Tequila Works has posted a “guide” to Rime‘s Gamescom trailer over at the PlayStation Blog, detailing every meaningful second of the two-minute video.
Below, you’ll find our summarized version of the guide. For the full trailer guide, complete with pictures, head over to the PlayStation Blog.
Players begin the game stranded on an island with no purpose. You’re on the island, have left your home, and don’t know why. But you’re not without guidance. The animals on the island will help you to “varying degrees.” Seagulls, for example, will act as a guide and circle points of interest. But some animals, like the boar, can be dangerous.
The player character is a young boy. He wears a cape, which is “really significant,” according to Tequila Works. But the studio won’t go into detail.
Throughout the island, you’ll see a number of key-like symbols in “a lot of places.” Tequila Works didn’t share further details, other than the fact that you’ll see it a lot so it’s likely important. One of the structures you’ll see the key symbol is on the tower surrounded by mist. According to the studio, this tower hides secrets and you’ll reach it pretty early in the game, but it isn’t the end.
The island is open world, and to traverse it, you’ll need to not only walk and run, but climb and swim, as well. And speaking of swimming, the developer says there will be a lot to explore below the surface, as well. And that doesn’t mean you’ll always be looking for air.
Tequila Works describes the game’s dynamic water as “crystal clear,” saying “the balance between the turquoise color and the transparency of the water was really hard to achieve. Our artist was really obsessed with the color of the water and the sky, and we think it’s paid off.”
You’ll find a number of puzzles on the island, many of which revolve around the use of light and sound. In the trailer, you’ll see the player aligning perspective to show a fox drawing created across multiple trees. “But maybe you are showing the fox by aligning the perspective… The fox has a really strong meaning,” the developer teased.
Also in the trailer, there is a scene where it is raining in the night, and shadows appear. Tequila Works says not to look at these shadows as good or evil, as those definitions are nonexistent in Rime.
The island is actually a character itself. One scene shows the shadow of a large bird above the island. Tequila Works doesn’t provide detail, but asks “What if you make the island angry?” The islands terrain will change as you play, too.
Peaceful creatures known as Sentinels exist on the island to transport the player. They “behave like flocks of birds or even whales migrating,” according to Tequila Works. In the trailer, you’ll see the player take advantage of that migration to move around.
If you missed it, watch the Gamescom trailer below.