TUNIC

Tunic is one of those games that's better the less you know about it. It's worth buying, but there is something to keep in mind before you do. Screenshots and videos might give the impression that it's a typical casual Zelda-like game, and in some ways it is, but it's deceptively cryptic and challenging. It reminded me of last year's Metroid Dread, with some specific situations requiring trial, error and practice to overcome. It is Nintendo Hard, and some people don't want that. I sometimes found myself spending a lot of time running around trying to find the one thing I was missing in order to proceed. Make no mistake, Tunic is far more like Zelda 1 than it is Wind Waker. If getting good and trying everything you can think of to move along appeals to you, then stop reading this review and go play the game now, you won't be disappointed. If you're still not sure, I want to bring up the in-game instruction manual. Throughout the game, you'll find sheets of an instruction manual similar to the ones you'd get with an NES game - more obvious Zelda influence. They aren't just novel, they serve an important purpose. The vast majority of text in Tunic, from sign posts, dialog and other various text boxes, is a made-up language that very much look like moon runes. Often just a few words and sentences will be in English, and the instruction manual is no exception. Most of it is unreadable, but by finding pages and piecing together the information and clues from it, you're learning more about the game while still preserving the sense of mystery lost on modern games. It's weirdly meta, but pure genius. Good responsive action, well-hidden secrets and a vivid visual style coalesce with the above into a game that is reminiscent of the pre-internet era, capturing what made the first Zelda so magical for the generation that played it when it was new. If you want to experience that again, or never had that chance, play Tunic. It's one I wish I could play again for the first time.

This game has three main parts: Graphics and gameplay: awesome, controls are responsive, graphics are amazing. The in-game magazine is a really cool feature Exploration: the game isn't clear about what to do next, and specially where to go/how to go. If you like exploration, this is for you. If you prefer marked objectives on a map you should pass. Combat/action: altought the game starts with a relatively easy combat, they quickly evolve into somethin really hard. I'm not bad at gamming, just a regular person who plays video games since childhood, and this is TOUGHT. to the point I gave up and activate "no fail" mode - which takes away the thrill of the adventure. Game developers should include an "easy combat mode" for people more interesting in exploring than combat. I usually goi forward "painful, but rewarding games" approach, but this one is badly balanced for regular players.

Walking around and exploring as a tiny cute fox in a mystical world is pretty fun, but eventually fighting enemies and especially bosses over and over again gets annoying. But my biggest gripe is that there is no satisfaying conclusion to the story. You have to look online for explanations and even then you're left with more questions than answers. That's a very anti-climatic ending to what at first seemed like a very intriguing setting.

It's pretty hard, but that's part of what makes it really fun, if you enjoy the old school vibe. As others have stated - better to go into this one blind. Figuring everything out and discovering secrets feels very rewarding in a way not many games manage to evoke. Visually, it's one of the most adorable games I have played. Soundtrack might not be what you expect, but is actually very fitting and firmly rooted in its inspirations. One of the rare instances of a game that lived up to how I hyped it up to myself.