Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush, known in Japan as Gravity Daze,[lower-alpha 3] is a 2012 action-adventure video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Gravity division and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. Gravity Rush Remastered, a high definition remaster developed by Bluepoint Games for the PlayStation 4 was released in 2015 in Japan and 2016 in the West. In Gravity Rush, players control Kat, an amnesiac with the power to manipulate how gravity affects her, and uses her powers to help the people of Hekseville against the mysterious Nevi, helping its people against threats and uncovering the mystery behind her past. Gameplay has Kat exploring the open world of Hekseville, completing missions for townsfolk and defeating Nevi. Navigation and combat heavily involve Kat's gravity-altering abilities.

Gravity Rush
North American PS Vita cover art
Developer(s)Japan Studio (Team Gravity)[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment[lower-alpha 2]
Director(s)Keiichiro Toyama
Producer(s)Makato Isomine
Designer(s)Junya Okura
Programmer(s)Hirotaka Yokokawa
Artist(s)Yoshiaki Yamaguchi
Shunsuke Saito
Takeshi Oga
Writer(s)Keiichiro Toyama
Naoko Sato
Composer(s)Kohei Tanaka
EnginePhyreEngine
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: February 9, 2012
  • NA: June 12, 2012
  • AU: June 14, 2012
  • EU: June 15, 2012
Remastered
  • JP: December 10, 2015
  • NA: February 2, 2016
  • AU: February 3, 2016
  • EU: February 5, 2016
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Beginning development for PlayStation 3 in 2008 under the title Gravité before moving to the Vita, Gravity Rush was conceived by director Keiichiro Toyama prior to his work on Silent Hill and the Siren series. The team overcame technical challenges due to the gameplay and chosen hardware. The world, story and artistic style drew from Japanese and Western comics including the work of French artist Jean Giraud. The music was composed by Kohei Tanaka, who worked on the project from an early stage. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews; praise went to the art style and Kat's portrayal, but aspects of gameplay and control issues were criticized. The game went on to sell 200,000 copies worldwide. The remaster also released to positive reviews, focusing on its successful upgrade. A sequel, Gravity Rush 2, was released in 2017 exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

Gameplay

Gravity Rush is an action-adventure video game in which players take the role of Kat, a young woman who can manipulate how gravity affects her, allowing her to walk on walls and fly through the air.[2] Kat navigates the game's open world of Hekseville both on foot using roads and walkways, and using her powers; activating Kat's abilities, the player tilts the PlayStation Vita, aiming Kat and allowing her to "fall" in that direction. Kat can use her abilities to walk on vertical surfaces or areas such as ceilings and the underside of structures. Kat's gravity-based abilities are tied to an energy meter which decreases when her powers are active. When fully depleted, Kat's powers deactivate until the meter recharges.[3][4]

Combat takes place either on the ground or with Kat using her powers against enemies. When on the ground, Kat attacks by kicking enemies in their weak spots. When using her powers, Kat can rotate and aim at those weak spots. Increasing Kat's distance before using her powers increases the amount of damage.[2][4] Some abilities used in combat, such as the ability to locate and lock onto weak points, are tied to a cooldown timer which must replenish before being used again.[3][5]

During navigation, Kat can find three types of pick-ups; blue cubes which restore her energy and allow prolonged use of her gravity powers; green crystals which restore health; and pink crystals which act as the game's currency.[3] These gems are rewarded by completing quests given by non-player characters (NPCs), and can be used to buy and upgrade new abilities for Kat, or attributes such as health and energy.[4][5] Quests include escorting NPCs, fighting packs of enemies, and making deliveries. During these and other types of quest, Kat can use a particular ability to pick up objects and carry them with her as she navigates Hekseville. Some areas require Kat to navigate platforming sections, which grant access to new abilities tied to the story.[2][3][5]

Plot

The game opens with an amnesiac Kat waking up in Hekseville, a floating city around a structure called the World Pillar. Kat is accompanied by a mysterious cat named Dusty; in saving a boy from being swept up in a gravity storm, she discovers that Dusty has the ability to manipulate how gravity affects her, enabling her to help people fight monsters spawned from the storms called Nevi. After saving Syd, a police officer who becomes her friend, she learns that those with her powers are dubbed "Shifters" by Hekseville's people. As she begins helping the city's denizens, she is confronted by fellow Shifter Raven, who sees her as an enemy. Kat becomes involved in operations to catch Alias, a criminal linked to the Nevi — she eventually defeats him, sending him into a garbage crusher where he is killed. Alongside this, Kat helps restore sections of Hekseville swallowed by spatial rifts with the aid of Gade, a man who claims to be a "Creator". Kat restores all of Hekseville despite further interference from Raven, who apparently dies during a fight with Kat. Her exploits earn her the name "Gravity Queen". Following Alias' defeat and the return of the final missing part of Hekseville, Kat is offered a place in the city's military if she will follow orders of its commander, Yuri Gerneaux, but she refuses.

