Review Mazinkaiser 4/5 · May 23, 2021
Tamashii: Squishy Imagery
Tamashii is a game with a relatively simple formula at its core but supremely unnerving and horrific imagery/setpieces that help it rise above most other puzzle platformers.
The player is brought into existence by a divine being in order to purify a corrupted temple. All is definitely not as it seems, but this story is pretty run of the mill …
Tamashii is a game with a relatively simple formula at its core but supremely unnerving and horrific imagery/setpieces that help it rise above most other puzzle platformers.
The player is brought into existence by a divine being in order to purify a corrupted temple. All is definitely not as it seems, but this story is pretty run of the mill god-questioning territory. What really stands out is how everything looks. The graphics in Tamashii are chilling and disturbing, mixing lingering fleshy horror in the background with excellently timed jumps and horrific creatures. Whether it's a shock to the screen and the world transforms or an extremely unsettling image chilling in the background, Tamashii has it all.
The game's mechanics are fairly simple. The player can jump (and double-jump) and create clones. Most of the time these clones will activate doors or turn blocks of a certain type on/off. There are a few challenges here and there but Tamashii is a relatively short game, so the player will rely on time attack and score attack for any particularly fiendish challenge. Still, it's a solid system and has a slo-mo mode for players that need some help.
Tamashii clocks in at only a couple of hours worth of gameplay through its story and the story is creepy but skippable. However, the unique and extremely unsettling setting with excellent use of sound and scares will make this an experience worth having.
