10 Most Underrated Video Games Of 2022
7. Tunic
After The Game Awards I can finally say that, yes, Tunic is underrated. Its nominations (but lack of wins) there and 85 score on Metacritic point towards this being a good game, but Tunic is resolutely one of the very best of the year, and even better than its solid reviews suggest.
An isometric action-RPG, the title sees you take control of a heroic little fox, who has to battle through dungeons and explore a vibrant and creative overworld in order to save the kingdom they belong to. While that synopsis might vaguely describe a bunch of action-adventure throwbacks from the past ten years, Tunic is a cut above the competition with best-in-class level design that constantly reveals new layers and secrets hiding right under your nose, and a superb sense of progression tied to unlocking new abilities and items.
Even better, all these mechanics are contextualised within the framing of the player picking up pieces of a forgotten video game manual. See, the manual for how to play Tunic is hidden inside Tunic. So, while exploring you may be picking up items that have no description or seeing logos that you can't decipher. All the secrets to unlocking the meaning of these features hide in the manual pages you can find, which not only add context to the story but bestows upon you the knowledge needed to progress and grow stronger.
Tunic is a video game that loves video games, and that's weaved into the very fabric of its story and gameplay.