“Tunic,” a top-down action-adventure game, is one of the best original games released in 2022. Simply put, this game is a delight. 

Players control a little fox who wakes up on the shores of a large mysterious island in ruins filled with monsters and secrets. They set out to discover where they are, why they’re there and how to accomplish their mysterious task. The exploration and item collection are reminiscent of classic “Legend of Zelda” games, while the combat and respawning mechanics are like games in the “Dark Souls” franchise with its fair share of rage-inducing moments. 

Perhaps one of the most engaging features of the game is the manual, which is an unusual thing to say. In older adventure games, such as “Legend of Zelda,” the manual that came with physical copies of the video game provided the context of the game necessary for a player to complete the journey: background story, item descriptions, detailed artwork, even objectives players should aim to achieve. Modern games don’t typically rely on game manuals as much, if at all, but “Tunic” has made its manual the singularly most important tool available to its players. 

Throughout the game, players collect pages of the manual that slowly reveal more of the world to them. Pages will teach them new combat techniques, provide maps of the maze-like world, and give vital clues to the puzzles and challenges that await the player. Collecting and deciphering each new page is always rewarding and fun.

The atmosphere of the game is toned to perfection; both serene and tense, with dreamlike graphics and a wide variety of terrains. Each area also has its own relaxing and unique “lo-fi” music track. This creates a very chill vibe that’s at odds with the heart racing combat. Players need to stay on their toes and not get so absorbed in the world that they forget to notice important details or watch out for enemies. 

“Tunic” is the perfect mix of rewarding and challenging, puzzles and combat, exploration and discovery. It’s a love letter to the classics it emulates, while still being wholly original. Anyone looking for something new, yet familiar, will be glad to have given this a try.