During a recent preview event, I got to go hands-on with Techland’s upcoming Arise: A Simple Story. First revealed during PlayStation’s State of Play presentation back in September, Arise uses familiar 3D platforming mechanics to tell a story about a man reflecting on key moments of his life. While the game’s central theme is melancholic, the story explores a wide range of emotions that anyone can identify with.
Most games feature protagonists in the prime of their life but Arise begins with the player character on a funeral pyre. The departed elder soon ends up in limbo, which is a frozen wasteland. Here, players can navigate the character to a variety of levels that explore different points of the protagonist’s life. I got to play through two such levels. One took place when the elder was a small boy. The other happens when he was a teenager. Both levels use the same core mechanics but deliver wildly different experiences.
Starting off in a grassy glade, I played around with Arise’s main gameplay mechanic: time-lapse. This feature is crucial for puzzle-solving and navigating through the environment. Unlike other games with a time manipulation mechanic, you can fast-forward and rewind time whenever you want and as many times as you desire. As the game progresses, players will also get the ability to completely stop time. I always enjoy when games let you manipulate time and Arise does a wonderful job of having it as a key feature.
The first level I played was a bright and vibrant world full of oversized plants and animals. As Studio Piccolo game director Alexis Corominas explained, this was to show how children see the world. When you’re a child, everything appears larger.
I used massive mushrooms, enormous flowers, and giant animals to get around the lush environment. Flowers swayed with the wind while snails and bees moved along predetermined paths. Using time-lapse, I tilted flower petals up or down so that I could safely jump onto them. I also hopped on the backs of snails to reach mushrooms and used a grappling hook on wandering bees to cover vast distances. This level was a joyful experience that resembled the 3D platformers of my youth. The following level was the exact opposite.
During the second level, I had to traverse a landscape experiencing a devastating earthquake. The land constantly shifted beneath my feet while gargantuan boulders rolled down from above and crushed anything in their path. While perilous, I used the unstable terrain to my advantage. For example, I stopped time and jumped on boulders then moved time forward or backward and used them to surmount obstacles. I also repaired destroyed bridges or conjured handholds on rock faces to climb on.
Most video games ramp up the difficulty the further a player gets. Alexis Corominas assured me this isn’t the case with Arise. In fact, the second level I played is apparently the most challenging one in the entire game. Other levels, like one that focuses on love, will not test one’s reflexes. What this tells me is that players (including myself) need to check expectations at the proverbial door. No two levels are alike in the way no two emotions are the same.
Though Corominas is a lifelong gamer, the same is not true of his wife. While she enjoys watching him play, Corominas always wanted her to be part of the experience. This desire informed Arise’s unique take on multiplayer. One player controls the elder while the other player controls time. To progress, both players must communicate and cooperate. Corominas explained that the role of the second player isn’t as demanding as that of the first. Considering the possibilities for griefing, it’s a good thing multiplayer is local only. The last thing anyone needs is some random online troll ruining the fun.
Fittingly enough, Arise features a minimalist art design. The world has a semi-water color aesthetic that gives everything a dream-like quality. This visual style is appropriate for a game that takes place in the afterlife. The soundtrack further helps draw players into the world. The music doesn’t call attention to itself by being bombastic or in your face. Rather, it blends into the background and enhances the feelings each level spotlights. Since the soundtrack is from David Garcia (the man behind the compositions for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice), it’s no surprise that Arise’s music is so captivating.
I enjoyed my brief time with Arise: A Simple Story. It takes familiar elements from 3D platformers but puts a twist on them by having levels that focus on specific emotions. It’s a poignant game, especially if you’re an older person who is becoming more reflective with age. Expect Arise to come out on December 3 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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