Tasokare Hotel ~ RIEview

 

I came across this game after getting myself into detective/mystery-solving story, and based on the description in the app store it sounded promising. Right after I started I realised it was no easy feat getting through the game, so I searched and found this piece of a gem. Highly recommend that you study the walkthrough as there’s many good quality tips and tricks on how to effectively play through the game! Now onto the review!

Game Plot

You play as the protagonist, Neko Tsukahara, who wakes up in a place without any memories of her own. Before her is a beautiful yet imposing hotel called Tasokare Hotel, which will be the beginning of her journey in solving the many mysteries that take place in the hotel. To uncover her memories, Neko decides to work as a staff at the Hotel, which will ultimately unveil the real truth of why she arrived at Tasokare Hotel in the first place.

Verdict (5/5)

As most SEEC games, there is a horror genre in the game. In my previous review/guide for ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, I mentioned that I actually heavily dislike horror-related plots. Well, to be exact the whole plot isn’t full horror… But the truth behind many things has a link to horror, if I can say without spoiling the full story. Despite my personal opinion, I still find the story very well-written, and also well-translated given that its original version is a Japanese release.

Once you’re done finding out all parts of the main plot, jump over to unlock the side stories! While the game is mainly free to play, the side stories aren’t. But think of it as supporting the developers and also reading on what the side characters get up to during the main plot!

Character Diversity & Personality

A beautiful line-up of characters with interesting personalities. Neko is not your typical protagonist. For one, she is smart, even though at times she may come off apathetic (which is probably her lack of expressions, for one). The other characters also play fairly important roles in shaping the story, and together you get a wonderful cast all set for their roles.

Verdict (5/5)

The beauty of this game is making sure the character remains consistent in their characterisation throughout the storyline. Like there’s no dramatic turn in the character just to fit the direction of the story. In addition, the game actually addresses mental health issues like depression, which is a good effort on the writer’s part. Kudos!

Game & CG Art

Beautiful anime art style! The CG art is also equally impressive, and when I mean impressive I mean they can leave lasting impressions – if you know what I mean.

Verdict (5/5)

Absolutely wallpaper worthy, if I can figure out how to get it to fit nicely on my phone screen (not a problem for laptop/computer).

Game Mechanics

It's a mix between visual novel and solving puzzles. The visual novel aspect is where you have to make a choice that will determine the ultimate ending. Note also that some choices can lead to premature endings, and not the actual final ending. 

The game also has 2 mini games: My Room and the Gacha. My Room is where players tap on paper balls so chibi Neko goes to clean up the mess, where gold coins will sometimes drop. Activating Fever time will enlist the help of one of the side characters to best the sudden avalanche of paper balls. 

The Gacha is also an interesting feature where you can try your hand to see what prize you can get.

Verdict (4.5/5)

While the mini games are interesting, over time they wouldn’t be able to keep your full attention on the game for long. Puzzles can be a bit challenging, but no worries! For full walkthrough on how to effectively go through the game can be found, check out this blog for full details.

In-Game Events

N/A

Overall, I highly recommend this game if you’re seeking to solve puzzles and mysteries while reading a good plot filled with an interesting cast of characters. If you are a bit squeamish from horror/gore/elements commonly found in horror movies, then I would advise to proceed with extreme caution on the last chapter and even bad endings. Personal opinion, I am still scarred by one of the CG (related to one of the endings) where the artist has depicted the expressions a bit too perfectly for as nightmare fuel.

Again, I need to emphasise that the contents make sense considering the storyline, so it's not like your run-of-the-mill horror movies churning out horrible gore and jump scares for the sake of living up to its namesake as a horror movie.

Will you take a chance and give this game a go? Comment below your thoughts!

Happy Gaming!

~ RieRie