GRIS
DEVELOPERNOMADO STUDIO • PRICE$24
https://nomada.studio/QI’m guessing Gris will get its share of
reviews and that most reviewers (and we
have another review this issue, but Meghann’s
appreciation for music is worth indulging – Ed)
will highlight the art. It’s a pretty game where
colours are collected incrementally. Red is first
then, around 20 minutes later, green. I didn’t
know how much I wanted green until it was
there. I became even more fond of the music
and sound design, however, very early on. A
dust storm blew in and the piano transformed
into swirling organ and vocal parts. These
little musical accoutrements defined Gris
for me, because I can appreciate how
thoughtfully sound was implemented.
Progression often happens, for example,
as you collect stars and bring them to a place
where you can create a platform to a new
area. As you approach the stars, a new, sparse,
musical stem overrides the piece and it’s often
a whole tone lower. This is very engaging,
focusing attention and grounding an important
moment. I particularly liked a textural change
in the music, too, when you’re activating a
kind of giant machine. In that case, the music
functioned as a reward for cleverness and I felt
motivated to continue on.
Over the course of the game, the protagonist
finds her voice, eventually using it as an
ability. Unsurprisingly, the vocal sounds weave
into the soundscape. The story unfolds as
a progression of metaphors across a world
which starts to feel very familiar. There are
bosses to deal with, and friends who will help.
Explicit instructions and storytelling moments
are rare, so you’ll need to rely on observation
and imagination, to fill in the blanks. I played
Gris with my kids and interpreting what was
happening was half the fun.
Many of the puzzles are also a delight to
solve. I enjoyed experimenting and being
surprised by the result. There are several
moments where you have to take a literal leap
of faith and jump into nothingness, because
there’s nowhere else to go. One time, I was
falling and a lovely piano and strings part
started up, being timed to finish right when
I reached the new destination. There wereMEGHANN O’NEILLhas been everywhere, man. She’s ridden the rails to parts unknown,
and could tell you many a tale. She’s taken leaps of faith and collected stars, and
mastered magicks beyond comprehension. She’s survived family traumas, and even
swum with a... koala. And all without leaving her PC!There are several
moments where you have
to take a literal leap of faith
andjumpintonothingness,
because there’s nowhere
else to go.
also moments, in an icy, underground
place, where I eventually visualised a
correct solution, based on physics, after
thinking the problem was unsolvable. I
do like that.
Gris is not without its minor
frustrations, however. If you get stuck,
you can get really stuck. In a way,
it’s wonderful that wide, open levels
subvert the expectation to always
travel up and to the right but, if you
fail to notice a crumbling floor, or jar
of birds, you may end up searchingfruitlessly, far and wide. I also feel
the game could have made its point
in about a third of its content. Once
I’d appreciated the art, music, level
design and how the puzzles worked,
the later stages felt superfluous.
Some of the platforming challenges
are also very punitive.
If you’re interesting in visual
art in videogames, Gris is an easy
sell. It’s more difficult to get an
impression of how elegantly the
music is implemented, simply by
looking at the game, or even from
a trailer, so this is why I’ve focused
on reviewing from a musical angle.
Although the story and puzzling are
strong, it was the tinkling every time
I passed a bell, lights turning on via
a dulled pentatonic scale, and the
frightening roar of a dust storm that
hooked me. Gris is a game that sounds
even more lovely than it looks. It’s
innovative, imperfect and engaging.ACollectionAside
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