When Canadian indie developer Andrew Shouldice first announced his one-person project,Tunic, players were instantly intrigued, particularly because of the action-adventure’s similarities to games inThe Legend of Zeldafranchise. It can be hard for indies – especially ones with such a small development team behind them – to break into the mainstream, and an easy shortcut is to take larger and more established games as inspiration in order to attract fans of those franchises and titles.Tunic’sThe Legend of Zeldainspirations were very apparent, from its design to its core mechanics, but that could be a bit of a double-edged sword.
Tunicbecame a much-anticipated title ever since its spot in Microsoft’s E3 2018 presentation helped garner more interest, and fans of the charmingly designed game waited patiently for its release.Tunicwas finally launched in March 2022and received almost universally high scores from critics, delivering on the hype that its announcement had generated. However, whileTunicmay have proved itself in the eyes of many, it still can’t escape the comparisons toThe Legend of Zelda, and its aspirations to follow in that beloved franchise’s footsteps may not have been as good a choice as it first seemed.
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Tunic’s Premise and Storyline
Ever since the first glimpses ofTunic, it was clear that it was going to be a beautifully-realized game that drew inspiration from older titles of the NES era with its bright colors and charmingly simplistic design. Shouldice himself admitted during the game’s development thatTunicwas inspired by “certain classic triangle-seeking games,” in a clearreference to Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zeldaseries. Like Link, the unnamed fox sports a green tunic and wields a sword and shield, and they both exist in eye-catching environments with bright and contrasting palettes.Tunic’s sweet aesthetic was one of the elements that drew in players, but it wasn’t just the way the game looked that encouraged comparisons toThe Legend of Zeldaseries.
Tunic’s story is alsosimilar to Link’s many adventures, with a single hero tasked with collecting various items of significance as they trawl through dungeons, face up to foes, and solve puzzles in their effort to save the day. The fox is given this world-saving duty by the trapped soul of a legendary hero who was locked away in the Far Shore, and Link too is often given a perilous task by a mysterious third party. While they both follow the typical arc of an adventuring hero that has been featured in countless games, the similarities between the stories are undeniable.
Getting To Grips With Tunic’s Gameplay
With some hack-and-slash combat, puzzle-solving, and a sprinkling of pot smashing,Tunic’s gameplay also feels similar toThe Legend of Zelda’s. There are chests to discover, items to find, and upgrades to things like health and stamina to unlock. However, the games inThe Legend of Zeldaseries can be a bit easier to navigate, with user-friendly instructions and much more hand-holding than is present inTunic.Part ofTunic’s charm(and perhaps the cause for a lot of players' frustrations) is the fact that all the game’s instructions are hidden across the in-game world, with each of the collectible pages littered across the landscape. Having to piece together how to play the game is just one ofTunic’s many puzzles and adds an interesting dynamic not found in aZeldatitle.
The manual is an interesting element ofTunic’s gameplay and offers some of the game’s most spellbinding storytelling and designs. It has an air of nostalgia that will remind gamers of much older titles from the80s and 90s likeThe Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, which would be accompanied by amazing manuals of their own. However,Tunic’s in-game manual isn’t as helpful as older versions that gamers might be used to. Many of the language featured in the game is indecipherable and only offers partial translations to provide subtle hints and clues. While some players like this mechanic, others have found it unnecessarily oblique.
Tunic’s Other Influences
The Legend of Zeldaisn’t the only series thatTunicseems to have taken inspiration from. Some gamers have likened the new release to other titles in the Soulslike genre, despite its cute and cuddly appearance. WhileThe Legend of Zeldagames feature some tough bosses, they’re nothing compared to the ones inTunic, mostly because the best methods to take down enemies and how to handle them are not always apparent.
Dying frequently seems to be a standard state of affairs inTunic, especially early on in the game when players are still getting to grips with how everything works. This istypical of a Soulslike gamewhere players are frequently punished and killed again and again until they can learn the rhythm of the game and its combat. However,Tunicstill offers something different from the harder games in the genre and is perhaps a more accessible (and definitely brighter and more colorful) example of a Soulslike title.
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The Danger Of Copying Too Closely
While following in the footsteps of a beloved franchise does have its benefits, it can also be a detrimental decision.Tunichas enough going for it that it doesn’t just feel like a clone or a lesser version of an installment inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, but it is bound to suffer by comparison in some ways. It was always going to be hard to compete against games from a much, much larger studio that has decades of fandom to rely on. Even if it wasn’tTunic’s intention totry and measure up toThe Legend of Zelda, by positioning itself as a spiritual successor, it was inevitable that comparisons would be drawn.
Tunicmay have attempted to stand on its own two feet – and in lots of ways it succeeds in creating an engaging and unique gaming experience – but it hasn’t been able to shake itsZeldaassociation. Thanks to its similarities toThe Legend of Zelda, many gamers havereview bombedTunic, claiming it is too close a copy and features too high a difficulty level. WhileTunichas made no secret of its inspiration, some players still felt as if the indie title was a “rip off,” and failed to see the instances whereTunicdistinguished itself from its spiritual predecessors.
Tunicis available now for macOS, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