Kat then meets a woman who dropped the last letter she received from her deceased boyfriend over the edge of Hekseville. To find it, she travels inside the World Pillar, a gigantic column that supports Hekseville and stretches from the sky to below the clouds. On her way down, her Shifter powers fade, and she is confronted by Raven, but the two are attacked by Nushi, a giant Nevi. Kat wakes to find herself captive in Boutoume, a city beneath the Pillar, where a group of children are living under the protection of their leader Zaza. Kat and Raven help protect the children from Nushi, but they learn that the dark sea beneath Boutoume is slowly rising. One of the children, Cyanea, later confronts Kat — in a trance, while possessed by a being called a Dream Guardian, she reveals herself to be the Creator of the world through her dreams, and sends Kat into a dream where she learns that she is from a higher part of the World Pillar where she held a powerful position and suffered due to a great burden.

Having regained some of her forgotten power, Kat activates a ship called the Ark, which can transport everyone back to Hekseville. As the Ark launches after Kat beats back Nushi, Kat learns that Raven was originally one of the children trapped in Boutoume, and that she had been told by Hekseville's city alderman D'nelica not to retrieve them. On the way up, Kat succumbs to exhaustion and is separated from the Ark. Making her way back up the World Pillar, she ends up receiving the letter she was sent for from the boyfriend's ghost. Returning to Hekseville, she finds that a whole year has passed due to the temporal distortions experienced in the lower parts of the World Pillar—under constant Nevi attacks, Hekseville has come under martial law and D'nelica has become its mayor. Kat is forced to fight Nushi one last time, before it is destroyed by an enhanced military operative called Yunica. Syd has become part of the military after its absorption of the civilian police forces. Offered a second chance to join the military efforts against the Nevi, Kat again refuses. She is then asked by a scientist to help gather data about the Nevi, but it is a ruse to find out more about her Shifter powers.

After suffering from a nightmare about Alias, Kat wakes to find that Cyanea has reappeared, although Raven and the rest of the children are still missing. Attending a rally with Gade and Syd where D'nelica unveils the Nevi-destroying weapon Sea Anemone, Kat responds to a Nevi attack and is captured by Yunica together with Dusty. As Syd attempts to free her, the Sea Anemone — which was constructed with a Nevi core as part of D'nelica's plan to control both Hekseville and the Nevi — goes berserk and begins attacking the city. Cyanea's Dream Guardian self decides to intervene and frees Dusty, who subsequently frees Kat. Kat manages to damage the Sea Anemone, first with help from Yunica, who uses her mechanical weapons to damage its armor; then from Cyanea and Gade as they combine their powers with Kat's to summon the Ark as a missile. D'nelica activates the Sea Anemone's self-destruct function, heedless of the collateral damage, but Kat, Raven and Yunica are able to stop it before that happens, and fling it at Neu Hiraleon, where it explodes. The people hail Kat as their savior, while calling for the wounded D'nelica's resignation for his part of the fiasco. The children within the Ark remain in stasis, with Cyanea saying they will wake to help restore light to the world; D'nelica learns Kat's original identity through a red crystal in his possession; and Gerneaux remembers a prophecy about a harbinger of catastrophe falling from the world above, referring to Kat's appearance.

Development

Keiichiro Toyama created the concept for Gravity Rush and would be its director and co-writer.

The initial concept for Gravity Rush came to Keiichiro Toyama during the beginning of his video game career when he joined Konami. His initial idea was a vague image of people floating in space, with later concepts and ideas forming over time. Due to his work first at Konami as director for Silent Hill, Toyama was labelled as a horror game director, leading him to work for Sony Computer Entertainment on the Siren series working out of the company's Japan Studio development team. As Siren: Blood Curse was nearing completion, and noting the combination of increasing costs and decreasing revenue for horror games, Toyama decided to prove his ability to design outside the horror genre and turn his concept for Gravity Rush into a video game.[6][7] Toyama pitched Gravity Rush to Sony in April 2008 as a "gravity action" game for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) under the title Gravité. It was a title aimed at hardcore gamers which would be expanded with downloadable content (DLC).[8] The main staff were made up of veterans of Toyama's Siren series.[9]

Full production began following the completion of Siren: Blood Curse in mid-2008.[10] When creating the project, the team combined the concepts of gravity manipulation and a protagonist flying through the air, with the gameplay being inspired by Toyama's experience with the Sixaxis wireless controller prior to the PS3's retail release.[10][11] When creating the first prototype, the team used character models from Siren: Blood Curse to test the gravity-based physics.[12] Development on the PS3 version ran between 2008 and 2009, with a concept video to help the team finalize the art style and gameplay being put together using Autodesk Maya during 2008.[12][13] The team were implementing the Sixaxis controller as part of the gameplay.[9] During 2009, Toyama received information about the Vita—then in development and known internally as "Next Gen Portable"—so he could test its capabilities. Impressed by the Vita's gyroscope system and its potential application to the gravity-based action of Gravity Rush, and further encouraged by SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida, Toyama decided to shift development to the Vita.[12][14][15]

