I recently finished the game Tunic, which is sort of like A Link to the Past + Fez + Dark Souls… And it’s amazing!
I actually owned the game soon after release but bounced off of it due to being busy with work, picked it back up the past few weeks and finally sat down and enjoyed it. Despite looking like a straightforward and cute adventure game, it gets REALLY deep the further you go in. There’s so much to discover and the game gives you just enough hints on what to do and where to go.
Tunic ticks all the boxes for me. The graphics are gorgeous, the combat is fun, the world is fun to explore and rich with secrets, and progression was very satisfying.
The most unique part of the game is that you slowly find pages of an instruction manual containing maps of areas and secrets, explanation of mechanics, and guides on how to play… except it’s all written in an alien language, so you have to figure out what it’s telling you by paying attention to all the pictures and context clues.
Understanding the manual is a bit rough at first but lead to so many “A-ha!” moments when you try something and it actually works. It even foreshadows future bosses and things you’ll encounter before they happen which is brilliant. My best advice to someone just trying the game: Pay attention to the manual, seriously!
I won’t spoil any more than that, but I really wish more people talked about this game. It’s not for everybody, the game is intentionally vague and needs some critical thinking if you’re not following a guide, but I think it’s absolutely brilliant if you’re into exploration and discovery. One of the most unique games I’ve played in ages.
Hmmm, something isn’t adding up here. While there are a couple places where the combat is annoying, it’s really only the bosses and maybe a few enemies in the endgame.
The blobs absolutely have tells, I can’t remember what they are but they exist. If you’ve played literally any action game before you should be able to beat that enemy pretty easily, it sounds like you were pressing the wrong button to dodge or something.
so i got past them by ignoring them, got to the little village of orc-things and while it was a struggle i managed to clear it, so i thought “okay i think i get how this works now”, went back to the blob things and got wiped out.
i was obviously doing something wrong because the feel of the combat was just absolutely awful. sluggish and spongy and takes way too much time.
once i got to the graveyard i just said “fuck it” and gave up. it was only frustration.