Game: TUNIC by TUNIC Team

Genre: Metroidvania

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S & X, Xbox One

TUNIC is one of those games where even the most surface level discussion might end up spoiling its moments for someone who has not played it. It exists at the unique cross section between a Metroidvania and a puzzle game, forming a genre of its own, similar to what Outer Wilds (2019) did.

On the surface, the game looks strikingly similar to a Zelda title. You play as a cute fox in a green tunic, braving dangers much larger than you. You work towards getting better items and unlocking more abilities to help you traverse the world as you take down massive bosses. The catch is: the entirety of the game is in a fictional language. Everything from the pop-ups and the dialogue is written in this language. To help you along the way, the game has collectable manual pages (which are also written in this language) that detail what you can do. It recreates that feeling of going through an old game manual. This elevates the game into something much more than a Metroidvania, as the gameplay loop centres around the act of finding these pages, and deciphering your potential abilities.

The game never really tells you about the tools available at your disposal. You are dropped into the world, and are pretty much left to your own agency. This allows the game to let you have some amazing “Aha!” moments, where the dots finally connect and you figure out what to do next. For instance, in the 20ish hours I played the game, I never knew that my shield had uses beyond blocking. I was looking through the manual for a puzzle clue, when I noticed a drawing on the pages that pointed to the shield and had “x2” written on it. I pressed the shield button twice, and my character parried. I was amazed, as I started thinking of what other button combinations might do.

Moments like these made TUNIC an absolute joy. It made me feel smart, trusting me to figure out its intricacies. The most beautiful thing is that these moments were not sparse. Most of my sessions had me discover something about it that kept me wanting more, in spite of the typical passive narrative that it uses, which I felt was a bit overlooked at times.

Apart from that, the switch from exploration-heavy gameplay to hardcore puzzle-solving in the second half felt jarring, where I often found myself missing the first half. Even then, I was unable to put my controller down, eager to figure out more secrets.

VERDICT: If you like games that make you feel smart, and are not afraid to let you loose in its world, TUNIC is absolutely the one for you. Apart from a jarring switch, and a slightly overlooked narrative, the way it uses the inexperience and wonder of a first playthrough to use knowledge as a game mechanic makes it one of the most unique games out there.