Tunic

 Xbox Series X
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 311 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 231 out of 311
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 311
  3. Negative: 54 out of 311

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  1. Phuz
    Aug 25, 2023
    0
    This game is horrible. I instantly disliked it. It's like they combined Oceanhorn with Ys and made a terrible mess of it.

    The gameworld looks horrible and the music doesn't fit and another loose ploddy character. It's just ugly and unlikeable.
  2. R3bbit
    Aug 21, 2023
    8
    Beautiful art style, engaging and mysterious story, lovely background music and engaging world.

    Combat is fast and visceral, although it has a child like art style, this game could prove too daunting for younger players. Most boss fights can be made easy by effective utilization of your magic weapons or spamming throwables. The final boss however will require some skill with your    Beautiful art style, engaging and mysterious story, lovely background music and engaging world.

    Combat is fast and visceral, although it has a child like art style, this game could prove too daunting for younger players.

    Most boss fights can be made easy by effective utilization of your magic weapons or spamming throwables. The final boss however will require some skill with your blade and shield.

    I can guarantee hardcore gamers a right challenge if they try figure out the path to progress by just utilizing the in-game book which you build up by collecting the pages throughout the world. I however found the clues and hints too daunting when trying to figure out how to get the some areas and had a youtube stream open next to me to find the way forward.

    I kid you not.....you could literally play this game without ever know how to find your sword and shield...no guidance or hints...after about 2 hours of fumbling about with a wooden stick I had to go to youtube for help on getting my sword and shield.

    Use your shield...it is the pathway to winning most boss fights, especially the final one. The shield is immensely powerful and can tank almost all blows.

    This game was a pleasure to play, don't miss it.    … Expand
  3. lamentes
    Dec 30, 2022
    9
    A beautiful game that draws you in and lets you puzzle out what's going on with gently guiding level design and dozens of hidden secrets. The depth of this game is incredible, the combat challenging and overall it was a joy to play.
  4. FearlessPlace7
    Dec 10, 2022
    10
    This game surprised me so much, I should've played it earlyer. Tunic kinda merge aspects from souls-like games to a Zelda. It's challenging and incentives you to explore the world. Looks just amazing!! 10/10 for me!!!
  5. porkprism
    Nov 21, 2022
    10
    This was my top indie game of the year. Flat out. Mixing souls games and Zelda in a world that is so unassuming and charming but hides so many secrets. Has such rewarding gameplay and a surprisingly emotional story. Amazing game.
  6. Burzyk
    Oct 2, 2022
    8
    Beautiful, full of secrets, sometimes demanding and pretty hard mix of Zelda and Souls games. 20 hours of joy, briliant in GamePass for XSX!
  7. fastoch82
    Oct 2, 2022
    6
    The game may be great, but it failed to keep me playing past its beginning (I picked up the sword and hit the first bell), because of a poor difficulty management.
    The game is unnecessarily difficult at times and navigation can be quite a pain, especially when you respawn too far from where you died.
    I much more enjoyed my experience on Death's Door, to quote a game which shares many    The game may be great, but it failed to keep me playing past its beginning (I picked up the sword and hit the first bell), because of a poor difficulty management.
    The game is unnecessarily difficult at times and navigation can be quite a pain, especially when you respawn too far from where you died.
    I much more enjoyed my experience on Death's Door, to quote a game which shares many similarities with Tunic. Death's Door is an example of a game where the learning curve is just perfect and where dying never feels unfair.
    I think Tunic is overrated and games should never be reserved for elite hardcore gamers. It's not just a matter of patience, some gamers just can't spend countless hours in the same game hoping that success will eventually come...
    Developers should know better than anyone that balance is everything.    … Expand
  8. Vitalick
    Sep 2, 2022
    8
    Juegazo. El primer día lo paré a los 20 minutos por los graficos tan simples. El segundo día a la 1 hora por no saber que hacer y andar perdido. El tercer día le pillé el rollo y ya no pude parar de jugarlo. Apariencia simple pero muy bien ideado y entretenido.
  9. churros
    Aug 15, 2022
    8
    Pros:
    + beautiful artstyle
    + beautiful music
    + many secrets
    + memorable character designs
    + innovate manual

