Tequila Works brings forward one of the largest Spanish productions of recent times. And with a note.
A desolate beach. A set of architectural structures of inexplicable origin. A mysterious figure dressed in a scarlet tunic. And you, under the shaded skin of a small child, feel the Mediterranean breeze caressing your hair while gently opening your eyes. You just woke up in the world of RiME.
"He who marvels finds out that that in itself can be wonderful" MC Escher (1898-1972)
It was the year 1997. Fumito Ueda, a young man whose aspirations took him to the field of the interactive - not before devoting himself body and soul to cultivating as an artist - was beginning to shape a promising concept: the not-so-popular "subtractive design" " This practice consists of discarding all those elements that do not add value to the videogame due to its superfluous character, in a similar way to the Japanese Haiku poems , where the reader plays an active role in the creation of the story.
During the development of titles such as Ico or Shadow of The Colossus a new generation of developers saw the Japanese creative as the inspiring mirror in which to look. Of this current highlighted personalities such as Jenova Chen, Ken Wong or Matt Nava, giving us the opportunity to enjoy such outstanding productions as Journey or Monument Valley .
But the design of subtraction - taken to the limit in titles like Abzû or Shadow of The Colossus - is not a foreign term to many other videojuegos. In fact, it is a principle that is evident in the very genesis of both interactive and artistic design, established in the basic principles of movements such as Renoir's Impressionism or Picasso's Cubism . Even in the most complex videogames, a subtraction work is carried out based on saving resources in favor of the playable experience: the mountains surrounding Los Santos in GTA V, of having the height equivalent to reality, it would take us days to explore them, not without first running the risk of dying of sheer boredom. Similarly, in a role title we can change clothes instantly, and have to carry all the gear we are accustomed to accumulate during the adventure is not represented in-game by means of a backpack full of swords, armor or food that is beginning to rot, because many times we would have the impulse to throw it downhill to be more comfortable.
" It is the color and only the color that must control the structure, not the drawing " Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
The Valencian Joaquín Sorolla, unlike painters like Antonio López or Eduardo Naranjo, based the representation of his scenes on a structure based on color, on the energetic and expressive brushstrokes that defined the forms bluntly, and on the light that bathed his figures and scenarios through wide strokes of oil . The attention for the detail is not considered as something substantial (here lies the subtractive concept), the dense painting protrudes from the canvas making its texture palpable and the sensations that transmits to the viewer through light and color transport us to those Mediterranean scenes , similar to what was achieved by Tequila Works in RiME . After the success harvested in titles like Deadlight or the most recent The Sexy Brutale , the Spanish studio is preparing to launch its most personal project.
THE CURIOSITY OF A CHILD
In the videogame that we are dealing with, there are no dialogues, there is no voiceover to guide us through its beautiful landscapes, our character will not need to drink or eat during the adventure (it was something that came to be contemplated), there is no combat -though we can die a few times if we are not careful- and we will have to discover the mystery that surrounds us without the help of a map, without markers on stage and without HUD assistance .
During the initial scene, we feel the warm sand on our cheeks while we wake up in a mysterious island. The first thing we discovered is a desolate coast bathed by an intense sun. It seems deserted, calm and the sound of the waves mingles with the croaking of the seagulls. The smell of fresh grass and the almost blinding plastered cement structures that adorn its plateaus (with Ibizan reminiscences that will also remind us of places like Altea or the Greek Islands), define volumes of fantastic cut, bridges elevated several kilometers towards the sky and, in the background, a tower crowned by what appears to be a giant lock. A dark and mysterious figure, dressed in a red tunic, seems the only entity capable of shedding some light on this hidden place.
Tequila Works gets, from the first minutes of play, to awaken in us an intense curiosity, a need for exploration that comes through the eyes of an insecure but active child, scary but determined, a child that ultimately intends to transport us to our own childhood, where trial and error made us learn at every step , often without the help (or permission) of a more experienced person.
Raúl Rubio, Creative Director of RiME , has commented on numerous occasions that artists such as Sorolla or Dalí have served as a point of inspiration for the development of RiME , through the art of Jose Luis Vaello first, and after taking his witness through the good make Luis Belerique. And that is evident in every corner of the game, where the scorching sun draws the structures, shapes the stone and casts blue shadows as opposed to the light and warm tones of the lights. This is what happens in paintings from the beginning of the 20th century, such as Paseo a los Mar del Mar or La hora del Baño . On the other hand,its idyllic landscapes reflect the style of artistic movements such as Dalí's Surrealism, approaching even the Magical Realism of painters like the Canadian Rob Gonsalves .
