My opinion of Tunic has wavered drastically over the course of my multiple playthroughs.
One half of the game, centered around secrets and discovery, had my heart from the moment that I started. The lack of information provided lead to me question every minute detail, all the way down to the pause menu. And that type of behavior is consistently rewarded! The layers beg to be peeled back, each revealing an unpredictably complex mystery that had me saying "Surely this is it". It never is! This sucker just keeps on going!
Unfortunately, the other half of the game is a frustrating combat focused experience that only works in smaller instances. The combat isn't necessarily bad, it's just that it stands in the way of the core appeal of the game. Areas that bring serious difficulty could easily turn many players away and lock them out of the incredible web of puzzle solving that the game is hiding. I know that there is a no fail mode in the settings but that also sucks the fun out of a lot of the mechanics, and even some of the late game secrets. A more simplistic style of a combat similar to Link's Awakening could have benefited the overall experience.
The former half rules out in the end though. When I started to really grasp how intricate the puzzles became toward the end of Tunic, I decided to ask my wonderful gf if she wanted to help me break this thing down. I watched her play the entire game just to catch up t the point I had reached. Then, we busted out the pen and paper and went totally apeshit. No experience in any game last year is as personal and rewarding as getting cozy and solving what felt like an actual real world ancient mystery with the love of my life Casey Mellon <3. Not my fav game of the year, but definitely my fav experience.
One half of the game, centered around secrets and discovery, had my heart from the moment that I started. The lack of information provided lead to me question every minute detail, all the way down to the pause menu. And that type of behavior is consistently rewarded! The layers beg to be peeled back, each revealing an unpredictably complex mystery that had me saying "Surely this is it". It never is! This sucker just keeps on going!
Unfortunately, the other half of the game is a frustrating combat focused experience that only works in smaller instances. The combat isn't necessarily bad, it's just that it stands in the way of the core appeal of the game. Areas that bring serious difficulty could easily turn many players away and lock them out of the incredible web of puzzle solving that the game is hiding. I know that there is a no fail mode in the settings but that also sucks the fun out of a lot of the mechanics, and even some of the late game secrets. A more simplistic style of a combat similar to Link's Awakening could have benefited the overall experience.
The former half rules out in the end though. When I started to really grasp how intricate the puzzles became toward the end of Tunic, I decided to ask my wonderful gf if she wanted to help me break this thing down. I watched her play the entire game just to catch up t the point I had reached. Then, we busted out the pen and paper and went totally apeshit. No experience in any game last year is as personal and rewarding as getting cozy and solving what felt like an actual real world ancient mystery with the love of my life Casey Mellon <3. Not my fav game of the year, but definitely my fav experience.