Back when it was released, Journey was quite a revolutionary indie game. A fairly short but super well polish and emotional adventure game. Tequila Works is one of many developers since then to have tried create another little adventure that resonated as well as that game did. Although it is comparable Rime definitely carves out its own path. This is especially noticeable with its focus on exploration and it quite a bit less linear then Journey. Rime is a very mystery game, you never know whats around the next corner and the narrative only teases you with tidbits of story. Rime offers a very relaxing and exciting adventure you probably won't want to miss.
The first piece of this mysterious game is the story. You play as a rather young boy in a red cape who washes up shore in his little boat. There are no indicators or tutorials telling you where to go or what to do. Right away the game nudges the player to rely on their own intuition and natural curiosity to figure out how to proceed. Rather quickly you are introduce to a cute little fox that will help guide you around but at anytime you can still stray off the beaten path. As you journey you'll come across other creatures such as a giant bird who persistently tries to catch you as well as these shadow people that sulk around. The very few cut-scenes hint at a disaster that occurred out at sea but its not till the very end of the game that it becomes quite clear what happened.
I think the gameplay is where this game really shines. Stay on the main path and you'll have to play through a series of puzzles themed to the five or so chapters in the game. Most of the puzzles involve platforming and some of them will involve other little gimmicks such as hurling balls of light at the shadow people or staying hidden from the giant bird. Don't expect a particularly challenging game if thats what you generally prefer. Rime is less concerned about difficulty and more interest in exploration. There are a ton of collectibles to find in all the nooks and crannies of this world. Personally, I found it quite enjoyable to run around and was quite pleased with myself when I found a hidden object way off the main path.
Another place this game shines is in its aesthetics. This is simply a gorgeous game. Besides running around for collectibles you'll want to explore just so that you can see it all. This is a very vibrant, colorful, world that keeps you excited to see whats next. Add on top of that a wonderful soundtrack that really feeds and re-enforces your emotions as wonder along. The music can be soothing as you're making discoveries and at other times it will pick up a bit as you're running around. It is hard to describe because the music never really takes the forefront of you're attention and instead tries to enhance what you are already feeling.
For adventurers like myself Rime was right up my alley however this isn't a perfect game and may not be for everyone. Although there is a lot to see and explore this isn't a particularly long game. Although I think Tequila Works made up for the length with its very polished visuals and level design I can understand how other people may feel differently. I'm also still not sure how I feel about the story or at least how it was told. It isn't a bad story but it just seems too vague for most of the game. Even though it tries to wrap things up in the end it still leaves some questions unanswered. I'm not trying to be nitpick but I think these are fairly important things to think about going into this game. That all being said I really enjoyed taking this journey and I'll be curious to see how you too feel after playing Rime.