RiME

Rime is a competent puzzler, but its real strengths are in its ability to draw emotions from the player using the combination of great art, music, and a thought provoking ending.

RIME leaves such an impression that it is hard to hold its failings against it too much. It manages to live up to the years of hype and expectation, and it delivers an unforgettable experience along the way.

These issues were easily overlooked though, as the full experience of RiME is far grander than the sum of its parts. Hopefully the framerate issues will be ironed out in a patch soon, but you shouldn’t let that put you off experiencing what this game has to offer. I feel like I’ve overused the words ‘profound’ and ‘beautiful’ in writing this review, but genuinely there are no other words that can quite do this game justice. Tequila Works’ RiME is an audiovisual tour de force that wants to astonish you with its beauty, charm you with its loveable protagonist, and move you with its powerful emot...

Republished on Wednesday 31st January 2018: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

The game’s inspirations are obvious, and in terms of its safe puzzles and platforming, they don't offer much that’s new or memorable. However, the opposite is true for the cleverly conveyed story, magnificent Mediterranean setting, and a strong score that will pull you into a whimsical, emotional journey in RiME that’s well worth your time.

If you're into puzzle-adventure games, RiME may very well be up your alley. However, those looking for a deep story or a fully explained world will be left disappointed. At $30, it's best to wait for a sale unless you are a diehard puzzle gamer.

I was really torn on Rime until I got caught up in its emotional ending, capped off by a fantastic unexpected chapter select reveal. I really saw what Tequila Works was trying to do by the time the curtain closed and it ended up spurring another partial playthrough in the process. Even during its most underwhelming moments Rime got a response out of me, and I’ll remember it for years to come.

Rime’s superficial beauty and interesting mysteries provided enough enjoyment to make me willing to put up with its shallow and familiar elements under the hood. While nothing about Rime is necessarily bad, you can find more interesting versions of nearly every single element of it in other, better games.

Despite having plenty going on thematically, Rime is a slightly dull puzzle platformer.

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

Tequila Works conjures a powerful spell from seemingly familiar elements.

I feel like Rime will be a game celebrated by those who already love the third-person genre, those au fait with Tomb Raider-style climbing and jumping, and environmental puzzles. It's certainly celebrated by me. But I wonder if it might have a harder time winning the affections of those who aren't already sold on the concept, simply because of the swathes of assumptions it makes about a player's fluency. Or maybe I'm being patronising? I'm not entirely sure. What I do know is I've had such a splendid time with Rime, so deeply enjoyed its expansive and sumptuous world, and found myself not miss...