If Zelda and Journey had a baby…
RiME is the latest from Tequila Works, famous for Deadlight. It puts you on an island with a tower in the distance, which you must reach with the help of a fox that you get shortly after starting. RiME contains no words or dialogue, just calming music and sound/visual effects to guide you. Much like Journey in that respect.
Getting across the island is tricky due to the puzzles that you’ll come across, the solution isn’t always simple and there’s not many hints along the way…but working it out is truly rewarding. It’s also an incredibly beautiful game, the island looks amazing…even if the main character looks basic in design. The island is a mystery and the tower itself is an even bigger one. The visuals take a clear hint from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, you’d be forgiven for mixing it up at a brief glance.
The soundtrack is also stellar, understated but charming nonetheless. The story is a bit confusing due to the lack of dialogue or text like Journey, but it does become clear at the end and despite that, it’s an emotional journey that is truly memorable.
The game handles well, although I would have liked to run a bit faster. There are also collectibles scattered across the island, which you can gather for achievements and after finishing the game, you can use a chapter select to return to areas where you have missed certain collectibles and believe me, unless you look under every rock and branch, you will miss some.
The Verdict
RiME is a truly memorable experience, one that combines the visuals of Wind Waker with the puzzles and design from Journey. Tequila Works struck gold with Deadlight and they’ve done so again here. RiME is one of my favourite games of the year so far and it deserves a place in your game library.