The Touryst

 Switch
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 87
  3. Negative: 9 out of 87

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  1. DJ_Coco
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    The game is very simple and rather short. If you want a lot of bang for your buck, this game isn't for you. However, The Touryst doesn't try to be an epic adventure. It's very scaled-back and its strength kind of lies in its simplicity.

    All the islands you visit are rather small in size. Your quests are easy to keep track of. And this makes for a very relaxing experience. Instead of    The game is very simple and rather short. If you want a lot of bang for your buck, this game isn't for you. However, The Touryst doesn't try to be an epic adventure. It's very scaled-back and its strength kind of lies in its simplicity.

    All the islands you visit are rather small in size. Your quests are easy to keep track of. And this makes for a very relaxing experience. Instead of getting lost in endless worlds, you can stop worrying about all the things the game still wants you to do, and just appreciate what's there. A lot of the stuff you'll find exploring has no special significance and just exists to put a smile on your face. It's a very relaxing game in that regard.

    The artstyle and music compliment the game perfectly. While the adventure won't last long, it will keep you entertained throughout, and the game really focuses on making your vacation as enjoyable as possible instead of stressing you out with all the things you gotta do still.

    I'm not going to go into any details about the game, because the game is best experienced by yourself. A lot of moments will surprise you.

    This game may not be for everyone, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. Only a handful of moments hold this game back. Other than that, Shin'en once again proved that they can create great games even in genres they never tried before.    … Expand
  2. patomuchacho
    Nov 22, 2019
    8
    This game oozes charm. A relaxing vacation full of light platforming, puzzle solving, and taking photos. Or is it? There's more to the game than first appears, and layers upon layers unfold as you get deeper. Is it perfect? No. There are some frustrating moments in the latter half of the game where platforming and bosses just feel cruel. Considering the overall relaxing vibe of theThis game oozes charm. A relaxing vacation full of light platforming, puzzle solving, and taking photos. Or is it? There's more to the game than first appears, and layers upon layers unfold as you get deeper. Is it perfect? No. There are some frustrating moments in the latter half of the game where platforming and bosses just feel cruel. Considering the overall relaxing vibe of the game, it's a jarring experience the first time you encounter one of these events. But that doesn't detract from the atmosphere in total, and that doesn't change the fact that this game is good. Very good.… Expand
  3. rdekoch
    Nov 27, 2019
    8
    So fun that it’s hard to stop playing. It has so much variety and rewards exploration. A complete blast!
  4. greggman
    Apr 16, 2020
    6
    I wanted to like this game. It's cute and the graphics are kind of unique. But, I find it way to sloppy and therefore frustrating. For example the 3rd boss. It took me forever to figure out I could aim with the d-pad but even once I figured that out it was many many tries until I could actually hit all 5 targets. A better designed game would have added some assist. The user knows that theyI wanted to like this game. It's cute and the graphics are kind of unique. But, I find it way to sloppy and therefore frustrating. For example the 3rd boss. It took me forever to figure out I could aim with the d-pad but even once I figured that out it was many many tries until I could actually hit all 5 targets. A better designed game would have added some assist. The user knows that they want to do. They shouldn't have to fight the game to do it. The same with dash jump. I died way too often. There are other games with dash jump that are tuned in such a way as to make things more fun, less frustrating. Maybe they give you 2 or 3 extra frames of time to jump before deciding you're can't. Maybe they do something that makes it easily to line up your jumps. Whatever those other games do The Touryst is not. Later you get a rope. About one out of 10 times your character won't grab the rope, just because. Again bad design. I'm sure some users love that but for me I just found it so frustrating I had stop playing before I threw my controller through the TV.… Expand
  5. ignore78
    Dec 8, 2019
    7
    cute,short game. i think its a OK game, but it is not a 8/10 game. if you like FEZ,this is like that.
  6. nusco
    Dec 3, 2019
    8
    I don't know exactly why I enjoyed The Touryst so much. Maybe it's the gorgeous voxelized graphics, that strike a sweet spot between nostalgia and modern gloss. Maybe its charming retro feel, complete with naive dialogue that feels straight out of the 8-bit era. Matter of fact, I couldn't stop playing this little adventure until I'd beaten it.

    Be warned that The Touryst comes with a few    I don't know exactly why I enjoyed The Touryst so much. Maybe it's the gorgeous voxelized graphics, that strike a sweet spot between nostalgia and modern gloss. Maybe its charming retro feel, complete with naive dialogue that feels straight out of the 8-bit era. Matter of fact, I couldn't stop playing this little adventure until I'd beaten it.

