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The Sun Will Rise

55%Game Brain Score
story, emotional
gameplay, graphics
55% User Score Based on 55 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCWindowsWindows
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About

The Sun Will Rise is a completely free Final Fantasy-style game about depression. Made by an international development team of gamers and mental health professionals, it is designed above all else to be a rewarding playing experience with a positive message behind it.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
The Sun Will Rise screenshot
The Sun Will Rise screenshot
The Sun Will Rise screenshot
The Sun Will Rise screenshot
The Sun Will Rise screenshot
The Sun Will Rise screenshot

55%
Audience ScoreBased on 55 reviews
story9 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features decent graphics and character design, with some players appreciating the artwork and music.
  • Some players found the story to be meaningful and relatable, particularly in its exploration of depression and mental health themes.
  • The game is free to play, making it accessible for those interested in trying it out without any financial commitment.
  • The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and tedious, with many encounters feeling unfairly difficult and lacking engaging mechanics.
  • The story and themes are perceived as poorly executed, with some players feeling that the game fails to effectively address depression and mental health issues.
  • There are numerous technical issues, including bugs, inconsistent graphics, and a lack of proper RPG mechanics, which detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it drab and poorly constructed, feeling that the developers prioritized message over quality. Conversely, others praised its rich symbolism and emotional depth, particularly resonating with themes of depression and personal struggle. However, many noted that the gameplay's tediousness and linearity detracted from the overall storytelling experience.

    • “I did a let's play of this game last year and I was enormously impressed with the storyline.”
    • “As someone who has lived in the darkness of depression, every part of the storyline really connected with me.”
    • “The story is fast-paced and compelling.”
    • “The story is very drab, the graphics are okay, the gameplay lacks fun, the interaction between the player and game is nonexistent, and it is very hard to get into the game at all.”
    • “It feels like this game's story was thrown together, with the developers favoring the message at the expense of the quality of the storytelling.”
    • “Moving on to gameplay, the starting plot develops way too quickly, and you barely get to grasp who your character is and what kind of person they are before you get tossed three more characters your way, leaving you with no clue who they are or what their significance is.”
  • gameplay
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is criticized for its low quality, featuring simplistic mechanics and basic design that detracts from the overall experience. Players note that it is extremely short, lasting around three hours, and the difficulty spikes early on, making it challenging to engage with. Additionally, the game lacks depth in its mechanics, with standard controls that fail to support more complex combat strategies, leading to a lackluster experience.

    • “The sun will rise is extremely short, with about 3 hours of gameplay, maybe more if you're new to RPG mechanics.”
    • “The game mechanics and controls are pretty standard and work well.”
    • “Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
    • “Not only is the design basic, but the gameplay is way too simplified.”
    • “As far as gameplay, the first part of the game is nearly prohibitively difficult to survive.”
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are generally considered standard for RPG Maker titles, with some decent artwork and well-designed characters, but they suffer from inconsistency and a lack of originality due to the heavy reliance on base assets. While some battle graphics are noted as acceptable, the overall visual experience is hindered by poor fullscreen support and a lack of customization options, making it less appealing for modern gamers.

    • “The music is good, the visuals are standard for an RPG Maker game but they look nice and the characters are well designed.”
    • “Decent artwork, nothing unique but still nice.”
    • “Decent graphics in certain aspects.”
    • “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
    • “The story is very drab, the graphics are okay, the gameplay lacks fun, the interaction between the player and game is nonexistent, and it is very hard to get into the game at all.”
    • “Expanding on the graphics, there's a lot of assets used from the base RPG Maker assets, and I can't differentiate what might have been made by the developer(s) and what was free-to-use assets they borrowed. Consistency in graphics would improve this.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding in the game to be tedious and repetitive, with some noting that it fits the story but can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the grinding as a necessary element for narrative and gameplay, others feel it becomes stale and frustrating, particularly during combat scenarios. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a mixed bag, balancing between thematic relevance and player enjoyment.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “But right now, the game part of the game just becomes too stale and tedious for the story to be worth it as it is.”
    • “Although I understand that it's a crucial part of the story and symbolism, the 'cape fights' can be pretty annoying and tedious for many players and may repel them from finishing the game.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, described as enjoyable and not annoying, complementing the appealing character art and visuals. Players appreciate the soundtrack's quality, which enhances the overall experience, despite some wishing for more opportunities to level grind.

    • “The music is good, the visuals are standard for an RPG Maker game but they look nice and the characters are well designed.”
    • “Still love the music and the art (especially the character art!!), and the story is really, really fantastic.”
    • “That being said, the art is really pretty and the music is pretty cool too!”
    • “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during long play sessions.”
    • “While the soundtrack has some good moments, overall it feels uninspired and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
    • “I found the music to be quite jarring at times, which detracted from the overall experience.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is described as very touching and meaningful, with users highly recommending it for its emotional impact.

    • “Very touching and meaningful game... I definitely recommend it.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story left me in tears; it truly resonated with my own experiences.”
    • “I was completely immersed in the characters' struggles and triumphs; it felt like I was living their journey.”

Buy The Sun Will Rise

3h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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