You may know Gris from the healthy dose of coverage it’s received over the last several months leading up to its release in Mid-December 2018 and then its inclusion on many “Best of 2018” lists. If you aren’t familiar with the game, then you should definitely check out my review of Gris.
Gris is the latest in the long line of atmospheric games that Journey popularized so many years ago (something we talk about at length below). It uses hand-drawn watercolor animations, a heaping dose of color theory, and a gorgeous soundtrack by Berlinist to bring alive one girl’s inner grief caused turmoil.
Today, I am honored to interview the Creative Director of Gris: Conrad Roset, who was one of the co-creators of Nomada Studios. Gris is Nomada Studio’s first title.
Asylum: Would you mind introducing yourself and giving a little background on your career?
Conrad: Well I’ve worked as an illustrator for several years before starting the development of GRIS. I started my career working with Zara for about a year, then I established myself as a freelancer. I’ve worked with several advertising companies, made a few art exhibitions around the world, got a few books published, etc.
A: You have talked about Journey in several interviews and that was something I immediately keyed in on. I was curious what you feel it did that allowed this “genre” of games to blossom.
C: Journey is one of the first games with that artsy quality to it that managed to convey its meaning nevertheless, without the need to rely on more than visuals and music. Being the first meant it opened up a lot of doors, creatively speaking.
A: On a more literal note, there are some direct comparisons to Journey. Gris features a floaty, robed character and even has some similar story beats, like the large slide down the sand dunes. Were any of these an intentional homage?
C: Of course. Journey has influenced our work greatly! The part that you mention in particular is a clear reference and not the only one!
A: What was the emotional response you were seeking from the player while making the game?
C: GRIS is an emotive work, that is undeniable. But our main goal was that every player walked away from our game with something intimate and unique, a personal interpretation of this experience.
A: Gris is about the grieving process– there are even achievements named after the 5 stages of grief. Was there any real-life situation that influenced the implementation of this theme?
C: Not one in particular. But everyone at some point in life ends up experiencing the loss of a loved one so, in a way, it captures the circumstances of most everyone in our team and players.
A: Much like Journey, you created an emotional experience and threw traditional storytelling elements, like text and speech to the side. As such, you really have to lean on other elements to carry the experience, like the visuals and mechanics. What were some of the techniques in your toolbox which you felt were most useful in accomplishing this? What allowed you to feel comfortable getting rid of speech, text, violence, etc?
C: Aesthetics and mechanics, and the relationship between them, play a powerful role in how we tell the story, as we eliminate all other elements. However, what really helped connect everything and deliver it to the player as we wanted was the music. Berlinist did an excellent job at creating a soundtrack that truly enhanced every other element and empowered the whole experience.
A: Why did you go with stars and constellations as the main collectible and one of the most persistent mechanics? Was there any symbolic or metaphorical significance there?
C: As in everything in GRIS, they have an underlying meaning. There’s a particular interpretation that we love, but again, we prefer to let everyone get their own conclusions.
A: After the sand dune slide section, you ascend a tower. And at the top, the game takes away control and displays the title. For the vast majority of the game, the player has control though. What goes into a decision like this where on one hand you have these design principles that you want to follow which state that you leave the player alone and on the other hand you really want to have this dramatic title sequence?
C: Though the player has control most of the time, we took it from them a few specific times, for the sake of pacing. The complete elimination of death and violence is due in part to that same reason.
A: This is peculiar, but in Gris the double jump isn’t like most double jumps because it leads directly into a glide. There are some games that let you double jump but then glide, but in your game, the second jump always has at least a little bit of a parachute effect. Could you explain why this is from a game design perspective?
C: Mostly to make it easier for the player to control Gris’ trajectory when she’s falling.
A: In your interview with Game Reactor, there was mention of a dress mechanic as well as a mechanic where you could swim through or between walls. Would you care to elaborate on either of those and what exactly made these less accessible to your target audience?
C: Several mechanics were discarded on a playtesting basis, for the sake of simplicity. This was simply one of them.
A: What is your favorite part of the game? What part did you feel turned out exceptionally well? Personally, I love everything from the start up to the Black Bird’s escape. The zoom in during that first sequence. The harsh organ over the storm. The “mirror” where the blackbird is sealed away. All of it.
C: Baring the ending, one of our favorite moments happens after Gris crosses the sandstorm and enters a temple with statues of a crying woman.
If you found Gris interesting, then you might also want to check out my interview with the creator of Worldless who helped work on some of the early concept art for Gris.
that Gamers Asylum 