Tunic

 Switch
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 47
  3. Negative: 3 out of 47

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  1. Kwar
    Oct 2, 2022
    10
    I finished this game and I literally applauded because it was such a masterpiece. I have to admit at the end I did cheat a bit because I was like I'm not going to do all that stuff to get to that true ending. But everything else I managed on my own. Such a fabulous, fabulous, fabulous game. I give high high praise to the developers of this game and I hope they release something else likeI finished this game and I literally applauded because it was such a masterpiece. I have to admit at the end I did cheat a bit because I was like I'm not going to do all that stuff to get to that true ending. But everything else I managed on my own. Such a fabulous, fabulous, fabulous game. I give high high praise to the developers of this game and I hope they release something else like it again in the future. Just what a Marvel. I have tears in my eyes just so glorious. Thank you so much!… Expand
  2. anonymous1112
    Nov 25, 2022
    10
    A masterpiece.
    Not too easy, good music, graphics ok, Interesting gameplay and amazing true ending !
  3. HollowStorm
    Oct 24, 2022
    10
    Esse jogo parece simples mas um pouco divertido mas não se engane, tunic oferece umas das melhores experiências de exploração que eu já vi.
  4. Cruxiser
    Oct 6, 2022
    9
    I normally never write reviews on any site for nearly anything. I always find that the reviews tend to slide between undeserved praise for whatever is presented or outright negativity due to a single bad experience or employee interaction. Video game reviews are fraught with this type of behavior because of platform devotees or a bad experiences with crowdfunding campaigns. I reallyI normally never write reviews on any site for nearly anything. I always find that the reviews tend to slide between undeserved praise for whatever is presented or outright negativity due to a single bad experience or employee interaction. Video game reviews are fraught with this type of behavior because of platform devotees or a bad experiences with crowdfunding campaigns. I really only preface this review to get across I would rather avoid writing reviews of any kind. I only do so when I am truly appreciative (or not) of the subject matter.

    I normally avoid indie games for really one of two reasons:
    1) The game is really just a narrative wrapped in video game dressing. Though narratives are fun and enjoyable, the video game experience really is about the user interactivity with the story being presented and providing enough freedom to explore that story in their own way. I find that the vast majority of indie games fall into the trap of expressing a 'vision' over the substance of the experience.
    2) The story basically doesn't exist and the game is focused on gimmicky mechanisms to hold the attention of the user. These get boring quickly and are not worth the money.

    Big budget studios will always have an advantage in this regard because they can hire the graphical, mechanical, programming, musical and story talent to at least bring a number of good ideas to realization in a title even if it's an average experience. Indie developers rarely have this luxury so it's a one shot deal: do it right or prepare for obscurity.

    The visual appearance, at first glance in preview videos and the like, is of a cartoony isometric game that hearkens to your average cell phone game. The music sounded interesting but I hadn't enough of a sampling to truly have an appreciation for it. The combat, at first blush, appeared to resemble the old Zelda franchise games that I loved as a child and thus what really sold me on the game, though the price tag was a bit high for an indie title. Indie warnings. Misgivings aside, Tunic truly is a one-of-a-kind experience.

    I say all this to say that this game is nothing short of an amazing experience. The combination of combat dynamics (which are admittedly straightforward and really tread unexplored territory), mobility, story elements and art style is truly a wonder. The fact it was primarily done by one man is an astonishing feat.

    I will warn you, despite the cutesy art style, there is a substantial difficulty curve and zero hand-holding. Actually less than zero as most of the dialog in the game is incomprehensible due to it being in an indecipherable language with only a few understandable phrases dotting the limited prompts.

    The combat is fast and engaging; the protagonist gains a number of combat and mobility items throughout his adventure that drastically improve his combat expertise and make fighting more efficient and engaging. The boss battles in particular are a masterful exercise in suspense, scale and threat.

    The art style is airy and colorful with very well done isometric graphics, clever (and intentionally hidden) visual embellishments and a soundtrack of sometimes whimsical and sometimes foreboding intent. I was thoroughly impressed with the variation and scale of the atmosphere.

    The real draw is the clever way in which information is revealed to player through use of an in-game help manual reminiscent of old Nintendo vintage games. You must collect pages of this manual as you go along, most of the text is in the same indecipherable text as the dialog, but visual clues and handwritten notes provide necessary clues to proceed in the story. I must have browsed that booklet hundreds of times looking for any indication of where I should proceed or revealing some diabolically hidden secret. You'll even find abilities you've had but didn't know you did.

