Gravity Daze

(written oct 11, 2016)

After beating Gravity Rush, I thought about why I kept playing it. I certainly didn’t enjoy the story, the combat was okay, but there was something that really kept me going: ambition. Gravity Rush is an ambitious game with fresh, new mechanics and an original style, but ambition can come with a price.

Gravity Rush is the creation of Sony’s first-party Japan Studio and Project Siren, the people behind the PlayStation exclusive horror series “Siren”. The player takes control of Kat, a young woman with amnesia and inexplicable gravity shifting powers. Kat wakes up in the floating city of Hekseville, and with her newfound abilities, tries to gain a reputation and recover her memories.

…and, in terms of plot, that’s about it. From then on, the story increases in mediocrity. Kat encounters the main antagonist, Raven, multiple times throughout the game, and they are the only characters I got attached to; their designs riding on most of the reason. Tons of side characters are introduced but never develop due to the story’s awful pacing. It’s the quality I’d expect from a talented 12 year old, but I digress.

Fortunately, the story is somewhat excusable for a game like Gravity Rush, as the main focus is the gravity gimmick. Kat can shift her center of gravity, and focus it to any point in 3D space, letting her “fall” in any direction. The way the camera slightly shakes while following Kat’s gravity hijinks is the most fun part of the game.

The gravity shifting makes traversing through the open world extremely enjoyable, which is something I can’t say for a lot of games. There are five districts in Hekseville, and you can fall into any of them from any point on the map. Gravity Rush also implements pop-in very stylishly, as buildings from far away appears as flat colors with black outlines, matching the game’s style without sacrificing anything.

With that said, Gravity Rush does try to look better than the PS Vita allows. The overall art direction and style is great, but when they’re implemented, you just see lots of flat colors over characters and some repetitive, almost muddy textures on buildings. The actual style does overshadow how it’s implemented, although, and I did enjoy looking at the world as I flew by it.

Combat in Gravity Rush is serviceable; attacks feel satisfying but a bit sluggish, as Kat’s only melee moves are different types of kicks. You’re able to do kicks in mid-air with the gravity mechanic, as well. As fun as it is, I still felt kind of miserable during a lot of different encounters, but not just because of the combat. Many aspects of the game feel like a PS2 developer came in and worked on some of the missions. Usually, if a game has an annoying mission format, (escort mission, treasure hunt, etc.) I can excuse it, but Gravity Rush does it a lot.

The worst example of this is a forced story section about (SPOILERS) a twelve-year-old who is controlling the universe because it’s a dream or whatever, and you’re forced to play a platforming section where you can only use gravity in designated areas. This mix of forcing gameplay and forcing story at the same time is an easy enjoyment deterrent, and I don’t get why people still put this kind of stuff in their games.

But again, I did still manage to have a good time with Gravity Rush, and a huge reason for that is the soundtrack. Bombastic orchestra symphonies play throughout the whole game, and it carries the magic of the whole game, especially whenever Kat uses her gravity shifting tricks.

Gravity Rush suffers from some problems in the story and graphics department, and that could be pinned on a PS2-era survival horror team trying to make an action game, but it still has so much creativity and charm to offer that I’m looking forward to Gravity Rush 2’s release, and can’t wait to see what it improves.

The gravity-shifting mechanic in Gravity Rush is its greatest strength--it's designed well and feels intuitive, making soaring across the game's sleek anime-style world at a silky sixty frames per second a delight.

Whether or not restricted by its handheld console origins, however, the game's design itself fails to consistently make truly intelligent use of the mechanic, suffering from being somewhat dated and simplistic in style. Mission objectives almost always involve fetch quests, killing a certain amount of enemies, or travelling to a checklist of locations. The mechanics ensure this is enjoyable initially, but it grows mundane as you progress, whilst some odd design choices throughout the storyline actually strip you of or limit your manipulation of gravity as opposed to presenting interesting scenarios that take full advantage of the game's unique feature.