    Be warned that The Touryst comes with a few issues. It includes some very frustrating sessions that feel like artificial difficulty, like the platforming rooms where you're prevented from rotating the camera. Also, it challenges you to complete 100% of the adventure, but pads it up with some minigames that feel cheap and not worth completing. However, it's hard not to forgive The Touryst's sins, when they come in such a neat little package.    … Expand
  7. Honest-Yan
    Jan 4, 2020
    9
    Fun game, looks nice too. I played the whole thing over a weekend, couldn't put it down. Some of the puzzles are frustratingly hard, mostly due to control issues and not the actual puzzles - otherwise it would be a 10. A bit like Zelda but with some original and interesting ideas. Also a bargain for 19.99
  8. TheRoman
    Aug 5, 2020
    0
    I have never written a game review in my decades of gaming. I created an account to warn potential buyers that this is a great game ruined by the most sloppy, unresponsive, unforgiving controls of any game I have ever played. That includes Crash Bandicoot, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, etc. This is far worse. It punishes the gamer for wanting to go further into the game as well asI have never written a game review in my decades of gaming. I created an account to warn potential buyers that this is a great game ruined by the most sloppy, unresponsive, unforgiving controls of any game I have ever played. That includes Crash Bandicoot, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, etc. This is far worse. It punishes the gamer for wanting to go further into the game as well as side quests. There are times when moving the Right analog stick, to move the camera only, caused my character to move inexplicably and fall of a ledge. Buyer beware.… Expand
  9. Artrezd
    Nov 25, 2019
    9
    60FPS, 1080p - it looks great and runs perfectly. So far, the experience is very smooth and relaxing, there are several islands and there are quests on each of them. I'm not sure if this game offers any replayability and I hope they'll keep supporting the game. The main story consists of puzzles and platforming (sometimes frustrating), and there are sidequests like minigames, tasks, taking60FPS, 1080p - it looks great and runs perfectly. So far, the experience is very smooth and relaxing, there are several islands and there are quests on each of them. I'm not sure if this game offers any replayability and I hope they'll keep supporting the game. The main story consists of puzzles and platforming (sometimes frustrating), and there are sidequests like minigames, tasks, taking pictures, finding collectibles, etc.… Expand
  10. Profyt
    Nov 24, 2019
    10
    Wow what an amazing gem of a game! It is so much fun!! haha- this game had me laughing from the moment i started playing it. Check it out if you want some lighthearted puzzle/platforming with tons of stuff to explore and discover.
  11. wolfie79
    Dec 31, 2019
    7
    Great little game. The platforming was very tedious and some boss battles were annoying until you figured out what to do. But besides that the world was very cute and nice. It's an okay game, nothing to be excited for, but also didn't do anything wrong. If you got nothing else to play, pick this up.
  12. Pouxlaid
    Nov 22, 2019
    10
    Un jeu magnifique graphiquement, voir même époustouflant pour de la Switch Calme et reposant Laissez vous allez en jouant à ce jeu, un mélange de Mario Odyssey avec un air de Zelda BOTW Très variés, on ne s’ennuie jamais Il dégage quelque chose d’unique, introuvable dans les autres jeux, une OST magnifique .. Il est si mystérieux qu’on se laisse transporter dans ce monde très facilement UnUn jeu magnifique graphiquement, voir même époustouflant pour de la Switch Calme et reposant Laissez vous allez en jouant à ce jeu, un mélange de Mario Odyssey avec un air de Zelda BOTW Très variés, on ne s’ennuie jamais Il dégage quelque chose d’unique, introuvable dans les autres jeux, une OST magnifique .. Il est si mystérieux qu’on se laisse transporter dans ce monde très facilement Un des meilleurs jeu de l’Eshop voir indépendant tout court tout simplement, une invitation au voyage comme Journey Un must-have à faire absolument… Expand
  13. wake911
    Mar 19, 2020
    7
    Was having a blast but can't 100% the game. Stupid motion controls, with terrible visuals for the soccer game are impossible. No way to turn off motion controls either. Glad physically challenged folks can't finish this game. Plus the pull-up challenge brings back memories of break g N64 controllers with Mario party. No way I'm being that rough on already questionable analog sticks.Was having a blast but can't 100% the game. Stupid motion controls, with terrible visuals for the soccer game are impossible. No way to turn off motion controls either. Glad physically challenged folks can't finish this game. Plus the pull-up challenge brings back memories of break g N64 controllers with Mario party. No way I'm being that rough on already questionable analog sticks. Pretty frustrating a great fu. Game was ruined by little stupidity like this.… Expand
  14. frazzefraz
    Jul 30, 2020
    1
    Worst game ever. The controllers are so bad. But the all games seems to get great score on Switch also the bad ones.
  15. NothinButtNutt
    Jan 13, 2020
    7
    The game is a technical marvel when it comes to the presentation. The gorgeous blocky, voxelated visuals give the title a retro feel with a modern twist. The soundtrack is a nice mixture of atmospheric pieces, along with tunes that are absolute bangers by themselves. Performance-wise, Shin'en strikes yet again with their mastery with Nintendo hardware; "The Touryst" runs at a silky-smoothThe game is a technical marvel when it comes to the presentation. The gorgeous blocky, voxelated visuals give the title a retro feel with a modern twist. The soundtrack is a nice mixture of atmospheric pieces, along with tunes that are absolute bangers by themselves. Performance-wise, Shin'en strikes yet again with their mastery with Nintendo hardware; "The Touryst" runs at a silky-smooth 60 fps, with a resolution of 1080p, making the experience seamless. Start-up and load-times are blisteringly fast, with no hiccups during the experience.

