Max Mitchelson writes, "TUNIC is an obtuse deconstruction of the original Legend of Zelda, capturing its spirit and modernizing it with a soulslike edge."
Tunic Team has partnered up with Fangamer to create a special, physical release for Tunic, the studio's mysterious, fox-starring adventure game. It's 45 dollars, but it's coming packed with quite a lot of stuff, including the full manual.
VGChartz's Chinh Tran: "Every year gamers are treated to a wide assortment of games from different genres. From small indie darlings to large tentpole releases, there’s just about something for everyone. And yet, every year, we’re still caught unawares by games that both surprise and delight us. 2022 saw the release of several key surprises, as the shortlisted candidates demonstrate.
Chained Echoes by lone developer Matthias Linda took everything fans love about 16-bit JRPGs while modernising them in several innovative ways. Neon White by Angel Matrix had players speed-running through levels while slaying demons with Soul Cards. Tribute Games masterfully took the Ninja Turtles back in time to the age of arcade beat 'em ups with Shredder’s Revenge. Andrew Shouldice almost single-handedly channelled the essence of classic Legend of Zelda games through Tunic. And finally Luca Galante had countless gamers addicted to Vampire Survivors, as they battled endless hordes of monsters in an action roguelike shoot 'em up of sorts."
VGChartz's Christian Evans: "There was a time when indie games were small and cheap, and nearly always in the shadow of the AAA colossus. These days, such can be their quality that the boundaries of difference between the two have blurred exponentially, to the point that every year the best indies are often measured against the best big studio titles — and for many of us an indie experience will still come out on top.
The indie space has never been so vibrant, always showcasing brilliance, whether that be through risk and innovation in efforts such as Immortality, or the modern imitation of beloved retro classics wonderfully seen in games like Chained Echoes. One only has to peruse some of the titles that didn’t make the final cut to gauge what an incredibly strong year it’s been once again for the indie scene, with the aforementioned titles missing out, along with the likes of Citizen Sleeper, Cult of the Lamb, and Rogue Legacy 2, to name only a few that deserve a mention. But as with any voting list there can only be one winner."