    Cons:
    - unbalanced boss fights
    - easy to get lost
  10. MetaGary
    Aug 13, 2022
    10
    I love it. It takes the best aspects of classic Zelda, and does something spiritual with it. All this while hiding a massive world in plain sight.
    Truly a gem.
  11. Minifiru
    Aug 2, 2022
    10
    Игра потрясающая. Словом - первая которую я прошел на 100%. Игра имеет потрясающий визуальный стиль 10 из 10. В игре есть множество загадок, которые сразу можно даже не заметить. Есть интересная идея по использованию руководства. Игра имеет несколько концовок. Лучшее - игра сразу предоставляет полный выбор действий. Не стоит вестись на милую рисовку игра настоящий souls like.Игра потрясающая. Словом - первая которую я прошел на 100%. Игра имеет потрясающий визуальный стиль 10 из 10. В игре есть множество загадок, которые сразу можно даже не заметить. Есть интересная идея по использованию руководства. Игра имеет несколько концовок. Лучшее - игра сразу предоставляет полный выбор действий. Не стоит вестись на милую рисовку игра настоящий souls like.
  12. Stan_Osbourne
    Jun 25, 2022
    8
    This game was a very big surprise for me. Indeed, the spirit and atmosphere of Zelda with the combat system of Dark Souls. A lot of it depends on the study of the world and the collection of the game manual, which is very creative, I have not seen this in any game.

    The very cool soundtrack and the visuals in the game are simply at the highest level, however, there are minor problems    This game was a very big surprise for me. Indeed, the spirit and atmosphere of Zelda with the combat system of Dark Souls. A lot of it depends on the study of the world and the collection of the game manual, which is very creative, I have not seen this in any game.

    The very cool soundtrack and the visuals in the game are simply at the highest level, however, there are minor problems with the combat system. The hero is not very mobile, and often, boss battles are very difficult, not because the bosses are difficult, but because you don’t get into the timings as a game, and it’s forgiven the bosses, and the damage always goes through you. And the shield blocks damage only from one enemy, and from the other on the side, at least a couple of degrees - no.

    But it was not this that killed me in the game, but getting the second, true ending. The first one is false, but to get the second one, I can assure you that you will have to read and watch a lot of guides on YouTube. But it's worth it, although puzzles for superintelligent beings. I recommend in general, Glory to Ukraine!    … Expand
  13. Frank22
    Jun 12, 2022
    9
    A great adventure game, aesthetically beautiful, combat is fun and more complex as the game progresses. The level design is really good and is nice how everything is somehow connected. The game doesn't say (almost) anything to you, lets you explore and find a way on your own, giving you clues through the pages of the book you find along the way, which is far more rewarding that anA great adventure game, aesthetically beautiful, combat is fun and more complex as the game progresses. The level design is really good and is nice how everything is somehow connected. The game doesn't say (almost) anything to you, lets you explore and find a way on your own, giving you clues through the pages of the book you find along the way, which is far more rewarding that an in-your-face tutorial for everything. The little guide book is a super cool idea. The puzzles and secrets hidden are super creative. Good use of perspective. The game though hard/demanding at times, never feels unfair. Finally but not less important, the soundtrack is superb. This game takes inspirations from zelda and dark souls, but it's a thing of it's own. Can't wait to see what this Andrew Shouldice guy comes up next. end of this messy ass review. 8.7/10… Expand
  14. LupinXXIII
    Jun 12, 2022
    7
    Déjà vu. Tunic is yet another indie action-adventure game with an isometric perspective and a likeness to Zelda and the Souls games, coming right off the heals of last year’s Death’s Door. Like that game, I don’t find much of Tunic to be especially exceptional and parts of it are frustrating or unpolished. Still, I think Tunic has a leg up on Death’s Door in a number of respects. The gameDéjà vu. Tunic is yet another indie action-adventure game with an isometric perspective and a likeness to Zelda and the Souls games, coming right off the heals of last year’s Death’s Door. Like that game, I don’t find much of Tunic to be especially exceptional and parts of it are frustrating or unpolished. Still, I think Tunic has a leg up on Death’s Door in a number of respects. The game isn’t as formulaic or pastiche. With less of an emphasis on combat and even puzzle-solving (for whatever little puzzling Death’s Door has) and a greater focus on exploration, Tunic finds a better moment-to-moment balance in its pacing. No area of idea overstays its welcome. The crown achievement is the in-game manual, pages of which are scattered about the world. These pages fill in some clues about how to progress through the cryptic game with things like combat tips and dungeon maps. It’s a nice diegetic nod to the manuals and guides of old in the vein of the original The Legend of Zelda. Games like Fez and The Witness are clearly an inspiration here. Tunic gets a few other details right. The camera is more dynamic, especially during boss battles. You can’t walk off ledges to your death (although I somehow managed to do so accidentally just once). Dungeons are brisk and progression through them is fairly organic, with little in the way of keys or staged combat encounters. The world is compact and it doesn’t take too much time to get around even without the fast travel options that open up later on. The boss battles can be very tough though and the game is occasionally too cryptic for its own good, but usually only for non-essential things.… Expand
  15. Funny7Cloud
    Jun 11, 2022
    6
    如果脑子不能跟作者对上线，玩着会比较痛苦，引导实再太差了一些，这样的开放世界又有等级压制就非常不适合上手。当然游戏也有很多不错的优点和创意，但是还需精心打磨。
  16. B-Bog
    Jun 7, 2022
    8
    Probably one of the hardest games I have ever encountered, both when it comes to combat and totally cryptic secrets/puzzles. If you're a fan of Dark Souls and the like, you're probably going to enjoy the intense challenge with very few checkpoints, but if you're more of a Zelda fan (like myself), prepare to get your ass absolutely handed to you. It wasn't too long until I had to use NoProbably one of the hardest games I have ever encountered, both when it comes to combat and totally cryptic secrets/puzzles. If you're a fan of Dark Souls and the like, you're probably going to enjoy the intense challenge with very few checkpoints, but if you're more of a Zelda fan (like myself), prepare to get your ass absolutely handed to you. It wasn't too long until I had to use No Fail Mode, and thank god for its existence, otherwise I would've probably never finished this beautiful and intricate game. Although what I would have much preferred would have been some more difficulty options between "mind-numbingly hard" and "Kirby's Epic Yarn".

