First Release: 2018
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 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.
Gris is a puzzle-platformer game released by Spanish indie developer Nomada Studio. It's published by Devolver Digital and is available to play on numerous platforms.
The controls for this game are very simple, and you learn more abilities as you progress through the levels, allowing you new ways to explore and interact with the changing environment.
I would also like to point out that I was today years old when I discovered that "gris" means "grey" in Spanish... which is the color the world begins in when you start the game.
The artwork is STUNNING. I love the watercolor feel to it, and there's so much you can do with a limited color palette. More colors evolve the further you progress, which is both gorgeous visually and symbolically.
The character Gris having a semi-realistic head yet stick figure arms was both unique and confusing... but in the end actually kinda works? I loved seeing how her form could transform as you progress and discover more abilities.
Although it didn't win Best Art Direction in 2019, it absolutely deserved its spot as one of the nominees. The artist by the way is Conrad Roset and just... *chefs kiss* For anyone interested, here's a short interview regarding some art choices.
Anyway Gris is one of the most gorgeous games I've ever played pic.twitter.com/czSmCOBrgy
— Kurokosworth✨ (@Kurokosworth) June 14, 2020
It took all my willpower to just not screenshot everything haha. An art book will be releasing in July, so this may be an interesting collector's item if you want to own more pretty art. I'm not sure how similar it'll be to the limited version from SGR but I'm excited for it nonetheless. I'm a little sad I didn't know earlier how visually stunning this game is, or I would've bought this limited physical edition bundle.
The soundtrack for this game was also very enjoyable. Majority of the tracks are sparse and exposed, reflecting Gris' emotional emptiness as she traverses the world, and it's a decision that works for the game. I was using speakers when I first started, but it's a much more enjoyable experience to wear headphones so you can hear all the nuance. I also love all the dramatic tracks. Kudos to Berlinist for the gorgeous soundtrack.
Gris is very soothing to play, and the game rewards you for taking the time to explore. It's a very hands off approach, allowing the player to move around at their own pace except for brief moments to introduce a new mechanic. The scripted scenes blend well with gameplay, and it's obvious one is about to begin when the black frame around the game thickens. While there is some "danger," none will outright kill you, and some of their abilities can be used to help propel you forward through the level. This means Gris isn't as "high stakes" as other platformers, a decision I really appreciate.
After completing the game, you can access specific chapters to start from. You also have options for gallery - which includes concept art - and music.
If you're someone who likes to collect all of the secret achievements, then this definitely has some replayability. I'd say the play time for Gris is about 5-8 hours depending on how quickly you explore everything, adding some time if you go back to search for extra achievements. I didn't get all of them on my first run unfortunately (I accidentally forced myself out of the first one haha), so I'll definitely be working on completing those.
So if you're interested in a chill platformer that tells its story through its beautifully evolving illustrations, then definitely give this game a try! 😊
Until next time!
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