    In terms of gameplay, "The Touryst" can be divided into two parts: an Adventure-Puzzle Platformer, and a Minigame collection. It urges you to explore the 8 islands, interacting with the locale and unlocking the secrets hidden away in the monuments. The game doesn't hold your hand; you'll lose yourself in the world with the amount of activity you can do on the islands. The highlight of the adventure has to be monuments, as they are a test of the mind. You might struggle with the camera... it can be a bit awkward with getting an ideal view while platforming.

    However, the game is short... Criminally short. A playthrough can range from 4-7 hours, which is very jarring in the grand scheme. The length itself isn't a problem; the game has high replayability value with 100% completions (6 1/2 hours), speedruns (3-4 hrs), and minigames (high-score), but it's the price of $20 that leaves much to be desired. If you prefer to play at a slow-burn, or if the game happens to be on sale, I highly recommend that you pick this up.    … Expand
  16. horselord
    Apr 15, 2020
    2
    First game I have ever rage-uninstalled. I cannot in good conscience recommend this game to anyone.
  17. S8-BB
    Nov 22, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just to clarify I have been a Avid gamer who is skilled in many Platforming, Racing, Arcade, Exploration type games. I was attracted to this particular game because of 3 reasons,

    1. The Aesthetic I appreciated how distinct the artsyle appeared, the game looked colourful and full of personality.

    2. the Arcade looked interesting though I should've expected that the games would be very basic when it came to controls, I was very interested to see a Retro Style Version of FAST Racing League

    3. The Developer Shin'en Multimedia, I've had a history playing their games since the Wiiware games and in most cases their games made the most of the hardware and were pleasant to play and watch.

    I have currently 100% the game in 2 days and perhaps it would've taken much less time as I got stuck on trying to find certain things to meet mission requirements.

    There isn't much of a hint system in the game if you are having a hard time figuring out what to do,
    You need to memorise where everything is to navigate back to that area of interest faster.

    I feel dissapointed with how few levels there ended up being overall. The Areas were decent enough size but not huge for the most part.

    Your main moves once you unlock them all are walk, dash, jump, double jump, ledge grab and you also have a camera to take pictures of things for later missions.

    Most of the time the controls are fine but oh boy this is where things get worse outside of just exploring the worlds.

    When you enter monuments and other dungeon type levels you are usually tasked with solving puzzles and platforming challenges.
    Sometimes the camera angles are awkward and you can't change them enough to make things easier to judge like distance, this is especially important for the platforming challenges, one in particular was painful to reattempt. you had to jump on light orbs without falling or standing on the same orb for too long otherwise it explodes and you fall and need to start again. The camera and jumping momnentum really messed me up to the point of tedium.

    To be honest I was grinning at the beginning of this game with how much charm the worlds had with the little details like pixel art water, pixel water splashes, everything being in a almost 3d game sprite artsyle without looking too much like Minecraft.

    I was hoping that you could customise the main character a bit more beyond just shirts as he does tend to look a bit bland after a while but I can deal with just the default Touryst.

    The Backgrounds in the Distance Outside look very bland/little detail. Add Some more detail for immersion.

    I like the idea of a sci-fi element mixed with traveling exotic worlds which feels pretty unique and fitting, that makes this game stand out for me against anything I have played recently.

