Gris Review (theboyeclectic)
I have been playing videogames since the early 1970s.
My first console was Atari SuperPong.
I wrote my Master's Thesis on the Evolution of Narrative Form in Videogames.
GRIS is the type of game I ADORE!
If you've played ThatGameCompany's Journey, you will be familiar with the vibe of this game. However, the emotional reflection captured in GRIS is on another level.
I am a huge fan of immersive experiences that tell a story and I have long been a defender of videogames as a valid form of art. GRIS knocks both of these elements out of the park! It is overwhelmingly immersive and breathtakingly beautiful. Also, if one thinks of this as a platformer (which on one level, it is), it feels transcendent. I'm used to beautiful pixel art. But this is fluid hand-drawn animation. It genuinely feels like you're interacting with a gorgeously illustrated animation.
I don't want to give anything away about the story, but you'll understand the emotional depth moments after beginning the game. The imagery sets the stage of a young women coping with grief and the way this symbolically plays out is a master class of immersive storytelling. If this game had existed when i wrote my thesis 20 years ago, it would have had it's own chapter!
Another thing that GRIS shares in common with Journey is that it has a sublimely beautiful soundtrack that draws the player even further into the experience. It truly amplifies the emotional experience of the game and reenforces the pathos of the story at every stage.
In the gaming pantheon, this is a must play. This is a work of art that attempts to imbue empathy with others on a level rarely seen in any artform. It truly brought me to tears. I cannot recommend this experience enough and kudos of the highest order to Nomada Studio (specifically, Roger Mendoza, Adrián Cuevas, and especially artist Conrad Roset and composer Berlinist).
We need more games like this in the world that help people to relate to each other and feel empathy. Games like GRIS teach and inspire through their immersive artistic vision. Creating games like GRIS help to expand the human experience.
Peace.