" The true artist is one who is capable of painting extraordinary scenes in the middle of an empty desert " (Salvador Dalí, 1904-1989)
All this makes us wonder, at each step, if what we are living goes beyond the limits of reality, is situated between sleep and wakefulness or, simply, transports us to a world far from the everyday. Because a very important part of RiME lies in the discovery, in learning through the resolution of various puzzles (they play with light, perspective, the movement of physical elements and exploration of the rooms) and the advance through sections of platforms that allows us to reach higher, further, taking us to increasingly fascinating places. Implicit in this is a sensory character supported by music, the small songs of the child, his overwhelming cries to the unknown (which will allow us to activate a series of jade artifacts during the game to unlock new areas) and the gentle accompaniment of the waves of the sea or the sound of the wind that sneaks between the rocky structures.
During the 11 hours that the game lasted (although it can be exceeded in 7 if it goes to the essentials) we had the opportunity to enjoy an experience based on the succession of puzzles and puzzles, the collection of secondary elements (there are several types, namely: different hidden toys, fragments of melodies, pieces of decorative plates ...), the exploration of varied rooms and the succession of phases of platforms. And this is important to underline: the experience has not been as shocking and unique in general terms as videogames like Journey , but we would like to emphasize that RiME offers more opportunities for interaction with the environment througha more long-lived and varied experience, well cohesive and with vibrant moments in terms of emotion . The work of subtraction exists, but not until such advanced limits as, for example, we have been able to live in titles such as Abzû . And the complexity of the design of RiME levels , the succession of varied puzzles and the taste for detail of its creative team makes us wonder every time we come to a new room.
A RICH EXPERIENCE IN MATICES
The puzzles, ingeniously integrated on stage (something reminiscent of The Witness , The Talos Principle or even Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons ) do not tire or frustrate. Being tanned in sagas as The Legend of Zelda can be easy to overcome each of the challenges proposed by RiME -because there are some more challenging than others- and we miss sections of less "automated" platforms, since most are overcome with ease through a system inspired by titles like Uncharted or Tomb's rebootRaider; Of course, we must admit that the superb design of levels makes these phases quite satisfactory, conforming the puzzles in themselves. On the other hand, if we get stuck in some area, our friendly companion (a pretty little red fox "screaming") will appear to give us some small clues to advance ; It would not have been superfluous to have the option to completely disable these subtle aids, by the way.
One of the concerns of many of us resided in the variety of RiME situations . The truth is that, during our adventure, we have followed a more or less linear path that, intelligently, alternates more closed places with others of considerable amplitude, where we are given the possibility of exploring for the sake of looking for collectibles or graphic fragments of the plot, and where the curve of difficulty goes in crescendo as we get used to its mechanics.
We swam and dived trying not to die trying while we breathed small air bubbles, we have hidden in the shadows with the aim of fleeing the famous winged beast that torments us on our journey, trying to establish connection with mysterious specters that vanish our step, and we have also fidgeted with visual deception traversing changing stays. Also, every so often there is a third turn, a new chapter of our adventure opens before us and, as a reward, a new playable dynamic entertains our trip . And in this trip there is room for relaxation, curiosity, melancholy and even friendship, aspects that take us by the hand to the brilliant conclusion of the title.
THE VALUATION OF A TRAVELER
Meanwhile, the dynamic passage of time has let us enjoy the stars flooding an ocean of cobalt color, surprise us with the sunsets or fascinated when we are given the opportunity to control it by means of a mysterious artifact, similar to an ancestral solar clock. Because it is also worth emphasizing that in the use of light, in the shadows thrown by objects and in that drawn by our own body, the solution to a mysterious riddle can also reside. The perspective has put us before ingenious situations, which MC Escher's box we have taken advantage of it to open hidden doorsand, as we learned to survive in this increasingly hostile territory, we have come to realize that the courage of this little anonymous protagonist was also growing with the passing of the hours.
What we do not have the slightest doubt is that, beyond the fear caused by all the controversy surrounding the project that concerns us, RiME is presented as a compact, well designed, ingenious, visually impeccable and, in addition, very effective in as to the playable. The child's management responds quickly, allows us to move freely through the environments, and is complemented by a camera control that does not usually leave us sold : on specific occasions, it even becomes automatic, showing the action from a favorable perspective to the player. In this aspect it is much more comfortable to play than titles like The Last Guardian. It is true that, on certain occasions, it can be a bit restrictive not being able to make the child run at any time (normally it will be fast walking or trotting) while covering longer distances will activate, automatically, the race . A design decision which, being able to like more or less, the truth is that it is solved quite correctly. On the other hand, the displacement under water, although it does not offer playable problems, if it is less smooth and harmonious than when doing it on foot.
In another order of things, the narrative factor of RiME is integrated into the adventure: if we like to explore, we will find clues about what the island hides in the walls, we will also learn details about the origin of the protagonist, small pieces will show us what what we need to solve certain challenges, or mysterious ways will make us wonder what we do in that place, apparently, left out of God's hand.