    But. nevertheless, exploring Tunic's fascinating world and uncovering its secrets was still a lot of fun, even with the challenge of combat completely removed. The concept of the manual is very intriguing and, if you like a good head-scratcher, you'll have something to chew on for days to come. Personally, I did most of the post-game stuff via guides, as I lacked the patience and keen perception needed to collect everything just from the cryptic hints in the manual alone.    … Expand
  17. Toska123
    Jun 5, 2022
    4
    I've been hyped for this game ever since the initial reveal a few years ago. Love the idea of mixing an old school Zelda game with dark souls elements. Even after all the delays, I was pretty hyped to try it out. But it was unfortunately a huge disappointment.

    The game itself is smooth and I like the premise. But the mechanics are so wonky that I'd say a good 75% of my deaths are due to    I've been hyped for this game ever since the initial reveal a few years ago. Love the idea of mixing an old school Zelda game with dark souls elements. Even after all the delays, I was pretty hyped to try it out. But it was unfortunately a huge disappointment.

    The game itself is smooth and I like the premise. But the mechanics are so wonky that I'd say a good 75% of my deaths are due to the game's collision/hitboxes, rather than how I normally die in dark souls which is almost always due to not knowing enemy patterns, falling for traps, missing a timing, etc. Then, to ice the cake with Bull     … Expand
  18. CTAN
    Jun 3, 2022
    1
    Zelda wannabe? Beautiful graphic and scene design, but I'm really disappointed with the design and gameplay mechanic... In nut shell, nothing is new...
  19. filipedbranco
    May 27, 2022
    9
    Beautiful game. Challenging, sometimes very difficult, but also very rewarding. The art is beautiful, the way of playing and discovering how to play (and the story itself) is very original. One of my favorite games ever, without a doubt.
  20. royalguy07
    May 23, 2022
    9
    The style, design, and implementation of the developers vision was all beautifully done. Collecting pages to build out the manual for maps, clues, and hints on where to go and how to play was wonderfully done. The combat was decent even if the attack and dodge animations ended up as a clunky combination that I never really got the hang of.
  21. amandra
    May 22, 2022
    3
    Extremely overrated. Boss fights start very easy, which helps to learn the mechanics, but then speed up to white knuckle for the last quarter of health, often with glitchy behaviors that can send your targeting or your character itself kareening.

    The progression has a smooth feel, bit also feels like it's missing something fundamental from it's inspiration. The art direction feels odd    Extremely overrated. Boss fights start very easy, which helps to learn the mechanics, but then speed up to white knuckle for the last quarter of health, often with glitchy behaviors that can send your targeting or your character itself kareening.

