Arise and shine.
Is a platform game a good medium in which to tell a story of agonising tragedy? When the tears fall on the joysticks, is it appropriate to say, “Now, jump from there to there”? It’s hard to see how it wouldn’t be insensitive, after a heart-rending calamity, to chime in, “Chin up! Swing on your grappling hook over that lava pit.” With Arise: A Simple Story, developer Piccolo took on this seemingly intractable problem and delivered a very simple solution.
Arise, released on PC and consoles in 2019, is a story told without words. However, it bucks the trend of a vague-so-probably-profound story and provides straight-up plot and character development. It draws on visual art and music in themed levels, some static illustrations, short cutscenes, and – without expecting it to tell a whole story on its own – platforming gameplay with a time-control mechanic.
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