Gravity Rush

Posted: 06/13/12

The PlayStation Vita has hit a bit of a dry spell in terms of new software releases, but Sony is helping the situation with the release of Gravity Rush. Though it looks like a stylish sandbox game on the surface, the game really turns heads with its gravity-defying platforming mechanics. There’s plenty of potential here, but do the game’s flaws drag it down to a sobering reality?

Gravity Rush casts you as a young amnesiac named Kat who learns she has the ability to defy the laws of physics. Your powers are eventually called into service to help restore order to the city and its inhabitants, but along the way you’ll uncover the truth about your identity and the odd nature of the bizarre world around you. There’s enough mystery present to keep the plot from getting stale, but the intrigue wears thin by the game’s end.

The world of Gravity Rush is an open environment where you’re free to roam around and engage in various activities. You’re initially restricted to a small area of the map, but as you progress through the game, you’ll unlock new zones to explore. Though it’s structured in a similar fashion to most sandbox games, Gravity Rush is lacking in the area of side attractions. You’ll spend the bulk of your time tackling the story missions, and while they start off rather dull, they’ll eventually hit their stride. Many of them involve simply fighting off monsters or bosses, but some of the more enjoyable activities involve using your gravity powers in creative ways, like sneaking into a location without being caught.

There are only a handful of challenge missions to tackle alongside the story stuff. Your rewards for completing these side missions, should you perform well enough, are precious gems you can use to level up your abilities. Additionally, completing enough objectives will increase your reputation, which raises the level cap on your skills. These RPG elements, along with the allure of unlocking a new costume, dangle the carrot just close enough to keep your desire to explore going. Eventually, though, you’ll hit a limit as to diversity of what’s on offer. You’ll be yearning for more variety by game’s end.

Even if you strictly stick to the story missions, Gravity Rush will take at least 10 hours to complete, though you can tack on a few more if you try to do everything.

Kat’s powers are truly unique, but they do come with some baggage. You’re able to change the way gravity affects you on a whim, and though it’s relatively easy to get around using your powers, there are times when the camera really makes things disorienting. Simply traversing the world isn’t really an issue--soaring through the skies or defying gravity by running upside down or up walls feels amazing. Rather, it’s the fact that there is no way to lock onto enemies during combat, and as a result some battles leave you feeling inappropriately helpless.

The combat mechanics are undercook overall, and while you learn a few new abilities over the course of the game, the fighting soon settles into a repetitive rhythm. The system lacks polish in general, with the gravity mechanics never seeming to fully come into their own combat. It’s particularly odd that in order to dodge, you have to swipe the screen when every other action is mapped to a face button or trigger. The end result is a dodging mechanic that isn’t very intuitive. Many of the cooler abilities rarely feel useful, and you’ll typically stick to the same basic moves to get by.

Gravity Rush is definitely a looker, achieving a level of visual fidelity that wouldn’t seem out of place in a high-end console game. The cel shading effect is put to good use to create an interesting aesthetic that draws from a wide range of influences. Tilting the system during any cutscene told through the comic panels will shift the perspective, which is a nice touch. Kohei Tanaka’s score is also a standout effort, though Resonance of Fate fans might experience some déjà vu.

Gravity Rush isn’t a stellar game, but considering the current content drought on the Vita, it’ll hold you over for the time being. There are certainly few games like it, with gravity mechanics and visuals unique enough to offset many of the issues that hold the experience back. If you’re looking for a sandbox game that doesn’t stick to the mold, you could do much worse than Gravity Rush.

Reviewed on the PlayStation Vita.


Gravity Rush

Release Date:
Adventure, Action

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