Rime review: just a fairy tale

There was always something wrong with the development of Rime. Either the publisher changes, or the exclusivity for the PlayStation 4 remains in the past. A lot has happened in Tequila Works over the past five years, but it hasn't affected the quality of Rime in any way. It turned out as if there were no difficulties.

The boy Inu arrives on an incomprehensible island, completely packed with strange ruins. There are no explanations for what is happening - you just walk around and try to deal with simple mechanisms. Very soon the fox will join you and everything will become more meaningful. As No Man's Sky tried to tell about a journey to the center of the galaxy, so in Rime there is a mysterious tower in the middle of the island. Why the kid needs to get there is not clear to the last, but what is happening can be interpreted in different ways. The authors were clearly inspired by the works of Miyazaki, but, most importantly, they managed not only to convey the visual style, but also touch on similar topics.

Each of the four Rime locations is visually unique in its own way. First you explore colorful hills filled with luscious vegetation. A little later you find yourself on a sandy shore, then in the ruins of an ancient city, and in the end you find yourself in a gloomy labyrinth. Each level has its own mood: the authors prefer visual storytelling. This means that there are no dialogues or a speaker here, and you get all the necessary information from the environment. It can be not only nature that reacts to the hero, but also some frescoes or objects highlighted in a special way. Music complements the surroundings - a separate composition for the game was recorded by Lindsey Stirling.

Rime leaves no open questions at the end. Even despite the rather vague narrative, the ending does not turn into something incomprehensible. We are told a strong story in which you can skip some details simply by inattention, but still fully understand how the story of the boy and his companion ended.

The boy and the fox are not the only living creatures on the mysterious island. The game world is inhabited by a variety of animals. For example, Inu can drive a herd of wild boars around the island or scare away schools of fish in underwater locations. Incomprehensible mechanisms in the form of a ball with stone legs will help the hero get into hard-to-reach parts of the island. Finally, a strange creature in a red robe throughout the game will follow the boy just like a G-Man for Gordon Freeman.

The hero has few opponents: a hefty bird that intrigues more than wants to eat a child, and incomprehensible black robes are akin to dementors who want to take Inu's soul. Together, it turns out to be a very lively island that does not look abandoned, but all its inhabitants hint at some subtle alienation and make the hero persistently look for a way out.

Most of the time, Rime throws up simple puzzles of several varieties. The first are classic ones, which make you drag objects from place to place. Others will offer to jump on the platforms. But the most interesting are connected with the boy's voice. With the help of a shout, Inu can activate platforms or illuminate paths in the dark. You can bark at the statue, and it will open another door.

Later, the hero will need amplifiers that will make his voice louder and allow him to penetrate hard-to-reach places. You will have to play Dovakin a lot, and gradually such monotony begins to strain. The game is saved from a fat minus by a short duration: if you do not meditate on the seashore and do not look at the stars, then the path to the final will take some six hours. But we highly do not recommend running ahead of the story. At least in the first location, which looks great.

Rime is unlikely to see big sales, especially given that the adventure has already lost the protection of Denuvo. However, she tells a magical story with a clear ending and is able to keep the player busy collecting collectibles. In the end, the island simply wants to be considered. Like some kind of game, Rime is able to immerse you in a kind of meditative state, in which repetitive puzzles are not annoying, and the passage time flies by.