u/ED_KICK

If you like the review or wanna help me out a bit please check out the review on Instagram! Just started the page so anything helps! Full review below!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYA5woSRvnD/?igsh=MWl5ZTkwcXQ3MGJqZA==

Couldn't decide which game from my huge backlog to play so of course I randomly start a game that wasn't on it at all. And it's a really interesting first time play in 2026, it's a game that was never really on my radar, beyond having heard of its cult status, and vaporware sequel, I didn't even really know what the moment to moment gameplay looked like. But I've been increasingly drawn to this era game and art style especially so I gave it a shot. And honestly... Beyond Good and Evil holds up way better than I thought it would.

I think for me what is such a draw even in 2026 is the atmosphere and the vibe of this game. And it's the combination vibes too, one part contemplative, starry night piano backed atmosphere, one part stealth espionage spy thriller. And they both totally work, I absolutely understand how this became a cult classic, it feels EARNEST. It's not perfect, but you can tell this game came from a place of passion, you feel it in that dual atmospheres, you feel it in these memorable characters, in the story, and absolutely in this incredible soundtrack. The soundtrack might be the highlight of the game for me, setting the different moods of this game and world. There's some beautiful piano in here and some funky Rayman-esque stuff, and some Perfect Dark-esque spy music, it absolutely helps hold this game together.

Obviously for a game released in 2003 it doesn't hold up perfectly. The combat is pretty simplistic and button mashy. And there's obviously some early 2000isms in the moment to moment gameplay and overall structure. There's parts that just feel clunky, but honestly there's parts that are refreshing, the phase gets overused nowadays but they really don't make em like this anymore. This just isn't what action adventure games look or feel like anymore, I think the closest modern game I would compare to this is, is the underrated South of Midnight. Ultimately I'm glad I randomly gave this a shot, again I'm surprised how much of this still works in 2026, the camera mechanics, the characters, the stealth segments I honestly liked, and then especially the world and the environments and the soundtrack. It's a cult classic for a reason.

If you like the review or wanna help me out a bit please check out the review on Instagram! Just started the page so anything helps! Pretty proud of this one, got a like and repost from Finji.co! Full Review Below. ↓

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWXrDW4jZLW/?igsh=MTNmbnhuZG91dWVs

You know while gaming for 20 or so years I've played a lot of fun games, I've played a lot of great games but every once and a while I play a game that makes me sit back and think "how could someone have even made this?" Every once and a while I play a game with such intelligent depth and intricate design that it's hard to fathom how someone goes about mapping and planning it all out. Tunic is one of those games.

Tunic is a striking isometric action RPG, obviously most comparable to and inspired by old school isometric Zelda's. It's a genre that, while I have ashamedly played far less Zelda than I should have, has really grabbed me the past few years with newer high quality indie entries. Hyper Light Drifter and Deaths Door are among my favorite indie games of all time and flatout some of the best games I've played in recent years. There's something about this genre for me that has such a high ceiling if executed properly, and like those two others, Tunic very much was. Firstly the world design is absolutely phenomenal, among some of the best I've ever played honestly. The level of interconnectivity is perfect and the amount of secrets, hidden paths, and treasures scattered throughout is honestly astonishing.

It's such an awesome mix of traditional metroidvania/isometric dungeon progression and exploration with the metroidbrania/discovery progressio and exploration. Cause you have that traditional item based progression where you see an area you can't reach and can tell you need a new item or ability. But you also have so many hidden elements and areas that you access not as you get new items but instead as you slowly learn, explore, and understand more of the world. There are so many doors, symbols, and architecture that will mean nothing to you until they do, things that blend right into the world that will have you saying "woah I can interact with that?" or "wait those did something this whole time?" And will have you trying to think back to every time you've passed them before.

And much of that discovery is through one of Tunic's most brilliant mechanics. Pages scattered throughout the world that will slowly form an in world instruction manual. These pages include things like maps of the areas, item descriptions, hints, bits of story lore, controls, and even a diagram of the main menu. It's an absolutely brilliant mechanic both in its concept and in its execution. It had me constantly flipping through its pages for general navigation like a legitimate physical guide. Using it for understanding what items did,for navigation, and for piecing together some of Tunic more obscure, world spanning secrets and puzzles. It also enhances that feeling of "wait I can interact with those?" with how it dishes out the pages, because while each page is numbered, you don't get them in number order. Page 40 may have a picture of a symbol or piece of environment that may mean nothing for a few hours until you find page 39 where it might give you a hint on how to interact with it. It's a perfect pairing of incredible world/environmental design with an absolutely brilliant mechanic that just enhances and elevates each other.

Beyond everything I've mentioned and gushed about already in terms of the world design and game manual mechanic. There's also its stellar art style, it has some fantastic bosses, and an absolutely incredible soundtrack. Not only all of that there's also some end game content and puzzles that are among the best I've ever seen in any game. Completing the instruction manual and discovering and solving the last few major secrets of this world to unlock the secret ending is among some of the most brilliantly in depth and incredibly rewarding game design I've played in some time. It's not very often a game has me happily breaking out a physical notepad to decipher things but that's the level Tunic got to, there's some truly mind bending and ingenious stuff here. It's just a brilliantly designed game from top to bottom. It nails everything it attempts, it looks incredible, sounds incredible its just simply one of the best indie games I've ever played and firmly among the best games I've played this decade.

Let me know what you think of Tunic and the review below or in the Instagram comments!