Combat can feel clunky and tedious during the game's most intense moments, particularly when you're on the ground; Kat can only throw one kick from a jump, and similar design quirks mean there are a couple of essentially useless moves and attacks that you'll literally never use throughout the game.

I milked some enjoyment from Gravity Rush in spite of its flaws--they're not particularly game-breaking, but this is a concept deserving of better execution, more depth and more polish.

2.5 stars / Mediocre

Certainly nothing against its art design and concept, marrying steampunk with Victorian imagery and a storybook feel to both its colour scheme and its narrative, wrapped up in a gameplay gimmick that literally turns platforming conventions on their head, Gravity Rush is not without its impressive moments, but the overall experience just leaves a lot to be desired, with an uncomfortable and inflexible combat system not helped by a camera not nearly dynamic enough for the movement options available, a gimmick without the flow to make it truly fun and too much stop-start to feel like anything but busywork, a mission structure bogged down by fetch-questing and a go-nowhere story that tries to tick all the boxes (lost and lonely girl, ambiguously defined rival character, pet sidekick, mysterious old man, evil military superweapon) but fails to make anything meaningful out of them. Run-on sentences.

Part I: Introduction and Overview

When Gravity Rush was first released on the Playstation Vita in 2012, it was one of the most highly anticipated games on that system. Upon release it was met with positive, but mixed reception, and in an era of grade inflation this relegated it to a niche. Despite some recurring complaints and a number of noticeable flaws, Gravity Rush gained a loyal cult following. Fast-forward to 2016, a time when the Vita is all but discontinued, and with the release of Gravity Rush 2 just a few short months away. Seizing the opportunity, Sony contracted Bluepoint Games (the studio behind the wonderful Team Ico and Metal Gear remasters) to remaster Gravity Rush, porting it to the hugely successful PS4.

Without hesitation I can say that Gravity Rush Remastered is the definitive version of the game, and the one that any new player should seek out (as well as being very much worth it for returning players). Bluepoint exceeds expectations in just about every regard, and delivers an excellent remaster that runs wonderfully in 1080p at 60 frames per second.

Part II: Gameplay, Narrative, Setting & Design

Gameplay

Gameplay in the Remaster is identical to the Vita version of Gravity Rush, although it runs much more smoothly. This is partly due to the ease of input of a dualshock 4 as opposed to the Vita's more cumbersome input controls, but also because the camera has been smoothed out a bit. The Vita version's camera was generally okay (although the small analogue sticks could make it more challenging), but performing gravity slides over rough surfaces was extremely unforgiving, making the camera jolt and shake excessively. This issue, however, has been totally remedied, and the HD version's camera follows Kat smoothly even along the roughest of surfaces. While aesthetically more pleasing, it also has direct gameplay results: timed challenges that previously required hours of practice and frustration are now much easier (assuming you have levelled your powers up sufficiently). The stasis field remains useless, but I also found it easier to fire off projectiles using a dualshock controller.

Narrative

One area that remains untouched in the Remaster is narrative. The large number of plot devices introduced that were set aside or abandoned (leaving an excessive number of unanswered questions) is still a big problem with the game, although this is to be expected. The HD Remaster does include all three DLC packs, however, and so there is at least a bit more story content (although generally unrelated to anything important).

Setting & Design

Hekseville and its denizens all look significantly improved in HD, although some of the design limitations remain. The draw distance remains more or less identical to the Vita (if there is a difference I completely failed to notice it), and so each district in the city takes on a vague look of sameness, even landmarks or monuments that should stand out (this is not helped by the fact that as things are drawn in they go from a monochrome of the sector's skyline). Vendecentre is the worst off as it is so large and its buildings so tall that no matter where one is it feels like Kat is completely surrounded by a puke-green haze (I still dislike the colour palette for that sector). Endestria remains the exception, but that is because of its (relatively) massive variation in terms of vertical elevation, as well as its gigantic tower centrepiece. Likewise, Raven's costume (unlike Kat's much more sedate attire) remains completely inexplicable (how would one even wear that? And why?).

