Rime Game Info Compilation: Everything You Need to Know

When Rime was first unveiled at gamescom 2013, the PlayStation community was beside itself with excitement.

Here was an indie game bursting at the seams with potential, one that adopted the cel-shaded aesthetic of Wind Waker and Shadow of the Colossus — not to mention a sprinkling of Studio Ghibli classics in the vein of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away — and used the vessel of a young, wide-eyed boy to anchor its fantastical story.

So far, so promising. Initially hatched as an XBLA exclusive by the name of Echoes of Siren, publishing policies and other red tape forced Microsoft to drop Rime altogether, though it didn’t take long for Sony to swoop in and acquire the IP, promoting it to a PS4 exclusive in the process. That was just prior to the aforementioned gamescom unveiling four years ago,

So, you’re ready to chase the Mediterranean sun? Not so fast! In anticipation of its launch on May 26, we’ve scoured the four corners of the internet — and the PSLS archives — to compile all the necessary information you could ever need pertaining to Tequila’s sun-kissed puzzle platformer.

Rime is booked in to launch across PS4, Xbox One and PC on May 26. A Switch version is also in the works, though the Nintendo port isn’t expected to arrive until sometime this summer.

Essential Reading:

Rime info dump

Rime - EYNTK

With May 26 fast approaching, PSLS has compiled everything you need to know about Rime. Let's get to it.
What is Rime?

It's the long-in-development adventure game from Tequila Works and one that draws inspiration from Ico and The Legend of Zelda.

The official description reads as so:

"Shipwrecked on a mysterious island with no memory of your past, use your wits - and the guidance of a companionable fox - to unlock the secrets buried beneath its ancient monuments.

"Inspired by the stunning, sun-soaked locales of the mediterranean, this enigmatic island is yours to explore as you choose. Piece together its history as you move between long-forgotten ruins and dramatic coastlines, keeping a watchful eye for danger.

"Unlock the riddles of the island using light, sound, perspective and even time itself to uncover the solutions and progress onwards. Secrets and collectibles are dotted throughout the environment giving clues to your past and revealing the island's own enchanted history."
What’s the Story?

Hatched under the rather lovely title Echoes of Siren, Rime began life as an XBLA exclusive. But according to Tequila, the project simply couldn't "adapt" to Xbox One:

"In [Microsoft’s] defense, it has to be said that they didn’t passed on it at first; project had been greenlighted and only when Xbox One plans made public and project couldn’t adapt, it was decided not to carry on and we moved it with other publishers."
But What's the ACTUAL Story?

Story-wise, you play as a young boy washed up on a idyllic island. There's no Rime or reason for your enchanting detour, and it's only when you begin to explore your fantastical surroundings that the layers of Tequila's story will begin to unfold.

"Rime is a single-player puzzle adventure game about discovery, experienced through the eyes of a young boy who awakens on a mysterious island after shipwrecking off its coast. Players must navigate the island’s secrets by making use of light, sound, perspective and even time. Inspired by the rugged, sunbaked terrain of the Mediterranean coast, Rime paints its breathtaking world with a fusion of vibrant colours and moving musical undertones to set the stage for the deeply personal journey that awaits within."
How Does it Play?
Rime is, in essence, a third-person puzzle-platformer in which players wash up on a beautiful, yet oddly mysterious island. In anticipation of D-day, Tequila has identified the four pillars of Rime’s gameplay:
- Explore – Discover the mysterious island at your own pace. Interact with wildlife, search for hidden items or simply take in the sights and sounds.
- Solve Puzzles – Make your way through the ancient ruins by solving puzzles with sound, light, perspective, platforming, and even time manipulation.
- Find Secrets – Dive deeper into the boy’s backstory by uncovering dozens of secrets and collectables.
- Be Enchanted – Take in beautiful, Mediterranean-inspired terrain complemented by the captivating music of David García Díaz.
Echoes of Siren

Before Tequila's Deadlight follow-up was overhauled, Rime flickered into life under the title Echoes of Siren, when the Spanish dev envisioned a third-person isometric RPG, one that included a day/night cycle and even elements of tower defense. Rime has come an awful long way since, which brings us to...
From Microsoft to Sony

Back when it was known as Echoes of Siren, Microsoft initially green lit Tequila's sun-kissed platformer with the intention of making it an exclusive Xbox Live Arcade title, along with the possibility of a Windows port. Those plans came to a halt when Rime couldn't "adjust" to the Xbox One platform and XBLA, which placed a particular emphasis on social gaming at the time.
From PS4 Exclusive to Multiplatform

It didn't take long before Sony swooped in to acquire the IP, ushering it onto the stage at gamescom 2013. It was an indie game bursting with promise, and one that had many PlayStation fans looking to the advent of the PS4 with a hushed excitement.