    The progression has a smooth feel, bit also feels like it's missing something fundamental from it's inspiration.

    The art direction feels odd given the difficulty.    … Expand
  22. eva3si0n
    May 11, 2022
    7
    I only met Tunic thanks to Xbox Game Pass. And Tunic is a very deceptive game. I expected, like most players, an indie game to be a vagabond, not a Dark Souls counterpart in the indie genre. Yes, in the settings you can turn on the death mode. But you don't expect harcore gameplay from Tunic at all. For a game Tunic has done for the most part looks great. It is worth trying, especiallyI only met Tunic thanks to Xbox Game Pass. And Tunic is a very deceptive game. I expected, like most players, an indie game to be a vagabond, not a Dark Souls counterpart in the indie genre. Yes, in the settings you can turn on the death mode. But you don't expect harcore gameplay from Tunic at all. For a game Tunic has done for the most part looks great. It is worth trying, especially since it is available in Game Pass.… Expand
  23. Quanlib
    May 9, 2022
    10
    A must play.. beautiful art, level design and music. Solid combat and lots of hidden secrets.
  24. Schwammlgott
    May 2, 2022
    10
    Als Erstes muss ich sagen, ich bewerte nur sehr selten mit der vollen Punktzahl, aber dieses Spiel ist einfach nur herausragend, fantastisch, genial...es gibt zu wenige Worte, wie mich dieses Spiel begeistert.
    Der Kniff mit dem "Old-School-Spieleberater", den man Seite für Seite findet, beschert einem so viele Aha-Momente, einfach nur genial!
    Für jeden Klassik-Zelda Fan ein Muss...trotzdem    Als Erstes muss ich sagen, ich bewerte nur sehr selten mit der vollen Punktzahl, aber dieses Spiel ist einfach nur herausragend, fantastisch, genial...es gibt zu wenige Worte, wie mich dieses Spiel begeistert.
    Der Kniff mit dem "Old-School-Spieleberater", den man Seite für Seite findet, beschert einem so viele Aha-Momente, einfach nur genial!
    Für jeden Klassik-Zelda Fan ein Muss...trotzdem ist es so viel mehr, als ein einfacher Klon! Nicht beinflussen lassen, von denen, die behaupten es wäre ein einfacher Zelda Klon! Wer sowas behauptet, hat es nicht wirklich gespielt!    … Expand
  25. XBCT
    Apr 28, 2022
    10
    Its more a 8,5-9/10 game, but it deserves a better Meta Critic rating in general.
    I really enjoy the game. It looks great and has a nice level design.
  26. Rhinogamer
    Apr 16, 2022
    3
    This game is awful, basically "rat in a maze" simulator is all it is, I've seen it compared to being a Soulslike, or Zelda, it is nothing like that (aside from maybe the camera view and the fact that you swing a weapon). It is dull, tedious, cringe-worthy wannabe clone but if a clone took all the worst aspects of a game, and none of the good ones. I even turned on the "God Mode" just toThis game is awful, basically "rat in a maze" simulator is all it is, I've seen it compared to being a Soulslike, or Zelda, it is nothing like that (aside from maybe the camera view and the fact that you swing a weapon). It is dull, tedious, cringe-worthy wannabe clone but if a clone took all the worst aspects of a game, and none of the good ones. I even turned on the "God Mode" just to walk around and see a little more of the game, to see if it did something to become more original or enjoyable later on, and it just never ever did; another 30 minutes later I just deleted it off my Xbox because I couldn't take another minute of the sheer boredom. Gawd, what an awful experience.… Expand
  27. caronte1100
    Apr 12, 2022
    9
    Es un juego precioso y las mecanicas de algunos bosses un poco mas complicadas que de costumbre
  28. kamikazegrannie
    Apr 10, 2022
    5
    An extraordinarily good puzzle/exploration game that's bogged down by clumsy combat, and difficulty ramps that will make you want to give up. It's a shame, this could have been one of the all-time great indies were it not for the combat.

    A few things out of the way first: the graphics, music, and aesthetic are fantastic. There's a very miniature/tilt-shift look to everything, and it's    An extraordinarily good puzzle/exploration game that's bogged down by clumsy combat, and difficulty ramps that will make you want to give up. It's a shame, this could have been one of the all-time great indies were it not for the combat.

