You’ll complete a section against a sequence of enemies, only to find a route tucked in a crevice was there the entire time and which bypasses the area entirely. Unlike Dark Souls, these shortcuts aren’t always gates you unlock but secret pathways you discover. The main difference is that the layout and aesthetic of Tunic’s world resembles the dioramas from Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, with secret paths hidden by the default camera perspective, which often connect areas in smart, surprising ways. Similar to Death’s Door, Tunic in inspired by both Dark Souls and Zelda, in terms of its combat and structure with progression tied to looping shortcuts, bonfire-esque checkpoint statues which respawn enemies, and key items that open new areas. This sense of discovery is amplified by Tunic’s brilliant level design. On paper, it might sound like an irritating, archaic hurdle interrupting the action but it’s this emphasis on adventure – and the gratification from gradually piecing the intricacies together – which elevates Tunic above many of its peers. You don’t often find pages at a time when they make sense and it’s possible to miss them entirely, so you’re always referring back to the manual as you explore, to work out directions or decipher a hint nestled in the margins. These range from maps scribbled with annotations, tips for overcoming certain enemies, to explanations of key mechanics – like the unique quirks of the stamina gauge and how to interact with certain objects. These aren’t filled with straight-forward instructions, however, but serve as another puzzle to solve – where indecipherable text is interspersed with occasional English and drawings you have to interpret. In a callback to physical games of yesteryear, your understanding of the world is coloured by collecting pages of a manual. For Tunic, there’s a similar design sensibility which can easily be ruined by spoilers, since accumulating knowledge to figure out the path forward is instrumental to the thrill. Looking up the answers transforms them into empty experiences without the personal triumph of bringing the clues together yourself. The Witness and Return Of The Obra Dinn are both reliant on the satisfaction of understanding and solving the puzzle of the world you’re thrown into. There are still games where using a guide misses the point. Being stumped by a puzzle in 2022 isn’t the progress killer it once was – rectified pre-internet only by browsing physical guides or listening to smarter kids in the playground – since now you’re challenged not just by the puzzle itself but the temptation of looking up answers online. Now that online guides are always just a click away, it’s never been more difficult to build a game on mystery. The Legend Of Zelda meets Dark Souls in this action adventure where deciphering a manual unlocks a world of secrets.
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