Outside of Hekseville may be where players notice the greatest improvement. The HD facelift does much for the alternate dimension-thingies Kat travels at certain times. The Inferno in particular looks much, much, much better, and it was only while playing the Remaster that I began to take notice of all of the interesting influences that inform Gravity Rush (the Inferno's design and music take influence from Spyro: Year of the Dragon's volcano level, and from the lava tube in Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy).

Part III: Summary & Conclusion

Although some of the flaws of the original Gravity Rush carry over into this HD remaster, it's easy to forgive for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a sequel is just on the horizon, by all accounts a superior title that addresses every narrative loose end (although games should tie up all their own loose ends without requiring a sequel). Secondly, a lot of the gameplay issues have been rectified, and flying around, kicking tentacle monsters in their glowy red orbs, and navigating both the city of Hekseville and every other location.

If you have yet to play Gravity Rush and are curious, or if you have played it before but are interested in a superior version, know that Gravity Rush Remastered is for you. It stands as the definitive version of the game, and the transfer to PS4 was extremely well handled, making the Vita version completely obsolete.

Part I: Introduction & Overview

Gravity Rush introduced a new superheroine into the PlayStation fold, gave the Vita another interesting exclusive, and was largely ignored. Those who paid attention, however, were treated to an interesting narrative, a great new character in the gravity shifting Kat (and her cat), and one of the most ambitious superhero games to come around. While Gravity Rush is not without its flaws, both narrative and technical, it is ambitious and very charming. Taking influence most obviously from inFamous but with some other surprising cues as well, Gravity Rush is rather unique and deserving of a reappraisal.

Part II: Gameplay, Narrative, Setting & Design

Gameplay

Kat's powers are the core of the game. Everything you do (traversal; combat; exploration; puzzles) is tied to her ability to shift gravity. "Gravity shifting" is a fairly broad term, but it basically derives from Kat's sort-of native ability to manipulate gravity around her. Really what this means is that you can fly! (technically falling) and stand on any surface from any direction. The game's biggest strength is how much freedom this grants you. Kat can zip around the city of Hekseville's various floating islands as long as her gravity gauge permits (and not to worry: once fully upgraded fly and recharge time are extremely powerful). In addition to this Kat has a sliding ability that is kind of like surfing on the ground. While very fun when going straight and on a level surface, the motion-controlled steering and general bumpiness of Hekseville (and the subsequent camera spasms) do not make traversing this way all that easy. This can become an issue during some of the races and time trials where using the sliding technique is either required or just the best option, but with practice it is manageable (it also has a cool auto-kick where Kat will smack down on any enemies that happen to be next to her while she's sliding).

The other big aspect of the game is combat: tentacle monsters (it's not nearly as sexual or exploitative as you might imagine) called "Nevi" have begun invading from an alternate(?) realm (or something; the game is a bit light on the details of this, although it is brought up repeatedly). Kat uses kicks, various super powers, and an inclination for the destruction of public property to throw makeshift projectiles as a means to dispatch various tentacle monsters (almost all of which are reminiscent of various sea creatures of some sort or another, making them fairly creepy). It would have been nice if Kat's abilities were expanded a bit considering how much fighting you do, but (once you get the hang of adjusting the camera and situational awareness) it becomes a fun and efficient process. Kat's special attacks (minus the somewhat useless but cool-looking crowd control black hole one) are a nice boost and a way to get ahead in some of the massive battles. Much of the fighting occurs high in the air far above the city (or below; or in an alternate dimension) with very little to land on. This forces you to use your powers, but also to think outside the box tactically.

Boss battles are generally extensions of regular combat with many of them being merely larger versions of the Nevi monsters you face (and are dispatched in the same glowing-weak-spot fashion). There are a couple times when the game breaks formula, but the fights are always fun regardless. My favourite battles however were the two against Raven, especially the first one. Although your powers are slightly different you feel fairly evenly matched, and it's always nice in games when you face off against an equal who is maximising their potential. It allows you to compare your own playing with Raven's, and see where you can improve (especially in terms of reaction time).

