The Touryst
The Touryst | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Developer(s) | Shin'en Multimedia |
Publisher(s) | Shin'en Multimedia |
Platform(s) | |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Touryst is a 2019 action-adventure video game developed and published by Shin'en Multimedia for the Nintendo Switch.[1] The game follows a tourist as he investigates numerous monuments on various islands. The game utilizes voxel art techniques to form a style reminiscent of realistic yet blocky visuals. A proprietary engine was developed for the game to allow high-fidelity graphical effects while still maintaining a smooth frame rate.[2][3]
The Touryst received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its gameplay and design. Ports were released for Windows and Xbox One on 30 July 2020, with an enhanced version of the game released for Xbox Series X/S as a launch title on 10 November 2020; it was the first game to be released by Shin'en on these platforms. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions were released on 9 September 2021.[4]
Gameplay
[edit]![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2025) |
The player controls a tourist as he is tasked with exploring numerous islands near Touryst Island, his destination, to uncover the world's secrets. The tourist can perform a basic jump to navigate obstacles, later being expanded to a double jump and sprinting which can break walls. While he can explore the islands to his liking and interact with its denizens, his objective is to investigate numerous monuments on the islands, where puzzles must be solved for the player to continue forward.[5]
Development
[edit]While working on Fast RMX, the development team wanted to create an adventure game based around the concept of strange things happening on a vacation. The gameplay was designed so that the player could choose to play the activities that interested them. The voxel visual style was inspired by NES and SNES games, but in 3D environments. Shin'en used the voxel editor Magicavoxel to create the game's models, which were then imported into Maya. The game was designed with Shin'en's in-house engine, allowing the developers to focus on optimizing for a smooth framerate. Development on the game took around three years to complete.[6][7]
Reception
[edit]Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | XONE: 84/100[8] NS: 79/100[9] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Destructoid | 7.5/10[10] |
Edge | 7/10 |
GameSpot | 8/10[12] |
Nintendo Life | 9/10[11] |
The Touryst received "generally favourable reviews" for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One versions, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ Spurr, Megan; Manager, Community; Pass, Xbox Game (15 July 2020). "Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC: Yakuza Kiwami 2, Carrion, Grounded (Game Preview), and More". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ Watts, Steve (19 August 2019). "The Touryst Is One Of The Coolest-Looking Indie Switch Games On The Way". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ "The Touryst is Stunning: Switch Game Of The Year?". DigitalFoundry. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ "The Touryst coming to PlayStation on September 9". Gematsu. 23 August 2021. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ O'Reilly, PJ (25 November 2019). "Review: The Touryst (Switch) - A Visually Stunning Island-Hop That's Loads Of Fun". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "[Interview] Shin'en on The Touryst - how it came to be, gameplay, visual style, Switch, and more". Nintendo Everything. 10 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Linneman, John (7 December 2019). "The Touryst is stunning - and one of the best Switch games of 2019". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ a b "The Touryst (XONE)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ a b "The Touryst (Switch)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Review: The Touryst". Destructoid. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "The Touryst Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. 25 November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "The Touryst Review - Life's A Beach". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.