Arise: A Simple Story
- December 3, 2020
- Piccolo Studio
- 6h median play time
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Get on Epic Games StoreIn "Arise: A Simple Story" , relive the bittersweet journey of two people through vivid memories, bending time to overcome hardships in an emotionally-driven adventure. Traverse changing landscapes filled with feelings of love and loss, and find inspiration in the game's soulful music and beautiful art style. Master the flow of time, altering your surroundings as you uncover the magic in your personal struggles.
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Playstation 5
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Reviews
- Beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack enhance the emotional storytelling.
- The time manipulation mechanics are innovative and creatively integrated into the gameplay.
- The game effectively conveys a touching narrative about love, loss, and the journey of life without any dialogue.
- Controls can be frustrating at times, particularly with jumping and camera angles.
- Some players may find the platforming elements tedious and the fall damage overly punishing.
- The game can feel short, and some may wish for a more extended experience or deeper narrative exploration.
- story371 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Arise: a Simple Story" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful visual storytelling, effectively conveying themes of love, loss, and the passage of time without any dialogue. While some reviewers note that the narrative is simple and at times unremarkable, many find it touching and impactful, enhanced by stunning graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke strong emotions through its unique approach to storytelling, making it a memorable experience for players.
“The story is beautiful and at the same time very sad.”
“A deeply moving story of a man's life, its ups and downs, told through beautiful symbolism, dream-like visuals, and sweeping orchestration.”
“The story portrays the whole life with ups and downs of a pair of lovers on their journey through life.”
“The story is generic and I found myself getting bored while playing this. Worth a try, but I did not enjoy it.”
“The story is always present through visual storytelling, and although not a single word was spoken, it moved me to tears.”
“I was a little disappointed that most of the reviews praised the 'story' but there really wasn't much there.”
- music167 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been universally praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is not only captivating but also integral to the gameplay experience, often evoking strong emotional responses. While some players expressed a desire for more control over the music settings, the overwhelming consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and impact.
“The music, design, and ideas are top notch.”
“The soundtrack is gorgeous and complements the levels and events that take place, reacting to the actions that occur dynamically.”
“The music is an integral voice in this game.”
“Looked like a decent game but I don't want to be forced to listen to the in-game music, I have my own.”
“The only thing I would change is the unlocked memories that had their own background music which messes with the mood of the actual music happening before the memory.”
“The music is nice but not memorable.”
- gameplay163 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Arise: A Simple Story" is characterized by its innovative time manipulation mechanics, which are creatively integrated into each of the ten levels, providing a unique experience that varies thematically and mechanically. While the platforming elements can feel clunky and some controls may frustrate players, the overall experience is enhanced by beautiful visuals, a captivating soundtrack, and an emotional narrative that resonates throughout the gameplay. Despite some criticisms regarding repetitiveness and pacing, many players find the combination of story and mechanics engaging and rewarding.
“The uniqueness of the game's design and core gameplay is enough on its own, combined with a really nice story and a satisfying ending; it's amazing.”
“The gameplay loop is engaging enough that it doesn't become boring, and the soundtrack was really good too.”
“The main gameplay mechanic (manipulating time) is nicely implemented in various ways and makes for some interesting puzzle-solving.”
“Although the gameplay is a little rough (controls are a bit slippery and fall damage is a bit too strict) and some of the metaphors are a bit on the nose, arise ultimately succeeds in what it set out to do.”
“The gameplay is very boring; oftentimes I would quit it, watch a movie, and come back to it. It's also very frustrating; you'll slip off rocks and drown in water.”
“The locked camera made some jumps impossible, and the jumps seem predetermined, so if you fight the mechanics at all to try and do your own thing, you're going to yeet yourself off every cliff and rock face in the game.”
- emotional131 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Arise: A Simple Story" is widely praised for its touching and bittersweet narrative that explores themes of love, loss, and acceptance through a man's life journey. Players report experiencing a profound emotional impact, often shedding tears due to the heartfelt storytelling, stunning visuals, and masterful music that enhance the overall experience. While some find the gameplay mechanics to be simple, the emotional depth and artistic presentation make it a memorable and moving adventure.
