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March 28, 2024, 05:56:42 PM

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TUNIC (Steam, Xbox, Game Pass)

Started by brat-sampson, March 17, 2022, 10:50:40 AM

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brat-sampson



I've had an eye on this one for literally years, since being grabbed by the original trailer, then enjoying the demo a lot.

It feels like Zelda mixed with Fez and Souls, with a fairly forgiving 'bonfire/reset' mechanic, some tactical combat, secret paths and chests everywhere and a mysterious other layer of secrets and mechanisms to discover. I must be 2-3 hrs in and it's really grabbed me. The art style is gorgeous and snuffling out hidden paths feels great every time. The way the Instruction Manual gradually fills out and gives juuuust enough info to be helpful if you interpret it correctly while still looking like some kind of ancient encrypted text is very clever, and I imagine others will take from it in the future.

Also 10/10 soundtrack so far.

So yeah.
TUNIC.


Kelvin

Looks a lot like Death's Door, which also got rave review, and was in fact, fucking shit.

Kelvin

Bit unfair on Tunic, that.

I just really resented Death's Door for being so boring, and this is the best chance I've had to vent about it.

brat-sampson

I actually really liked Death's Door. Tunic... sorry, TUNIC has less of a combat focus, for sure, and is more about exploration. Some of the secrets are similar in design, but there are 10 x more in this. It feels like every corner is worth running around / behind, because there's likely *something* there. Also DD has a lot of character, humour and storytelling, while TUNIC has like zero conversation and the majority of the words you even *read* are in garble-language.

Pink Gregory

Feel like I see that artstyle a lot, and it's really starting to leave me cold.  Something about the low-poly textures + detailed lighting with the colour saturation up the wazoo.  Is it the Unreal Engine?

Glyn

Had great fun helping my son play this today. I say 'helping', he found the sword in half the time I would have done.  Looked really enjoyable and rewarding , will give it a go myself soon.

Only downside was the point at which he told me it really reminded him of another game, 'oh do you remember Zelda?' I asked as we haven't played on the Wii for ages. Of course he meant Minecraft Dungeons. 

brat-sampson

I think I'm done with this, got a Good Ending. Overall the combat gets a *lot* harder than I was expecting, and the puzzles for the secrets a lot more devious. Luckily there's an accessibility option to basically get infinite stamina or take no damage, as honestly I don't think the combat is solid enough to be worth struggling with in later parts. I did really enjoy a lot of the puzzles though, working out what to do etc. Some genuine Fez/Witness level shenanigans going on here.

Thursday

Quote from: Kelvin on March 17, 2022, 06:08:14 PMBit unfair on Tunic, that.

I just really resented Death's Door for being so boring, and this is the best chance I've had to vent about it.

That's interesting, because lots of people raving about that one (The TCGS podcast gave it their game of the year) But it doesn't look interesting to me at all, so it's good to know I might be right to not bother.

Kelvin

Quote from: Thursday on March 19, 2022, 01:08:25 PMThat's interesting, because lots of people raving about that one (The TCGS podcast gave it their game of the year) But it doesn't look interesting to me at all, so it's good to know I might be right to not bother.

My friend liked it too, and was surprised that I had found it such a slog. But I really did find it incredibly boring, especially the combat. It's a competent game throughout, the levels are fairly well designed, it ticks the 2D-zelda boxes. But it never rises above being a "good" game, into something interesting or standout. It's just a solid 7 out of 10 from beginning to end; nothing about it will ever surprise you.

oggyraiding

Can't get on with the combat. Very sloppy. I could just be bad at the game, but even early enemies I'm having to poke once, roll away, poke again. Makes fighting enemies pretty tedious.

madhair60

Quote from: oggyraiding on March 19, 2022, 04:50:13 PMCan't get on with the combat. Very sloppy. I could just be bad at the game, but even early enemies I'm having to poke once, roll away, poke again. Makes fighting enemies pretty tedious.

Yes, I didn't get on with it either.

Pink Gregory

I take it back, really enjoying this, perfect sunday afternoon.  Doesn't need much more than the 'discovering the instruction manual' conceit.

Maybe a little generic but these games need to be made before they can be built on.  I like at least that the soulslike generally lets you get on with it from minute one.

If I have any criticisms they could have toned down the depth of field effect.  Don't love that I can't adjust the harshness of the effect, least I can turn off motion blur, though how that option is under 'accessibility' I couldn't begin to speculate.

Little fox man do a roll, yay!

*edit* not depth of field, the film grain filter.

Pink Gregory

#12
Do wish there was some way to close the gap after the little fox does his sword combo and knocks enemies back, like a stinger or something.

Getting wrecked by the little tuning fork turret guns now, seen the shield but not found it.

Pink Gregory

Seen/heard some sniffy (perhaps I'm being a bit unfair) takes on Tunic from around the podcasts, and I just seem to be having a completely different time with it.

Is it because I'm not also playing Elden Ring?

brat-sampson

Quote from: Pink Gregory on April 05, 2022, 12:17:35 PMSeen/heard some sniffy (perhaps I'm being a bit unfair) takes on Tunic from around the podcasts, and I just seem to be having a completely different time with it.

Is it because I'm not also playing Elden Ring?

I mean, I'd say Combat isn't its strong suit, and later encounters can get surprisingly difficult. I still loved the game overall though, because everything *else* it does is sublime, and there's a Win button in the menu to alleviate combat frustration too.

Having said that I've heard some people talking about unfair encounters that I *was* ok with because I just used totally different tools. Some of the items are very powerful, and you do end up with a good number of combat options. I turned on No Fail by the end, but I made it pretty far first.

Pink Gregory

Granted, I just fought the Garden Knight and I know they're going for a Dark Souls boss kind of thing but it could have had half its health bar and it would have made it a better fight.

