Game News Tunic: the favorite Zelda-like of the year is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5, everything you need to know
One of the indie sensations of 2022 is coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles! The excellent Tunic, this somewhat cryptic Zelda-like featuring an adorable fox, is no longer PC and Xbox exclusive this time around, and this is an opportunity for us to take stock of these new very expected.
It was last March that Tunic finally saw the light of day, following long years of development and teasing through the various salons where the little fox had pointed the tip of its muzzle. Originally released on PC, Xbox One et Xbox Series, the title of Finji had been stuck with the label of an Xbox exclusive and we then did not necessarily imagine seeing it land on competing platforms. However, this excellent little game (witness the 17/20 granted by Indee) had been quickly announced on PlayStation 4 et PlayStation 5 during the State of Play from last Junesomewhat to everyone’s surprise. The fans of the Nintendo Switch were a little worried then, Tunic seeming really designed to run on the console of Nintendo, especially considering its very marked “homage to Zelda” side. Fortunately, the September Nintendo Direct had just put an end to their fears by formalizing the arrival of the little fox on Switch. Now available on all current platforms, Tunic allowed himself to be approached, for a very satisfactory overall result.
Summary
- Tunic, not just another Zelda-like…
- On PS4 and PS5, a simple port of the Xbox and PC versions?
- Tunic on Switch, but is it enjoyable?
Tunic, not just another Zelda-like…
Tunic’s isometric view helps conceal its (very) many secrets.
Released on March 16 on PC and Xbox consoles, Tunic is an action-adventure game in isometric view putting us in the shoes of a little fox whose handling is very reminiscent of Link’s in the first episodes of The Legend of Zelda. The tribute paid by its designer Andrew Shouldice is perfectly assumed, to the point of integrating and complete instruction booklet whose pages have been scattered everywhere and serve as collectibles, and which draws its inspiration from that of The Legend of Zeldathe first episode of the cult saga released in 1986.
However, Tunic goes far beyond pastiche by freeing itself from the fairly classic construction of its model, among other things because a whole bunch of other action-RPG influences have passed through it in the meantime. In particular, there is a little Hollow Knight in the vision offered by Finji’s game, in particular by the rather cryptic aspect of its lore as well as in a whole bunch of devilishly familiar mechanics. A nice potpourri of high-flying inspirations, Tunic then offered players a solid adventure, filled with many puzzles and polished gameplay, all carried by a very neat artistic direction and a soundtrack contributing to its mysterious atmosphere.
On PS4 and PS5, a simple port of the Xbox and PC versions?
No need to worry on PS4 Pro and PS5: Tunic will be as pretty and fluid as on PC and Xbox Series.
Tunic is not a particularly technically demanding game. In these conditions, we were entitled to expect perfectly optimized PlayStation versions (especially on PS5), namely running at perfectly stable 60fps. At this level, no bad surprise: Tunic is one of those “cross-gen” independent games with an exemplary finish, which adapts to any modern support without difficulty. We just regret finding the same small translation oversights in the menus as in the original version, or that the success list entirely in English was not translated when it was converted into a list of trophies.
These rare (voluntary?) omissions are, however, the sign of a perfectly faithful port, which has nevertheless taken good care to adapt the relevant pages of its famous manual to the Dual Shock 4 and DualSense controllers. Note however that if you have a “fat” PS4 or a slim PS4, Tunic runs at 30 frames per second on these old models, as was already the case on Xbox One S. On the other hand, on PS4 Pro, the 60fps are required, and it will very logically be the same on PS5, where the almost non-existent loading times make the experience even more fluid.
Each version displays its own controller (joy-con, DualShock 4, DualSense) in the famous game manual.
Tunic on Switch, but is it enjoyable?
On Switch, Tunic is necessarily a little less beautiful, but remains very visually acceptable…
The main question, however, concerns the Nintendo Switch port of Tunic. When the announcement of its arrival on the hybrid console, the trailer had us somewhat worried, giving the impression of a much blurrier game with an uncertain framerate. The trailers broadcast in the Nintendo Direct being generally honest regarding the rendering of third-party games, we were suddenly entitled to wonder if the Switch would be the promised land for this Zelda-like still not badly thought out for it. After a good half hour of play, we are a little mixed, but we are far from disaster. Tunic runs at 30 frames per second like on a “non-pro” PS4 or a “non-X” Xbox One, but with some slowdowns at times, and in a clearly lower resolution full of technical compromises, sometimes a little showy.
…and the level of detail remains solid, which remains essential to appreciate the perspective and its puzzles.
In general, Tunic is like a lot of seemingly undemanding titles, but in reality more designed for release on recent consoles as well as on Steam and minimum suitable configurations. Its Switch port thus flatters the retina much less and lacks a little fluidity to offer an irreproachable alternative experience, but rest assured all the same: it remains perfectly playable, is never ugly or completely behind. We’re not on a disastrous port like that of Rime, far from there ! Still, like more and more titles on Switch, you will probably appreciate it more in the portable version and especially on the OLED model, than docked where its imperfections are much more obvious. We leave at your disposal 10 minutes of gameplay captured on the Nintendo console to give you an idea:
To conclude, the arrival of Tunic on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch consoles is going pretty well overall. The PS5 and PS4 Pro ports are faithful to the experience described in our test of the PC version, and on “fat” and slim PS4, you will only have to deplore a framerate locked at 30fps, which takes a little pep out of a game with a fairly leisurely pace, fights aside. On Switch, on the other hand, it is not the ideal port that we hoped for, but it is still largely playable. A large majority of players will be fine with this version, especially to take the brave little fox on board in portable mode and go on an adventure with him in very suitable conditions, to honor this excellent title.