3/5 ★ – park618's review of GRIS.

Final update: I enjoyed Gris a good amount, but I wished there was a more understandable premise. It felt meandering, which I'm sure was intentional, but it struck me as a bit directionless. The art and music are so pretty though, and that aspect makes the game significantly more memorable. Update 2: Found Gris a bit more compelling after my second session. I feel a little like it wants to be a metroidvania without calling itself a metroidvania. From a play-testing perspective, I would've liked to have started out in the area I am returned to after each 'run', since that would help establish the 'goal' earlier on. I'm starting to suspect the message is articulating what it feels like to live up to very specific beauty standard in an overly beautified world, but this could be me reading into the game's theme. When just playing the game with no bias (which doesn't come the most naturally to me as a completionist), the game has become significantly more enjoyable than the first two 'levels'. Update 1: Started this game a few days ago and am not finding it super compelling. I love the visual aesthetic and the Berlinist soundtrack, but so far I have not been a huge fan of the gameplay. I don't love the recent trend towards "experiential" indies, since I tend to prefer "experimental" games. Experiential games remind me of walking sims -- you're meant to appreciate the journey rather than the gameplay. And that's just not my cup of tea. Maybe I'll warm up to it as I continue playing.