If you’ve ever hoped to play a video game that looks like it’s inspired by Tool, you’re in luck. Exit Veil is an upcoming new game that was genuinely inspired by Tool’s music, their movies, and all the images and art associated with them.
Exit Veil is a Japanese RPG game with an integrated Tarot deck developed by Imazato. Hailing from the UK, Imazato now runs Cherrymochi, a small creative independent studio based south of Tokyo, Japan. We reached out to Imazato to inquire about the design, and he was kind enough to share some of the design and art from the game to give fans an idea of what the game will look like.
Imazato described the game as “the ultimate fantasy game in Tool’s music video” in which players will “explore winding, dark, psychedelic dream landscapes” and use tarot cards to engage in various battles.
Read our full discussion with Imazato below. For those wanting to learn more about the game and watch the full trailer, visit the Exit Veil Kickstarter Campaign page.
How did you get interested in metal and heavy music and which bands are your favorite?
I’m staggering middle-aged now, so my teenage years fell right into the heart of the nu-metal period of the late 90’s. Super baggy JNCO jeans, wallet chains, earrings and early Deftones sum up my 90s experience! Some very bad fashion choices were made, but the gems of this period for me were Nine Inch Nails and of course Tool. Both bands remain in high rotation.
I always discover new music, and my preferences turn to extreme and noise areas as often as it is in the case of dark ambient. Recently, I really liked Sinner Get Ready Lingua Ignota and [Other] Lustmord.
How did you get interested in designing video games? Can you tell a little about the second you released?
Interactive narrative has always been my passion, probably due to a childhood love of reading books Choose Your Own Adventure. During the 2007 recession, when work on game projects in the UK was drying up, I sold everything I had, kept one backpack full of clothes and cash for a month, then headed to Japan. I do not recommend anyone doing it in a chaotic manner! But I’m still here running my own game development studio, Cherrymochi.
In 2017, Cherrymochi released our first Tokyo Dark game – a 2D paranormal anime-style neon noir. I worked on this project with Square Enix and it was well received. As the name suggests, it is a dark story full of suffering and horror. Game!
What made you decide to create a game inspired by Tool?
Tool videos are a constant source of inspiration. When Adam Jones began exploring the visual potential of Tool’s music with Alex Gray during the Lateralus period, I was thrilled. This album and the accompanying visuals are overall a huge inspiration for my life.
In 2001, when the album was released, I was deep in the psychedelic period reading Terrance McKenna and Timothy Leary. Grant Morrison recently ended The Invisible. He shared his practice of Chaos Magic in his Disinfocon2000 howl, Alan Moore was in the middle of mixing the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah and Tarot in his comic book Promethea and the towers fell in America. The year 2001 had an impact on us all.
Exit Veil it all together. A video game study of occultism and healing.
Can you tell us about the game itself? What is the gameplay and what is its premise? Can you give examples of games with similar gameplay so people know what to expect?
Recipe for Exit Veil: Put Final Fantasy in Tool’s music video. Toss in a little Aleister Crowley, a little Alan Moore, a generous dose of Tarot and a generous glaze with that self-doubt part that you bite late at night when you are alone and let lose your guard.
Gameplay-wise, the player will explore twisted, dark, psychedelic dream landscapes as you battle creatures in turn-based combat with tarot cards crafted from emotions gathered from the dead. Just like a typical weekend in Burning Man.
What do you think in-game elements will most resonate with other Tool fans?
I think Tool fans will love our soundtrack. We work with frontman Reign of Fury Bison on the soundtrack. We combine dark atmosphere with experimental psychedelic metal, which should liven up the ears of every Tool fan. Listen to the soundtrack on our campaign page.
But beyond music, Tool fans should enjoy as we discover and portray inner worlds and grapple with occult symbolism. If you like dark psychedelic, you’ll love Exit Veil.
What other rock / metal bands would you like to draw inspiration from for your future games?
Fun question! If I get the budget and say do whatever I want, I’d like to create a surreal game inspired by the magical realism of Siouxsie and Banshees, set in the gloomy, rainy, post-punk London of the late 1970s and 1980s. This period where punk peaked and goth was born is a forgotten period in most media, and would be an amazing backdrop for a coming-of-age story.
Want to provide other details about the game?
In addition to the video game, we also designed a fully integrated tarot deck. This beautiful deck reveals hidden secrets in the game and can be used as a personal deck for healing and meditation outside of the game. Exit Veil will teach you everything you need to know about using the Tarot deck. The tarot deck and the game are available in our Kickstarter campaign.
“If you’re interested in Exit Veil, we need your help. We are building an active community and we want to unite people to make this project as good as possible. Cherrymochi is a small husband-and-wife-run studio, not a faceless mega-corporation. For that to happen, add some magic to the mainstream, you have to come and join us! Our Kickstarter for Exit Veil has just started, let’s do weird stuff together. – Imazato & amp; Maho.
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