In Nishan Shaman, you control Nishan, a character from Chinese folklore, beating her drum to ward off evil spirits and monsters that plague the world.
You automatically move through the level, resonating a glow that serves as your hitbox. As you walk, melodic, period suitable music plays, accompanied by monsters that seek to fly at your light and harm you.
To defeat them, you must beat your drum in time with their arrival against your light. Tap the correct side of the screen to where the monsters come from to defeat them. Sometimes the monsters will fly at you one after another, other times they will alternate their direction.
Intermittently, you will have to defend against long serpent monsters, requiring you to hold down the side of the screen instead of simply tapping it.
The arrival of the monsters corresponds to the rhythm of the music playing through the level. It doesn’t exactly match the sound of the song, but their arrival against your light follows the general beat, allowing you to prepare yourself by listening to the song.
At its surface, Nishan Shaman is a simple musical rhythm game; drum along with the music based on the arrival of the monsters and sit back and relax.[sc name=”quote” text=”At its surface, Nishan Shaman is a simple musical rhythm game; drum along with the music based on the arrival of the monsters and sit back and relax.”]
However, Nishan Shaman seeks to go beyond that – it tells a mystical, Chinese story with wisdom and superlative care, lulling you into an oxymoronic state of both relaxation and heightened awareness.
You’ll be drumming with the monsters, smoothly moving with the beat, but then two great serpents will appear from both sides; on hitting the screen with both fingers to defeat them, the screen explodes in colour as a monstrous fish in the background leaps from the surface and the music changes in tempo and pitch.
Nishan Shaman isn’t just a simple rhythm game; it’s a musical adventure with beat elements. The mis en scene is overwhelming in its level of detail and intricacy. Beautiful background characters, telling a story in a way only able to be told through ancient folklore.
The level of artistic integrity and skill that has gone into this game is absolutely incredible. The design is simplistic, yet intricate in its awe inspiring beauty.
Set pieces glimmer with colour, then are replaced with drab, morbid spirits reminiscent of death. Then, suddenly, colour explodes again, accompanied by a horde of monsters, forcing you to practically tap dance across your phone screen.[sc name=”quote” text=”Then, suddenly, colour explodes again, accompanied by a horde of monsters, forcing you to practically tap dance across your phone screen.”]
Nishan Shaman is one of those rare games that not only provides a consistent quality in gameplay, but draws the player in to a fluid, interesting and engaging story, all of which is told through beautiful artwork and a fantastic musical score.
Nishan Shaman is beautiful in its design, sound and general artistic direction, but it’s also a pretty fun rhythm game.
[review pros=”The musical score is magnificent in its haunting beauty and soundscape. The background design is beautiful and filled with colour.” cons=”The gameplay could possibly do with more variety.” score=9]
[appbox appstore id1386115658]
