The visually stunning side-scrolling platformer from Nomada Studio and Devolver Digital called GRIS, is set to release on December 13th for the Nintendo Switch and PC. The release date was accompanied by a new trailer that gives gamers a more in-depth look at the gameplay and mesmerizing visuals.
Nomada Studio’s game centers around a young girl who becomes lost in her own inner world as a way to deal with a real life experience that has caused her great emotional pain. The game is about players helping her deal with the trauma by navigating this alternate realm and defeating and overcoming the obstacles that stand in her way. While it might sound like a typical 2D platformer, the way the visuals are presented and the stages are designed, it’s like watching a water painting come to life on a canvas in real-time.
You can get an idea of what the gameplay is like with the release date trailer below.
It’s a shame that only indie developers take the opportunity to maximize the unique toolsets afforded to artists these days.
The game’s animations are absolutely astounding. The fluidity at which both the main character and the enemies move is breathtaking at times.
It would be really cool to see a developer diary at some point to get an idea of what sort of animation suite they used, and what the design process was for creating some of the visuals. The fidelity on the assets are almost cinematic quality, which is a rare thing to see in games. It means they either took the time out to work really hard on making sure everything was as smooth as possible, much like Studio MDHR’s Cuphead, or they’re using some utilities that allow them create animations and designs in a way that makes developing HD sprites a lot easier than the standard methods.
Either way, GRIS has a sort of Metroidvania-esque quality to it. Some stages will only be accessible after acquiring certain skills, and progress can only be made when applying those skills to certain challenging situations, which is briefly showcased in the trailer when the girl has to turn into a giant, heavy block to prevent the heavy winds from blowing her away.
You can look for GRIS to launch on December 13th next month for PC and Nintendo Switch.
