Grime is a souls-like Metroidvania RPG game with a bizarre setting making you wonder, Is Grime worth it? It is a side-scrolling souls-like game that is more forgiving. It has a strange and unique world with some weird stuff going on. The world is beautifully crafted and has a good art design. This is not the first side-scrolling souls-like game but it is one of the good ones. It has quite a bit of platforming that can seem challenging at times. It is good for the fans of such games. The plot is vague but there is quite a bit of detail here in there just like most of the souls like games. It has fun gameplay with some weird moments that make seem unique and unusual at the same time.
The character design of different characters is unique and they complement the weirdness of the setting. It starts slow but steadily reveals itself, the more players progress. There is quite a bit of mystery that can be revealed through progression and exploration. The joy of discovery is there like other Metroidvania games. Finding unique locations and exploring these locations feels good. It has good combat that can get challenging and overwhelming. Knowing when to attack and when to defend is an important part of the game like other such games. All this makes you think is Grime worth it? Let’s find out.
(It is only available on PC and Stadia at the time of this writing)
Premise
You play as a statue that has a black hole for the head. So even the main character is weird just like the rest of the world. The plot is vague and does not offer a lot of details. Your eventual goal is to reach the mothers in the palace. There is a twist to all that and the plot is intriguing but it is still vague. If you want to know more about the lore of the world then you need to explore. You can find the lore of the world scattered around in different locations. Different characters will shed light on the world and let players know about the lore of the world. Similar to the Demon Souls and other souls-like games.
The game has a slow opening and the first area is bland with not much to offer. The opening is a little longer but after that, the game feels much better. Grime will start shinning after getting through the first couple of areas. Once you get to more environments, you will realize how good the art design of the game is. There are some memorable characters and some forgettable ones. The weirdness of these characters makes them feel unique and memorable. There are some funny details here in there which make the game more intriguing. Is Grime worth it to you for its premise? Well, there is more.
The World of Grime
There is a lot of world-building and everything has a sort of weirdness to it. NPCs, enemies, story, gameplay, and setting seem bizarre. It has some of the weirdest scenarios that I have ever seen in such a video game. The game seems innocent at first look but once you get into it, then there is a lot of weird stuff going. You will see some people made from stone digging out smaller versions of themselves or enemies that are statues and living creatures at the same time. So there are a lot of strange things going on in the background. There is quite a bit of history in the game if you are willing to explore.
Grime has strong world-building with good art design. The world of the game is uncanny but it is solid and huge. NPCs will speak to you in riddles and metaphors which compliment the strange-looking nature of the game. There is also a lot of mystery in the game so there are some moments of tension and revelations. The game will withhold information from you about the world and would want you to find the answers. Discovering things are better since you don’t lose items which I will get to later. All this complements the mysterious nature of the game.
Combat
It is a souls-like game so combat is a big part of it. There are lots of different weapons in the game. Each weapon has a unique move set making it different than the other. So weapons are not just about looks as they can change how you play. You can just swing the weapons like crazy but it’s a soul-like game so waiting for an opportunity to strike is always better. Collecting these weapons and making them part of your arsenal is also a good aspect of the game.
Attack and defense are major parts of combat in any game, Grime is no different. There are parries and attacks in the game. Parrying is known as absorbing and it is basically the absorption of the enemy’s attack through the black hole of your character. The game has an emphasis on parrying attacks and it is a major part of the combat. Parrying is rewarding and it entices you to use as much absorb as you can. You can even use it to instantly kill an enemy if their health is below a certain threshold. Is Grime worth it to you now for its combat? There is more to the combat.
Absorbing enemies can open new traits based on the enemy type. You can use it later on to upgrade the character. Absorbing also fills the breath meter which you can use to restore health and it is the only way to do so. The more enemies you absorb the more Ardor you gain. Ardor dictates the amount of mass you can get from killing enemies which is the main currency. All this gives you an incentive to absorb as many enemies as possible which lets you focus on parrying even more.
Explore Without Fear
Grime has solid controls so it won’t get you into a situation where you die just because the controls were not smooth enough. The character will react to every press of a button so you won’t die just because you could not parry, evade or attack. Platforming is a major part of it and it can be hard to overcome some of the platforming challenges. However, controls would not hold you back which makes them seem more appealing.
Finding secrets and fighting new types of enemies always feel good. Taking down bosses grant you new abilities. These abilities will allow you to go to new places that were previously not accessible similar to how it works in The Returnal and other such games. Unlike other souls-like games, you don’t lose everything when you die. Instead, you only lose Ardor and you can get half of it back from the corpse.