When the project was being designed for PS3, the team felt confident they could match their concept video as the console had been out for two years prior to Gravity Rush beginning development, the team saw and encountered little difficulty working with the established hardware. The main issues faced by the team were the size of the game world, the amount of content, and how to program the game. When development shifted to the Vita, which was still in development and had no set hardware specifications, the staff size dropped and the team had to reassess their priorities as they needed to help demonstrate the platform's unique features with the game.[15] Initially the Vita was expected to have similar capabilities to the PS3, allowing the team to carry over their previous development experience. When they realized that the Vita had far less power than the PS3, they needed to reassess the project, leading to their previous work being scrapped. Difficulties with the Vita's still-fluctuating hardware specifications during the first year of development forced Project Siren to develop the game on Microsoft Windows personal computers, a rarity for first-party Sony developers. By January 2011, the game was running on the Vita hardware and the team focused on polishing the graphics and gameplay.[10] The pressure to create a first-party Vita title in time for the platform's year of release put a large burden on the development team. A moment Toyama remembered later was when the Vita was publicly revealed, which saw Gravity Rush announced as part of the platform's launch line-up; due to the game suffering from unresolved frame rate problems, Toyama felt anxious about completing the game.[11]

Design

Toyama's greatest inspiration on the gameplay of Gravity Rush was Crackdown, influencing the upgrade system and open world.[6] During early stages, the team contemplated giving players safe areas within which the gravity manipulation would play out similar to a puzzle, but test player feedback led to the gravity-based navigation being applied to an open world. The team discarded the concept of fall damage.[16] Toyama had the team watch the film Hancock as a reference for Kat's "sluggish" movement through the air.[9] The lack of a targeting reticle or automated aiming was included partially to focus player attention on the Vita's gyroscope functions and to prevent the game from being too easy. The touchscreen controls were intended to play a larger role in combat, but Toyama found the result more difficult to control and so restricted it to dodging. The map design, which used a simple 2D design, was meant to ease navigation for players exploring the city from above using Kat's powers.[17] The most difficult gameplay move for the team was the Gravity Slide.[18]

The decision to have an open world town caused the gravity manipulation mechanic to become the basis of nearly all gameplay elements. During early testing, the team created small test areas such as enclosed rooms and tunnels, first determining what cues to give players about which was up and down when manipulating gravity. To this end, they included flying vehicles, distinct architectural styles with clear tops and bottoms, and other elements such as the movements of people and how Kat's clothing behaves.[17] A major issue with the gameplay was ensuring the environments had proper collision detection; while most games had multiple inaccessible areas which lacked collision detection, the gravity mechanic meant that the player could navigate a larger number of surfaces in the game, necessitating increased focus on ensuring collision detection for all surfaces worked as intended. During this period, the team used Havok software when testing both collision and the behavior of destructible elements.[19] Kat's moveset during her navigation and combat used a combination of hand-animated and physics-based movements.[11] The game used Sony's in-house PhyreEngine.[20]

The game was designed to run consistently at 30 frames per second, with lower resolution graphics being used to allow both a consistent frame rate and quicker loading for environments. The team worked with Sony to create several graphical tricks, such as false reflections from character eyes during real-time cutscenes and transparent elements in the scenery, to keep the frame rate high while not compromising the game's graphical quality. The final game featured 300,000 polygons per frame, sitting between the standard polygon counts of the PlayStation 2 and the PS3; including shadow elements and other aspects, the polygon count expanded to the point that the team feared they could not maintain a steady frame rate. In response, they devises a type of polygon culling where graphics hidden by other nearer objects had their polygon count greatly decreased, with separate layers of culling for both the in-game camera perspective and its peripheral area, which was further enhanced using the game's ambient occlusion. A version of this system was also applied to the lighting engine, controlling where light and shadow effects needed to be during movement through the environment. Due to the game's graphics and its platform limitations, a special shader system was used for character model lighting so as to preserve both realistic lighting and the cel shaded graphics. Another unique shader was used for the game's pickups, giving them a translucent quality. The result enabled graphical quality comparable to the PS3, as the culling and shader technology worked around the Vita's hardware limitations.[21][22]

Scenario and art

The scenario was written by Naoko Sato.[23] The basic story and the script for some scenes were written by Toyama.[14] The central story concept of two rival characters with similar superpowers was taken from comic books of the 1970s, with Toyama comparing the scenario to Hancock, The Bionic Woman and Majokko Megu-chan.[9][24] The shift to Vita and the consideration of the game's Western market drastically impacted the game's story and presentation. To appeal to as broad a market as possible, the narrative and presentation were modeled after both Japanese anime and Western comic book narratives, in addition to the comic book influences. Despite being a direct shift from the dark tone of the Siren series, Toyama used the similar premise of a protagonist getting involved in a crisis in a strange town.[25] The world's fictional language was seen as another potential problem when appealing to the Western market.[23] A central theme in the story was Kat's growth as a character through her hardships, acting as a metaphor and medium for commentary on the modern class system and examining a stagnating world system.[14] The Japanese title Gravity Daze was designed to both communicate the game's gravity-based premise and give an impression of strangeness. The long subtitle was meant to be impressive, with Toyama using the subtitle for Dr. Strangelove for inspiration.[10] Due to production deadlines, the team had to cut much of the intended later narrative.[26]

