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While I try to be as honest and fair about the games I evaluate, I am but one little dictator writing these reviews, and thus I am prone to biases. One of the main preferences I have, in particular, is my love for games that place an emphasis on exploration. Skyrim, Elden Ring, and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are all comfortably near, or at the top, of my list of favorite games. With that in mind, I walked into this game knowing fully well that I'd enjoy it. What I did not expect, however, was how much I was going to enjoy it. Tunic is a brilliant gem with a fascinating and mysterious world that slowly unfolds itself with each button you press.


Tunic utilizes a minimalist art style, reminiscent of last year's Death's Door. In particular, the standout is how well it uses color. Initially it adds to the dreamlike feeling of the game, but eventually I picked up on the brilliantly subtle ways color is utilized to guide you in the right direction. The character designs are also top-notch. Your playable fox hero is absolutely adorable, and I really liked the extra touch of seeing them look at things and react to them as I passed by.

My only criticism here is a minor one, and it's that the final boss was obnoxiously hard to follow at times because the game went a little too overboard with the effects, and all of the attacks kind of blended together as a result. However, this didn't significantly ruin my enjoyment by any stretch, and was only noticeable because of how well-done the rest of the game was visually.


Since Breath of the Wild, I think games have started to embrace a "less is more" approach with open worlds, where you're thrown into the thick of things and you're forced to learn and adapt on your own, often coupled with a minimal or nonexistent HUD. Tunic is one such game, but takes this philosophy in a very unique direction.

On top of the aforementioned staples of these games, Tunic adds an additional layer of complexity by making most of the game in a foreign language you can't easily translate. Instead, you need to find pieces of a manual to gradually piece together how to play, and what exactly you're doing. The manual mechanic is, in my opinion, probably the best thing about this game. It's such a creative way to ease you into the game's mechanics, and it keeps gameplay fresh because learning the controls is part of the mystery.

The game is pretty much what it looks like, but the important thing to note is that it plays much more closely to a Soulslike than a 2D Zelda game. You're mostly exploring and fighting monsters, but there's enough environment variety that this never felt boring to me. The combat is pretty simple (though it takes some getting used to), but it works well enough. There's a handful of bosses, and while they were cool, I did find it very annoying how frequently they would move just out of range, or dodge your projectiles. The stamina system was fine, but I always felt like my attacks were just out of range, and I couldn't really do anything about it besides try to get lucky with my positioning. The bosses were all fair to fight, but I felt they were slightly overtuned since it felt like I barely ever got windows to attack them.

Later in the game, you'll begin to encounter more puzzles. And while these puzzles did feel pretty obtuse at times, the final one was extremely satisfying to pull off, and one of my favorite puzzles I've ever seen in a game. In regards to that, yes, I do think Tunic gets a little bit too obtuse at times. The game generally does a good job of keeping you on track with subtle cues, but there were a couple of points where I had absolutely zero indication as to what to do next, and had to consult a guide. I cannot get more specific without story spoilers. Speaking of which...


Tunic's narrative is pretty basic. It's just "ring the bell" or "get the thing", but I honestly don't mind that. The game is intentionally vague and mysterious, but I think the developers were more concerned with nailing the feel of exploring an unfamiliar world rather than the "why" of it. Translating some of the language, I found it kind of amusing just how surface-level a lot of the text was. That said, there definitely is some worldbuilding, although a lot of it is left open to interpretation. The world itself is quite fascinating, and there's a lot to explore, so I feel like the story is more about discovering what's going on in this enchanting little fox world. While there isn't much to this story, the devs seemed more concerned about the world and the feel, both of which were handled quite well.


Another major highlight of Tunic is the surprisingly stellar soundtrack. It plays a crucial part in setting the tone of the game, and the best word I can use to describe it is ethereal. For a game dead-set on trying to sell you on the world you explore, the music carries a lot of the weight in making that feeling work. It's otherworldly, and emphasizes synths more than traditional instruments, but at the same time entrancing enough to keep you focused on the game. This very well could be one of the best indie game soundtracks in the last couple years.


While my playtime seems low, it's important to note that I tend to finish games pretty quickly. You can definitely get double the amount of playtime, if not triple. Tunic has multiple endings, and I was compelled enough to get all of them. There's also a ton of secrets, and it feels like I barely scratched the surface with that. I think the game is most interested in the first playthrough, but I do think the build variety is rather disappointing. I would've liked to see one or two more weapons that you could use instead of the sword. It hurts the replay value, although I do think this game could be interesting to watch speedruns for.


Tunic is an amazing labor of love that should be talked about more. Maybe it's because Elden Ring released a few weeks prior to this and drowned out any gaming discussion for a solid month, but this game was a constantly satisfying experience with some incredibly brilliant ideas, and executed those ideas extremely well. It didn't exceed in every front, but it did so in most of the areas it needed to. If you enjoy games that don't hold your hand, this is absolutely a must-play. Besides, how can you say no to a face as adorable as that little fox?

