One million sales for a video game is far from exceptional. Juggernauts like FIFA and Call of Duty sell more than ten million copies each year. On the other hand, it is much rarer than a so-called "independent" creation, that is to say developed by a small studio of a few people, crosses this symbolic milestone. However, this is the feat that has just been achieved by Gris , a Spanish nugget. Subtle and moving metaphor for the mourning process, this highly artistic game deserves to be (re) discovered *.
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A confusing silent story
Released in 2018, Gray (like the color but with the pronounced "s", Spanish requires) is the first video game from Nomada, a Barcelona studio founded by former Ubisoft developers. We play Gray, a young woman with blue hair, dressed in a black dress. At first, she wakes up in a strange world, in the palm of the hand of a huge broken statue of a woman. There is not a word, written or spoken, not an indication of its history and it will be like that until the end. We have to manage.
Gray presents itself as a 2D platform game. We control the character with summary movements (jumping and running) and we have to move him forward, make him pass obstacles, solve puzzles… There are five different worlds and we have to reach the end of a level to go to the next . On the form, it is very sober, even simplistic. Unlike other platform games, you have no life, you can't die. There are no enemies, no fighting. For an experienced "gamer" used to being on guard all the time, this is at first quite confusing.
Almost "handmade" graphics
But very quickly, we understand that this quiet progression rate is part of the " Gray experience ". The game is short, it takes about five hours to finish it. But it's a beautiful moment out of time, relaxing. First there is the very special soundscape. Gray, who would like to sing, lost his voice at first. The adventure therefore begins with music that is almost inaudible, even absent. Composed by the Barcelona group Berlinist, the soundtrack becomes more present and richer as we advance in history.
To this scriptwriting and sound progression is added that of the sets. The levels are increasingly excavated, going from a minimalist world in black and white to a colorful forest, to a sanctuary of water and light as relaxing as it is splendid. The graphics, precisely, have received special care. They were made by Conrad Roset, a Spanish artist who comes from illustration and painting. He is a fan of watercolor, with a very fine brushstroke and pastel colors that blend.
This style so particular, the developers set out to replicate it in pixels. "At the beginning, we considered drawing each image of the game on paper, scanning them and entering them into the computer. The rendering is very authentic. But that was too much work," explained Adrián Cuevas, technical director of " Gray ", during the promotion of the game in 2018." We still scanned watercolors and we carefully chose digital brushes. The idea was to give a 'paper' effect. This is not really the case but we we made the game look hand-drawn. "
A subtle metaphor for mourning
Gray is therefore visually magnificent, a real feast for the eyes. But there are many platform games with remarkable artistic directions, like the recent and excellent Ori and the Will of the Wisps . In this overloaded genre, Gray stands out for the message he carries: it functions as a metaphor for mourning. We understand that the statue at the beginning is the mother of Gray and that her daughter lost her zest for life when she died.
Each of the five levels then represents one of the five stages of mourning, theorized by the psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. So the first is a ruined world in black and white that illustrates denial. Then there is anger with a red desert swept by storms and obtaining a power to transform Gray's dress into a cube to break the decor. Then come negotiation, depression and finally acceptance. Each level is associated with a color, a power and a way of playing.
Without the slightest dialogue, this metaphor turns out to be very subtle and deeply touching. The finale, far from being clumsy or plump, has something to tear away a few tears, always well helped by aerial music. Gray thus transcends its status as a simple video game to move into the sensory field. It is a remarkable experience, almost a therapy for who can identify with heroin.
* Gray , developed by Nomada Studio, available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, PC, Mac and iPhone