Gris is more than a game. It’s a deeply affecting hope-filled story about a young woman untangling herself from the branches of grief.
We meet protagonist Gris as she embarks on a journey that will take her through levels that each represent one of the five stages of grief. In the beginning, everywhere is blanketed in gloomy monochrome hues – something that seems pertinent when you consider the name of the game means grey in Spanish.
Guide Gris to jump over rocks, climb through ruins and navigate tricky obstacles in order to move forward. Soon you’ll discover the magic woven throughout the game; call upon her ability to transform her dress into stone, say, and she’ll smash through anything that’s blocking her path.
Gradually, Gris gains more abilities that make her deft at negotiating tricky terrain and, as she progresses, landscapes begin to regain their colour.
It’s a stunning representation of Gris’ emotional evolution – when a colour is restored it spreads like a drop of ink on a blank canvas: an invigorating heart-warming visual that will have you rooting ever more for her to transform every inch of her reality into colour and back to life.
Gris doesn’t contain words, it doesn’t need them. As the game unfolds to reveal a wonderful world of watercolours, with an atmospheric accompanying soundtrack setting the tone the entire time, it’s Gris who wholly captivates and drives the narrative.
And it’s her determination to overcome every challenge before her that makes playing Gris an inspiring experience that’s an utter joy to behold.