    If you choose to purchase Tunic, I fully recommend going through the game help-free; the challenge is rewarding and the puzzles add a substantial element to an already great framework of video game development.

    Since I played the Switch version, there were a few issues. There was considerable slowdown in some areas because of the Switch hardware struggling to keep up with the rendering. Additionally, there are some graphical glitches occasionally and a propensity for enemies to drop through the environment when using one specific utility device. I would also say that the later optional puzzle challenges are sometimes so vague as to be incomprehensible by all but the most dedicated sleuths. You may, once the primary story is completed, need some assistance to make sense of those later clues. Pay very, very close attention to every detail of the pages you read in the manual, they can and do matter.

    All in all, a masterclass in video game design and development with some very minor (and I mean minor) problems. Very well done.    … Expand
  5. Keffey
    Sep 8, 2023
    8
    Jogo bonito, porém esperava um pouco mais tanto no desafio de puzzles quanto na ação.
  6. Starfree
    Jan 5, 2023
    8
    There are actually some original ideas in this game. The manual is brilliant, I’m not gonna spoil it, you have to experience it for yourself. There’s so much charm in this game, the gameplay is nice, the lore is amazing. It’s not prefect I can’t help but feel like it would have been better as just a Zelda like without souls elements mixed in. The combat is really fun but the loose learnThere are actually some original ideas in this game. The manual is brilliant, I’m not gonna spoil it, you have to experience it for yourself. There’s so much charm in this game, the gameplay is nice, the lore is amazing. It’s not prefect I can’t help but feel like it would have been better as just a Zelda like without souls elements mixed in. The combat is really fun but the loose learn repeat 20 times level of difficulty doesn’t mix with the style of an adventure game imo. And some handholding would be nice, or at least a clear warning that that the manual is required to play this game. Also the stuff to 100% this game is ridiculously complex and I have no idea how anyone did it without a guide. The mountain door sucks if you know you know. And I don’t want to learn an entire made up language just to experience the lore of this game. I appreciate the effort, but a new game + where the game translates the langue for you, like in The Wind Waker, would be very much appreciated.… Expand
  7. Ginger_Avenger
    Jan 9, 2023
    8
    This game has great design to its world: the art style is beautiful, simple, and charming and the decision to leave it up to players to figure things out made exploration a lot of fun. At the same time, it might just be me, honestly, but I found some of the combat to be hard to handle and I certainly found no shame later on in using the infinite-stamina option to make my life lessThis game has great design to its world: the art style is beautiful, simple, and charming and the decision to leave it up to players to figure things out made exploration a lot of fun. At the same time, it might just be me, honestly, but I found some of the combat to be hard to handle and I certainly found no shame later on in using the infinite-stamina option to make my life less frustrating. Perhaps I am just not skilled for a game like this, but I get thru plenty of other games that are just as demanding (Hollow Knight, Elden Ring, etc..), so I can't say for sure. That's the only thing that keeps me from giving a must-play recommendation. Looks pretty good on the Switch.… Expand
  8. Blue9710x
    Apr 29, 2023
    8
    I am notoriously bad at solving puzzles in video games and was very hesitant to buy Tunic. But after downloading the game and playing for 4 hours straight, I knew this was going to be a blast. I highly recommend. Also do not look up any solutions to the puzzles, all of them are solvable with enough time.
  9. Mmore
    Oct 17, 2022
    9
    A really Zelda-ish game in the good way. I absolutely love the artistic style presented. The puzzle parts, sometimes, are challenging. It does not earn a 10 beacause of it's map and the path that you have to take in the game, sometimes, are confusing and you don't know what to do o where to go first.
  10. MetroidDatabase
    Aug 10, 2023
    7
    TL;DR. Overrated. Switch version is even moreso due to framerate issues and probably lower polycount on models.

    The game has: - Extremely weak combat mechanics; his sword is super underwhelming, and you're forced to use it the entire game. - Extremely confusing game progression; you really don't know if you're ever going the right way at any given time and the game does a great job at    TL;DR. Overrated. Switch version is even moreso due to framerate issues and probably lower polycount on models.

