TASOMACHI: Behind the Twilight
- April 13, 2021
- Orbital Express
Get on Steam"TASOMACHI: Behind the Twilight" is an independently developed adventure game where you play as Yukumo, a young girl exploring a mysterious Far Eastern town. Your airship has broken down, and you must find repair parts while uncovering the mystery behind the town's silent, deserted state. With an Eastern fantasy theme and a beautiful, intricate world to explore, enjoy the game's peaceful atmosphere accompanied by a mystical soundtrack by Ujico*. | 323 characters
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Gorgeous and unique art style that creates a visually captivating world.
- Relaxing gameplay with no combat, allowing players to explore at their own pace.
- Soothing soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Floaty and imprecise controls can make platforming frustrating at times.
- Limited story and character development, leaving players wanting more narrative depth.
- Repetitive gameplay with similar tasks across different areas can lead to boredom.
- music205 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the work of Ujico (Snail's House) as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. However, some tracks are noted to feel out of place, particularly in certain environments, leading to mixed feelings about the soundtrack's cohesion with the game's aesthetic. Overall, while the music is often described as enjoyable and calming, there are criticisms regarding its fit with specific gameplay elements and settings.
“The music is soothing and atmospheric, perfectly matching the game's visual style and enhancing the overall immersion.”
“Music by ujico/snail's house does a wonderful job capturing the aesthetic of each location and activities in the moment.”
“The soundtrack is especially good and as someone who quite often turns music volume down in games, this is one soundtrack I wanted to listen to.”
“The pairing of grating, ambient electronic music with the serene, naturist vibe of the artwork just didn't work for me at times.”
“Some (not all) of the background music doesn't fit the game design theme at all; the artist and the musician need serious communication and not doing their own stuff the way they like it then put everything together and call it a day.”
“The music doesn't suit the artwork they're going for.”
- story135 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in the game is largely considered minimal and feels like an afterthought, with many players noting its lack of depth and engagement. While it provides a backdrop for exploration and some whimsical interactions, the narrative is often described as repetitive and lacking in substantial plot or character development. Overall, the game is more focused on gameplay mechanics and exploration rather than delivering a compelling story, which may leave players wanting more.
“The story unfolds gradually as players explore the world, uncovering fragments of lore and interacting with whimsical characters.”
“In the rich and colorful environment, a lot of the NPC dialogue tells a sorrowful and quite depressing story; one which I feel is an unfitting juxtaposition.”
“There are brief lore scrolls scattered around that give names and clues about the towns and characters, but as with other dedicated exploration games I love, the actual story is left pretty open to your imagination.”
“There's a story, but it feels like more of an afterthought and definitely isn't essential for gameplay.”
“The game has no combat, very little dialogue and no mystery or plot to solve, so this might not be the game for you if you are looking for a more engaging experience.”
“The storyline can be summed up with three words: there is none.”
- graphics116 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of *Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight* are widely praised for their unique blend of cel-shaded visuals and traditional Japanese art influences, creating a charming and serene atmosphere that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. While the environments are visually striking and designed for exploration, some critiques highlight issues with the game's dimensional choices and simplistic polygonal designs, which can detract from the immersive quality. Overall, the game is celebrated for its beautiful art style and level design, making it a standout title in the indie scene, particularly for players who appreciate visual aesthetics over complex gameplay.
“Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is a charming and visually captivating indie game that stands out for its serene atmosphere and unique aesthetic.”
“The game features a distinctive blend of cel-shaded graphics and traditional Japanese art influences, creating a vivid and enchanting world.”
“The panoramic views you can achieve in this game are serious artworks in themselves: this game was made for photo mode.”
“The graphics are a bit above average.”
“Okay graphics, good soundtrack, lackluster gameplay, and way too short.”
“Last bit are the graphics, which sport simple polygons on terrain and strong architecture cues which are carried by the global lighting through the previously mentioned day/night cycle.”
- gameplay109 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by smooth platforming mechanics and a focus on exploration and collection, reminiscent of classic collectathon titles. While the game offers a relaxing experience with beautiful visuals, many players find the gameplay to be simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge. Overall, it serves as a chill experience rather than a demanding gameplay adventure, with some mechanics feeling unpolished and the story being an afterthought.
“The platforming mechanics are smooth and responsive, allowing for fluid movement and precise jumps.”
“Very relaxing and fun, with the main collectathon mechanics being extremely well designed and satisfying.”
“The gameplay starts very easy then gets more challenging and interesting once you have to boost then immediately ground pound from a bouncy net onto a moving platform; that part could have used instructions.”
“The gameplay quickly gets very boring.”
“With boring gameplay, no storyline to speak of and no real clue of what you're supposed to be doing and why, this game has nothing to hold the player past the first hour and nothing to convince them to come back and play again.”
“I'm honestly shocked at how bland this game is; there really is not much variety in terms of gameplay or environments.”
- atmosphere40 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight" is widely praised for its serene and visually captivating qualities, enhanced by a soothing soundtrack that complements the game's unique aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the tranquil exploration and beautiful art direction, creating a calming experience reminiscent of classic RPGs. However, some note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and empty, which may detract from the overall immersion for certain players.
“Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is a charming and visually captivating indie game that stands out for its serene atmosphere and unique aesthetic.”
“The music is soothing and atmospheric, perfectly matching the game's visual style and enhancing the overall immersion.”
“The game's art style is very beautiful and oozes atmosphere, and the soundtrack is calming and catchy.”
“Lots of repetition, story left to imagination, and an atmosphere that leans towards solemn but ultimately bright?”
“I know that this type of game has an audience, but if you’re like me and just want it for the pretty atmosphere, you might want to consider the gameplay before buying.”
“UI's rather basic, has that doujin feel, but I adore the atmosphere and art direction.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game experiences occasional bugs and glitches, particularly when viewed from certain angles or during photography. However, recent updates have improved character responsiveness and reduced camera-related issues, indicating ongoing efforts to enhance stability.
“It's also a bit buggy at times.”
“- glitches.”
“- glitches at certain angles and when taking pictures.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to collecting customization items and farming in-game currency for shop items. While none of the achievements are missable, the process can become frustrating and unbalanced, especially towards the end when players are trying to complete all objectives. Overall, the grind is seen as a significant drawback that detracts from the overall experience.
“The achievements are a bit grindy, particularly for customization collectables, which require you to run around collecting money that spawns randomly, but none are missable.”
“Towards the end, it just becomes a tedious and quite frankly annoying grind to finish off those last few achievements.”
“To 100% the game, you will need to spend time farming in-game currency for shop items.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is generally well-optimized, delivering solid performance across various systems. Users consistently report decent optimization, contributing to a smooth gaming experience.
“Overall, it provides solid performance with decent optimization.”
“Overall, it provides solid performance with decent optimization.”
“Overall, it provides solid performance with decent optimization.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting that exploring the interactions between unlockable abilities and mechanics enhances their joy and satisfaction, particularly in movement. This engagement fosters a sense of fulfillment that resonates more profoundly than in many other games.
“Taking the time after initially beating the game to really delve into the interactions between each unlockable ability and all the different mechanics in the game truly made me feel more joy and satisfaction with movement than most other games I've played.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the level and character design are praised for their quality, the character development aspect lacks depth and could benefit from more engaging mechanics and transitions to enhance the overall experience.