Graphics - 5/5
Gameplay - 3/5
Story - 4/5
Audio - 5/5
Content Value - 4/5

.:9.5/10:.
"Amazing"

**PERSONAL PICK**

+ Brilliant manual mechanic
+ Clever art direction
+ Enchanting soundtrack
+ Incredible final puzzle
+ Adorable character designs
+ Satisfying exploration & progression

- A little too obtuse at certain points
- Bosses were slightly overtuned
- Lack of weapon variety

[u]Like my reviews? Go follow my [url=https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/33012112-Gandhi-Talks-Games/]Curator page.[/url][/u] [h1][b]Fantastic Mr. Link[/b][/h1] While I try to be as honest and fair about the games I evaluate, I am but one little dictator writing these reviews, and thus I am prone to biases. One of the main preferences I have, in particular, is my love for games that place an emphasis on exploration. [i]Skyrim, Elden Ring,[/i] and [i]Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[/i] are all comfortably near, or at the top, of my list of favorite games. With that in mind, I walked into this game knowing fully well that I'd enjoy it. What I did not expect, however, was [i]how much[/i] I was going to enjoy it. [i]Tunic[/i] is a brilliant gem with a fascinating and mysterious world that slowly unfolds itself with each button you press. [h1]Graphics[/h1] [i]Tunic[/i] utilizes a minimalist art style, reminiscent of last year's [i]Death's Door[/i]. In particular, the standout is how well it uses color. Initially it adds to the dreamlike feeling of the game, but eventually I picked up on the brilliantly subtle ways color is utilized to guide you in the right direction. The character designs are also top-notch. Your playable fox hero is absolutely adorable, and I really liked the extra touch of seeing them look at things and react to them as I passed by. My only criticism here is a minor one, and it's that the final boss was obnoxiously hard to follow at times because the game went a little too overboard with the effects, and all of the attacks kind of blended together as a result. However, this didn't significantly ruin my enjoyment by any stretch, and was only noticeable because of how well-done the rest of the game was visually. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Since [i]Breath of the Wild[/i], I think games have started to embrace a "less is more" approach with open worlds, where you're thrown into the thick of things and you're forced to learn and adapt on your own, often coupled with a minimal or nonexistent HUD. [i]Tunic[/i] is one such game, but takes this philosophy in a very unique direction. On top of the aforementioned staples of these games, [i]Tunic[/i] adds an additional layer of complexity by making most of the game in a foreign language you can't easily translate. Instead, you need to find pieces of a manual to gradually piece together how to play, and what exactly you're doing. The manual mechanic is, in my opinion, probably the best thing about this game. It's such a creative way to ease you into the game's mechanics, and it keeps gameplay fresh because learning the controls [i]is[/i] part of the mystery. The game is pretty much what it looks like, but the important thing to note is that it plays much more closely to a Soulslike than a 2D Zelda game. You're mostly exploring and fighting monsters, but there's enough environment variety that this never felt boring to me. The combat is pretty simple (though it takes some getting used to), but it works well enough. There's a handful of bosses, and while they were cool, I did find it very annoying how frequently they would move just out of range, or dodge your projectiles. The stamina system was fine, but I always felt like my attacks were just out of range, and I couldn't really do anything about it besides try to get lucky with my positioning. The bosses were all fair to fight, but I felt they were slightly overtuned since it felt like I barely ever got windows to attack them. Later in the game, you'll begin to encounter more puzzles. And while these puzzles did feel pretty obtuse at times, the final one was [i]extremely[/i] satisfying to pull off, and one of my favorite puzzles I've ever seen in a game. In regards to that, yes, I do think [i]Tunic[/i] gets a little bit too obtuse at times. The game generally does a good job of keeping you on track with subtle cues, but there were a couple of points where I had absolutely zero indication as to what to do next, and had to consult a guide. I cannot get more specific without story spoilers. Speaking of which... [h1]Story[/h1] [i]Tunic's[/i] narrative is pretty basic. It's just "ring the bell" or "get the thing", but I honestly don't mind that. The game is intentionally vague and mysterious, but I think the developers were more concerned with nailing the feel of exploring an unfamiliar world rather than the "why" of it. Translating some of the language, I found it kind of amusing just how surface-level a lot of the text was. That said, there definitely is some worldbuilding, although a lot of it is left open to interpretation. The world itself is quite fascinating, and there's a lot to explore, so I feel like the story is more about discovering what's going on in this enchanting little fox world. While there isn't much to this story, the devs seemed more concerned about the world and the feel, both of which were handled quite well. [h1]Audio[/h1] Another major highlight of [i]Tunic[/i] is the surprisingly stellar soundtrack. It plays a crucial part in setting the tone of the game, and the best word I can use to describe it is ethereal. For a game dead-set on trying to sell you on the world you explore, the music carries a lot of the weight in making that feeling work. It's otherworldly, and emphasizes synths more than traditional instruments, but at the same time entrancing enough to keep you focused on the game. This very well could be one of the best indie game soundtracks in the last couple years. [h1]Content Value[/h1] While my playtime seems low, it's important to note that I tend to finish games pretty quickly. You can definitely get double the amount of playtime, if not triple. [i]Tunic[/i] has multiple endings, and I was compelled enough to get all of them. There's also a ton of secrets, and it feels like I barely scratched the surface with that. I think the game is most interested in the first playthrough, but I do think the build variety is rather disappointing. I would've liked to see one or two more weapons that you could use instead of the sword. It hurts the replay value, although I do think this game could be interesting to watch speedruns for. [h1]Verdict[/h1] [i]Tunic[/i] is an amazing labor of love that should be talked about more. Maybe it's because [i]Elden Ring[/i] released a few weeks prior to this and drowned out any gaming discussion for a solid month, but this game was a constantly satisfying experience with some incredibly brilliant ideas, and executed those ideas extremely well. It didn't exceed in every front, but it did so in most of the areas it needed to. If you enjoy games that don't hold your hand, this is absolutely a must-play. Besides, how can you say no to a face as adorable as that little fox? [b]Graphics[/b] - 5/5 [b]Gameplay[/b] - 3/5 [b]Story[/b] - 4/5 [b]Audio[/b] - 5/5 [b]Content Value[/b] - 4/5 [b].:9.5/10:. "Amazing" **PERSONAL PICK**[/b] + Brilliant manual mechanic + Clever art direction + Enchanting soundtrack + Incredible final puzzle + Adorable character designs + Satisfying exploration & progression - A little too obtuse at certain points - Bosses were slightly overtuned - Lack of weapon variety