TUNIC.

My goodness this game feels like it was made for me. I feel the magic of Zelda (LttP, maybe Link’s Awakening) and Dark Souls, and I would say the game wears those influences on its sleeve.

The game drops you into the world with no explanation. Signs are in a foreign language. You can collect pieces of the instruction manual which includes map pieces. The manual is littered with the occasional word in English, just enough to guess at what you can / need to do. There’s basically no hand-holding at all. Combat is similar in that it can be difficult if you find yourself in an area you aren’t ready for yet (like I did).

There are lots of hidden pathways, ladders and chests to find. They do a good job of showing you treasure chests and shortcuts that are just out of reach, and you have to really observe and think about how to navigate to get there. To me the world design has big Dark Souls 1 energy in that way - already I’ve had that same “omg it’s Firelink Shrine?!” experience as I explore and open up paths.