We were able to throw ourselves body and soul into Tunic. The Zelda-like (in fact more than that) we’ve been talking about on Gameblog for a few years now. Finally available after a lot of adventures, it’s time to give you a test in due form.
Tunic aims to be an ode to adventure games of the 8-bit and 16-bit era by paying homage to big names in the genre such as the unforgettable Zelda A Link to the Past. But more than just a simple tribute game that ultimately only plays with the nostalgia of the players, it is above all a rather extraordinary experience. And that in many ways. Its creator, Andrew Shouldice, wanted to put his whole heart into it.
Poetry along the way
The game begins in an idyllic-looking world and puts you in the shoes of an anthropomorphic fox. Very quickly, Zelda regulars will find their marks with a collection of items, and equipment that is becoming more and more important. Like the greatest games of its kind, Tunic forces exploration. It is even a capital element and a notion of gameplay in its own right that will make you discover wonderful places on the vast map available to you. The game offers a multitude of puzzles and mysteries to discover and solve and clearly does not rely on its combat. Here there is no question of a princess to save, but Tunic still uses the same script base with a strange entity to free.
Free like air
The game is a bit the opposite of what is done in adventure titles these days, namely that Tunic does not take you by the hand. Very quickly, on the contrary, he tends to let go of you bluntly, telling you roughly to manage on your own. Entirely in isometric 3D, Tunic does not spare the player by refusing him, for example, any mini map or any quest log. To get your bearings and find your objectives, only a few signs in a strange language on your way. So don’t expect a linear adventure since in fact it’s a bit the player who decides how to evolve/progress.
Souls-like but not too much
However, the fight moves away a little from the master Zelda and more readily approaches a “Souls-like” (with as many quotation marks as possible). In the sense that it is essential to have perfect timing management to achieve victory against opponents. It is therefore a question of performing rolls or parries at the appropriate time at the risk of dying extremely quickly. The game is quite uncompromising and the slightest error will make you reappear at the previous checkpoint, which acts as a campfire.
A visual delight
The game is a true graphic, visual and artistic delight. Because in addition to the shimmering side of isometric 3D, we find a neat artistic direction which allows us to directly serve the gameplay by offering many shortcuts or paths to reach a goal. Deep forests, suspended ruins, dark caves, snow-covered expanses… It remains classic in its proposal but smoothly carried out and finally offers exploration fans a game up to the task.
Exploration and mystery, everywhere, all the time!
The visual is accompanied in addition to a rather sumptuous soundtrack which reinforces the idyllic and mysterious side of the world that we explore. Everything in Tunic is conducive to reverie and wonder. One of the most representative elements of this bulimia of exploration is the presence of a parchment which is both a manual for understanding the universe of the game while giving solutions to certain mysteries. Quite difficult to find, each page is a delight and brings an additional challenge to the title.
Ending in about fifteen hours taking its time, Tunic is definitely a magnificent surprise of 2022 and a game that is difficult to forget. If you are allergic to exploration, go your way. On the other hand, if you like to discover multiple secrets, and you like adventure, go for it!
