Gray is a color . Gray is that fine hue that separates good from evil. It is a state of mind. Gray is a feeling that surfaces in the depths of the human soul, when doubt and fear corner us. GRIS is a journey created by illusion and hard work to reach the heart of its audience. Designed by the Spanish team Nomada Studio , this video game is presented to us as a personal experience for PC and Nintendo Switch in which the player will not get great treasures or fight against final bosses, but will make him explore corners of himself that he does not know .
Conrad Roset’s brush
“Videogames and art are the two worlds that I like the most ,” declares an excited Conrad Roset. Born in Terrassa, he has built his life around art and illustration. His elegant, natural and delicate style has been what has made him enter the world of video games as the designer of GRIS , his first work in this world . And yes, GRIS is a video game that has earned the title of “work of art” in its own right .
Speaking with the illustrator, it is easy to perceive the passion for art that he conveys with his voice and how well he understands the possibilities offered by video games as a medium, not just to entertain and amuse, but to tell stories and convey emotions . “There is an offer for all tastes. You have those who like Fortnite or Call of Duty but there are many players who are looking for a different style ”. Without a doubt, GRAY is different from almost anything we can find on a console, starting with the careful audiovisual style that shapes and characterizes it.
Perhaps because it is their first work together, Conrad Roset and Nomada Studio opted for an aesthetic and theme with which the artist felt comfortable: watercolor and the female figure . GRIS (as the protagonist is called) is a young woman lost in her own inner world who seeks a way to overcome past experiences. Only by walking and exploring the immense wasteland that stretches before your eyes will you be able to recover the joy, the color.
If we get technical and try to frame the game in one of the great genres, we could say that we are facing a puzzle and platform game but it would be too flat a definition. GRAY does not present dangers, enemies to face or the possibility of dying ; on the contrary, he chooses to create a non-hostile environment with “ a more decorative style that focuses on the journey and not so much on reaching the destination”. It is true that, for the most gamers, it may fall a little short of gameplay (playability) but the game makes up for it with a deep and complete emotional section.
Beyond the cinema
In addition to the time we dedicate to the journey of GRIS and how it changes us from the inside, the work of Nomada Studio shines in the care they have dedicated to the audiovisual aspect. Even though he had complete freedom to create the game world and shape his story, Conrad Roset had to adapt his way of working to apply it to the world of video games and the technical needs of developers. The result is a fluid, fragile and dreamlike illustration that fits perfectly with the soundtrack, purposely composed for the title by the Barcelona group Berlinist .
Breakthrough and intimate, GRIS opens a small window through which to look at an alien and different world that we all hide inside . An elegy to art, natural beauty and feelings that enriches the player to unimaginable levels and confirms the possibilities of video games to bring color to our lives .
