Over the last couple of decades games have proven that they can tell personal stories in small formats. A lot of the games have smartly used simple mechanics to tell deeper stories. This was popularised by Jenova Chen’s series of games that culminated in Journey – a game successful enough to have had a raft of imitators, and Torii is definitely one of them.
The objective of Torii is to walk through some abstract 3D spaces, solve some light puzzles and do some sections that are an approximation of stealth. As the player explores the world, they will unlock pieces of memories that tell a story of what seems to have happened to the protagonist. The world is pretty, and abstract, with a degree of freedom to how the player chooses to take on challenges and then progress to the next area.
The puzzles are actually really fun because they rely on this alternate world logic that requires playing around with the switches, pressure points, and triggers in each one to see what might happen. They aren’t complex – stop a moving series of steps, or get through a wall before a circle closes – but solving them feels rewarding and they move at a pace where I was never stuck on one for very long.
The stealth elements are, thankfully, slight in their execution. Each one is focused on hiding in a bush while creatures patrol around a set area. The key is to find the weak one and pounce on them. If the protagonist gets caught in the creatures’ view cones it instantly resets and they will have try again. None of these scenarios are particularly interesting but are pretty quick to get through.
The story is delivered in the abstract, still images flashed on screen with some text. I can imagine that some people might find something resonate with in here, but I was largely lost as to what it was trying to say. Something to do with loss, death, the afterlife, a family member too.
If these themes are compelling, then I think that Torii’s visuals more than make up for the lackluster game mechanics.
Conclusion
Torii is an interesting little game with some good visuals and solid puzzles. The stealth elements don’t need to be here, and it will entirely depend on your frame of mind as to whether the story hits.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