Toyama based the main protagonist on characters from American comic books such as Batman.[27] The choice of a female protagonist proved difficult to implement, as research at the time showed games with female leads selling less in the West.[23] Kat's personality was based on Toyama's own view of the world and ways of talking with people.[18] Kat's young age factored into this; while young protagonists were a norm in Japan partially due to the culture of purity surrounding them, in the West having a young protagonist was contentious for multiple reasons. After consulting with Western Sony staff, it was decided to keep the female Kat as the main protagonist, with Sato designing Kat so she would appeal to a wide audience. To make Kat more appealing, Sato chose simple and well-known story tropes for Kat's storyline—such as her amnesia, solving a central mystery, and helping Hekseville's people—in addition to allowing players to hear Kat's inner thoughts during conversations and story cutscenes. Sato greatly decreased the amount of violence from the first draft while preserving the meaning of story scenes. A cited example of this was a scene where Sid came upon Kat bathing; while in the game Sid slipped and fell, in the original draft Kat would have kicked him, a style of physical humor common in Japanese anime but seen as unpopular overseas.[23] The Nevi were designed to combine geometric shapes with the "feeling of life".[18] The minor characters of Kat's cat and Raven's crow companions were intended to evoke history through their appearance and lack of expressive features.[24]

The art director for Gravity Rush was Yoshiaki Yamaguchi, who had previously worked on the Siren series.[28][29] Yamaguchi created the initial drafts of the game's planned female protagonist before Kat was created.[29] When creating the town of Hekseville, Yamaguchi drew directly from comics, using line drawing to exaggerate building outlines and choosing unusual environmental colors.[28] The core concept for the game's environments was "Living Background", presenting the game's comic book influences within a moving background. The effect was created using multiple shaders and different environmental effect layers. The process was draining for the relatively small team assigned with creating the graphics.[19][30] The main characters were designed by Shunsuke Saito.[26] Kat's design reflected the wish to appeal to Western players; her proportions, face and hair were more realistic than what many expected of Japanese character designs.[23] The key words for Kat's design were "ninja", "strong woman" and "unknown nationality".[31] Kat went through multiple drafts, with her final design meant to have no exact origin and hold an exotic quality similar to popular female game heroine Lara Croft.[6] Enemy designs were by Takeshi Oga, while NPC designs are being handled by Yukiko Itano.[26] The game's concept and cover art were created by Oga. When creating the cover art, Oga worked to convey the setting and gameplay elements of Gravity Rush.[26][32]

The style and cel shaded graphics of Gravity Rush was influenced by Franco-Belgian comics, with Toyama citing artists Jean Giraud and Enki Bilal as direct inspiration. The choice allowed a combination of realism and fantastic elements that Yamaguchi felt was unique to the style.[6][33] Another influence on the world design was the film The Fifth Element.[34] The concept of Gravity Rush stemmed from a scene from The Incal, a graphic novel series illustrated by Giraud; several scenes showed characters falling through space, scenes which Toyama later emulated within Gravity Rush.[35] The world's culture was based on modern-day cities, while the buildings and streets of Hekseville were based on towns and cities from Northern and Eastern Europe, combining old buildings with modern transport. Specific influences were the cities of Copenhagen and Amsterdam.[9][34] Its design began with the World Pillar being at its center, then the rest of the city grew around it around the concept of a fixed time period for the whole city to allow for the creation of interesting locations.[34] The game's spoken dialogue used a constructed language which sounded similar to French; Toyama created the language based on Giraud's bande dessinée work and his observations that Japanese dubs of French movies felt "natural".[14] A constructed writing system, made mainly from English and romanized Japanese with letters removed in certain positions, was used for maps, in-world signage, and visual sound effects.[36]

Music

The music was composed by Kohei Tanaka, noted for his work both in anime and on video games such as the Sakura Wars series and Resonance of Fate.[37][38] Arrangements were done by Tanaka, Keiji Inai and Yasuhisa Murase.[39] Tanaka was brought on board the project as Toyama felt Tanaka was the only one who could recall the orchestral melodies of animations from the 1970s.[14] Similar to his work on the Sakura Wars series, Tanaka began working on the soundtrack from early on in development, resulting in Tanaka's work influencing the development of gameplay.[38] Tanaka used a mixture of acoustic orchestra, electric guitar and bass, drums, and saxophone; in addition, he used a Synthesound board to create more experimental sounds. Rather than sticking to a single musical genre, Tanaka mixed genres to emulate the world and gameplay of Gravity Rush.[37] While some songs were completed and approved quickly, others required several retakes and Tanaka sometimes had to defend his work from outside criticism. A particular concern for Tanaka was that the looping environmental tracks would not become tiresome for players.[40]

The ending theme "Douse Shinundakara" was composed by Tanaka and arranged by Murase. The lyrics—which used the game's constructed language—were written by Toyama, while the theme was sung by Masako Toda.[39] Toyama wrote the lyrics based on a portion of the game's script which saw Kat transported through an introspective vision about her past. At the time of writing, production was not going smoothly and Toyama was feeling frustrated and more conscious of death in the wake of a severe earthquake in Japan in 2011. Realizing that death was inevitable and that people should enjoy the moment, Toyama wrote the lyrics to imply this message.[14] Toyama was worried during the recording process due to the lyrics being fictional, but Tanaka advised Toda to sing the song as if she were humming a tune in a bar.[14][39]

An official album release, Gravity Daze Official Soundtrack, was published by Team Entertainment on March 21, 2012.[41] The album has received positive reviews from music critics.[42][43]

