Switch users: don't sleep on "The Touryst"

[Noog]

Shin'en has been a great developer for Nintendo since the GBA games. The Irideon games on GBA, Jett Rocket on WiiWare (it looked nearly Galaxy level and was on Wii Ware!), Nano Assault on 3DS, then Fast RMX on Wii U which got posted to Switch. All of these games are absurdly pretty for the hardware they're on. I haven't played the Touryst, but it's definitely the closest thing we've gotten to a new 3D Dot Game Heroes (in terms of art style) so I'm into it

 

[randomlee26]

This is one of my favorite Switch games. When you play, try to 100% it!

 

[jimboton]

Ah, I have avatars off 😅

I'll have to try Toki Tori one of these days. I've held off because I find the art style a bit offputting.

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yeah, I bet the artstyle is the main reason why it's so overlooked (I didn't really mind). It's the second one that's the masterful puzzlevania btw, the first Toki Tori is a good enough puzzle platformer, but not that special imo.

 

[flipswitch]

Does this game use a 24hr day/night cycle?

 

[TOM 2]

i definitely added this to my radar recently. Looks great. Will pick up once I pick up gaming again in general soon after I get over a couple hurdles (non virus related).

 

[Ze_Shoopuf]

I finally got it because of the sale, since I read how short it is.
But hoo-boy it is a very cool game. I like the mysteriousness of the shrines mixed with the humor.
I would totally be into a bigger sequel, with more locations and more to do.

 

[LuigiV]

Does this game use a 24hr day/night cycle?

Click to shrink...

No. Time of day is fixed for each island.

 

[Fredrik]

Yeah it's fantastic! One of the best games on Switch for sure!

 

[Roldan]

Dark1x did an amazing video on it. It's still on my backlog, but I'd would have missed it completely if it wasn't for that!

 

[Jon Carter]

Not that I particularly care, as I'm not interested in the game, but why wouldn't they? Not just PC but being multiplatform. It is a bit odd that an independent studio would only release their games on Nintendo's systems without being contractually bound. You'd think porting would be more cost-efficient than making new games. I wonder what their reasoning is. They are very good at optimizing for the consoles they release on though. So maybe that's part of it — really learning the ins and outs of the hardware.

Click to shrink...

They ported two of their games to PS4. If I remember correctly, they said it wasn't really worth it, and considering they're very small, they'd rather make a new game than work on ports for other platforms. I guess they must be doing good enough financially that they can pretty much just do what they want.

 

[JTyrmi]

Tried the demo and well... yeah.. I didn't like the blocky look of everything and it felt kind of slow to play. It did have some nice simple puzzles though, but in this case the graphical style put me off too much to want to spend money on it.

 

[Rolento]

Been waiting for it on sale. Grabbed it last week. It's now my in-between animal crossing game.

 

[Deleted member 37917]

One of the best games of 2019. I know that some players dislikes the platforming sections, but I had no problem with those. I can't wait for the sequel.

 

[julian]

I feel like everybody loves it but that demo was lacking. It had basically one simple puzzle and a simple boss. I feel like it might have done the game a disservice.

 

[wideface]

Better than Untitled Goose Game :)

 

[Brhoom]

Bought it thanks to Dark1x 's video about it, really enjoyed it.

 

[FreddeGredde]

reminds me of Blossom Tales?

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Not really. Blossom Tales is a pure 2D Zelda imitation, but with, say, 30% of the content and no originality. (I still enjoyed it though.)

The Touryst on the other hand is barely 10% of a Zelda game. There's no fighting/weapons, few environments, barely any other functions than jumping, very short and basic "dungeons". All that's left are the mini-games.

I found it perhaps a little charming, but really too short and shallow for my tastes. (My favorite part might have been the glowing balls in the darkness. That was a little different and you had to be clever to align yourself properly.)

 

[K' Dash]

I bought it at launch to support the developer, I haven't had time to play it, but I'll get to it eventually.

 

[Maverick14]

Tried the demo after reading this thread and just bought it and did the first two islands....

Not sure how people can be so down on it:

1. The graphical style is special and gorgeous....you long for an Island holiday after traipsing about the first island, leaving footprints in the sand and splashing in the sea ..the seagulls are a nice touch too.

2. The gameplay is simple and relaxed. The puzzles are straightforward but not too hand holdy and are satisfying to complete.

