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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.
If you're into Homestar Runner, SBCG4AP is a must-have, and an excellent adaptation of the web series we're all familiar with. If you're not, then it's still a decent batch of point-and-click adventures. Each episode will take about 1-3 hours to complete, depending on whether you want to squeeze every last drop of dialog and mini-games out of them. Gameplay is very basic - click to move around, and utilize a personal inventory to solve puzzles and problems. The puzzles are a little on the easy side, but you may come across a few that you feel like you're doing right but the game just doesn't accept, and like most adventure games that can be a little frustrating. Despite a few bumps, the accuracy of humor, style and voice acting from the cartoons makes the game enjoyable from start to finish. SBCG4AP is one of the funniest games made to date, adventure or otherwise. Overall solid adventure game with a few stnanks.
As someone who is very passionate about game design, I really despised Gone Home. Don't tell me "it's not a game." Here it is on GOG, a site that sells games. It's only ever talked about by gaming journalists, and it was awarded for being a game. The whole game is played in a big house and can be finished in one 2 hour sitting. That's not even the bad part. Why gamers are put off from Gone Home isn't its storytelling or its plot, but just how very little "game" there is. "Walking Simulator" is not far from the truth when describing Gone Home. The gameplay is basically just walking. If you came to this review section expecting to find a review detailing the gameplay, there it is in a nutshell. It's sad when ET has more gameplay depth than Gone Home. You can interact with items, but the interaction is few and far between, and 99% of the time it's unrewarding to do so. There are 2 or 3 "puzzles" which involve exploring to find what you need to progress. Games don't have to be challenging to be good, but I would have liked some more involvement in this world -- ie, any at all. Compare it to something like Myst or 7th Guest. The difference is those games require thought to complete. Bottom line: If I wanted to walk around for two hours, I'd go outside. I'd get some exercise and there are more interesting things to see. I can think about *my* life rather than some dumb teenager's.