Rime seems stuck half way between walking simulator and puzzle platform adventure. Â That’s no bad thing, though, when the game is a joy to walk through.
There is little in the way of introduction to Rime, where the boy that acts as your playable character comes from and where he’s going, but you’ll need to get used to that early on as the game only hints at a story until it unravels at the end. Â Think the excellent Playstation exclusive Journey and you’ve got the general idea.
You start by being washed up on the shore and looking for some path to guide you, but the game allows you to roam around with a few visual clues to gently guide you in the right direction. Â Gentle is perhaps the ideal description for the whole game, there are little in the way of threats and you’re mostly on your own save for a mysterious fox companion who turns up early on to show you the general direction to walk.
The stylised visuals work well here, giving the game an almost cel shaded feel with their soft edges. Â While there isn’t that much to see, the world isn’t full of detail, it has a lovely mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern feel to it and the music aids the soothing, almost holiday-like aspect of the game’s pace.
As with any game of this time, there will be criticism over just how much there is to do here, but it’s not just a ‘walking simulator’, there are puzzles to be solved, though most are simple spacial puzzles with enough guidance to allow most people to progress quickly through.  Younger players may get stuck with some of the larger ones and it’s certainly a game that they would benefit being played with adults by their side.  In fact, Rime suits this sort of spectator play, where you work together and also share the experience together.
While it doesn’t have any major stand-out points bar the ending (which will, in itself, divide people) Rime is just the right length to avoid getting boring and I personally found it a lovely gentle paced adventure.
Rime
Pros
- Beautiful vistas
- Interesting sound based puzzles
Cons
- Lack of coherent storyline
- A little short
- Fairly easy
