The story of Gris is vague and open to interpretation and while there are no words the player will be able to predict changes in the story based on the changing visual and audio cues. Gris invites players to explore and interpret the protagonists sorrow based on their imagination. Players will value the open world experience Gris provides. Play is based on exploration and imagination. It isnât a real world âbut you come to understand the [game] by âengaging your brainâ, finding things and learning about them through self-discovery.â (Beavis, Thompson, & Muspratt, 2017, p. 31)
Thus far I have had little interest in gaming, I have never felt I had the time nor desire to engage in digital game play. Up until recently I have only been exposed to violent games. Kafai and Burke (2015) note that females generally have a lack of interest in gaming which can be attributed to the stereotyping of women in the gaming industry as well as the violence found in many games. Gris is a game about loss and grief, the game starts out with a girl who has lost her voice and all the colour has drained out of her world. This game is gorgeous from the start and gets more beautiful as you unlock new chapters. As you progress through the game the protagonists dress grants new abilities that help her navigate her world in a new light. There is no danger or death in the game, only a story that unfolds to allow the protagonist to see her world in a new way. I found myself having a desire to play the game, which is a new feeling for me. I believe the reason I want to play Gris is because I feel empathy towards the young girl, I want to bring more colour to her world and I want to see what new ability her dress will bring her. It may also be because I am free to leave the game without having to start over when I return. Caillois (2006) notes that play only happens within a game when players want to play and that they must be free to leave whenever they want, if players are forced to play a game then they are not at play.
Huzinga (2006) explores the relationship between the spiritual and the playful, likening rituals to games. He explains that rituals and religious practices as play aren’t about bringing rituals down to a childish level, but rather elevating play to the very highest forms of faith and spirituality. He draws parallels between dressing up and taking on the roles of a character. He looks at secrecy and seclusion as well as awe and wonder which lead us to imagine, construct and play. I felt sympathetic towards the young girl when her world lost its colour and I felt hopeful when I completed my first level and brought some back. I was irritated by the wind as it kept setting me back and I found my irritation was amplified by the powerful music that accompanied the wind. In fact listening to the music stirred such a range of emotions I had to turn it down so I could focus on the game play. When I unlocked the young girls first power I felt grateful as I could power her through the wind by turning her dress into a cube. When I observed a gamer play Gris on Twitch I found I was able to let the pictures do the talking and I found myself being navigated through a dizzying world of colour and light. Fullerton (2014) discusses how players identify with the games character to achieve the games goals she calls. Dramatic elements engage âplayers emotionally by creating a dramatic contextâ (Fullerton, 2014, p. 46) within the game. In the case of Gris the protagonist draws on my empathy and sympathy, I started to care for the character which is what captured my imagination rather than falling flat.
References
Beavis, C., Thompson, R., & Muspratt, S. (2017). A Game Isnât a Game Without Interaction: Students’ Thoughts About the Use of Digital Games in School. In Beavis, C., Dezuanni, M., & OâMara, J. (Eds.). (2017). Serious Play. New York: Routledge, https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.4324/9781315537658.
Caillois, R. (2006) âThe Definition of Play, The Classification of Games.â The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology by Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Fullerton, T. (2014). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, NY: Taylor & Francis (CRS Press)
Huizinga J. (2006) âNature & Significance of play as a Cultural Phenomenon.â The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology by Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Kafai, Y. & Burke, Q. (2015). Constructionist Gaming: Understanding the Benefits of Making Games for Learning. Educational psychologist 50(4), 313-334.