Can a game change your perspective of a game, their meaning and purpose? That was the question I asked myself after trying Gris.
Well first I had to understand the title, since “gris” as we know in the Scandinavian countries translates to pig. So my first reaction was to ask the developers how they pronounced it, and they quickly understood why I asked. I wasn’t the first to ask how it was pronounced, and the meaning of that word. To those wondering how it’s pronounced (Grease).
But back to the point
I had the chance to play Gris with two of the developers from Nomada Studios at Gamescom 2018. That surely made it all really personal, sitting on a couch playing, with them passionate telling about the game.
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. As the story unfolds, Gris will grow emotionally and see her world in a different way, revealing new paths to explore using her new abilities.
Gris looks like a painting, with hand-drawn animations. It was something special to look at, it’s beautiful and fresh. Everything flows like the air and the waves from water, and was really smooth to play. The music plays a big part and really helped set the tone of the game. It was quite relaxing to play actually, slowly learning and figuring out how you play it. This is not a game for those who wants a challenge, but rather if you just want to relax and enjoy. You learn new abilities that you will have to use to proceed through the levels, completing puzzles and platforming. The one thing that was a bit impressive, was that there aren’t anyone holding your hand telling you what to do or how. But on instinct I solved it by myself, with the help of the levels and what story they told me.
GRIS is a serene and evocative experience, free of danger, frustration or death. Players will explore a meticulous designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score. Through the game light puzzles, platforming sequences, and optional skill-based challenges will reveal themselves as more of Gris’s world becomes accessible.
So Gris was a new and fresh experience, but most important an relaxing one. The story is being told through your surroundings, and it’s up to you how you want to intercept and understand it.
Gris is set for release December 2018 on Switch and PC.