It's only got three attack patterns and they're all quite easy to read/dodge, which is a good thing!  But you learn to deal with them pretty quickly so it sort of becomes attrition after a certain point, which you can't say about bosses in either of thr game series that Tunic is heavily inspired by.

Normal enemies in comparison they do get right.  About as lethal as you are if you get cornered or lose track of them.

Pink Gregory

Did anyone finish this?  Because I might need a hand.

Spoiler alert
So I've found enough of the instruction book to figure out that you can either fight the Heir and take their place or 'share your knowledge and traverse the golden path'

So as far as I can tell there's something with that diagram with the numbers is related to the door in the mountains, and something related to doing that 'seeking spell' and a list of locations.  I thought it was something to do with the shrines but turns out you can do it anywhere so I'm a little bit back to square one.  Obvs I want to avoid fighting the Heir because I assume that's not the true ending.
[close]

brat-sampson

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 06, 2022, 07:43:37 AMDid anyone finish this?  Because I might need a hand.

Spoiler alert
So I've found enough of the instruction book to figure out that you can either fight the Heir and take their place or 'share your knowledge and traverse the golden path'

So as far as I can tell there's something with that diagram with the numbers is related to the door in the mountains, and something related to doing that 'seeking spell' and a list of locations.  I thought it was something to do with the shrines but turns out you can do it anywhere so I'm a little bit back to square one.  Obvs I want to avoid fighting the Heir because I assume that's not the true ending.
[close]

There are a couple of separate things you can push for from here.
Spoiler alert
Your connection between the diagram and the door is correct.
[close]

Spoiler alert
Have you performed the seeking spell? Have you sought all the seekables? NB: This is *not* in fact required for the 'true ending'.
[close]

Spoiler alert
'True ending' requires sharing your knowledge. What's your knowledge? Do you have *all* of the knowledge?
[close]

Spoiler alert
Solving the diagram/door dilemma *is* required for some knowledge.
[close]

Re. that diagram
Spoiler alert
There really aren't many places you can find numbers like that in the game...
[close]

Pink Gregory

Thanks much!  I really didn't want to just look up a guide.

Spoiler alert
although I can't quite figure out the utility of the seeking spell.  I go to a place and generally cast it about, and *sometimes* they convene on one spot but I can't find anything there?  Will continue to experiment.
[close]


aaaah I think I just made the connection with the numbers!  I love what this game turns into.  I didn't realise until this morning this was made by the Night in the Woods people.

Zetetic

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 06, 2022, 10:38:58 AMI didn't realise until this morning this was made by the Night in the Woods people.
It wasn't. Alec Holowka killed themselves in 2019. Bethany Hockenberry and Scott Benson founded a worker co-op called The Glory Society, but that hasn't yet released any games.

Both Night in the Woods and TUNIC were, however, published by Finji.

Pink Gregory

Quote from: Zetetic on May 06, 2022, 11:22:08 AMIt wasn't. Alec Holowka killed themselves in 2019. Bethany Hockenberry and Scott Benson founded a worker co-op called The Glory Society, but that hasn't yet released any games.

Both Night in the Woods and TUNIC were, however, published by Finji.

Ah, didn't realise it was a publisher, just found a defunct (for a reason now, I guess) Facebook page and made a connection.

bgmnts

Quote from: Kelvin on March 17, 2022, 06:06:19 PMLooks a lot like Death's Door, which also got rave review, and was in fact, fucking shit.

Yeah I was really confused because I played it without knowing the reviews and I saw that Jim Sterling (who's views align with mine and is pretty cynical and critical) named it his goty but it was really boring and crap.

Pink Gregory

Tunic might genuinely be a GOTY for me, I've not been genuinely surprised by a sort of left turn like this in a while; not a twist, but an evolution.

More than the sum of its parts, certainly.

brat-sampson

Have you worked out what to do with the spell?
Spoiler alert
There is something there...
[close]

Pink Gregory

#24
Quote from: brat-sampson on May 06, 2022, 04:33:08 PMHave you worked out what to do with the spell?
Spoiler alert
There is something there...
[close]

not yet, not quite yet, also I don't think the numbers correspond to what I thought they did.

we carry on.  what's good about this is that i'm really not getting that 'stuck in a puzzle game' feeling from this, despite that basically being what's happening.

I've also never been good at lateral thinking in games

there's a diagram on the wall of the Old House
what does it all mean?!

Oh shit I'm out of the ghost world suddenly.  Kind of assuming that this is for going back and getting chests you missed rather than the puzzle solving.  Found a potion bottle that I missed though, worth it.

Pink Gregory

#25
Found a seekable!  By the East Belltower.  Think this might be doable now...

aaand can't figure out the one by the Temple door, or the Quarry, or the Old House despite there being a diagram on the wall.  Hmph.

Pink Gregory

So I saw a little snippet of someone attempting to solve the mountain door puzzle on twitter and...I can't quite make the connections they made, so maybe I just need to study more.

Chairman Yang

I really enjoyed Tunic but it is a bit of a scam that they disguised this mad puzzle game like a Zelda.

Pink Gregory

Quote from: Chairman Yang on May 14, 2022, 08:32:33 AMI really enjoyed Tunic but it is a bit of a scam that they disguised this mad puzzle game like a Zelda.
I would be annoyed if that was the only ending.  If I wasn't so invested I could just go and fight the heir and I would at least finish the game.

It's like you can choose the genre of the ending.

brat-sampson

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 14, 2022, 07:45:34 AMSo I saw a little snippet of someone attempting to solve the mountain door puzzle on twitter and...I can't quite make the connections they made, so maybe I just need to study more.

Seek the Golden Path. The numbers shall guide you.