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Rise & Shine

It’s full of blood, violence, puzzles, humour, all set in such a beautifully designed world. Definitely one of the most fun platformers of recent years.
Rise & Shine Game Cover
63%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
replayability, optimization
60% User Score Based on 416 reviews
Critic Score 67%Based on 27 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
Rise & Shine Game Cover

About

Rise & Shine is a single player arcade role playing shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Super Mega Team and was released on January 13, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

The game mixes pure shooting arcade with the use of different bullets to solve all the situations Rise will find on his path. Think of a more arcadey Another World, also with a very tight relationship between gameplay and story.

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60%
Audience ScoreBased on 416 reviews
gameplay84 positive mentions
replayability7 negative mentions

  • Beautiful and detailed hand-drawn art style with vibrant and unique backgrounds full of video game references.
  • Challenging gameplay with tight controls, blending run-and-gun, bullet hell and puzzle elements that keep the combat fresh and satisfying.
  • Engaging humor, self-aware story presented with comic-style cutscenes, and an excellent soundtrack that complements the overall experience.
  • Very short game length, typically around 2-3 hours, making the price feel steep relative to content and low replay value.
  • Inconsistent and sometimes frustrating difficulty spikes, with some boss fights feeling unfair due to lack of checkpoints and one-hit kills.
  • Clunky controls and awkward mechanics, especially in aiming and shooting, which can impair combat fluidity and enjoyment.
  • gameplay
    234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Rise & Shine is a challenging mix of twin-stick shooting, bullet-hell elements, and puzzle-solving with unique mechanics like ammo switching and remote control bullets, offering variety and strategic depth. However, it is often criticized for clunky controls, unintuitive mechanics, poor pacing, and frustrating trial-and-error design, which can hamper enjoyment despite its polished visuals and engaging concept. Overall, while the gameplay is fun and inventive in parts, it suffers from uneven execution and limited replay value in a very short playtime.

    • “In a nutshell, Rise & Shine nails that perfect mix of gameplay, aesthetics, and challenge that keeps us gamers coming back for more.”
    • “The gameplay is a great blend of a bullet-hell shoot ‘em up, puzzle solving, and strategy.”
    • “Solid gameplay mechanics and level design, this game is a must-own for fans of the genre.”
    • “The game introduces new puzzles and combat mechanics extremely quickly, which is poor pacing and an immediate sign that this game is short and rushed.”
    • “The mechanics and controls are so clunky and all over the place that I couldn’t decide if using a controller or a mouse and keyboard were worse, until I eventually gave up trying to play with any tactics in mind and just started blind spraying bullets (you have an unlimited amount of ammo) in the direction of my target while wildly running back and forth praying I kill them before they kill me.”
    • “For all the things Rise & Shine gets right, it bungles it all away with repetitive and frustrating gameplay that eventually starts to border on pure sadism except that here there is no gratification waiting at the end of it.”
  • story
    181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is generally described as short, simple, and somewhat clichéd, often serving as a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek backdrop filled with humorous references to classic video games. While the comic book presentation and art style are widely praised, many users found the narrative lacking in depth, character development, and cohesion, though some appreciate its charm and nostalgic nods. Overall, the story is seen as functional and entertaining for its brief duration but not a standout element compared to gameplay and visuals.

    • “The story of Rise and Shine is well-written, whimsical and just plain fun; it’s a shame that it is over far too quickly.”
    • “Rise & Shine combines arcade shooting, bullet hell and puzzle platforming to create a unique game experience in a beautifully drawn game world with a nice story, humor and a lot of easter eggs.”
    • “The story is presented to you in comic book fashion and, by far, this is the thing I loved the most about this title.”
    • “The story is scant, and the attempt at an emotional climax is undercut by the lack of development for the characters and their relationships.”
    • “The narrative hooks try a little too hard to bring in every pop culture possible at the cost of story cohesion.”
    • “Aside from some poor design choices bogging down a promising title that could have been so much more, the game also comes with a simple plot with little explanation for who the invaders are or your place in this world.”
  • graphics
    161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Rise & Shine features a stunning, hand-drawn comic book art style with colorful, detailed visuals and charming animations that many reviewers found captivating. The game’s aesthetic is praised for its humor, clever visual references, and polished presentation, though some found the frantic action and visual effects occasionally hinder clarity during gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout element, offering a unique and pleasing experience despite some critiques related to gameplay visibility and style consistency.

    • “The graphics in Rise & Shine are quite beautiful with a definite cartoon sensibility featuring big, lush backdrops with awesome character models and amazing detail.”
    • “The art in Rise & Shine is simply some of the best 2D artwork I've seen in a long time.”
    • “The beautiful hand-drawn artstyle and tongue in cheek video game trope humor blend perfectly together to create a cohesive and seamless world - one which you have to save with your magic gun!”
    • “The game never takes the graphics to the next level; it teases changes in art/graphical style but never follows through.”
    • “It's hard to visually read what is happening due to the art style and camera shake.”
    • “Given the artwork, getting lost in the vivid colors and explosions will more often than not lead to your misery.”
  • music
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music and soundtrack are widely praised for complementing the game's visuals and gameplay, with many highlighting its fitting, intense, and polished nature, especially during boss fights. While some players found it easy to mute or less memorable due to intense combat focus, overall the music is regarded as a strong, integral element enhancing the game's atmosphere.

