PC Gamer - UK (2022-06)

Some games go to painstaking
lengths to explain their mechanics,
Tunic is not one of those. The most
important lesson you learn is that the
game actually does offer guidance,
and in an unusual way

• by having you collect
  the pages of an
  instruction manual.
  If you’re stumped
  about where to go next
  or need some guidance
  on how a mechanic
  works, it’s all there in
  those pages if you look
  closely enough. A tough foe-filled
  section saw me hit something of a
  brick wall early on, and only after
  flicking through the manual – mainly
  to give my furry red protagonist a
  break from all the death – did I
  stumble across the method to
  levelling up. The cryptic pages are a
  clever and inventive way to tease out
  the game’s inner workings, and a
  delightful throwback to the sadly
  bygone era of instruction booklets.
  After an abrupt opening that sees
  our fox friend wash up on a beach,

there’s little in the way of storytelling.

And what scant plot Tunic does have

is purposefully vague. This world’s

wider mystery is a nice addition

rather than a compelling reason to

play, as just exploring

its fascinating

surroundings, doing

battle with its

unsavoury inhabitants,

and uncovering its

many layers is a

riveting story all

of its own.

This beautifully

constructed isometric world is

nothing short of joyous to explore.

Both the overworld and the game’s

many dungeons offer intricately

designed environmental puzzles. A

lot of the game’s locations can be

explored straight off the beach, but

either difficulty or a lack of

equipment usually prevents you from

deviating too far from the intended

path. For instance, you have access to

the Dark Tomb early on, but good

luck tackling its skeletons and spiked

pits without first finding the lantern.

TELL NO TAILS

While the outfit and sword and

shield combination effectively turn

Tunic’s fox into a fluffy red Link,

many of the game’s mechanics are

straight out of the Souls series. Your

gold spills out when you die, and to

reclaim your lost wealth, you must

make it back to the spot where you

fell. The prospect of losing coins adds

a level of tension, as you need a

considerable amount of them to

purchase items and level up.

Enemies don’t go easy you just

because you’re adorable. They are

more than willing to kick your puffy

tail right back to the last checkpoint.

The highlight is the boss battles.

Every encounter is a spectacle,

although you won’t have much time

to appreciate the artistry as you

dodge slam attacks and flee from

devastating lasers. You’ll be yelling

things that don’t suit (^) Tunic’s innocent
tone when these foes best you for the
umpteenth time. They demand
patience, but they’re also hugely
enjoyable —overcoming each feels
like an achievement.
Tunic’s niggles are, thankfully, as
small as its fuzzy hero. All of your
attacks can only be mapped to three
buttons and, occasionally, levels can
take quite long to load. Flying foes
often back away just out of reach,
making them incredibly irritating
until you’ve got access to ranged
magic attacks. All minor annoyances.
While it draws inspiration from
some of gaming’s greats, Tunic has a
unique sense of wonder. Its visuals
and focus on fun make for a
captivating experience. At the same
time, the contrasting challenge it
presents adds an extra level of
satisfaction that make it an adventure
you won’t soon forget.

86

Delightfully difficult

combat and meaningful

exploration make Tunica

retro-inspired modern

masterpiece.

VERDICT

B

eware of Tunic’s cute exterior. On the surface, its lovely art
style and charming tone bear a striking resemblance to
Nintendo’s Zelda series. But below this cheery surface lies a
game intent on testing your resolve. Tunic’s world is
teeming with enemies who are all too willing to knock the
stuffing out of you. And you’d best be prepared to die – it has as much
in common with Dark Souls as it does any of Link’s previous outings.

FANTASTIC MR FOX

TUNIC is adorable and gorgeous – but it’s got teeth

By Anne-Marie Coyle

What scant plot

Tunic does

have is

purposefully

vague

NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS IT?

An isometric Zelda-like

with a foxy hero

EXPECT TO PAY

£25

DEVELOPER

Tunic Team

PUBLISHER

Finji

REVIEWED ON

Intel Core i7-11700K,

GeForce RTX 3070,

16GB RAM

MULTIPLAYER

No

LINK

tunicgame.com

ONE MAN’S TREASURE

You’ll find lots of useful items in Tunic’s chests

POTION PIECE

Find three of these

broken bottles, and

you can glue them

together for an extra

health potion.

KEY

The fox isn’t skilled

at lockpicking, so

you’ll have to find

keys to get into

locked locations.

BOMB

These are usefulfor

taking out lots of

enemies at onceor

whittling down

bosses.

TOOTH

This jagged fang may

seem like a curious

thing to pocket, but

it’ll allow you to

increase your attack.

Tunic

REVIEW

70