3.There are so many lovely little touches. The AC blowing to its hearts content. Turning on the shower in the cabana. Going to the port a potty. Solving the party atmosphere on Ybysa. Picking up the messages in the bottles. Taking photos of your adventure.

It is not Zelda or a Lego game....its its own lovely little thing.. for the art style and atmosphere alone $15 is a decent price...if it is as short as people say I can see a case for $10-$12 if people are feeling particularly thrifty....very well worth picking up and playing and I can't see anyone who likes Zelda games not liking this..

 

[Handicapped Duck]

The Touryst was fantastic; charming characters, gorgeous visuals, great music when present (that underwater theme gave me heavy DK vibes), and fun side activities. Speaking of activities, I would buy a digital copy of the arcade game of Fast RMX in a heartbeat. I only wish it allowed you to play forever like the other two.

 

[mrgoomba]

I've bought it but I didn't have played yet due other huge games in progress (Fire Emblem, DQXI and AC Origins).. but I might consider bringing it up now you mentioned it's only 5 hours.. I need some short games to take a break

 

[Guaraná]

for those without time to play it, the game is very short. 5hs max.
You can easily beat it on a weekend.

 

[Maverick14]

1

Tried the demo after reading this thread and just bought it and did the first two islands....

Not sure how people can be so down on it:

1. The graphical style is special and gorgeous....you long for an Island holiday after traipsing about the first island, leaving footprints in the sand and splashing in the sea ..the seagulls are a nice touch too.

2. The gameplay is simple and relaxed. The puzzles are straightforward but not too hand holdy and are satisfying to complete.

3.There are so many lovely little touches. The AC blowing to its hearts content. Turning on the shower in the cabana. Going to the port a potty. Solving the party atmosphere on Ybysa. Picking up the messages in the bottles. Taking photos of your adventure.

It is not Zelda or a Lego game....its its own lovely little thing.. for the art style and atmosphere alone $15 is a decent price...if it is as short as people say I can see a case for $10-$12 if people are feeling particularly thrifty....very well worth picking up and playing and I can't see anyone who likes Zelda games not liking this..

Click to shrink...

I've got 45% completed and I love it...there are so many different activities that I won't spoil here but they are all really well executed...the water based ones and arcade ones in particular 'feel' right ....it reminds me of flying a chopper in GTAV...the execution is necessarily simplistic but the controls manage to convey some of the feeling of what it's actually like. The puzzles require some patience and a couple would have benefited from some slight refinements but it doesn't detract from the experience much if at all ..

I have had more fun in 3 hours with this than 12 hours with RDR2...and for almost a quarter of the price.

Everyone who has enjoyed Wind Waker or Links Awakening or A Link Between Worlds Really Really has to buy this...I bet Shinen made it short to test the market and appetite for a bigger game. I could see a 20-30 hour sequel building on this with some added Nintendo ingenuity and it would be simply stunning...Please Switch owners...give it a go...so we get a bigger fuller game for $35!

 

[What-ok]

Took a trip from the USA to France and blasted through it. Ironically the perfect travel game.

 

[xir]

this still on sale

 

[Maverick14]

I feel like everybody loves it but that demo was lacking. It had basically one simple puzzle and a simple boss. I feel like it might have done the game a disservice.

Click to shrink...

I have news for you...I dont think there are bosses in the game. It's more like a main puzzle you need to solve to get the artifact.

It is similar to Zelda in that:

-there are mini games within the game
-puzzle solving is needed to progress
-there are mini side quests to complete.
-the art style is timeless and gorgeous
- your abilities expand as the game progresses
-there are different distinct areas sporting different themes, sometimes with different mechanics.
-you collect money , take pics and get other items

It is not similar in that:
- there is no combat
- there are no sprawling dungeons full of enemies.
- you dont use or pick up different weapons or items that you use to expand your abilities/moveset
-there is no set antagonist or a key protagonist relationship.
-there is no crafting
-there is no magic

Hope that helps anyone still on the fence....(buy it!!!)

 

[Japanmanx3]

I had my eyes on this. This thread reminded me to get it.

 

[Garfield]

How do you open soppy island as I need to find a helicopter

 

[Onlygames]

Man... this is a 6/10 for me. Some of the mini-games and platforming sections are absolutely abysmal. I'm doing the goal-kick mini-game right now, where you have to get 15 goals under a minute, with gyro controls and it's terrible (both with the pro controller and undocked)! Rage inducing stuff.

