RIME (2017) was a very stirring game with highly evocative music, interesting puzzles, and lovely world setting. In a few ways, it slightly reminded me of the classic game Ico, though many games nowadays feature a young mysterious protagonist waking up in a strange land, climbing and puzzling their way through an expansive forgotten magical kingdom. Upon playing this, it was clear it was not just a rehash of usual themes however, though similarities certainly did exist. It reminded me of other narrative driven puzzle platformer games such as Ico, Journey, Abzû, The Witness, etc.
The game's strength lie in its subtle way of storytelling, emotionally soaring music and non-stressful gameplay. It was fun without being flashy or over-stimulating, melancholy without being too depressing, creative without being convoluted or cluttered. The gameplay itself was enjoyable and although somewhat simplistic, as were the puzzles, everything was all very interesting. I personally didn't find too many of the puzzles very challenging, but that ended up being just fine, as more complicated puzzles might have made the game more stressful and shifted the focus away from the story, art and music. Another thing was that I wished it was longer, especially in the end chapters. The game was roughly 4 hours long.
As for the graphics and the world building, everything was eye catching and memorable. The music was a big highlight for me. My only complaint is the story left a few questions unanswered. There clearly was a lot of symbolism and I was left wishing for more detailed explanations. I would have preferred more understanding and closure. Overall, it was a very moving and memorable game. Really enjoyed it.
STORY: 8/10 GAMEPLAY: 10/10 GRAPHICS: 10/10 ART DESIGN: 10/10 MUSIC: 10/10 OVERALL RATING: 9/10.
The game's strength lie in its subtle way of storytelling, emotionally soaring music and non-stressful gameplay. It was fun without being flashy or over-stimulating, melancholy without being too depressing, creative without being convoluted or cluttered. The gameplay itself was enjoyable and although somewhat simplistic, as were the puzzles, everything was all very interesting. I personally didn't find too many of the puzzles very challenging, but that ended up being just fine, as more complicated puzzles might have made the game more stressful and shifted the focus away from the story, art and music. Another thing was that I wished it was longer, especially in the end chapters. The game was roughly 4 hours long.
As for the graphics and the world building, everything was eye catching and memorable. The music was a big highlight for me. My only complaint is the story left a few questions unanswered. There clearly was a lot of symbolism and I was left wishing for more detailed explanations. I would have preferred more understanding and closure. Overall, it was a very moving and memorable game. Really enjoyed it.
STORY: 8/10 GAMEPLAY: 10/10 GRAPHICS: 10/10 ART DESIGN: 10/10 MUSIC: 10/10 OVERALL RATING: 9/10.