Upon death, you can use all the mass you have at that point to increase stats. You can increase stamina or survivability or damage. Take up the arms and attack the enemy once again that has killed you. So once you get to the same location again you will be in better shape during the combat. This encourages you to keep on trying knowing that you will fare better in the next encounter.
The fear of losing stuff is not there which helps you press further into the unknown. This enables you to explore without having to worry about losing all the stuff. Exploration is rewarding so both of these things work hand in hand, making the game more forgiving. Is Grime worth it for its less forgiving nature? Let’s discuss some more before concluding.
Attack and Defense Both Matters
Indeed, Grime emphasis a lot on parrying but that does not mean that attacks are not as important. In certain scenarios, it is better to attack rather than defend. Parrying is less effective against armored enemies and the health of certain enemies needs to be fully drained before you can absorb them. Some enemies need to be parried before you can hit them and absorb them. So defensive strategy won’t always work. The game wants you to attack and defend as both are useful.
If you are not careful, then the enemies can overwhelm you and utterly destroy you. After all, it is a souls-like Metroidvania game so the tide of the battle can turn in a few moments. Learning the attack pattern of enemies is also important. Knowing when to attack, when to absorb, when to escape, and when to heal can make a lot of difference in combat. If you figure out the attack pattern of enemies then you can dominate them. Enemy attacks can be repeatable so dominating can go both ways.
A staggered enemy can be absorbed and attacking can do more damage. You have a stamina bar that will rapidly deplete so keep an eye on that as well. There is a fine balance between different aspects of combat. Grime is not as hard as other souls-like games but it’s not easy either. It is a challenging game that can be hard for players who are not into souls-like games. Is Grime worth it for its offensive and defensive combat? There is still more to it.
Enemy Verity and Bosses
There is a decent amount of enemy verity in the game which makes everything better. Small, big, fast, slow, there are a bunch of different enemies which brings more verity to the combat. There are also mini-bosses in the game that can prove to be challenging. Taking down these mini-bosses rewards you with hunt points. These hunt points can be used to upgrades traits. This gives you the incentive to take down these mini-bosses because taking them down is rewarding.
Bosses are weird-looking and unique. Each boss has a different pattern and move set that requires a different strategy. Bosses can be tough and they might not seem that hard in the beginning but later on, bosses can be challenging. They use a familiar pattern, so once you understand the pattern of a boss, you can exploit the window of opportunity. Is Grime worth it for its enemy verity and boss encounter? There is more it.
General Gameplay
Gameplay is fun and you don’t have to worry about controls getting in the way of getting around. Jumping and moving around feels good and solid which makes traversing the environment better. Platforming in the game is challenging not because it is hard but rather requires patience. Getting hasty can result in death so you have to wait for the opportunity during platforming. Certain sequences will have both platforming and combat which can prove to be quite a challenge. The environment of Grime is continuous so platforming is a major part of the exploration as well. You can pick up treasure and other such things making exploration rewarding.
The music of the game is good and it is a classical orchestra rather than modern music. It complements the game and can shift the tone to support what is happening on the screen. Most of the time, music is ambient but it can build up in combat, intense sequences, or cinematics. Even the sound design is good. The sounds of weapons, the murmuring of its weird NPCs, and other sounds feel right. Is Grime worth it based on what you know so far?
Customization
The currency and upgrade material of the game is called Mass. This currency is used for every type of customization. There are different stats in the game as mentioned earlier. You can improve these stats by using mass. The better your stats are the better you will perform in combat. You can take fall damage which can be improved by increasing your defenses. As a currency, you can use mass to buy different items from vendors. Even the weapon upgrade system is similar to souls-like games.
Verdict
Grime is a good game with a good setting that is unique and weird at the same time. It is a souls-like game that takes place in a 2D environment. The world of the game is full of mysteries and it wants you to explore to figure out these mysteries. It is a souls-like Metroidvania game with lots of platforming and emphasis on parries. It does not punish you as much souls-like games which encourage you to explore. Venturing into the unknown is not as daunting as other such gaming, making exploration better.
The idea of absorbing enemies and attacks is pretty good which makes the combat interesting. Combat is exhausting and devious that requires careful conservation. Grime wants you to be patient and wait for the opportunity whether it’s in combat or platforming. Parrying can be rewarding and at times, parrying is needed to take down enemies. The game will exhaust you and once you achieve something it will then reward you as well. So both draining experience and rewarding experience are there.
Now let’s answer the question is Grime worth it? It is not a new idea but every aspect of the game is pretty good. Grime is not the game for players who prefer easier games because it is a challenging experience. If you are looking for a side-scrolling Metroidvania game then this could be the best one. There are some weird-looking enemies in the game that might not be to your liking. In short, it is a game for players who are looking for a good and challenging side-scrolling Metroidvania game.
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