Take over the role of a boy who is shipwrecked on the island with an imposing tower in the distance. Your role is to discover the secrets of the island and figure out what's going on with that tower.
The developers are based in Spain, and that mediterranean feel certainly comes through in the game. The artwork pays homage from to Spanish artists such as Sorolla, and has similarities to games such as Ico, or Shadow of the Colossus. Studio Ghibli is also cited as source of inspiration, and again that shines through.
The artwork goes hand-in-hand with the music and sound of the game, creating a very immersive experience. The wild animals are exceptionally cute, and the freedom you have to explore the beautifully crafted world is greatly appreciated. This is a game for explorers, with loads of secrets and riddles dotted around the world that aren't part of the main path.
There was a distinct lack of handholding or signposting, forcing the player to really think about what they were aiming to do, and how they might achieve that goal. I was informed, rather surprisingly, that Dark Souls was a gaming inspiration. Both use the environment to tell a story (RiME doesn't have dialogue), and to progress through the game. But don't worry, the game is nowhere near as unforgiving!
I did note some visual glitches, and at at times thought the puzzles were a little bit unintuitive. But rather than a negative, the difficulty of the puzzles made for a great opportunity to look around, take in the scenery and examine the world. Those who enjoyed The Last Guardian are going to find lots to love.
RiME will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows in May 2017. A Nintendo Switch version is expected in Q3 of 2017.
For more information, visit the Tequila Works website.
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