4/5 ★ – PhilMyth's review of The Touryst.

Originally written for Nintendo Village: https://www.thenintendovillage.com/articles/the-touryst-review *** Developer Shin’en are probably best known to Switch fans as the studio behind F-Zero-esque racer Fast RMX. They’ve shifted gears (so to speak) for their latest game however, and have delivered a fun and vibrant puzzle adventure by the name of The Touryst. It’s far more pedestrian in pacing than the futuristic race-tracks showcased in the Switch launch title, but the archipelago is packed full of secrets, mini games and intriguing characters that make it’s roughly five hour playtime a joy to experience. Holyday Of A Lifetime To all intents and purposes, the tourist that acts as your avatar is just a mustachioed, Hawaiian shirt-wearing holidaymaker who’s looking to catch a few rays. But soon after arriving at his destination, he (and thus you) gets pitched into an intriguing adventure that centres around a host of mysterious monuments that can be found on the game’s various islands. The opening islet sets things up nicely, allowing you to drink in the game’s gorgeous art style. Running at 60fps and 1080p docked, it’s arguably one of the most visually pleasing games on the system. Everything from characters to coconuts are square and blocky, and yet trees look vibrant, people have bags of character (mostly down to the entertaining - if not laugh out loud funny - writing) and the skyline is absolutely gorgeous. I found myself pausing everytime I visited a new island to just to drink in the beautiful settings Shin’en have created. Just like a holiday, you can take everything at a leisurely pace. Each island has various minigames and challenges you can take part in. You can boogie at a sunset beach party, take a boat out into the ocean to go scuba diving, enter a surf competition, join a jazz band and a whole lot more. The sheer number of activities on offer mean you could quite happily shun the main plotline and still have a grand old time. Still though, you’ll come across an old tourist in the first of the game’s mysterious monuments early on that will fill you with enough intrigue to happily set you on the main quest. These monuments amount to miniature dungeons, with a mix of puzzle solving and light platforming required to uncover their secrets. You’re never really in any danger from enemies, but each one features a ‘boss puzzle’ which needs to be solved whilst a guardian attempts to disrupt you. They’re fun, if frustrating at times, but the fact there’s some sort of roadblock makes you all the more intrigued to find out what they’re guarding. The sense of mystery is accentuated in one of the game’s many sidequests too. There are seven scrolls to hunt down across the archipelago, and they seem to depict the origin of these structures. Most intriguingly, they appear their architects appear to have originate from outer space. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a Sherlock Holmesian conundrum you’re working out. Nor does the sci-fi element detract from the arresting natural beauty of the setting. But it was just odd enough to keep me interested from start to finish. Tiny Vibrant World The real entertainment is in the game’s various minigames and challenges. Some will have to be completed in order to progress (the thirsty elevator guard who fancies a smoothie for example), while others are just plain fun. The highlight of these is an arcade on one island in which you can play bonafide miniature arcade games. There’s an F-Zero style arcade racer (naturally), and a platformer that’s a little reminiscent of Jetpac. Both are solid, but my favourite was the Breakout clone. I could happily spend hours shooting for ever higher scores on that and ignore the rest of the game completely. There’s also a rhythm game that sees you hitting the right buttons at the right time Guitar Hero-style as a drummer in an aboriginal dance troupe. You can travel from island to island taking pictures of the various inhabitants to fill an art gallery, with only a vague theme from the gallery owner to go on. Or you can challenge a strong man to see how many pull ups you can reel off inside 20 seconds. Every single one of the game’s challenges was entertaining and satisfying to complete. Sure there’s favourites, but there weren’t any that you’d call a dud. All of these different activities, and the numerous tourists and inhabitants you interact with along the way, serve to make Monument Islands feel like a tiny - but nevertheless real - little world. Each of the game’s seven islands has its own aesthetic and personality. They’re reflected in the tourists who occupy those islands too. Head to Hawayii and you’ll meet a bunch of surfer dudes. Ibyza features a cool DJ, and the metropolitan Leysure Island even features a pawn shop with a cantankerous owner who’ll close in defiance if you try to rip him off. The Touryst is by no means a big game. I finished with with nearly 100% completion in around 5 hours. However, all of these little touches, the wealth of characters, and distinct and unique islands make the game feel more real and alive than some 100+ hour open world games that flood the market these days. I adored spending time hopping around the various locales of the Monument Islands, and I certainly hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this hirsute hero and his atoll adventures. VERDICT The Touryst doesn’t offer much in the way of challenge. Its various puzzles and tasks can be completed fairly easily and as a result, you’ll have seen everything the game has to offer after spending half a dozen hours exploring it’s islands. However, there’s so much fun and variety in the obstacles on offer that you’ll relish every moment. The Captain Toad-esque dioramas offer a beautiful and almost dreamy digital vacation spot, whilst the main mystery of the game will propel you to explore every inch in order to unravel its secrets. If you’re looking for a simple but enjoyable little adventure, The Touryst is well worth booking.