Release

Promotion at E3 2013

Gravity Rush was announced under its Japanese title Gravity Daze as part of the unveiling of the Vita, being announced alongside titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss and LittleBigPlanet PS Vita.[44] The game released in Japan on February 9, 2012.[45] The game also released in Mainland Asia the following day.[46] Following the game's release, updates were issued which addressed graphical and behavioral problems.[47] Between March and April 2012, Gravity Rush received three DLC packs; each includes a new outfit for Kat, two side mission, and two challenge missions.[48][49][50]

Sony continued to promote the title in the coming months, including launching a commercial featuring Japanese idol and actress Akari Hayami; the commercial featured Hayami performing the same gravity manipulation as Kat. Hayami filmed the commercial after finishing school one day, although she still had to change into a new school costume despite wearing a uniform. She enjoyed the filming despite having to be suspended from wires for several sequences; after shooting was completed, the staff gave her a Vita and copy of the game.[51]

In the West, the game was originally announced under its Japanese title,[44] later referred to under the title Gravity when it was shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011.[52][53] Its English title Gravity Rush was revealed in August of that year.[54] A game demo was released for the West in May 2012.[55] The game released in North America on June 12,[56] in Europe on June 15,[57] and in Australia on June 14.[58] One of the Japanese DLC packs was released as a pre-order bonus, with the other two being post-release paid DLC.[59]

Gravity Rush Remastered

A high definition remaster for PlayStation 4 titled Gravity Rush Remastered was announced in September 2015; in addition to generally upgrading the title for the new console, it included all DLC released for the Vita version.[60] The remaster was developed by Bluepoint Games, a studio which had earned a reputation for high-quality remasters such as The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection.[61] One of the main reasons for making the remaster was Toyama's wish to bring Gravity Rush to a wider audience.[62] In addition to increasing the frame rate, the team were able to implement upgrades to the lighting, blur effects, draw distance and graphics engine.[61][62] The character models were upgraded to the type used in the game's in-development sequel.[61] The game released on December 10, 2015 in Japan; on February 9, 2016 in North America; and on February 10 in Europe.[63] In Australia, the game released on February 3.[64] Originally announced as a digital exclusive in North America, a limited physical edition was released exclusively through Amazon.com.[63][65]

Reception

Famitsu called the setting "outstanding";[73] while Destructoid's Jim Sterling said that while Kat was an "adorable" protagonist, the story became nonsensical by the second half.[4] Edge Magazine said the story provided "an engaging blend of eccentric nonsense", providing engaging scenarios for Kat while also praising her for breaking away from the physical superhero norms.[69] Mollie L. Patterson Electronic Gaming Monthly praised Kat as a protagonist,[70] while Christian Donlan of Eurogamer praised the writing, narrative, and the light tone adopted to tell the story.[72] GamesRadar's Lucas Sullivan likewise enjoyed Kat as a protagonist and praised the cast,[76] while Dan Ryckert of Game Informer felt that the story quickly lost focus and left the player wanting.[74] GameSpot's Carolyn Petit felt that the game left too many mysteries unanswered.[2] Greg Miller of IGN greatly enjoyed Kat's characterization and the opening segments of the story, but shared Petit's criticisms of the ending.[5] Official PlayStation Magazine's Louise Blain called Kat a "perfect, charmingly reluctant heroine", but said that trying to describe the story would be like "trying to explain five seasons of Fringe in one sentence".[79]

Speaking about the gameplay, Famitsu enjoyed the sensation of navigating the city, and praised the sense of freedom despite noting control issues.[73] Sterling enjoyed exploring the city, but found the combat cumbersome and mission objectives repetitive.[4] Edge likewise enjoyed exploring the city and positively compared the wall walking segments to climbing in Crackdown, and despite finding aspects of general gameplay and combat weak did not feel this brought down the experience too much.[69] Patterson was positive overall, saying that while there were some elements that seemed underdeveloped, the overall experience was highly enjoyable and left her wanting more.[70] Donlan called combat "simple but satisfying" and praised both the exploration and controls,[72] while Ryckert enjoyed general exploration and combat while finding most side activities "basic".[74] Petit enjoyed exploring the city, but found combat tedious and felt that the game's pacing was bogged down by uninteresting side activities.[2] Sullivan found aspects of the control scheme took some time to master, but generally enjoyed the gameplay.[76] Miller praised the gravity-based gameplay, but called some later missions frustrating.[5] Blain praised the controls and found the gravity-based gameplay generally entertaining.[79]

Both Famitsu and Edge praised the visuals;[69][73] Edge positively called them a "[Studio] Ghibli-meets-[Charles] Dickens" stylistic blend.[69] Sullivan likewise positively compared both the music and the visuals to the work of Studio Ghibli. His one warning was that it was not for people who suffered from motion sickness.[76] Patterson praised the comic book artstyle, technical polish and the music, calling the latter "beautifully produced, [fitting] the fantastical setting"[70] Both Donlan and Ryckert shared praise for the general aesthetic and structure of the game world.[72][74] Petit praised the cutscenes' comic panel style and called the overall visuals "beautiful".[2] Miller praised the soundtrack and visuals, but found the draw distance was too short.[5] Blain positively noted the structure of the game's city environments, and praised the cutscenes.[79]

