Tunic: PS5 Review

Developed by Isometricorp Games
Published by Finji
Platform: PS5

Belying its challenge beneath some extremely pretty graphics and a cutesy fox, Tunic's desire to not lead you by the hand as it plays out its platformer combat style rescue game will frustrate and thrill in equal measure.

Playing as a fox who sets out to free another fox from inside a crystal, Tunic's cute aesthetics hide a challenge that compels you to bear with it, or simply duck out when it gets too tricky or hard to understand.

With hidden challenges and obscured pathways to allow you to meet your aims, Tunic's a fascinating reminder of what games can be in the next gen age - a reminder that brains need to be engaged as much as graphics.

With a made up language, no real instructions and certainly no tutorials, the learning curve is a steep one and one that will certainly frustrate some gamers looking to have a quick easy fix. But endurance is the name of the game for Tunic and its desire to shake up the action-adventure genre is a commendable one.

The beguiling edges work well for Tunic and the small rewards that come when they do feel magnificent and earned - as time gathers, it's up to you to track down instruction manual pages and recover the game's ethos.

A clever indie title that sets itself apart from the cluttered gaming world, Tunic deserves to be played and is well worth bearing with.