Hello. We are Kaye and Chesney, and we like 2 do the games.
We are both action/adventure/RPG kinds of gals — we like, you know, stories. And occasionally murdering things with a bow and arrow. RiME is not a game where you murder anything with a bow and arrow.
Instead, you solve puzzles with the help of a fox friend and your own voice.
Basically, you — as this really cute boy in a red cape — are trying to unravel the mystery of a giant tower, and ideally find out who some red-cloaked dude is who keeps turning up everywhere.
We have played it for many hours and we have some thoughts. (Don't worry; these are largely unspoilery thoughts, with no major spoilers involved.)
Kaye: It's so soothing. The music and the colors and the landscapes are all very beautiful and very calming. Except for that fucking bird. Fuck the bird.
Chesney: FUCK THE BIRD. But I agree. I loved how at no point in the game you were being told where to go or what to do. It really made me feel like I was just as clueless as my character.
Kaye: That actually bothered me a tiny bit because I'm a very type A personality, and I need to Do Things Right. But it never bothered me enough to tarnish my enjoyment of the game. I did love that there was no, like, giant arrow forcing you down a certain path — the wandering bit was really immersive and great.
Chesney: Yeah! I had no idea what I was doing or where to go, yet I seemed to choose the right path every time without being blatantly coerced to do so.
Chesney: Can we talk about all the little friends you make, though?
Kaye: THE PIGS. THE FOX. THE ROBOT.
Chesney: I named the robot Frank.
Kaye: Frank is an excellent name for that robot and his wiggle-stomping feet. The friends made me so happy — like, it really felt like we were discovering something big and old, but I never felt lonely.
Chesney: I loved that the world was so much bigger than I originally thought it would be. The art in the game is absolutely beautiful, and I loved how this island seemed to be never-ending.
Kaye: I think that was done so cleverly, too, with the design of the levels — like the second one, you can go down a hallway, turn around, and see a completely different room, and if you try to go down that same hallway it's different. It was disorienting in a really fun, interesting way.
Chesney: Also, being able to feed the pigs. That, too, was fun and interesting.
Kaye: I LOVED the way the world was built into the puzzles. I've played puzzle games, or games that just involve puzzles, where that's not done as well. I felt like this game put real effort into rewarding your curiosity, which was refreshing.
Chesney: I loved the main character. It seems like such small touch, but I loved that whenever you would press the button to “sing," what the character would say next would change depending on the environment. Sometimes he would happily hum when in a beautiful area, but when it was dark and mysterious, he would gasp and whimper with fear.
Kaye: I adore him. He is so pure and good and must be protected at all costs.
Chesney: I would’ve loved more puzzles. A lot of the game is just simply following something or a path, and I think it would’ve been a lot more engaging if there were more puzzles. A range of difficulty regarding puzzles would’ve also been nice; I like to work to get to the end of games.
Kaye: Yeah, agreed. Sometimes it was hard for me to figure out when it was time to go look for collectibles, too. But that's such a minor gripe compared to how satisfying the game is as a whole.
Chesney: Did you love it? I loved it. The ending made me cry.
Kaye: I LOVED it. 10/10 would force any of my friends to also play so I could discuss it at length with them.
RiME is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC! Don't worry, Switch players — it'll be out on the Switch later this year.
