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Grayland (PC)

Grayland (PC) - Review

by Kevin McDonald , posted on 23 January 2020 / 4,451 Views

In my experience, mobile gaming tends to be frowned upon by the dedicated gaming community, with words like ‘shovelware’ and ‘casual’ flung about with reckless abandon. However, with the ever improving technology in phones and tablets, developers are now at a stage where they can start to cater to more experienced gamers. Glancing through Steam’s release schedule recently, I stumbled across side-scrolling adventure Grayland, an intriguing indie title hoping to make a successful transition from mobile to PC (and perhaps beyond).

And intrigue is certainly a key word for me with this game, as the sense of mystery enshrouding Grayland definitely drew me in. The main story thread you follow is one of love, as you control a nameless bird in its quest to rescue its mate and children. This plot is set against a backdrop of an apocalyptic dystopia, with humanity at war with an unknown alien race. However, you're never given any direct narrative and no words are ever spoken; you're simply left to fill in the blanks. Whilst this ongoing battle plays second fiddle to the story that you take part in, it's ever present throughout; each and every second of your quest is dripping in the utter desolation of a world ravaged by conflict. There are also one or two moments that strike an emotional chord, which I found to be quite impressive given the lack of text and ordinary visual cues.

Ah yes, the visuals. This was the other aspect of Grayland that grabbed me from the outset. It really is a feast for the eyes, despite taking a decidedly minimalistic approach. The entire world is monochromatic, with almost everything presented in black, white and varying shades of grey. The sole sources of colour are radioactive hazards and health orbs that are scattered throughout the land. Enemies and hazards are a distinctive, deep shade of black, whereas areas and platforms are paler and safe to touch. Many inhabitants will only be a threat to you when you enter their field of vision, which is represented by the colour white. The environments they inhabit are lovingly crafted, with plenty of detail to create an engrossing world. It’s remarkable how developer 1DER Entertainment has managed to make each stage feel lively and vibrant, yet also bleak and lifeless.


Having been designed with portability in mind, Grayland is very easy to pick up and dip in and out of. The majority of the game sees you steering a bird through the game’s 16 levels, dodging danger, and solving the occasional puzzle in your quest to find the exit. Unfortunately, the level design is very basic, as you’re mostly moving along a single path from right to left, with only the occasional excursion in a vertical direction. This is the sort of game that would benefit from expansive levels, multiple paths and hidden secrets, but instead you’re stuck on a linear path with no freedom. The aforementioned puzzles will do little to tax your brain and once you’ve got the enemy attack/vision patterns clocked you won’t have much trouble with them either.

The aforementioned radioactive hazards, which are an ever present thorn in your side, slowly drain your health when you get into close proximity. Most of these can be dispatched of by dispensing some… er… droppings on them, but opening your birdy bowels also depletes your health, so it’s important to be accurate, or you could find yourself plummeting lifelessly to the floor. Wiping out hazards and enemies sees coloured orbs dispersed into the air, which can be collected to replenish your health. They’re quite plentiful, so as long as you’re not too trigger happy with your faecal bombing you shouldn’t be starved of supplies.


As you might expect, the controls are very basic, with gamepad and mouse support included. I opted to use a pad, as it feels more intuitive and less frustrating. I imagine this made the game easier than originally intended, as some of the later stages require the sort of precise handling that is hardly conducive to the touch screen utilised in the mobile version. Movement is always responsive and the physics feel spot on; any deaths or mistakes were down to my errors rather than input flaws. The right trigger fires your own personal brand of biological weaponry... and that’s all there is to it. One chapter also has you controlling another character that can use a shield, which is controlled by the left trigger. It’s a fairly limited repertoire, but it’s all that’s really required; had it been a more complex game, then a broader skill set would have been necessary, but what you're provided with does suffice.

The music is a source of both derision and delight. There’s literally one piece that plays on repeat throughout the entire game, which would have been a catastrophic choice were it not so poignant. A lone piano plays a beautiful, melancholic melody, helping to strengthen the somber atmosphere and further tap into the emotions of the player. Whilst a greater variety of music would have undoubtedly been of benefit to Grayland (even if this just consisted of minor changes to the current composition to suit mood shifts, changing scenery, etc.), the fact that I never really got sick of the repetition is testament to the strength of what’s already there, as well as its importance to the overall tone of the entire package.


There's a lot to like about Grayland, in particular the way it's presented and the absorbing atmosphere it creates. Strip away these layers, however, and you’ll see it’s more style than substance. I worked through the entire campaign in just under two hours and, in spite of some missed achievements, there’s little that’ll have me rushing back to play again (although I can see myself revisiting every now and then). I do hope it's successful enough for 1DER to produce a more fleshed out adventure in the same style, as the building blocks of a great title are here. As is, it’s a little light on content, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from playing Grayland, as there are far worse ways to spend two hours of your time.


VGChartz Verdict


6
Decent

This review is based on a digital copy of Grayland for the PC, provided by the publisher.

Read more about our Review Methodology here

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