TL;DR
Gravity Rush offers a truly unique experience with its gravity-defying movement and stylish aerial combat, all wrapped in a gorgeous comic book aesthetic. While the freedom to fly and explore is exhilarating, the game stumbles with superficial dialogue, repetitive early quests, and an occasionally frustrating camera. The narrative is more lighthearted anime than deep drama, and if you can push past the initial slow burn and potentially disorienting camera, you'll find a visually stunning adventure with a core mechanic that feels genuinely innovative. Ready to see if the soaring highs outweigh the frustrating lows? Dive into the full review to find out!
The protagonist of Gravity Rush, Kat, possesses a distinctive personality and the ability to manipulate gravity with the aid of a mystical cat. A defining characteristic of Gravity Rush is the player’s capacity for genuine flight, inverted traversal, and engaging in stylish aerial combat. Combined with a visually striking comic book aesthetic, the game presents a unique and stimulating experience centered on freedom and innovative mechanics. However, certain shortcomings detract from the overall experience.
This distinctly Japanese title, featuring Japanese voice acting, English subtitles, and pronounced manga/anime influences, leans more towards the thematic territory of works like Sailor Moon than the narratives of Spirited Away or Akira. The game employs a refined cel-shading technique, blending a style reminiscent of French comics with classic Japanese animation aesthetics. The dialogue, unfortunately, often feels superficial, frequently devolving into trivial exchanges punctuated by disproportionate emotional outbursts. The initial hours of gameplay are burdened by repetitive fetch quests, requiring Kat to locate a specific individual last seen at a particular location, navigating a series of NPCs who redirect her. Once the narrative gains momentum and Kat recovers her original abilities (a backstory film on YouTube is recommended, particularly for returning players to ensure comprehensive understanding), the gameplay elevates significantly, unlocking numerous opportunities and side missions. However, there is a risk that players may have already lost interest by this point, diminishing the incentive to persevere.
Gravity Rush 2 possesses a mature visual presentation, but its overall tone is more akin to that of a children’s title, creating a stylistic inconsistency.
Echoing its predecessor on the PS Vita, the game integrates classic action-adventure elements, where controlling Kat in a zero-gravity environment serves as a central gameplay draw, alongside static comic book sequences intended to provide exposition and advance the plot. While controlling Kat by manipulating the console and using touch controls to navigate comic panels was innovative on the Vita, the novelty has diminished. Despite the improved flow and precise controls offered by the PS4, the game’s camera system can be erratic, leading to frustrating instances of missed targets.
The freedom of flight and gravitational manipulation constitute the game’s most compelling aspects.
It is regrettable that the game does not fully capitalize on its potential, as Gravity Rush 2 is a visually striking and technically accomplished title (camera issues notwithstanding). The game exhibits fluid gameplay and a captivating aesthetic. However, the shallow narrative, underdeveloped characters, and inconsistent camera system may deter a significant portion of players from fully engaging with the adventure, which can extend to 50 hours with the inclusion of all side missions. This is unfortunate, as the game features both impressive visual design and distinctive gameplay mechanics. Greater emphasis on narrative depth and structural coherence would have been beneficial.
