Published by Finji and developed by Diecy, Tunic is a bright action-adventure game with Zelda-like motifs that I was really excited to finally get hands on time with at Pax East 2018.
Visually, Tunic has a glow to it. Its colors are bright. It’s characters and enemies are cute and bubbly. The game is played in a semi top down perspective that gives you a great lay of the world, but does not remove you from the action or your sense of presence in it.
In the short demo I played, my nameless fox awoke on the shore of an island lush with green and glowing trees. Not knowing where I was or what my goal was, I ventured forward. With a wonderful soundtrack by muscian Lifeformed, I was quickly grabbed. Soon after, I learned that mystery is a big pillar of Tunic. The language of the game, both in world and in the menus, is all written and created in a mysterious language that I couldn’t decipher.
Playing Tunic really requires a sense of adventure and a hunger for discovery. It’s very reminiscent of the original The Legend of Zelda. I myself am not the biggest fan of that game, but I was really taken by Tunic’s spaces and finding my way forward. Even with that mystery, there wasn’t a moment where I felt lost in Tunic. With a little deduction and common sense, I was able to push on and find the game’s first weapon with no problems or fatal encounters. Dodging and reacting to attacks is quick and snappy. Running around and interacting with it, just feels fun.
The end of my demo finished with me reaching a massive boss and having my confidence shaken a bit when I couldn’t make an impact. This then ultimately led to my death. Regardless, I had a very fun time with Tunic and am excited to see what’s next for it. Tunic’s developer and publisher are aiming for a 2019 release.