    • “Each soundtrack really fits the situation and level really well, especially the boss fights that were made way epic with the soundtracks used.”
    • “The music has got to be the best thing in this game; as you are fighting bosses and nearing their death, the music becomes super intense and just gets you pumped.”
    • “I greatly enjoyed the setting, I loved the hidden game references, and the game has an absolutely incredible soundtrack to go along with its stunningly gorgeous visuals.”
    • “Somehow I managed to mute the music and start the tutorial.”
    • “It's hard to take the game seriously with its moody, sullen music when a demon-eyed duck hunt dog triggers an explosives trap behind me.”
    • “Music and sound effects are decent (although I was more focused on the combat, so I wasn’t entirely attentive to the audio).”
  • humor
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in this game is characterized by a charming mix of dark, meta, and retro video game references, often blending crude and tongue-in-cheek jokes reminiscent of classic flash games. While many praise its entertaining, self-aware, and nostalgic humor—including 4th wall breaks and clever easter eggs—some find it hit-or-miss or overly generic, with occasional attempts feeling forced or inconsistent. Overall, the humor enhances the game's unique style and story but may not appeal equally to all players.

    • “Its art direction, excessive gore, and general humor all feel like they came out of the glory days of flash games on Newgrounds.”
    • “I came to this game not expecting anything, but was greeted by a unique mix of dark meta humor, brutality and some good puzzles.”
    • “With charming characters, humorous story elements, and 4th wall breaks, this game shines an irreverently reverent light on the video games of the 80's and 90's.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to players who enjoy uncovering secrets, pursuing achievements, or seeking additional challenges. However, its short length and repetitive elements, such as recurring jokes, often reduce the incentive for multiple playthroughs. Overall, replay value is minimal and may not justify the price for those seeking a longer-lasting experience.

    • “And that's just scratching the surface – there's replay value galore with secrets to uncover and challenges to conquer.”
    • “The collectibles and achievements that add replayability are hard to find.”
    • “You’ve got some replay value right there.”
    • “Also, this game does not merit much replay value, at least for me, because even if the jokes are fun, I do not want to hear them over and over.”
    • “No replay value.”
    • “Clocking in at around 4 hours maximum for a playthrough, with near to no replay value, the game at full price might be a bit steeper than some are comfortable with.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates solid overall performance without major bugs, but suffers from poorly optimized controls causing input delays that significantly impact the gameplay experience.

    • “Throughout my playthrough, I did not encounter any performance issues or defects—so clear on that front.”
    • “Solid core gameplay, great art style, and performance.”
    • “Performance.”
    • “I am not talking about some bad PC performance, simply delay in commands which is not very good.”
    • “I stopped having fun after less than an hour of play - which is a testament to how badly optimized the controls are.”
    • “Performance/bug related incidents.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that grinding in the game is often tedious and frustrating, with repetitive boss battles and inconsistent gameplay mechanics leading to frequent restarts. While some appreciate the game's visuals, many find the grinding aspect detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You make progress on a long tedious boss battle and then have to start all over from one mistake; frustration does not make for a fun game.”
    • “Very mixed bag: visually it's beautiful, a masterpiece even; story is okay but nothing special; however, gameplay is tedious and frustrating with little enjoyment as you go from one annoying part to another.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a striking post-apocalyptic atmosphere with beautiful, colorful graphics and a strong contrast of darkness and light that enhances immersion. While it aims to create an oppressive and tense environment, occasional humor and gameplay frustrations slightly undermine this mood. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its visual richness and intense, challenging encounters.

    • “Very atmospheric in total.”
    • “Great graphics, great atmosphere, diverse enemies and huge and challenging bosses.”
    • “The darkness in this stage is midnight black, perfectly offsetting the blinding light of your trusty flashlight and making for a very atmospheric experience.”
    • “The game aims to build an oppressive atmosphere but undermines it by including many inappropriate jokes.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect is largely lacking, as the story is minimal and the characters and their relationships are underdeveloped, resulting in an unengaging and uninspired experience.

    • “Basic and mostly boring story.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features appealing character and level design alongside a neat story, but the protagonist's character development is limited and halts early, diminishing overall depth.

    • “Neat story, awesome art and level design, good music, nice character design and such.”
    • “As far as Rise goes, his character development stops after the first cut-scene.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting it to be virtually bug-free and well-optimized by the developer.

    • “The developer did a fantastic job making this game and it is virtually bug free.”
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
2-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Rise & Shine is a arcade role playing shooter game with fantasy theme.

Rise & Shine is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Rise & Shine.

Rise & Shine was released on January 13, 2017.

Rise & Shine was developed by Super Mega Team.

Rise & Shine has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Rise & Shine is a single player game.

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