A lovely little narrative game but you only need to play it once.



Touching on theoretically universal themes during the adventure, Arise: A Simple Story, does exactly what it says on the box. Focused mostly on story, the game leads you on a relatively linear path through some time-shifting platform puzzles and delivers a heartfelt narrative along the way. I played it co-op with my partner and we focused on finding the collectibles as we played, a critical feature of knowing the whole story. Without the collectible memories the story might seem disjointed, so take your time and get all of the lights. The platforming puzzles were not terribly complex, mostly consisting of the second player moving the platforms around using time controlled in short or month-long spans while the first player traverses said platforms. However, you're not here for the puzzles or the jumping, you're here for a cozy story.

So, play this in the fall when the leaves are turning and you're entering your cozy months before the chill sets in your bones. Prepare yourself to wander along a charismatic path in a lovely, light-filled world. You'll learn the story of this big Viking man displaying his softer side, discovering love, enduring heartbreak, and reaching his ending peacefully. This game is definitely designed for folks who are closer to gray hairs than they are to baby teeth, so if you're not ready to think about settling down, it may be lost on you. If you place less importance on becoming a parent, then the impact of the central twist of the story will also be a bit anti-climactic.

However, it is still a cozy platformer with a nice story to play by a fire.

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