From the moment thatTunicgot revealed, it drew major comparisons toThe Legend of Zelda.That isn’t an accident; the game’s solo developer, Andrew Shouldice, has been very open about his love ofThe Legend of Zelda,and the inspiration he takes from Nintendo’s action-adventure series shines through in his game. InTunic,players take control of a tiny fox clad in a green tunic, who picks up a sword and shield on a quest across an unfamiliar land filled with monsters. TheTunicprotagonist looks very much like a vulpine Link, and both combat and exploration seem to lift notes from classic isometricZeldagames, so it’s only fair thatTunicdraws some comparisons.
As time goes by, though, it becomes increasingly clear thatTunicis actually very different fromThe Legend of Zelda.A lot of its fundamental game design, from the difficulty of combat to the layout of the world, setTunicapart from its main source of inspiration.Tunic’s world also looks more and more unique by the day thanks to its aesthetic and some clever storytelling techniques.The newest trailer forTunic,revealed at The Game Awards 2021 alongside a long-awaited release date, drives home the fact that Shouldice’s game is far from an imitator.
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How Tunic Differs From Zelda
Tunic’s combat differs greatly fromThe Legend of Zelda,in no small part because of its difficulty. The adorable fox protagonist is pretty frail, and can only withstand a few blows before falling unconscious and respawning at a shrine. Therefore players have to master movement through rolling, manage their stamina, and carefully block attacks, resulting in much more meticulous combat thanThe Legend of Zelda,where players can often hack and slash through adversaries.
The demo forTunicshowed off some of the items players can find and deploy in combat too. A powerful ice blast emitted from the fox in the newTunictrailer, seemingly depleting a magic meter, suggests that there’s many more combat options around the corner too.
The aesthetic ofTunicgoes far to establish its uniqueness too. Many games inThe Legend of Zeldaare known for being colorful, especiallyisometric games likeLink’s Awakeningthat inspireTunicthe most. AlthoughTunicdefinitely borrows a similar matte color palette, its simplistic and often geometric designs for both enemies and the environment giveTunica cute but otherworldly look thatZeldadoesn’t use. The sound design and music inTunicgo far, too. Minimalistic electronic music and sounds serveTunic’s simple charm well, but they’re also appropriate for the hulking otherworldy creatures that the fox encounters.
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Perhaps most importantly, Shouldice has created a unique world inTunicthat’s very different fromThe Legend of Zelda.MostZeldagames rely on versions of Hyrule rooted in traditional medieval fantasy, butTunichas a more timeless feeling, blending archaeology, swords, and sorcery with advanced technology and guns. That blended setting, as well asTunic’s inscrutable written language and the mysterious game manuals scattered around the world, give the game a strong air of mystery.Tunicknows how to encourage players to ask questions about the world and continue exploring in the hope of finding answers.
Tunic is No Clone
All of these aspects add up to an indie game that’s truly unique, even if it still shows a lot of obvious love forThe Legend of Zelda.Andrew Shouldice and his publisher Finjihave something very compelling on their hands. As always, it remains to be seen ifTunicdelivers on its concept, but thanks to the strong impression made by theTunicdemo, anyone interested in the game has good reason to keep their hopes up.Tuniclooks like a charming homage to classic entries inThe Legend of Zelda,but its true strengths lie in what makes it different.
Tunicreleases Jul 13, 2025 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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