Narrative

Gravity Rush tells the story of a young homeless amnesiac without pants who lives in an abandoned sewer pipe (after being rejected by other homeless people) who moonlights as a superhero and fights tentacle monsters. She kicks ass, takes names, occasionally bathes, fails to find a boyfriend (but gets a stalker), becomes town waifu, and rips holes in the space-time continuum. Unlike other recent superhero games (such as the inFamous series) Kat is a protagonist oozing with personality. She's smart and capable, but also sometimes timid (although she always rises to the occasion), and not immune to flattery or deception. The game's cutscenes are told in a comic-book style and Kat's dialogue is peppered with insightful thought-bubbles. Kat is as new to the world of Hekseville as you are, so you both learn as you go. This does mean that narrative events come with merciless speed: coupled with the fact that most of the major plot points go unresolved (as well as many of the tangential ones) this can make the narrative seem rather haphazard. Despite this, it was wise of the writers to avoid restraint. Part of the game's charm is the total randomness and generally insane narrative progression. A more restrained game would have been significantly more dull.

The supporting characters are generally quirky and memorable, although there are some phoned in roles (particularly in the villain and rival department). The entire military seemed to be out of nowhere (why does Hekseville even have a military? It's not like there are other groups to go to war with), and Yunica in particular grates against me. I don't even know what she is; robot? cyborg? android? It's never clear. Likewise, her character motivations make no sense, and her cloak serves no narrative purpose (other than to look mysterious for a very brief period of time) and reveals inconsistency in her character design. Alias is also puzzling: he steals one or both gems (this is never clear) and nothing is made of it. It is implied that he has been operating in Hekseville for quite some time, yet when we actually meet him he goes full supervillain and is really not the random criminal he was described as being. There's also the lack of a proper antagonist, although various individuals fill this role for brief periods of time. First it is Raven, although it is sort-of established that she is working for an Alderman named D'nelica (whose existence is completely ignored until the final section of the game when he turns out to be a full-on fascist dictator with many unclear motivations). Alias shares this space until he is humorously crushed in a garbage disposal machine. His ability to control the Nevi and reach from beyond the dead (maybe?) is indicative of greater narrative import, although this is another area that goes without elaboration. The Nevi themselves are the primary antagonist, although this is contested and challenged by the game's narrative. Are they really evil or being controlled by exterior forces? What are they, and why are they so bent on attacking things? They are not given enough structure (ie a hive mind with top-down control from larger to smaller creatures) or even speculated motivation to be a strong antagonist. At best they are like wild animals: they do not think, they merely do.

Setting & Design

Gravity Rush takes place on the floating multi-island city of Hekseville, a city-state (comprising of four separate districts) circling a giant pillar-thing (it most recalls Yggdrasil from Norse mythology). There are other locations, including some in alternate dimensions. These latter locales are particularly stunning, and do a lot to take away the drab-sameyness of Hekseville. Which isn't to say that the separate districts don't have individual style (they do), but rather that this is an aspect of the game where the Vita's hardware limitations really come to the fore. What this means is that the game's draw distance makes it so that each district has its own particular colour (and this applies to the sky as well). As you get closer buildings emerge from outlines to become fully textured. The draw distance is impressive (especially for a Vita game) but you do still get an overdose of a single colour. Some areas, particularly the factory district of Endestria actually work out fairly well. The colour of the sky is quite bright and the buildings are all close enough together that drawing isn't a huge issue. However in the nightlife district Pleajune's perpetual midnight of dark purple and black you will probably need to max out the Vita's brightness in order to adjust comfortably. My biggest problem with design is the city's centre and commercial district, Vendecentre, which is lit with an ugly puke-green that really grates my corneas.