Reviewing the Asian English release of Remastered, Josh Tolentino of Destructoid praised the technical upgrade despite it still being clearly a Vita game, but criticized the lack of new content.[68] Patterson, again reviewing for Electronic Gaming Monthly, echoed her praise for the original game and said that the upgrade to PS4 and the technical upgrades had made the experience even better for her.[71] IGN's Marty Silva said that the game's art style and smooth framerate allowed it to hold its own despite its age, but did not enjoy the motion control options. He called it the best way of experiencing Gravity Rush.[78] Justin Towell of GamesRadar also gave the remastering praise, noting its graphics and improved sense of scale, but criticizing persistent camera difficulties experienced in the original.[77] Oli Welsh, writing for Eurogamer, praised Remastered as standing among Bluepoint Studio's better efforts, praising its visual and technical upgrades despite the simplistic design dragging down the experience.[80] GameSpot's Peter Brown likewise praised the upgrade to the graphics.[75]

Sales

Upon its debut in Japan, Gravity Rush reached second place on game charts, selling over 43,400 units and coming in behind the PlayStation Portable (PSP) title Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki. While a strong start for the game, Vita sales had dropped from the previous week and were behind both the PSP and the Nintendo 3DS.[81] By March, the game had sold over 100,000 units in the region, including both digital downloads and physical shipments. While no exact figures were given, sales in Mainland Asia were also said to be positive.[82] In the United Kingdom, Gravity Rush reached ninth place in the "UK Individual Platforms Top 10" in its week of release.[83] By August 2012, Gravity Rush had sold 200,000 units worldwide.[84]

Gravity Rush Remastered reached tenth place in the charts with just over 25,000 units sold. While low compared to other debuts that week, its status as a remaster with few additions factored into this figure.[85] A different sales estimate placed the game in thirteenth place with a little under 20,000 units.[86] In the United Kingdom, the game failed to reach the top 20 best-selling titles of that week despite a lower price tag than other new releases, coming in at thirty-fourth place.[87]

Sequel

Keiichiro Toyama expressed interest in developing a sequel to Gravity Rush.[88] After receiving the Tokyo Game Show 2012 TGS Game of the Year award, and receiving congratulations from fans Toyama said, "I'll do my best on the sequel".[89] The sequel, titled Gravity Rush 2, was announced on Sony's TGS 2015 press conference and was released in the United States in 2017 for the PlayStation 4.[90]

After the release Kat was added to the Everybody's Golf 6 roster as downloadable content.[91] Kat, Raven, Alias, and Yunica were added as a costume pack for LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita, and LittleBigPlanet Karting.[92] Kat is a playable character in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, available as downloadable content.[93] and made a cameo appearance in Astro's Playroom (2020).[94]

Film adaptation

A film adaptation directed by Anna Mastro and written by Emily Jerome was reported to be in development at PlayStation Productions and Scott Free Productions.[95]