“Arise is in fact a heartfelt and emotional story about love, loss, grief, and acceptance, joined together by some surprisingly decent platforming since I thought the focus here would be on the story over gameplay.”
“A beautiful and emotional tale of life, love, and loss, with gorgeous visuals and an equally spectacular soundtrack.”
“The story is indeed simple and it made me cry multiple times.”
- graphics112 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been universally praised for their stunning beauty and artistic style, often compared to a Pixar movie. Reviewers highlight the vibrant visuals, enchanting animations, and how effectively they complement the emotional storytelling and atmospheric music, creating a captivating experience. While some mention minor gameplay issues, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
“Beautiful graphics and chapter locations - I was in awe at the scenery and the creative ideas on how to get around; from jumping on flowers, to spider webs, to flying through fireflies.”
“The graphics are absolutely stunning, the music is beautiful, the story is emotional, gorgeous and engaging.”
“A beautiful and emotional tale of life, love, and loss, with gorgeous visuals and an equally spectacular soundtrack.”
“The graphics are mesmerizing and the musical accompaniment is magical.”
“Fun for kids, otherwise a generic platformer with pretty cell shaded graphics.”
“Emotion plays a key part in this game, and this game decides to focus this emotion into the art styles and the environments of the chapter rather than focusing on facial expressions.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its breathtaking visuals and immersive music, creating a calming yet emotionally resonant experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings through its art and sound design, making it a sublime, story-driven journey. Overall, the combination of low-poly graphics, atmospheric music, and engaging puzzles contributes to a deeply atmospheric and memorable gameplay experience.
“A simple story with breathtaking atmosphere.”
“The whole atmosphere and music makes it a really calm (but at some points emotional) experience.”
“It’s an amazing story, amazing gameplay, amazing masterpiece… inspiring music, amazing metaphor included in the gameplay… this masterpiece is not for everyone, but I have been crying and crying several times because of this story and atmosphere… thank you.”
“For example, I believe that the beginning of the story may be more narrative than focusing on puzzles and atmosphere.”
“It’s an amazing story, amazing gameplay, amazing masterpiece… inspiring music, amazing metaphor included in the gameplay… this masterpiece is not for everyone, but I have been crying several times because of this story and atmosphere… thank you.”
“The stages and atmosphere of the game are luxurious.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability varies significantly among players; while some find it offers little to no replay value, others appreciate the collectible memories and achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, it seems to provide a mix of limited and engaging replay options depending on player interest.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“Despite being a shorter game that offers very little replay value, it is definitely worth playing for the experience.”
“The game holds some replayability in the form of collectible memories and certain achievements requiring you to interact with things in the levels a lot or complete some levels without dying once.”
“So there is replay value in that.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some players finding it solid and largely bug-free, while others report significant issues, including frequent respawning due to character control problems and various environmental hazards. Overall, the experience can be severely hampered by these bugs, detracting from immersion and enjoyment.
“Overall, it is a solid, relatively bug-free game with an engaging story and a unique approach to co-op.”
“The game runs smoothly without any major glitches, providing a stable experience throughout.”
“I appreciate how stable the game feels; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant issues.”
“It was also extremely buggy for me, and it's hard to immerse yourself in the solemn melancholy of the scene when you're respawning for the dozen's time because the character can't seem to jump over a ten pixel wide gap...”
“This game is insanely buggy; sure, the overall vibe of the game is nice, but man does it suck to not be able to play a game.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with slow character movement exacerbating the feeling of monotony in expansive environments. This has led to a perception that the game requires excessive effort to progress.
“Grinding in this game is rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but ultimately satisfying.”
“Honestly, the gameplay felt a little tedious as your character moves so slowly in such vast environments.”
“Arise: a needlessly tedious platformer.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is reflective and poignant, highlighting the bittersweet nature of joy and loss. Players appreciate how it intertwines moments of levity with deeper emotional themes, making the experience both funny and thought-provoking.
“With that knowledge, we should hold on to each joyful, funny, loving moment we experience.”
“Loss is a funny thing because in order to feel it, you must have something originally.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its strong performance and polish, contributing to a smooth gameplay experience, particularly outside of the platforming elements.
“Performance and polish are great, so apart from the platforming, the game plays very well.”
