Some games are able to tell a story without words by using good pacing and stunning visuals, like those seen in Gris. This game is an artful and emotional journey that has been interpreted in many ways, but a common idea is that it revolves around dealing with loss.
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The story follows a woman in a flowing dress, Gris, as she travels across beautifully surreal landscapes, gaining abilities that allow her dress to change form. She crosses a number of diverse environments and encounters various creatures, some harmless and others hostile. Throughout the adventure, there are certain places that really stick out in the mind.
7 The Mother Statue
A lot of the game is open to interpretation, but one of the clearest assets in it is the statue that Gris encounters at specific points in her journey. Smaller variants of the statue can be found in various locations throughout the game, but there's only one that feels like a monument.
Even though there are no words, it's quite clear that the statue is of someone close to Gris. It starts in a state of disrepair and slowly changes throughout the adventure. It has a mystique to it and the beauty one might associate with ancient ruins or faded memorials.
6 The Tower Tree
Gris' adventure is so vast that it takes her to the edges of what looks like space, as she explores a floating realm in the night sky. With all the places having a lovely glow about them, this whole area could be considered beautiful in a number of ways.
However, there's one part that stands alone among the others. There is a tower to climb that narrows as you reach the top and has a tree full of branches ending in square bushels of leaves. It's open enough to let the sky peek through and gives the sense of being disconnected from everything below.
5 The Cubic Forest
One of the first areas in any given game is commonly forest themed. There are many reasons for this, but the forest can be seen as the tamest and most peaceful biome. Once Gris finds her bearings, she's able to make her way to a forested area full of cube trees and shy creatures.
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Most of the area is bathed in light coming through the trees, which range from thin and graceful to large and mighty. The whole area is beautiful and blends together in a way that makes want to linger for as long as you'd like.
4 The Underwater Cavern
When sinking into the sadder parts of her psyche, Gris will head into a series of caverns. These tunnels are filled with water that is clear and still, with no clues as to what lies in the depths. You can come across a series of darkened ruins that have likely never seen the light of day.
As cold as this place might feel, there's a cavern where a beam of light has broken through the stone. It illuminates an open cavern full of calm water and serene colors. It's an island of positivity and beauty in an otherwise deep and dark place.
3 The Floating Ruins
The Floating Ruins are an early environment that Gris has to contend with in a desert. Full of red sand and harsh wind, she needs to plan her movements carefully to avoid getting blown. What starts as moving between grounded ruins quickly takes her to higher levels. After doing so, she'll find herself moving between floating islands, some still possessing whole structures on them.
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Even though floating islands have become something of a trope in fiction, they can still be quite effective. Despite the harshness of the desert environment, these floating pieces are a mysterious and beautiful wonder.
2 The Sun Bridge
From the main area, Gris will need to cross a bridge to reach new locations in order to continue her adventure. Depending on where she's heading, the bridge she crosses will have a different background, which creates a different feeling. Although all of them are beautiful in their own right, there's something about the bridge set against the backdrop of the Sun creating dusk.
Whether this is a sunset or a sunrise is up to you, since time behaves unusually in this world. It doesn't change the fact that it's beautiful all the same, acting as both a physical and emotional bridge that all must cross at some point in their lives.
1 The Central Temple
Gris may have no words, but its main focus is the narrative portrayed by its stunning visuals. Still, it is a platforming game, and chooses to use the traditional mechanics of introducing a hub or central area that the character will return to multiple times. The first time involves setting up this huge and wondrous temple so that you can reach the other areas.
Every time you return to it, the temple will have changed, usually representing the current stage of your journey. Of all the states, the rainy one is arguably one of the most beautiful. Even though it creates a feeling of sastatic.aayyy.com/topic/dn/ess, there's also relaxation and reflection — which is important to growth and acceptance.
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