The few video scenes bring drama, yes, with the luck of not cutting the pace and be well coordinated with the playable experience. RiME is emotional, relies on the fantastic score by David García to give us moments of great emotional charge , and helps camera moves away from the character while showing us the greatness of the island (something that has reminded us of the style of visual narrative Matt Nava likes so much) to enhance the experience. It is possible that it does not reach the lyricism established by Jenova Chen in the outstanding Journey , nor establish ties with the protagonist at the level of what was perpetrated by Fumito Ueda in Shadow of The Colossus, Ico or The Last Guardian, but there is something special about RiME that you must live for yourselves.
AN ISLAND FOR MEMORY
RiME , beyond its spectacular artistic direction, shines for a high level technical section. The use of a palette of colors rich in nuances multiplies its visual effect through a good use of Unreal Engine . The brightness of the golden structures is combined with the materials and shaders that make possible the recreation of atmospheric effects such as rain or wind. The water, the vegetation, the stone structures, the recreation of the sky, the attainment of varied effects of light and particles; It is possible that it is not technically pointer but, without any doubt, the work done in RiME at a technical level is very effective, and his style (which veers between the minimalist and the pictorial) reminds us of titles like The Witness , surpassing it in beauty and conceptual solidity under our humble point of view.
The only one that we can get to the analyzed version (standard PS4) is the sometimes unstable framerate . While in indoor locations the game moves very smoothly, the rate stabilizes around 30fps outside, with occasional drops possibly caused by a small problem of Frame Pacing and the accumulation of structures, vegetation and objects on the screen. Luckily, this does not influence the gameplay of the title that concerns us.
The animations, both of the boy and of the different animals, beasts and ancestral technologies that we will find throughout the title are credible, detailed and pampered to the extreme . There is no capture of movements - everything is done traditional way - a fact that enhances the artistic character of RiME and reminds us of productions such as El Castillo Ambulante or El viaje de Chihiro: the moment when Sen goes down the wooden stairs translate in RiME when it comes down slopes and slopes. Sandra Christensen, director of this important section of the title, closes with her team a work worthy of the best interactive productions.
As if that were not enough, sound forms a crucial part of the scenic set of the video game that concerns us. David García's score accompanies us dynamically adapting to what happens on the screen , throwing nuances reminiscent of the delicacy of Joe Hisaishi, the melancholy of Cœur de Pirate and the epicidad of James Horner, synchronizing even with the small chants of our protagonist.
All seasoned with sound effects that stand out at key moments to enhance the emphasis of the adventure, giving us a high level 5.1 surround sound. It is really overwhelming to find a small grotto where the sibilant wind coming from outside sneaks around us, hugging us in all directions while we explore with stealth.
conclusion
By way of recapitulation we are really relieved to be able to say, without fear of being wrong, that Tequila Works has made use of these years of work to give us a great adventure, beautiful in the artistic and exciting at a dramatic level . Stones along the way have been found, and not a few, although they have managed to get ahead of the problems thanks to their perseverance and good work. The variety of situations it poses, the nuances with which the Spanish team has endowed each corner of the island, and the playable proposal offered by RiME in purely interactive terms, they result in a work whose elements fit together as a whole, rejuvenable if you want to find all the secrets and collectibles hidden in the island (although the first game will be the one that will offer the true experience) or you intend to return to relive it after letting it rest for some time.
And all that beauty hidden in the voice of Silvia Guillem, who reminds us with her delicate diction when interpreting "Song of the Sea" the hours we have spent in this particular island, all that we have lived next to this brave companion , and how we have come to understand that the child that we all have inside persists in going out again and again -though we sometimes try to avoid it-, perhaps because of the passion we have for the world of videogames.
The best
- On an artistic level, it is an authentic beauty.
- The variety of puzzles and situations.
- Its duration is well adjusted.
- The soundtrack, epic at peak moments, thrills when it should.
Worst
- A greater challenge in its plataformera slope would have been fine.
- We have missed some more risky puzzle.
Game of remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good purchase, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.
Gameplay 8
An artistic direction of indisputable beauty supported by a technical section that, despite not being a leader, stands out for its solidity and variety. Small drops of frames in the exteriors do not prevent us from enjoying the excellent work of Tequila Works in this section.
Graphics 9
The music is exciting, the sound effects add immersion to the group and, in short, offer dramatic support that demonstrate the importance of this section in RiME.
Sound 9
A work of subtraction that, in addition, offers us enough hours of game, variety in the approach of its puzzles, reasons to enjoy the exploration that the title offers us and a good handful of challenges, that yes, that we would have enjoyed even more of give us the odd peak of more challenging difficulty.
1-6 IMAGECREDIT
THANKS FOR READING, ALSO CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS REVIEW ON DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ (PC)
