8.12.2014

Rime: The 2014 Gamescom Trailer is Truly Wonderful

     Premiering at Sony's Gamescom 2014 Press Conference, Rime looks like a cross between Journey, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Shadow of the Colossus and mixing in the enchanting beauty of a strange island like Myst.



     Rime's official trailer description is “The story of a boy who must use his wits and ingenuity to survive – and ultimately escape from – a mysterious island and a terrible curse.”

     I've been waiting for a full trailer of this game for about a year now (since Sony's 2013 Gamescom Press Conference), and it does not disappoint.  While all of us Team Ico fans wait for Sony's "Re-Introduction" of The Last Guardian we'll be getting Rime instead to ease the interim.
     Rime is a game about a boy stranded on a mysterious island- where discovery happens through exploration and interaction.  Chris Jones, Sony Xdev Studio Europe and developer, gave a nice lengthy description of the game for Sony's Europe Blog:
"Rime is set in a unique ancient world of mystery, intrigue and adventure. Set on a beautiful island, a boy wakes on the shore to find he’s lost, with the only the island and the animals to accompany him.
You guide the boy through the island helping him unlock the puzzles, in the trailer you can see that there are puzzles all around and finding them is just a matter of perspective, (Did you see the fox? Watch the trailer again!)
As well as following the story of the boy, the island is also an integral character in the game, and it will not give up its hidden secrets easily. Who is the boy? Why is the boy here? Why is he alone? Ultimately the game is to find the answers to all of these important questions.
In a beautifully crafted world, you will see stunning vistas as you play through the game and delve deep into the islands true meaning."
     The game's creator, Raúl Rubio Munárriz, further described this world in an interview with Polygon (which also has a very interesting line-"Every time you explore this island or islands you are going to experience it differently." I added the emphasis.):
     "The island itself is a character. The ambition was always that the island would tell the story. It is reacting to your presence. The seagulls and boars react to your presence because you shouldn't be there. You are a trespasser.
     "The island is a paradise, but that does not mean that what you see at the start is the same as what you see at the end. This is not a game about black and white. It is not about good and evil. We are trying to play with what the player takes for granted. This is a puzzle adventure game but that doesn't mean that you are going to enter houses and start gathering stuff. I see this environment, it is beautiful, but something is wrong. Who built this?"
     With an air of mystery and subtlety Rime looks to be an amazing experience.  Alongside games like No Man's Sky, the PS4 lineup keeps getting better and better.

     I suppose with the recent Tomb Raider and Xbox One exclusivity deal it makes me wonder about this game- as Microsoft had declined Tequila Works' Rime, and now Sony is going to reap the quiet majesty that it has become.

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