    As for the missions, I can catagorise them as a set of mini games, you play drums with input commands rythm type game, surfing game, flying drone to targets game,, shoot the ball at target game, Paddle Boat Game, pullups game.

    I will point out that I had major trouble beating the pullups minigame and shoot the ball at targets.

    Pullups is near impossible as it requires precise movements with the left analogue stick and you have no room to mess up because of the quick timer,

    I did eventually beat both challnge levels but it drained me and left me feeling frustrated

    Shoot the ball was pretty broken, it requires motion controls which usually I advocate for motion controls but with the pro controller it felt very sluggish and my performance reflected that. I just about beat it. after many many attempts Weird side note I think there's a spelling error as Diego The Coach says So You Can't Get Enoug of Soccer.

    The Other Minigames I should mention are the Arcade Games, You have one based on FAST RMX, One based on Nano Assault which plays like a Breakout Clone and was the most enjoyable game I played, and One Based Off Jett Rocket which felt like a pretty authentic Arcade Game, something like Donkey Kong Mixed with Mappy.

    Now it is required that you beat the highscore of each of these arcade games to complete a mission and yet again of boy these games are tough bar Nano Assault Breakout.

    FAST RMX is a very basic controls racing game which requires absalute perfection to get far enough to beat the highscore. This was likely the toughest challnge in the game for me besides pullups.

    Jett Rocket Arcade Is also tough but more forgiving as you have 2 lives, requires patience and precision but with enough practise and powerups you will eventually beat it.

    Nano Breakout is far more chill than the other games as you just need to be quick to respond with the paddle. like any good breakout clone you have powerups that will help get the higher score easier.

    I'm left feeling very dissapointed and frustrated A Sequel seems to be implied going by the credits hopefully it improves upon the orginal.    … Expand
  18. guileite
    Mar 18, 2020
    10
    It's a great little game to pass the time on a long flight or a few hours after dinner. I loved how good the graphics looked, and how smooth the animation was at all times. Loading time was great. The puzzles were not very hard, but enough that you'd have to spend a little while thinking about them, making them just the right amount of fun. Hopefully there will be a sequel at some point.
  19. Filipes
    Apr 14, 2020
    9
    This was a pleasant and joyful trip with exploring, platforming, puzzle solving, racing and photographing. All and all an adventure to remember ;-)
  20. Cubanero
    Jan 31, 2020
    9
    Very funny and fresh game. Nice music and story. It is a little bit short around 6-7 hours to 100% max.
  21. Tjalle
    Dec 22, 2019
    8
    Tolles kleines Game. Einzig die unpräzise Steuerung kann ab und an nerven.
  22. bigshackle73
    Dec 24, 2019
    5
    It looks nice, it plays nice, it has an interesting story....BUT this game has what I like to call game breaker mini games as in wanting to physically break the game. You feel a burning need to snap the Switch in half over your knee the 50th time you've missed the pull up game by 1 pull up, or lost the soccer game by 1 goal. I'm about 75% done and I don't feel like playing it again. Plus,It looks nice, it plays nice, it has an interesting story....BUT this game has what I like to call game breaker mini games as in wanting to physically break the game. You feel a burning need to snap the Switch in half over your knee the 50th time you've missed the pull up game by 1 pull up, or lost the soccer game by 1 goal. I'm about 75% done and I don't feel like playing it again. Plus, having a 100% complete game is tied to the soccer game. No other part of the game is like this. Every other part might take some trial and error but those 2 mini games overshadow the whole game for me. If a player is walking away from the game out of frustration instead of feeling like pushing on through the challenge then you've failed as a designer.… Expand
  23. ryankirkuk
    Dec 27, 2019
    8
    Probably the most underrated game of the year on switch. Sadly flew under the radar of most. It's a short but sweet retro style adventure game. It's extremely short for the money but just the right amount of challenge, great performance and a tonne of charm!
  24. Lexeres
    Dec 26, 2019
    10
    Клёвая игра, 60 кадров, хоть графика и пиксельная - она офигенная, освещение классное. Прикольный сюжет, всякие мелочные детали в игре добавляют приятности в геймплей
  25. FoxyChalet
    Aug 1, 2023
    10
    This game is a hybrid between adventure and platformer. It has a sort of mysterious feeling to it which is really fun for me, not a story exactly, but a fun little mystery. Your character looks like mario with a pornstache which is hilarious. No part of the game took me more than ten minutes (except the high arcade scores, and the mines which are completely optional). The platforming partsThis game is a hybrid between adventure and platformer. It has a sort of mysterious feeling to it which is really fun for me, not a story exactly, but a fun little mystery. Your character looks like mario with a pornstache which is hilarious. No part of the game took me more than ten minutes (except the high arcade scores, and the mines which are completely optional). The platforming parts are not as hard as everyone says. If you like mysterious stories like lost, or harry potter, or games like a hat in time, or psychonauts, I recommend this game.… Expand
  26. Beartank
    Mar 10, 2020
    10
    A very lovely game, a characteristic that is often overlooked. Puzzles that are challenging but not too tricky, a few tough arcade mini-games, but ultimately a relaxing game that you can complete in about 10 hours. A really great way to relax after a tricky day at work. Graphically beautiful and sweet characters. I will buy any sequel on day one.
  27. sakhile_
    Apr 12, 2020
    10
    The Touryst is a beautiful well paced game that's not too easy and not too hard. It is weirdly relaxing and quickly puts a smile on your face.
  28. Za_Uvek
    Aug 2, 2021
    8
    This here is a game that is best played blind, as exploration and charm is the highlight of the game. With that in mind, I'll keep it short.