But Rime quietly fell off the radar, and the ensuing radio silence led many to question whether Sony had pulled the plug altogether. In August 2016, Tequila Works announced plans to acquire the IP back from Sony amid allegations of internal strife -- the Japanese platform-holder purportedly took issue with the lack of progress and pulled all dev kits -- promoting Rime from PS4 exclusive to a multiplatform title.
Coming to Switch Later in 2017

Those platforms include PS4, Xbox One and PC, along with the Nintendo Switch. Rime will make its way to the latter platform later this summer, and it'll cost a little more than its forebears.

Tequila Works said, "The MSRP of the Switch version is based on development and go-to-market costs, which can vary for each platform."
A Long, Meandering Journey to Launch

When pulled together, it makes for quite the journey, and we all know how much the video game industry enjoys a good comeback story.

Reflecting on that prolonged dev cycle, Rime's creative director Raul Rubio noted that "there were a lot of moments where we thought that the game wasn’t going to be released. In fact, I was completely sure of that once. Fortunately, that didn’t happen."

“We are now using Unreal Engine 4. That engine has evolved, so we can include many more features and visual effects that weren’t possible then. Now we have a bigger structure and many islands, not just one.”
$29.99 Price Point

For those on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Rime will be priced at $29.99 at launch.

Said Tequila: "It is true that bringing Rime to other platforms has meant additional workload for the team, but being able to share our vision with a wider audience makes that extra effort worth it."
Pre-Order to Receive a Dynamic Theme

Digital pre-orders are now open, and if you choose to put your money down ahead of time, you'll be able to unlock a lush dynamic theme.
Physical Release Locked In

Between them, publishers Grey Box and Six Foot settled on a physical release for Rime because the game is "not like a typical indie project."

"We announced it in 2013, we had a trailer in 2014 that was also very popular, so the name of Rime, I think [publisher Grey Box] thought it was worth it to take on the stores. I don’t know if other indie games will work the same way, though."
Better on PS4 Pro
Targeting 30fps/1080p on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Rime will offer a small visual upgrade for those on Pro.

That said, Tequila wants to strike a balance between "having more frame rate than in a normal PS4 but adding some visual improvements that helped Rime to look even better."

Those improvements are as follows:
- Much better quality of the shadows.
- Temporal antialiasing has better quality, obtaining more definition and quality in the AA filter.
- The LODs’ distance has been tweaked to increase the visual quality of fauna and flora during the time they are rendered.
- More definition in the texture filter.
- The VFX, shaders, materials and translucency has better quality too so we can have, for example, more realistic metals, better screen space reflections and better detail level in general.
Extended Gameplay

Per IGN, here’s an extended peek at Rime in action. Spoilers: it looks beautiful.
ESRB Rating

It's official: Rime has rated E for Everyone.

"This is a puzzle-adventure game in which players assume the role of a young boy stranded in the ruins of a mysterious island. As players traverse platform environments and search for clues, they must solve puzzles in order to progress. Several areas contain ghoul-like enemies that siphon energy from the player's character and must be defeated with beams of light. Some sequences contain thematic elements and additional acts of violence: a character falling from a boat in a storm; a creature struck by lightning."
Tequila Levels on Sony Split

Tequila's PR expert José Herráez recently offered up some context on the studio's decision to part ways with Sony.

“We decided that having the IP rights for one of our properties, and a game that was always conceived and planned, and dreamt of by Tequila Works, should remain in house. And that was why we reacquired the rights to the IP, and we came to this agreement with Sony, it was all on friendly terms. And of course, you know this industry has a lot of gossip and rumors, but really, that’s it. It’s not a complicated story."
A Curious Indie Title

And we're not just talking about the sense of mystery swirling around Rime's beautiful island. Tequila Works has nailed down plans to release a physical version of its long-brewing adventure game, but the studio's producer Miguel Paniagua doesn’t think that all indies have a place in stores.
A Wondrous Journey Awaits

Before Rime switched gears to become a multiplatform title, we pinpointed the reasons why Tequila's genre mash-up piqued our curiosity from the outset.
Our Final Verdict

Tequila Works is yet to specify an exact embargo date for Rime, but whenever PSLS' final verdict does go live, expect to find Chandler's name on the masthead.