The Touryst Review – Welcome to Paradise (PS5)

Let’s face it, it’s been a ridiculously stressful couple of years for many of us. A bit of sun, sea, and sand is just what’s needed to revitalise us and restore a bit of sanity. Even if you can’t get away in real life Shin’en Multimedia has you covered with their charming puzzle adventure game, The Touryst.

The game looks absolutely gorgeous with a beautifully crisp voxel style that is quite reminiscent of the PS3 classic 3D Dot Game Heroes. This is supposedly the first PS5 game which renders at a resolution of 8K at 60FPS and it really does look fantastic. The PS4 version runs at 1080p at 60FPS but, regardless of the version you play, you can rest assured that this blocky moustached tourist looks completely stunning.

There isn’t much of an introduction to the game. You arrive, by boat, to a beautiful topical paradise and are free to explore and catch up on some much needed R&R. Even though it’s not real there’s definitely something almost meditative about lying on a sun lounger and watching the sea. Of course this is a videogame and so it won’t take you long before you come across something mysterious that you’ll be enticed into investigating further.

While exploring you find your way inside an ancient monument where an old man tells you that you need to find four monument cores in order to uncover the island’s secrets. There’s no pressure though, you’re free to explore at your own pace and spend as much time as you want just enjoying all of the activities that the various islands have to offer.

The Touryst Review – Fun in the Sun

Initially the game restricts you to just the first island that you arrived on. Once you start finding Tourist Guides you’ll be able to visit other nearby places. Each of them is different and has a brilliant array of activities for you to enjoy.

You’re not the only person currently on holiday. Many of the other holiday makers, as well as the staff, will have plenty that they need help with. I found myself wanting to lend a hand to everyone, not necessarily because I had to, but because I really wanted to experience as much of the islands as I could.

Whether you want to try your hand at surfing, help get a beach party jumping, take part in a tribal dance, or go diving and swim with the fishes, there’re loads of things to try out. I spent a good hour just spelunking my way through a mine not to mention all the time I spent enjoying arcade games and trying to beat high scores. Every activity is a real joy and it’s so much fun to unlock new islands and go see what new experiences await you.

The Touryst Review – Mysterious Monuments

Of course there are also the secrets of the monuments that need unravelling. To do this you’ll need to solve quite a few puzzles. Even though there’s not a lot of text to explain what you should do next the game does a brilliant job at giving you enough subtle visual clues to help guide you through. These puzzles are cleverly designed and while some might find it a bit too easy it’s nice to play something that isn’t too mentally taxing.

There are a number of platforming sections that you’ll need to jump your way through, and they definitely get tougher the further you get through the game. There was one particular orb-jumping section that definitely tested this reviewer’s patience. Thankfully, even if you do find these sections a bit frustrating, they’re all fairly short and so don’t outstay their welcome.

Even with the occasional tricky platforming section The Touryst is an absolute joy to play. There’s a diverse range of puzzles and silly mini-games for you to discover and have an absolute blast with. It’s a delightful bite-sized adventure that, just like a real holiday, is likely to leave you with fond memories and wishing you could spend more time there.

The Touryst review code provided by publisher. Version 1.0001.000 reviewed on a PlayStation 5. For more information on scoring, please read our Review Policy.