References

Notes
  1. Remastered developed by Bluepoint Games.
  2. PlayStation 4 port released under the publisher's new name, Sony Interactive Entertainment.
  3. Guraviti Deizu/Jūryoku-teki Memai: Jōsō e no Kikan ni Oite, Kanojo no Nai-Uchū ni Shōjita Setsudō (Japanese: グラビティデイズ/重力的眩暈:上層への帰還において彼女の内宇宙に生じた摂動, lit. Gravitational Dizziness: The Perturbation of Her Inner Space Caused by the Repatriation of the Upper Stratum[1])
Citations
  1. "PS Vita Gravity Rush Gravitational Dizziness: The Perturbation of her Inner Space caused by the Repatriation of the Upper Stratum". AmiAmi. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  2. Petit, Carolyn (June 13, 2012). "Gravity Rush Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  3. Gravity Rush (Instruction manual) (North American ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment. June 12, 2012.
  4. Jim, Sterling (May 24, 2012). "Review: Gravity Rush". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  5. Miller, Greg (May 24, 2012). "Gravity Rush Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  6. Rubenstein, Jeff (March 14, 2012). "Gravity Rush's Creators Reveal The Game's Origins". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  7. Yip, Spencer (December 16, 2011). "Gravity Rush Was Ten Years In The Making". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  8. Romano, Sal (February 9, 2012). "Gravity Rush started out on PlayStation 3". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  9. 重力を操るA・AVG『GRAVITY DAZE(仮)』インタビューで気になるアソコをほじる (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  10. "気持ちの良い嘘"が生み出す独特の浮遊感に注目。「GRAVITY DAZE/重力的眩暈:上層への帰還において、彼女の内宇宙に生じた摂動」インタビュー (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. August 30, 2011. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  11. 「GRAVITY DAZE」では“何も決めない”ことを貫きました――ディレクター外山圭一郎氏インタビュー (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  12. 「GRAVITY DAZE」はいかにして生まれたか? そのアートコンセプトと開発工程そして,チームマネジメントを開発スタッフが語る (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. April 3, 2012. Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  13. Romano, Sal (April 14, 2012). "Interview: Gravity Rush's Keiichiro Toyama". Gematsu. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  14. Leo, Jon (June 15, 2012). "Defying physics in Gravity Rush". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  15. 『GRAVITY DAZE』PS3用ソフトからPS Vitaへの転換など開発秘話が満載【PS Vita ゲームカンファレンス】 (in Japanese). Famitsu. April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  16. "The Gameplay of Gravity Rush". PlayStation. June 1, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  17. 『GRAVITY DAZE』新規タイトルを成功に導いた独特な制作手法とは?【CEDEC 2012】 (in Japanese). Famitsu. August 21, 2012. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  18. "Your Gravity Rush Questions Answered". PlayStation. July 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  19. [GTMF 2012]「GRAVITY DAZE」開発スタッフが語る,アートコンセプトをPS Vita上で実現した手法の実際 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. July 6, 2012. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  20. Corriea, Alexa Ray (November 12, 2013). "Secret Ponchos now running on Sony's PhyreEngine, coming to PS Plus in April". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  21. 西川善司の3Dゲームファンのための「GRAVITY DAZE」グラフィックス講座 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. February 12, 2013. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  22. [CEDEC 2012]「GRAVITY DAZE」のグラフィックスエンジン詳説。いかにしてSCEはリッチな画面効果と30fps動作をVita上で両立させたのか (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  23. [CEDEC 2012]“Too Japanese”だから受け入れられた「GRAVITY DAZE」の制作手法。プロデュースとシナリオから見る海外で評価される考え方 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. August 21, 2012. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  24. "The Characters of Gravity Rush". PlayStation. May 2, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  25. Gifford, Kevin (October 30, 2013). "Silent Hill creator discusses how he joined the game biz and why AAA horror is 'difficult' to fund". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  26. GRAVITY DAZE シリーズ公式アートブック /ドゥヤ レヤヴィ サーエジュ [Gravity Daze Series Artbook - Douya Rejavi Saaeju] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. March 20, 2017. ISBN 978-4-0489-2523-5.
  27. Boxer, Steve (January 17, 2012). "Gravity Rush: Sony talks us through Vita's mental adventure". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  28. Yamaguchi, Yoshiaki (May 2, 2012). "The Art Of Gravity Rush On PS Vita". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  29. 【アソビの遺伝子】夜見島やキトゥンのお宝資料を一挙公開! アートディレクター・山口由晃<前編> (in Japanese). PlayStation Blog. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  30. [CEDEC 2012]短期間,少人数で新規IPの背景美術を完成させたマネジメント。「GRAVITY DAZE」,“Living BackGround”を考慮したワークフロー (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  31. 『GRAVITY DAZE』のビジュアルの秘密に迫る!【GDC 2012】 (in Japanese). Famitsu. March 10, 2012. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  32. 「GRAVITY DAZE」のメインイラストが世界を代表するゲームアートの1つに選出 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. May 30, 2012. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  33. Clements, Ryan (March 16, 2012). "Gravity Rush: On Cats and Comics". IGN. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  34. "The World of Gravity Rush". PlayStation. May 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  35. Hansen, Stevan (September 14, 2016). "Meet the man who made Silent Hill and Gravity Rush". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  36. Rosa, Mark (May 22, 2013). "The Secret Alphabet of Gravity Rush". The Digital Fix. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  37. Leo, Jon (July 16, 2012). "Sound Byte: Gravity Rush Music Showcase". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  38. 田中公平氏が「渾身の一作」と語る『GRAVITY DAZE 2』サントラが発売! トークイベントで田中氏と外山Dが制作秘話を披露 (in Japanese). Famitsu. February 26, 2017. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  39. Kohei Tanaka. "Gravity Daze Original Soundtrack liner notes." (in Japanese) Team Entertainment. March 21, 2012. KDSD-00541~2 Retrieved on January 15, 2018.
