as the "Corrupted Temple", and not everything in said temple is unlocked from the start. You will need to perform certain feats, and complete a certain number of portal realms to gain access to other portal realms within the Corrupted Temple. Of course there are secrets to be found, and in this game's case, speedrun versions of each portal realm with a highscore record for your efforts. A highscore record that accounts for rooms cleared perfectly, and according to a countdown timer.

The Verdict ...

This game is trippy. It is very occult-like, and definitely has a theme I know not everyone will be onboard with. It also harbors mature art in the form of female, and male nudity. Be warned. That having been said Tamashii offers a proper challenge, and a unique puzzle solving system that I haven't seen before. The religious Luciferian theme is intriguing, and the plot one that draws you in through it's slow release of details. Like the puzzles the plot unfolds as you progress, and figure out the secrets within. I was personally thankful as I played that the visuals could be adjusted to not be so abusive as this can be rather jarring. If I have any complaints at all I did notice during my repeat tries at the first boss that the double jump, and effigy mechanics would not work properly sometimes when I pressed the buttons as required. This definitely needs to be looked into for the speedrun portion of the game. Also worth bringing to attention is the unfortunate fact that the visual filter seems to turn itself on and off in-game despite you having set it either way. This needs to be looked into ASAP. In the way of challenge Tamashii offers it in spades. It is not as easy as some puzzle platformers I've seen. Fortunately for the player retries are infinite in Tamashii, and you can manually restart a room by holding down the touchpad. The developer definitely wants you to figure things out, and not have to start from scratch to experience the whole game. With all things accounted for I think if you don't mind the obvious occult theme, and are looking for something different this holiday season you might find Tamashii worth picking up. That's going to be up to personal preference mostly. Just know that game is a properly done experience.