It's charming for sure but some of the actual 'game bits' are amateur hour.

 

[ghibli99]

Depth perception with some of the isometric platforming was annoying, but overall it was really enjoyable and looks/sounds great. Made my top 10 last year.

 

[The Main Event]

Man... this is a 6/10 for me. Some of the mini-games and platforming sections are absolutely abysmal. I'm doing the goal-kick mini-game right now, where you have to get 15 goals under a minute, with gyro controls and it's terrible (both with the pro controller and undocked)! Rage inducing stuff.

It's charming for sure but some of the actual 'game bits' are amateur hour.

Click to shrink...

You take that back! Actually, I wish they included gyro aiming instead of using the d-pad during normal gameplay.

100% a couple of days ago. Couple of tricky platforming section because of the isometric view and the game crashed on me once but other than that, loved every second of it. The game oozes with charm. Definitely recommended to any Switch owners.

 

[Deleted member 32005]

Ah, I have avatars off 😅

I'll have to try Toki Tori one of these days. I've held off because I find the art style a bit offputting.

Click to shrink...

i also have been waiting to play Toki Tori 2 ever since the GMTK video... and its finally on a steep sale for a few bucks! so i just got it! (still havent played it yet though)

 

[Duck Sauce]

It's a classic just like that Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie Movie.

 

[Thatguy]

Played it last year, the premise was great as I love unguided puzzle adventure games like FEZ or The Witness but ultimately I felt it never got interesting enough. Too light and too bland unfortunately.

Click to shrink...

Same here. It was too simple and never got going for me. I regret the purchase.

 

[Deleted member 36708]

Usually am 100% behind supporting Shin'en. I just couldn't bring myself to buy this.

 

[MDSVeritas]

Got this for Christmas and really liked it! It's not too long, and it's delightfully gamey and sorta purely fun! I love that rather than trying to be crazy new, it really embraces fun concepts and ideas of games that have come before it and just does them very nicely!

 

[Jon Carter]

I got it at launch and loved what I played... but I got stuck like 30 min in with the party meter thing lol I'm missing the last bar.

 

[Maverick14]

I got it at launch and loved what I played... but I got stuck like 30 min in with the party meter thing lol I'm missing the last bar.

Click to shrink...

Did you plug in both speakers,set off the smoke machines and turn on all the lights?

 

[Jon Carter]

Did you plug in both speakers,set off the smoke machines and turn on all the lights?

Click to shrink...

It's been a while but I believe what I had to do was plug in both speakers, set off the smoke machines, turn on all the lights and something about bringing fruits to open the bar or something? I seem to remember doing those four things and not being able to figure out what the fifth one was. It's not like I spent two hours on it, and I could just look up a guide online, but yeah, I went back to it twice and still couldn't figure it out.

 

[Xater]

Yeah the Touryst is really good. I am shocked by how little it was talked about. Didn#t even hear anything about it in the podcasts I usually listen to.

 

[Maverick14]

It's been a while but I believe what I had to do was plug in both speakers, set off the smoke machines, turn on all the lights and something about bringing fruits to open the bar or something? I seem to remember doing those four things and not being able to figure out what the fifth one was. It's not like I spent two hours on it, and I could just look up a guide online, but yeah, I went back to it twice and still couldn't figure it out.

Click to shrink...

I got stuck on the tall speakers (didn't see the plugs initially) and didn't turn on all the lights though I thought I had. The bar is straight forward...just bring strawberries and watermelon...

But I see the broader point that the game has a few moments like that where if you dont feel like persevering it can put you off continuing....

Still lots of fun for the most part though...

 

[Ashler]

As a massive fan of Fez and The Witness, I would recommend La Mulana. It evokes a lot of the same vibes. Cryptic puzzles, mystery, notebook adventuring, that kind of stuff.

Click to shrink...

I need to try La Mulana.
On a separate note, why haven't Fez and The witness been ported to switch yet? Seems like a no brainer. Both are even available on iOS.

 

[dirtyjane]

I stopped at the diving section, should I pick it up again?

 

[.exe]

I need to try La Mulana.
On a separate note, why haven't Fez and The witness been ported to switch yet? Seems like a no brainer. Both are even available on iOS.