  40. 田中公平氏とヒャダインこと前山田健一氏の対談が実現。前山田氏が「このままじゃ大丈夫じゃないことが分かりました」と語った訳は……? (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. March 29, 2012. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  41. GRAVITY DAZE/重力的眩暈:上層への帰還において、彼女の内宇宙に生じた摂動 オリジナルサウンドトラック (in Japanese). Team Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  42. Gann, Patrick (June 20, 2012). "Dizzying Heights: Gravity Rush OST (Review)". Original Sound Version. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  43. Friedman, Marc (August 1, 2012). "Gravity Rush Original Soundtrack". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  44. "First NGP games announced". GameSpot. January 27, 2011. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  45. 『GRAVITY DAZE』の開発スタジオに潜入!――先行体験会&制作スタジオ見学ツアーが開催 (in Japanese). Famitsu. February 2, 2012. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  46. Leo, Jon (February 6, 2012). "Asia Shippin' Out Feb 5-11: Gravity Daze, Darkness II, Amalur". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  47. Gravity Daze - アップデートに開しまして (in Japanese). PlayStation. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  48. Gantayat, Anoop (February 29, 2012). "Three Weeks of Gravity Rush Download Content Start on March 22". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  49. Gantayat, Anoop (March 26, 2012). "Gravity Rush Maid Download Content Coming in April". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  50. Gantayat, Anoop (April 2, 2012). "First Look: Gravity Rush's Maid Costume". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  51. Gantayat, Anoop (May 10, 2012). "Sony Readying New Gravity Rush Commercial Campaign". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  52. Gallegos, Anthony (June 6, 2011). "E3 2011: Defying Gravity on PlayStation Vita". IGN. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  53. Bradform, Matt (June 9, 2011). "E3 2011: Screens and details drop for PS Vita's 'Gravity'". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  54. Elliot, Patrick (August 20, 2011). "Gravity Daze Now Gravity Rush, New Screenshots and Trailer". Push Square. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  55. Dutton, Fred (April 16, 2012). "Gravity Rush demo release date announced". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  56. Cheng, Wilson (February 29, 2012). "Gravity Rush Floats to PS Vita on June 12". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  57. Maschke, Rebecca (February 29, 2012). "Gravity Rush Coming To PS Vita As Both Download And Game Card On 13th June". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  58. Spudic, Joshua (June 14, 2012). "Gravity Rush Now Available In Australia". Capsule Computers. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  59. Toyama, Keiichiro (June 12, 2012). "Gravity Rush Launches Today on PS Vita – Get the Inside Scoop on DLC". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  60. Cowan, Danny (September 15, 2015). "Gravity Rush Remake and Sequel Announced for PlayStation 4". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  61. PS4®で生まれ変わる驚異の重力アクション! 『GRAVITY DAZE』開発スタッフからのメッセージ! (in Japanese). PlayStation Blog. September 20, 2015. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  62. Gravity Rush Remastered / Keiichiro Toyama interview / PS4 (YouTube) (Video). PlayStation. January 28, 2016. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  63. Ike, Sato (October 28, 2015). "Gravity Rush Remastered Will Only Get A Digital Version In North America". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  64. Hamilton, Kirk (January 27, 2016). "Gravity Rush Soars To PS4, Sticks The Landing, Gathers Some Gems". Kotaku Australia. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  65. Romano, Sal (November 14, 2015). "Gravity Rush Remastered North American retail release confirmed [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  66. "Gravity Rush for PlayStation Vita". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  67. "Gravity Rush Remastered for PlayStation 4". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  68. Tolentino, Josh (January 15, 2016). "Review: Gravity Rush Remastered". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  69. "Gravity Rush review: Exactly the kind of original game that a fresh-faced system such as Vita needs". Edge. June 11, 2012. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  70. Patterson, Mollie L (May 24, 2012). "Gravity Rush review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  71. Patterson, Mollie L (January 26, 2016). "Gravity Rush Remastered review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  72. Donlan, Christian (February 20, 2012). "Gravity Daze Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  73. GRAVITY DAZE/重力的眩暈:上層への帰還において、彼女の内宇宙に生じた摂動 (Vita). Famitsu. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  74. Rykert, Dan (May 24, 2012). "Gravity Rush - Down Becomes Up In Sony Japan's Solid Vita Debut". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  75. Brown, Peter (January 26, 2016). "Gravity Rush Remastered Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  76. Sullivan, Lucas (May 24, 2012). "Gravity Rush Review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  77. Towell, Justin (January 27, 2016). "Gravity Rush Remastered Review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  78. Sliva, Marty (January 29, 2016). Gravity Rush Remastered Review (Video). IGN via YouTube. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  79. Blain, Louise (May 24, 2012). "Grtavity Rush PS Vita Review". Official PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  80. Welsh, Oli (February 5, 2016). "Gravity Rush Remastered Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  81. Matthew, Handrahan (February 16, 2012). "Vita continues to struggle as 3DS tops Japanese charts". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  82. PS Vita『GRAVITY DAZE』10万本突破、外山ディレクターが報告 (in Japanese). Inside Games. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  83. Rose, Mike (June 18, 2012). "FIFA 12 takes ninth UK number one as Euro 2012 kicks off". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  84. 海外でも通用するゲームとは 日本の開発者を悩ます文化の違い. The Nikkei (in Japanese). August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018. (subscription required)
  85. Ike, Sato (December 16, 2015). "This Week In Sales: Hardware, Costume-Breaking Weapon Girls... El Psy Kongroo". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  86. 【週間ソフト販売ランキング TOP50】『モンハンクロス』が実売ベースのダブルミリオンを突破!(12月7~13日) (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  87. Orry, James (February 8, 2016). "UK Video Game Chart: Black Ops 3 is back at No.1". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  88. Gantayat, Anoop (July 24, 2012). "Japan's Top Creators Discuss the Future of Games". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  89. "Gravity Rush director alludes to sequel". Eurogamer. September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 25, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  90. Toyama, Keiichiro (October 5, 2016). "Gravity Rush 2 Update". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  91. "Kat From Gravity Rush Has Cameo In Hot Shots Golf". PlayStation Blog. August 28, 2012. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  92. "Sack it to Me: Gravity Rush Comes to LittleBigPlanet". PlayStation Blog. November 19, 2012. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  93. "First PlayStation All-Stars DLC: Kat and Emmett Join the Battle Royale (For Free!)". PlayStation Blog. November 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  94. IGN (November 12, 2020). 64 PlayStation Game Easter Eggs in Astro's Playroom. YouTube (Video).
  95. Grobar, Matt (August 22, 2022). "'Gravity Rush' Film Based On PlayStation Game In Works From PlayStation Productions & Scott Free; Anna Mastro Attached To Direct From Emily Jerome's Script". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.