When people who love Dark Souls talk about those games, it makes me wish I could love them too. What seems to make that series so great is the sense of genuine discovery, where there doesn't seem to be an invisible developer's hand dragging you along the world, but rather you exploring it and finding everything entirely by your own volition.
That's why I'm grateful for Tunic. I'm struggling to remember when a game made my smack my head in astonishment like this. I can't remember what other game has made feel such sincere achievement at uncovering its secrets. Maybe Fez?
The game is always withholding information from you, just enough that you stay curious and motivated to learn more. Occasionally, it will reveal some sliver of knowledge - whether its about the story or even basic gameplay mechanics - and it always feels like a bombshell. In most other games this would be infuriating, but Tunic manages to turn "learning about how the game works" into a puzzle that's somehow consistently rewarding.
Solving a puzzle or finding a secret in Tunic made me go "oh. ooooh! whoa!!" every time.
Actually, Fez is the most fitting comparison, even if the game much more closely resembles early Zelda games with Dark Souls mechanics at first glance. To put it simply; Tunic does for Zelda what Fez did for Mario. Like Fez, the story is vague but alluring, told mostly through a fictional alphabet that is possible - but not mandatory - to learn.
It's also equally understated and charming, which makes it paradoxically feel more epic. The puzzles require you to take notes and scribble your own maps in a notepad. It's a bit like what if Jonathan Blow made a Zelda and also wasn't an arsehole.
For a game that so closely ties itself to iconic franchises from multiple decades of gaming history, Tunic is a singular thing. A truly one-of-a-kind, phenomenal experience that remixes old gaming tropes and make them better.
That's why I'm grateful for Tunic. I'm struggling to remember when a game made my smack my head in astonishment like this. I can't remember what other game has made feel such sincere achievement at uncovering its secrets. Maybe Fez?
The game is always withholding information from you, just enough that you stay curious and motivated to learn more. Occasionally, it will reveal some sliver of knowledge - whether its about the story or even basic gameplay mechanics - and it always feels like a bombshell. In most other games this would be infuriating, but Tunic manages to turn "learning about how the game works" into a puzzle that's somehow consistently rewarding.
Solving a puzzle or finding a secret in Tunic made me go "oh. ooooh! whoa!!" every time.
Actually, Fez is the most fitting comparison, even if the game much more closely resembles early Zelda games with Dark Souls mechanics at first glance. To put it simply; Tunic does for Zelda what Fez did for Mario. Like Fez, the story is vague but alluring, told mostly through a fictional alphabet that is possible - but not mandatory - to learn.
It's also equally understated and charming, which makes it paradoxically feel more epic. The puzzles require you to take notes and scribble your own maps in a notepad. It's a bit like what if Jonathan Blow made a Zelda and also wasn't an arsehole.
For a game that so closely ties itself to iconic franchises from multiple decades of gaming history, Tunic is a singular thing. A truly one-of-a-kind, phenomenal experience that remixes old gaming tropes and make them better.