Gris

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in Gris + Neva Bundle, along with Neva.)

Gris is a puzzle-platformer loaded with symbolism and non-narrative storytelling. It is not a challenging game by any measure – the platforming here is not especially difficult, the puzzles aren’t brain-bending. In this way, I would compare it to games like Journey, which also hardly presented a challenge, but used their gameplay to convey an emotional tone that would hopefully resonate with its player. And damned if it doesn’t work – I can’t remember the last time a game brought me to tears like this.

Gris is a story told in abstract, where you play as what seems to be the avatar of a young woman in inner turmoil depression or mourning… it’s never really made clear. This avatar moves through various environments, rebuilding a crumbling statue of herself. The story has no words, there’s no explanation, but what is here is still felt.

Much of this has to do with the game’s presentation. This game is jaw-droppingly beautiful, from its carefully crafted hand-drawn animation, detailed environments, and incredible use of color, to its heart-rending soundtrack. I can’t even remember how many times playing this game that I thought to myself, “this is so beautiful”.

As for the gameplay, what’s here is good. Like I said, it’s not a challenge, and there’s not really anything here that hasn’t been done before, but there’s just enough variety and clever design here that it works, and the low challenge level works to remove any frustration keeping you from enjoying the wonderful presentation the game offers.

Players looking for a challenging platformer won’t find it in Gris, but this game never had any intention of being that. Rather, it is an audiovisual feast, an abstract emotional journey meant to be experienced just as much as it is played. And at that, it succeeds brilliantly.

tl;dr – Gris is a puzzle-platformer that seeks not to challenge the player, but guide them through an emotional journey of absolutely beautiful sights and sounds, looking into the soul of a young girl working through a dark time in her life. Don’t play this game if you want a great game, play it if you want an absolutely captivating experience.

Grade: A

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