    The game has:
    - Extremely weak combat mechanics; his sword is super underwhelming, and you're forced to use it the entire game.
    - Extremely confusing game progression; you really don't know if you're ever going the right way at any given time and the game does a great job at never telling you that, either.
    - Secrets that you can only find by running up against walls or going outside of the game's point of view and hoping for the best. Back doors, alternative paths, and hidden walkways are also completely covered up by the surrounding geometry. It is a conscious decision by the developers.
    - Never feeling a full sense that your character got much stronger than when you started. (VERY basic RPG character progression)
    - The game doesn't pause when you open your inventory, and you are frozen in place making you completely open to being attacked. There's no quick weapon switching, either. You have to navigate the very basic and clunky menu.
    - The map is integrated into the lost instruction manual pages, so even when you find them, you have to tediously flip to the proper page to find out where the heck you even are. In the end, they don't even want you to rely on the map; they want you to memorize the game instead.
    - Purposefully obfuscated clues described with a fantasy language that has no translation made this game an extremely frustrating experience. This applies to every item and upgrade in the game. You're given an English label for its name, but the description is unreadable.
    - 100% perfect pathfinding enemies that will track you down between rooms. You can try to avoid enemies at times but it is not recommended because They. will. chase. you. They. will. kill. you.

    It's a cute game that goes from happy cutesy adventure to an extremely dark wtf-is-going-on game, storywise. I don't think it's anywhere near being a masterpiece. I know a lot of people will disagree with me but that's what subjectivity is all about. I think Tunic could've really shown the test of time had they made the game a little more friendly to a wider audience, but instead they chose to make it something only players with a INCREDIBLE amount of patience and an INCREDIBLE amount of gaming skill can accomplish (just like the old days). If you're not one of those people, this game is not for you. It's not Dark Souls, but it's not Zelda, either. Maybe somewhere in between.

    I get the whole "meta" nature of the game, but it wasn't the saving grace. It's a basic, top-down action-adventure game with really basic, uninventive combat controls and a purposefully confusing progression system to make the game longer than it really is. I loved the environments and the music though, but that was just the icing on top. Took me about 14 hours to get through. I will not be going back to it, ever again.    … Expand
  11. Nabosus
    Nov 6, 2022
    10
    This game doesn't hold your hand with tutorial, you have to find user manual yourself in-game - what a brilliiant idea. Graphics, music, gameplay - I cannot praise this game enough. Nostalgic experience recreated in modern settings at its best, bravo!
  12. Djon57VGR
    Sep 4, 2023
    10
    Tunic is a pure and perfect retro experience of what beating Zelda 1 at child's age looks like. The second way to understand and beat the game was a pure Sherlock Holmes way and gonna blow mind for years. Thank you for not only the game but the game inside the game.
  13. ZYMROD
    Nov 22, 2022
    9
    Si te gustan los juegos con estilo Zelda clásico y perspectiva Isométrica vale su inversión. El juego en si es desafiante, con un buen diseño de niveles y el detalle del manual de instrucciones, hace que rebose personalidad y carisma.
  14. Pherimon
    Dec 9, 2022
    8
    I enjoyed the game for a quite a bit, but not knowing what is going on took quite a bit from the experience. This being said, the graphics are lovely, the music is wonderful, and the action is pretty satisfying.
  15. BL4CKH4L0GAMING
    Dec 23, 2022
    10
    TUNIC is a masterfully crafted labor of love that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Switch Game of 2022
42
#42 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Hey Poor Player
    Oct 10, 2022
    90
    Tunic is intuitive gameplay at its finest, requiring you to figure things out as you go. You’ll either sink, or you’ll swim, and though I sank far more often than I swam, I still couldn’t get enough of this game. If you need a little Dark Souls with your Zelda, this is one of those games that you don’t want to pass up.
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  2. 4P.de
    Oct 9, 2022
    81
    If you love 2D Zeldas or Death's Door, you have to grab it: Tunic is an imaginative action-adventure with clever ideas, a picturesque game world and really poisonous bosses - also on Switch.
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  3. TouchArcade
    Oct 4, 2022
    90
    If you enjoy action-adventures and don’t mind a game that isn’t big on going easy on the player, you should give TUNIC a look. It’s gorgeous, clever, challenging, and simply a joy to pick away at. While it is quite difficult by default, there is an impressive number of options for those who want to tailor the game to their preferences. This Switch port, while obviously not quite up to the versions on other platforms from a technical standpoint, is very good and more than capable of delivering the experience to players. Really something special.
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