7 Reasons Gravity Rush is One of Sony’s Best Exclusives

BEAUTIFUL ANIME STYLE GRAPHICS

The first thing that stands out about Gravity Rush the second you boot it up are its beautiful graphics. The entire game looks like an anime come to life. The style is just as boisterous and rambunctious as anime is, as well. Characters leap through the city, yelling at the top of their lungs before landing a critical blow. The game’s fully animated cut scenes are gorgeous to behold, featuring plenty of emotive characters, and great action.

When Gravity Rush needs to tell smaller, more self-contained stories it utilizes a series of panels and speech bubbles, effectively turning itself into a motion comic. The game is always a joy to watch, whether you’re soaring through the sky, looking down on the cities, taking to one of the game’s charismatic city dwellers, or kicking Nevi out of the sky. Gravity Rush is simply a beautiful series, and knows exactly what kind of game it is striving to be. 

THE SETTINGS ARE A UNIQUE BLEND OF THE FAMILIAR AND FANTASTICAL…

The majority of both Gravity Rush games are set in cities. These towns deliver a unique kind of the steampunk aesthetic. Each town is situated on an island that floats in the sky above a sea of clouds. The inhabitants of this world go about their days much in the same way we do, but everything feels like it was ripped from a bizarre version of the early 20^th century. Police may ride around on floating barges, but everything else seems strangely dated.

The meshing of these styles makes for a world unlike any other. Running through the streets feels familiar until you come to the edge of the city and stare into the abyss below. Each town is filled with its own history and lore, further making the world feel alive and thriving. Side missions and talking to citizens only deepens this feeling of immersion, making for a more complete experience, especially when you are collecting gems around the city and just learning to control your gravity warping powers.

BUT THE FANTASTICAL HIDDEN WORLDS STEAL THE SHOW GRAPHICALLY

As fantastic as the cities featured in the games are, the moments when you are transported to magical worlds where the rules of gravity seemingly don’t apply to anything are some of the game’s most breathtaking scenes. Gravity Sliding through a burning village floating in a strange, other-dimensional world in the first Gravity Rush proved that the series was anything but normal.

As Kat attempts to bring balance to the world she is transported to bizarre worlds that all add a unique visual flair to proceedings. Structures float amid empty space at odd angles, creating rows of platforms for Kat to traverse and making it clear that, despite the fantastical nature of the world, there are plenty of secrets still left to uncover.

KAT’S GRAVITY POWERS MAKE FOR A MUCH DIFFERENT KIND OF ACTION GAME

Kat’s disorienting array of abilities allow her to change the direction of gravity, causing her to fall in any direction. This means that you pretty much fly through the game world. Getting from place to place is as easy as looking in that direction and taking flight. As you work your way through the game you gain more abilities, making it even easier to traverse the urban jungle. Not only can you fly through the architecture but run along walls, stand on the ceiling, and see the world from a completely different angle.

Everything from exploring the city to engaging in combat is completely flipped on its head, sometimes literally. Without these abilities, Gravity Rush would likely be just another action game. Falling upside-down can sometimes be disorienting, but exploration is much more exhilarating when you can explore every nook and cranny of the massive worlds.

KAT IS A GREAT MAIN CHARACTER

The first game begins with a simple premise: Kat has lost her memory and awakens next to a strange cat she names Dusty. Dusty imbues her with gravity warping powers, almost instantly elevating her from homeless girl with insomnia to superhero. She not only has to figure out how to master her new abilities but is discovering who she is, as well.

She can occasionally come off as ditzy but she has a focus and is willing to use her newfound powers to help as many people as she can. Kat keeps the story moving forward and her colorful character makes many of the interactions within the two games much more interesting.

SIMPLE YET ENGAGING STORY WITH PLENTY OF POWERS AND INTRIGUE TO DISCOVER

Kat has lost her memory but there is a lot more going on in the world of Gravity Rush. Entire districts of the city of Hekseville have disappeared, and no one knows where they went. Kat is the key, using her powers to access areas no one else can and hunting down criminals and mysterious, evil forces that threaten to destroy the world. The story seems pretty predictable at first, but its twists and turns keep the narrative progressing at a steady pace, ensuring that the player never gets bored. New powers are introduced at a good clip, offering tangible rewards for completing some of the game’s tougher segments.

ENGAGING IN COMBAT IN THE AIR IS DIZZYING AND FANTASTIC

At its core, Gravity Rush is an action game. This means you’ll be racing through the world, completing challenges, and beating the snot out of evil enemies. The series’ main enemy is the Nevi, black globs that spiral and twist in the air. Kat needs to destroy their glowing pink cores to bring them down, which is sometimes easier said than done.

Kat has a gravity kick at her disposal, perfect for cutting through the air and knocking Nevi out of the sky. Hovering in midair, dodging incoming projectiles and then rushing in to do some serious damage is incredibly satisfying. Battles are given a sense of scale simply because they can take place in any location around the city. Fighting on walls, high above the city, or on the city streets has its advantages, and once you get a hang of orienting yourself and flipping from target to target it’s an incredibly intricate and rewarding combat system.