It's easy to reduce the severity of these complaints (colour palette of Vendecentre aside) and chalk it up to a hardware limitation. Kat is a small girl in a very large open world (even excluding the many alternate locations), and the game's technical scope is as ambitious as the narrative.

Part III: Summary & Conclusion

While not a perfect game by any means, Gravity Rush is a very ambitious title that does what a lot of its peers don't bother even attempting. The flaws are hard to miss, but the game's ambition and charm make much of them easy to forgive (a promised sequel also helps to lessen the blow, although narratives should be self-contained without relying on sequel hooks). Kat is a delightful protagonist who is treated fairly and given room to shine, and it is her story alone that draws greatest interest in the game. Gravity Rush stands as one of the Vita's best games, and a strong entry into the superhero genre.

This could've so easily been one of my top ten or so favorite games of all time. It is, without a doubt, a great game, but it is one so littered with flaws that, as I played it, my impression went from "best game I've played in a long time" to "solid game that I hope improves, come the sequel."

Note: I played the Vita version. Maybe the PS4 version improves some of my issues, but I won't be playing it unless it goes on sale for dirt cheap.

To start, the strengths: the core mechanics of this game are, for the most part, pretty wonderful. Changing gravity and playing with momentum are incredibly fun and intuitive right from the beginning. Based purely on that mechanic, I anticipated something more similar to a puzzle platformer from this game, and I still think that that would've been amazing, but a Rockstar-style, mission-based open-world game is the best description of what you actually get here. It's a great mechanic for that type of game.

The world is fantastic. It's mystical, massive, mysterious and even creepy at times, but it really never loses its grip on reality. The world feels real and alive, with lots of NPCs going about their business on the streets. This reminds me of what would happen if Rockstar made a game set in a less cynical world. It's a beautiful game and the setting has a lot to do with that.

The characters are lovable. Kat is probably my favorite protagonist in any game to come out this decade, and is one of the most instantly likable superheroes across any medium. She's sweet, clever, funny and very personable. Any player will immediately latch onto her, and this is part of the reason why I can ignore so many of the flaws here.

The story really feels like a series of issues in a comic book series (and the comic book panel cutscenes add to this). There's a different crisis in every mission and only Kat can save the day. Sometimes the story feels a little aimless, as if there's no big overarching narrative tying all of these missions together, but, for the most part, it works as a series of episodes rather than a series of chapters. It made me think that more games should aspire to this type of storytelling. Sometimes the story abandons the more standard superhero narrative and dives into something weirder (and this is very much the case in the last quarter of the game) and it's a welcome change.

All in all, story and characters are the strongest part of this game and will probably keep any player coming back for more.

However, this game is really, really flawed.

First is the big elephant in the room with this game: the combat.

It's terrible. Just shamelessly awful. At first, I didn't mind it; the average gamer is going to want some combat in their game, so it makes sense that Sony would throw in a combat system to keep that type of player engaged. However, this excuse stops making sense the further into the game you go. By mission 13 or so (just past the halfway point) it gets to the point where there's a big massive, many enemy battle or a boss fight in every single mission. Almost none of them are fun. I never felt satisfied finishing one of these fights; I only felt relief that I was done with it. But then, the next mission, there would be another one.

The combat is often against flying enemies in which the player will be forced to use gravity to aim their attacks correctly, and this doesn't handle very well most of the time, so you'll end up in fights that will take much longer than they should. They're more boring than they are difficult, and the frustration will come from the tedium, rather than dying.

On the Vita version, the dodge roll button is the touch screen, so I rarely used it. I've heard that this is fixed on the PS4 version of the game, but I wouldn't know. It's a bad mechanic in the Vita game.

I went into this review thinking that I was going to enumerate a whole laundry list of flaws, but that's really it: the combat and the levels being built around that combat in the second half of the game.

The game has a really fun base mechanic, beautiful settings and set pieces in an absurdly large open world, and a really loveable protagonist and a superhero story worthy of Marvel's Silver Age. It's a good game; it's a really good game that absolutely could be improved in its sequel.

Here's hoping to that.