I recently finished the game Tunic, which is sort of like A Link to the Past + Fez + Dark Souls… And it’s amazing!
I actually owned the game soon after release but bounced off of it due to being busy with work, picked it back up the past few weeks and finally sat down and enjoyed it. Despite looking like a straightforward and cute adventure game, it gets REALLY deep the further you go in. There’s so much to discover and the game gives you just enough hints on what to do and where to go.
Tunic ticks all the boxes for me. The graphics are gorgeous, the combat is fun, the world is fun to explore and rich with secrets, and progression was very satisfying.
The most unique part of the game is that you slowly find pages of an instruction manual containing maps of areas and secrets, explanation of mechanics, and guides on how to play… except it’s all written in an alien language, so you have to figure out what it’s telling you by paying attention to all the pictures and context clues.
Understanding the manual is a bit rough at first but lead to so many “A-ha!” moments when you try something and it actually works. It even foreshadows future bosses and things you’ll encounter before they happen which is brilliant. My best advice to someone just trying the game: Pay attention to the manual, seriously!
I won’t spoil any more than that, but I really wish more people talked about this game. It’s not for everybody, the game is intentionally vague and needs some critical thinking if you’re not following a guide, but I think it’s absolutely brilliant if you’re into exploration and discovery. One of the most unique games I’ve played in ages.
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I guess it just wasn’t in my circle because I haven’t heard much about it since release, but good to know it’s more popular than I thought
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It was (maybe still is) on Game Pass which gave it a ton of exposure.
To me, the unspoken premise of the game is that you’re a kid in 1986 with a parent or cool uncle who went on a business trip to Japan and brought you home a Famicom and a copy of the original Zelda - months before the console even launched outside Japan.
The whole game is about replicating that sense of childish fascination and wonder.
The ‘Alien Language’ game manual is supposed to mimic the feeling of trying to read the Japanese manual that came with the game, muddling through as best you can with the pictures, and a few random English words they included just because English is ‘cool’ in a gaming context.
It’s a very fun mechanic, and my favourite thing about the game.
That was me playing Pokemon red. Got it without knowing a bit of English, took me a lot to realize that dialog was important sometimes and it took me several days to figure out how to teach and use the HMs. Later my dad got me the official guide so I could follow the pictures and use a dictionary to figure out some words
I’ve heard people describe games like this as “Metroidbrainias”, which is the dumbest name ever, but the point is that it’s a game where progress is blocked not just by obtaining in-game power-ups, but by learning how to use abilities that you already possess at the beginning of the game. The player is the one who levels up. I love that.
I loved this game too! I haven’t finished it yet. I get distracted sometimes but I really do love it. It’s so unique but also kept the right tropes in the genre. Plus it’s cute.
Loved it, but absolutely hit a wall with it until they released the “take half damage” difficulty patch. Then I found it fun again. I love a challenging video game, but the “slightly loose dodging controls” and the requirement for basically perfect execution to defeat the bosses didn’t sit well with me. The Garden Knight was bad enough, the ones that come after it were just silly.
The soundtrack is also amazing. Lifeformed did a great job with it, just as they did with Dustforce.
I got stuck at either a boss or miniboss. Game’s a lot of fun and has good spirit but I didn’t have enough mana to fight a flying wizard. I don’t think that’s too much of a spoiler. This Zelda-like game has flying wizards and you can cast magic spells.
I either couldn’t backtrack or didnt trust my ability to return to that arena to advance the game. Whatever the case was after stalling out and putting it down I have found it difficult to get my head back in the game. At this point I’m waiting until I forget more of the game so I can start fresh again one day.
There are accessibility options now because the flights can be really hard.
You can have infinite stamina or infinite life if you just want to figure out the manual.
I really liked the puzzle elements, but the combat was way too hard in places. I didn’t feel bad about turning that down.
Nah this game got covered by many of the indie gaming channels, the game dev channels, was all over Reddit and even 4chan… It was received pretty well. The difficulty filters out some people but besides that it’s pretty good.
This game is on my list but i already have plenty of other games to play, so i can wait for a super sale lol
Added it to my todo list!
Tunic is one of my absolute favorite games. An absolute joy to play and the sheer whimsy that the game exudes is refreshing.
It’s also one of the best sonic youth songs
