Summary
It’s not uncommon for video games to include elements from other games their developers were inspired by. For instance, Shift Up’sStellar Bladeis also quite the melting pot, with inspirations likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,Star Wars Jedi, andNieR: Automatainfluencing its gameplay and exploration. In the same way,Tunicwas inspired by an unlikely combination of games, and it doesn’t try to hide those inspirations by any means. In fact, its developer and designer, Andrew Shouldice, has been very transparent aboutTunic’s various influences.
Tunic Was Inspired by a Melting Pot of Games
Tunic’s Gameplay Was Inspired by Bloodborne and Metroid
Much like ConcernedApe’sStardew Valley,Tunicbegan as a solo development project by Andrew Shouldice. Development took around seven years, but Shouldice was eventually joined by a team of other developers who were able to help make up for Shouldice’s lack of expertise in certain areas of development. Shouldice’s goal withTunicwas to ensure it was a challenging experience while also being gentle and pleasing to the eyes, which is ultimately where this melting pot of inspirations began to take shape.
The core ofTunic’s gameplaywas interestingly inspired by Shouldice reading through the manual forMetroid 2: Return of Samusas a child, unable to fully understand what he was reading due to lack of context. In the same way,Tunicdrops players into its eccentric world without anyone there to hold their hand, and with little explanation about what is going on. In fact, the only way to understand the context of the game is to play through it and learn the story by collecting manual pages — a callback to Shouldice’s reading of theMetroid 2manual as a kid.
Tunic’scombat was inspired byBloodborne. InTunic, players must learn to master the rhythm of combat, which requires them to perform well-timed attacks and dodges.Tunicwas also inspired by FromSoftware games in general, as players control a “player-ambivalent artifact,” as it were, which essentially makes them an insignificant character in a world that cares very little for them.
Tunic’s Visuals Were Influenced by The Legend of Zelda and Monument Valley
Upon first setting eyes onTunic’s key art, it’s easy to spotitsLegend of Zeldainfluence. The iconic fox character is dressed in a green tunic, wielding a sword in its right hand and a shield that looks strikingly similar to Link’s Hylian shield in its left. However, onlyTunic’s visuals and world design were influenced byThe Legend of Zelda, as its combat and gameplay are almost nothing like it. Ustwo’sMonument Valleyalso had a hand in inspiringTunic— specifically, its isometric viewpoint and art style.
When considering just how manyinfluencesTunicopenly embraces, it’s easy to see how it has grown to be so successful. It might be easily written off as aZeldaclone, but its gameplay and world go much deeper thanZelda, stretching toward the likes ofBloodborneandMetroid 2, for instance. It’s safe to say thatTunicis a worthy addition to May 2024’s list of free PS Plus Essential games.
Tunic
WHERE TO PLAY
Explore a land filled with lost legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in TUNIC, an isometric action game about a small fox on a big adventure. Stranded in a ruined land, and armed with only your own curiosity, you will confront colossal beasts, collect strange and powerful items, and unravel long-lost secrets.Stories say that a great treasure is hidden somewhere in this land. Perhaps it lies beyond the golden door? Or somewhere deep beneath the earth? Some tales tell of a palace high above the clouds, and of ancient beings with incredible power.During your travels, you’ll reconstruct the game’s Instruction Manual. Page by page, you’ll reveal maps, tips, special techniques, and the deepest of secrets. If you find every last one, maybe something good will happen…Dive into varied, technical combat. Dodge, block, parry, and strike! Learn how to conquer a wide cast of monsters, big and small — and discover useful new items to help you on your way.
