RiME

I picked up this game as a 'freebie' here and while I don't think I would have paid the full price for it, I probably would be worth it. If you like to rush through your games with the only real enjoyment being that you completed it as fast as you can, you will not only fail to fully enjoy most games, but will most likely hate this game. Story wise, it is told fully through visual with only a few grunts or the odd word 'Hey' being uttered. If you look up most information on this game, it'll totally spoil what is a fun adventure. Washed up on a strange island after a storm, you wonder around to find bonus unlockables as well as to figure out what to do. It's not very hard to figure out and this game is a fun all-age one that can be enjoyed by the young and old. Gameplay is also fairly simple with a fair amount of prompting to help guide you along without too much "why won't it let me do this" feel. The main issue I had was with it's saving system, which just uses the old checkpoint system. So you need to watch for a little saving symbol to know it's saved up to that point, which can be annoying if you get interrupted during play. Graphics are beautifully done with a great cartoony feel and together with the animation movement, you get clear emotion and story told through the game without the need for dialogue, even in somewhat inhuman and static creatures. despite the rating, this game is very cinematic with no real combat or violence, which there are moments of fear and panic but nothing that really goes against the semi-gentle feel giving by the look, sounds and music of this game. I would have no problem recommending this game to people that aren't just in games for pure action, or grand story quests.

Every moment of this game was masterfully crafted leading me on a journey of discovery, awe and wonder that I could not tear myself away from. This is a game I will not soon forget. The art direction, character and level design were near faultless, but there's little in the way of traditionally challenging content. I never found myself lost for more than a moment, the puzzles were generally very easy, and most climbing sections were clearly signposted (remember jumping at the wrong ledge and dying a dozen times in the original Tomb Raider?) with worn ledge edges, so you'd rarely go wrong. The penultimate chapter also felt slighly weak, although is clearly deliberately crafted to be how it is. Still, the game lasted much longer than I expected and gripped me from start to finish with only the occasional quirky control breaking immersion. Just as I felt things were drawing to a close, it hit me again with another chapter. I went into this game blind, with no spoilers so it truly felt like I was unravelling a mystery, a deep but forgotten connection between the boy and this world. But when it finally did unravel, it wasn't quite what I'd expected. If a slow paced game with cute characters, mystery and awesome set pieces does it for you then you'll love RIME. If you crave action and a challenge, you'll get bored quickly.

What a beautiful game, both in art design and story. There are five large "stages", each having a different theme that relates to the story. Primarily a platform puzzler, the gameplay is quite straightforward, and rarely did it a take more than a few moments to figure out where to go next. The storytelling, while intentionally vague, becomes clear as you reach the end, and you see how it directly relates to each stage played along the way. I have played a variety of games over the years, but none have held my interest all the way to the end like RiME. Highly recommended.

I got this free for buying another game during a spring sale. This "free" game actually ended up being better than the $20 game I got. Great graphics, very atmospheric and overall enjoyable. Lasted for about three play sessions before I finished it. Loved it though.

This game is a masterpiece, a symphony of different moving parts that all coalesce into a stellar work of art. The visuals, music, and theme all work together to create a story that is simple, moving, and which (unless you are a cynical gamer) extremely immersing. The puzzles are well integrated and do not jar you out of the game world. The game is linear, but this does not detract. It feels expansive, it just does a good job of making you feel like you want to go the places you should - there is no feeling of being led by the nose. The game designers did a fantastic job of working into the game places where it begins to take control of the camera so that when you have "cutscene" like sections to show off game visuals or to give a sense of majesty, you really do get that sense and there is no actual cut in the cutscene, it's just camera work and music. I suspect that people who enjoy reading a lot will get more out of this game. Not that there is any reading. There isn't. But it does have a bit of where you get out of it what you bring to it, and if you have an imagination that likes to build the worlds you read about, the game will reward your willing suspension of disbelief with a very rewarding play experience. This game really is a work of art.