Click to shrink...

Definitely! And good question. Fez at least is on every platform under the sun apart from Nintendo systems. Odd!

 

[T002 Tyrant]

Oh no I slept on the Touryst!! 😟

Now the world's Switch supply will explode and it's all my fault 😟

 

[Maverick14]

I stopped at the diving section, should I pick it up again?

Click to shrink...

Yes...Check which way the stone fish are facing and coax the real fish to follow you...once you see the three objectives including the anchor its enjoyable and relaxing

 

[Maverick14]

So I finished the game in 5-7 hours at 97% and definitely got my money's worth at US$15. Overall impressions:

The good:
-Art style is lovely and runs so smoothly at 60fps. Almost no loading times and gorgeous visuals Made me yearn for a beach holiday.

- the puzzles and most of the mini games truly make the game. It is really satisfying to figure out what you need to do and get it right...several eureka moments make the whole thing really enjoyable and the variety in the dungeons is awesome given how simple the controls are.

The bad
- some side quests are just fetch quests which can feel less rewarding. The pullups mini game seems designed to break your analogue stick and was the worst for me. The mines are ok but get repetitive after level 6 or 7 and they don't change enough to make it enjoyable by the time you reach the end...plus there is nothing to purchase with the money you make.

-the controls sometimes failed me. I can't get the high score for the breakout game because the paddle keeps veering right...I don't get drift otherwise on the controller so dont know what's going on. The double jump some times failed to register at annoying moments.

-some of the dungeons were skirting with generating frustration. I suspect some additional refinements to camera angles and depth perception would reduce these significantly.


THe missed opportunities
--with all the cash you collect and dont use wouldnt it have been great if you could unlock one more arcade clone that you could play as long as you wanted in exchange for $300 or so? Something like asteroids or space invaders or centipede with global high scores and achievement rewards (like new outfits) to keep you coming back.

- there are several elements left unexplored like the vending machine in the Touryst island shop being broken, the ice cream man in hawayy not making yummy ice cream after you give him better ingredients, your jazz piano playing, your drumming, the science dude having nothing much to say about the change in climate and the surfer dudes looking like they want a surfing competition. And let's not forget the neat touches of interactivity like water taps, beds , chairs, dancing etc. These and others could have been deepened into satisfying side stories that could have prolonged the game further in a truly enjoyable way. Heck..a selfie stick and being able to create your own photo album and posting it online could have been great fun as well as more water sports like sailing windsurfing and water ski.

- a better log of what you have accomplished where would ensure you dont spend 15 20 mins wandering aimlessly wondering what you forgot to do.

Overall there could be a fantastic series in the making here if enough switch owners buy this game. That's not sequel begging, it's a fact.

 

[TanookiTom]

I literally just finished the game around half an hour ago, at 94% percent. I think the only things I did not/could not finish are two of the Arcade games, which are quite insanely hard.

In general I have really mixed feelings towards the game.

It looks incredibly crisp and quite cute many times, but rather bland at others. Generally I am not sure if I really love the artstyle.

Then there is the difficulty. A lot of the puzzles were quite nice, some even kinda smart. But at other times it felt kinda random or too straightforward.
And then there are the platforming parts... jesus the controls can be wobbly sometimes. Some parts just felt unnecessarily unforgiving. And don't even get me started about that part
I love that there is so much to do, it is really super sweet at times and there has been attention to detail in many parts. But other parts just seem like they missed some polish, above all the controls and rebalancing the difficulty a bit.

Having said that, there are some nice "aha" moments when you figure something out and it feels like you actually accomplished something a lot of times, cause it can get quite hard.

I guess I would give it something like 7.5/10. It's been good, but not great for me.

 

[Lunchbox]

Yea, this game is bad. I bought this because of people in here and I'm at the puzzle where you have to get the snake thing to crush the boxes

like the art style but this is just dumb puzzle design, really you're gonna make me start over if I get hit by the thing? The platforming is almost unforgivingly bad, don't waste money on this folks.

 

[Deleted member 51848]

Just played through this on gamepass. As someone who is about to start learning how to make a game, I'm blown away by how good this is. Short, tight puzzles, great art direction and a technical delight. Some slightly ropey platform jumping bits but otherwise super stuff.