    The visuals are nice with the 3D blocky characters and environments. But what makes everything stand out is the lighting that really gives the environments that extra pop. And of course the sound/music is fitting for any type of indie title. With    This here is a game that is best played blind, as exploration and charm is the highlight of the game. With that in mind, I'll keep it short.

    The visuals are nice with the 3D blocky characters and environments. But what makes everything stand out is the lighting that really gives the environments that extra pop. And of course the sound/music is fitting for any type of indie title. With the art design aside, the game-play itself is adventure gaming at its purest. Simply explore, chat to characters, solve puzzles and enjoy a bunch of fun min-games. What makes this title such high quality is that you won't be bogged down by any complexity, but will always have a list of fun tasks to complete from start to end.

    Touryst really stands on it's own as a 3D adventure platformer. It is not hard by any means, but the fun of exploration and adventure will keep a smile on your face I'm sure.    … Expand
  29. Theopinionater
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    The Touryst is one of if not the best game i have ever played. I haven't really played anything quite like it. first of all its one of the best looking games on the switch with its crisp blocky characters and world and probably the best lighting effects on any game. its not the longest game i have ever played it took me about 9 hours to get 100%, but its the best 9 hours i have ever spentThe Touryst is one of if not the best game i have ever played. I haven't really played anything quite like it. first of all its one of the best looking games on the switch with its crisp blocky characters and world and probably the best lighting effects on any game. its not the longest game i have ever played it took me about 9 hours to get 100%, but its the best 9 hours i have ever spent on the switch. The fun but sometimes hard puzzles and platforming mixed with the games great mechanics and graphics, made me not want it to end, it doesn't have a very in depth story as well, but what you do get is really interesting and fun to me, running and jumping around different islands and monuments completing different side missions and parts of the story to check another thing of that to-do list to get closer to that desirable 100 percent, kept me coming back to squeeze as much as i can out of this game.
    i got this game on sale for i think around 4 quid but for £17.99 as a base price it is still an amazing game if your looking for a puzzle/platformer with stunning visuals and great controls and story.    … Expand
  30. kazeboza
    Jun 27, 2021
    3
    One of the most controversial games I've ever played. The plot is great, the quests are interesting even though they are quite usual. But when it comes to controllers and camera... this game sucks so much. Uninstalled being unable to finish the last boss. Why isometric view was chosen for 3d quests? Ask the developers. Have spend there couple of nice hours and then lost all my neurons. BeOne of the most controversial games I've ever played. The plot is great, the quests are interesting even though they are quite usual. But when it comes to controllers and camera... this game sucks so much. Uninstalled being unable to finish the last boss. Why isometric view was chosen for 3d quests? Ask the developers. Have spend there couple of nice hours and then lost all my neurons. Be prepared for unbalanced difficulty.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Best Switch Game of 2019
55
#55 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. SECTOR.sk
    Nov 17, 2022
    80
    The Touryst won't let you relax. Instead, the developers have prepared for you a 5-hour story full of puzzles, challenges and even mini-games across 8 colorful environments.
    Read full review
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Feb 24, 2020
    90
    The Touryst is an absolutely stellar action-adventure game that sends players on a whirlwind journey of mini-games, puzzle solving and scenic vistas all bundled in one of the most visually impressive engines to date on the Switch.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Age
    Jan 15, 2020
    91
    This is a fantastic, gorgeous experience, and if you have a Nintendo Switch, you should definitely give these islands a visit.
    Read full review
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