Gris, artsy indie puzzle platformer
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 12:01 am
I recently gave this game a try. Gris is a puzzle platformer with a beautiful, evocative art style and a moody soundtrack. Playing it reminded me of Journey, though that's a pretty different game (3D instead of 2D).
Gris begins with a woman singing and standing on the palm of a stone giant. Suddenly, she loses her voice and the giant crumbles.
The game is about how she deals with grief, picking up the pieces of her life and (literally) bringing color back to her world. You can even unlock 5 achievements based on the Kübler-Ross stages of grief, if you find the secret rooms. But I'm not sure I would have realized the game was about grief had I not read about it before. There is no narration or dialogue in the game. I think a bit of voiceover by the protagonist, like Aquaria had, could have helped solidify the theme.
Though you can't die or make the game unwinnable, the game can be pretty challenging. There are a number of tricky jumps. If you fall, you'll be spending a minute or two climbing back up and trying again. It can also be tough just knowing where to go next, especially late in the game as the levels get larger and more elaborate.
I became tired of the jumping and navigation challenges, stopped playing a couple of levels away from the end, and watched the rest on YouTube. I do see, however, why this game is a critical and commercial success that resonates with a lot of people. It depicts the effort and persistence needed to get through grief, and how there are going to be setbacks along the way. The ending of the game implies that grief is not about getting over a loss, but developing the strength to live a happy life in spite of the loss.
Gris begins with a woman singing and standing on the palm of a stone giant. Suddenly, she loses her voice and the giant crumbles.
The game is about how she deals with grief, picking up the pieces of her life and (literally) bringing color back to her world. You can even unlock 5 achievements based on the Kübler-Ross stages of grief, if you find the secret rooms. But I'm not sure I would have realized the game was about grief had I not read about it before. There is no narration or dialogue in the game. I think a bit of voiceover by the protagonist, like Aquaria had, could have helped solidify the theme.
Though you can't die or make the game unwinnable, the game can be pretty challenging. There are a number of tricky jumps. If you fall, you'll be spending a minute or two climbing back up and trying again. It can also be tough just knowing where to go next, especially late in the game as the levels get larger and more elaborate.
I became tired of the jumping and navigation challenges, stopped playing a couple of levels away from the end, and watched the rest on YouTube. I do see, however, why this game is a critical and commercial success that resonates with a lot of people. It depicts the effort and persistence needed to get through grief, and how there are going to be setbacks along the way. The ending of the game implies that grief is not about getting over a loss, but developing the strength to live a happy life in spite of the loss.