![]() Gamers have been conditioned to face such challenges head on, but in "Tengami" the most productive response to hitting a wall is to explore elsewhere and allow the solution to present itself naturally. It's a ponderous - or perhaps plodding, in the eyes of those less charitable - sort of adventure that demands a break from our predisposition toward action and accomplishment. Three vehicle crash in Stratford closes lane on Route 15.ĭEEP: Two CT state parks close after reaching capacity Sunday.Residents question leaders on Easton Village Store contamination.Hartford police: Woman killed on Colonial Street was ‘isolated incident’.‘Catastrophic’ Middletown water main break a ‘wake-up call,’ mayor says.ĬT essential workers can apply for pandemic bonuses worth up to $1,000.The man moves with a slow, deliberate gait when players double-tab the screen to set a waypoint, accompanied by soothing, delicate music.New Haven police: West Haven man, 19, shot on Dixwell Avenue.The pacing will certainly put off some gamers, but "Tengami" makes a conscious effort to keep players focused on every minor detail. A wolf's lonesome howl, the reverberations of a struck bell and the soft murmur of a distant waterfall all serve as calls to mindfulness of the player's surroundings. Nyamyam deserves praise for creating such a magical world however, the visit doesn't last long at all. The entire game can be completed in just a couple of hours, and the ease of each puzzle sometimes creates the feeling that the player is watching the story rather than driving it. Shortcomings and all, "Tengami" feels like an important accomplishment. But those looking for the next artistic game of utter genius like Sword & Sworcery will need to keep waiting.The player may leave wishing for more content or a greater challenge, but it's impossible to deny the sense of gratification and peace that accompany Nyamyam's unique style. Tengami’s production values are through the roof, and those looking for an audio-visual feast won’t be disappointed. This lack of satisfaction leads into the ending, which doesn’t really have much payoff for the player. One puzzle involving ringing bells had a solution that mostly involved “ring a bunch of bells in some semblance of order until the game says the puzzle’s solved.” As well, other solutions can just feel frustratingly obscure, like the game’s actually much more clever than it thinks it is once the puzzle’s ultimately solved. The puzzles traverse a line between being clever, with some hidden secrets to try and figure out, and just being obscure. Puzzles also start to involve backtracking, which becomes a slow, un-fun slog. So much of the length of the game – which may be only a couple hours for smart and focused players – has to do with the protagonist’s lethargic speed, which seems like a nice stylistic touch early on but after a short while caused my internal monologue to scream “run like hell already!” Sadly, he did not listen. It all creates a world that’s just amazing to play with.įor the first 5 minutes, this is a 5-star game, and no matter what, it needs to be seen in motion.īut the problems with Tengami start with the realization of just how slow it is. The soundtrack is exquisite: at one point while distracting myself from a frustrating puzzle that had thrown me off, I wound up just listening to the game soundtrack inadvertently until the screen auto-locked. The controls are simple enough: tap twice to move to a place, and then just tap on any glowing object to interact with it. Scenery folds up and expands from the world, forming new places and situations for the player to explore and interact with. The pop-up book look of Tengami is distinctive and fantastic: it forms the aesthetic of the world, along with the Japanese-inspired universe that the events take place in. But that’s where the comparisons end: Tengami lacks substance. Like that classic adventure game, this is a game with style for days. There’s one comparison I made when I immediately started up Tengami, and that was Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
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