Tunic: an illustrated review

polygon.com:

A fox wakes up on a beach.

I feel small when I take control, maneuvering this anthropomorphic animal around a lush, colorful, and unforgiving world. I can dive, roll, and run, all essential in avoiding the many different enemies that lie ahead — blobs that are pink and gooey and others that are as sharp as ice. I start Tunic, the isometric adventure game developed by Andrew Shouldice, with almost nothing. Quickly, though, I find a stick.

The stick is useful, but, of course, it won’t be enough. I know there’s a sword somewhere. There’s always a sword in these sorts of games, the ones that pull nostalgia from the likes of The Legend of Zelda. When I first pull up Tunic’s in-game manual, it’s not much help: It’s missing lots of pages, and the ones I do have are largely covered in a runic language I can’t yet decipher. I search for clues to translate this language by flipping through the available pages, but give up quickly. First, I must find that sword.

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I can tell that I’m supposed to explore, and that’s what I do. I hit things with my stick and attempt to dodge any fearsome-looking enemies, following the landscape as it opens up. There are so many pathways to traverse, so many rooms to peek into and peruse. I don’t feel ready for some of these places, and I’m isolated in a world that I don’t understand. And then I find the sword. I feel relieved: The sword lets me access