    A few things out of the way first: the graphics, music, and aesthetic are fantastic. There's a very miniature/tilt-shift look to everything, and it's almost too cute. As the game progresses and you get deeper into the world, it does a great job of bringing you along with it. This game says very little to you, but still tells its story very well. It is clearly trying to drum up nostalgia for NES-era adventure games, and it nails it without being too on-the-nose. How it reveals things to you—both in story and in gameplay—is expertly done.

    This games puzzles aren't really puzzles in the traditional sense. It reveals things to you over time, but leaves it to you to realize that they have been revealed, and how to use what you've learned effectively. Its solutions are well hidden but not obtuse; I was able to complete the game with its "true" ending, and find many of its secrets without the use of any guides. The only cheating I did was to look up some things that would've required me writing down the solution myself, which would've been tedious but extremely on brand for the feeling the game was trying to evoke. Progression, puzzle-wise, this game is incredibly fair.

    What is less fair is the combat, which felt sluggish at best and infuriating at worst. While I feel most of what it required of the player was clear, actually accomplishing it meant grinding against enemies far too often, only winning due to what felt not like better execution but a better roll of the RNG. The difficulty didn't ramp linearly, but instead at steep cliffs requiring you to grind past them. A few times, it caused me to put the game down and I wasn't sure I was coming back. The combat is tedious in a different way from the puzzles: you need to sit through somewhat lengthy battles, and a few mistakes mean "start over". Any attempt to move through them faster will result in failure. None of this would necessarily be bad if it was fun, but there's nothing fun about it, again given the tedium plus feeling you won because of a lucky sequence of attacks.

    The combat would maybe even be fine, if they didn't unnecessarily stretch it out. There's a late-in-the-game "rush" you have to do against several waves of enemies, and it's incredibly unforgiving. This feels completely detached from the story, and feels like nothing more than an attempt to squeeze out some extra time out of the game. Up until that point I was willing to go along with it, but that made me just put the game into "no fail" mode to move forward. They could've skipped this and it would've made zero difference.

    Outside of combat, navigating the overworld was pretty unintuitive and takes way too long to become straightforward. Yet, you have to do it a lot. I wasted a significant amount of time just playing the "how do I get back to that spot" game, which isn't very fun nor interesting.

    Overall this game is really difficult to recommend to anyone: the extraordinarily punishing combat will alienate people looking for the excellent puzzle/exploration mechanics, yet the combat itself doesn't feel tidy, deep, nor interesting enough to make the more hardcore want to stick with it. The developers would've been better off scaling the combat back to let the great parts of the game really shine, but as it stands it's a game with too narrow of an audience. Huge bummer, really.    … Expand
  29. Duffer123
    Apr 9, 2022
    10
    I would normally just add a rating, but this game is so good I felt compelled to write a review.
    This game is not a zelda clone, it’s a mix of Metroidvania, puzzle and even a bit of souls type gameplay.
    This game forces you to think and when you solve one of the puzzles the feeling of satisfaction and joy at what you have discovered is like nothing I’ve seen before in gaming. The game    I would normally just add a rating, but this game is so good I felt compelled to write a review.
    This game is not a zelda clone, it’s a mix of Metroidvania, puzzle and even a bit of souls type gameplay.
    This game forces you to think and when you solve one of the puzzles the feeling of satisfaction and joy at what you have discovered is like nothing I’ve seen before in gaming. The game tells you very little, but gives you the tools to discover the answers to its puzzles and secrets. If there is one slight negative, the combat it not always the most engaging.This is the best game I’ve played this year and yes I did play and enjoy Elden ring.Hopefully there’s a tunic2!!    … Expand
  30. Randazzo
    Apr 8, 2022
    9
    Nice graphics, cool story and very good mechanics. A little short but with all the hidden treasures it makes a very smooth game.
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2022
9
#9 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GAMES.CH
    Oct 6, 2022
    86
    Tunic is one of those games that won’t let you go until you see the credits rolling. It’s insane, what Andrew Shouldice and his small team came up with and how much lifeblood was poured into this action adventure. Definitely an indie title you should not miss.
    Read full review
  2. Vgames
    Jun 5, 2022
    90
    Tunic demands all of your attention to experience its world and mysteries as intended. Fortunately, with excellent world design, fun and diverse gameplay and extraordinary ways to keep you interested in what to come next, it truly deserves that investment and focus.
    Read full review
  3. XboxEra
    May 27, 2022
    70
    TUNIC is both an incredible and incredibly frustrating title. The combat lets down what otherwise is a masterpiece.
    Read full review
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