Tunic is a Zelda-style adventure that rekindled my love of strategy guides

theverge.com:

As a kid, I was obsessed with Nintendo’s official player’s guides. I loved poring over the maps, hints, tips, and information in them so that I could use what I learned the next time I sat down in front of the TV. I have a particular fondness for the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask guides — without them, I would have never been able to find all of the pieces of heart or masks hidden in the games.

Thanks to the internet, I don’t really need player’s guides anymore, as there’s now a helpful article or video for almost every conceivable puzzle or challenge. (I’m embarrassed by how many Elden Ring tutorials I’ve googled.) And in exploring the world of Tunic, a new game from a small team and Chicory: A Colorful Tale publisher Finji, you’re going to want a little help. But you may not have to turn to the internet to get it: there’s a handy instruction manual that’s almost like a player’s guide built right into the game.

Tunic is like playing an old-school Zelda and a game from Elden Ring developer FromSoftware mashed together. The Zelda parts: you start the game washed up on a beach, and your character is in a green tunic, though instead of a blond-haired kid, you’re a cute fox. The world is littered with treasure chests. After some exploring, you’ll find a sword, shield, and other tools like bombs. The FromSoftware parts: enemies are tough, requiring you to skillfully dodge their attacks and sneak in your own when you can. Along your travels, you’ll rest at statues with torches to refill your health potions, though enemies you’ve defeated will be revived when you do.

This might all sound like familiar territory. But what makes Tunic different from just about any game I’ve played before is that much of it