Even After 7 Years, Gravity Rush 2 Is A Beautiful Game That Deserves PC Exposure

Ever since video gaming became a proper medium, there have always been multiple platforms that provided these services and thus competed with each other. Modern gamers might only be aware of the PlayStation vs. Xbox rivalry, but the history is much more rich than this. Atari, Sega, Mattel, SNK, etc. are names I’m sure you haven’t even heard before, but consoles like the Sega Mega Drive and Dreamcast were a dear part of my childhood.

So, a question arises, if all these consoles played games, why so many different competitors? Well, it’s because of the subtle changes in hardware and features, but most importantly, it came down to the games each console offered. Multi-platform titles aside, each of these had some exclusives as their biggest selling point. And this exclusive point continues even now, with PlayStation taking the lead precisely because it has a strong exclusive library.

Sony Is Allegedly Putting More Of Its Exclusives On PC

As I mentioned, Sony’s exclusive game has been pretty strong; it still is. It’s the major reason why many people prefer PlayStation consoles over others. And the demand for these games on PC was crazy high, too. Thus, when Sony planned to get into the PC platform, the reception was overwhelming. The sales of PlayStation exclusives like God of War are proof enough. But, those exclusives were not enough; people kept asking for more.

Now, there seems to be a ray of light emerging for those people, as allegedly Sony is planning on presenting more PC ports. This leak comes from a Nixxes employee, who revealed some details regarding the future ports. I won’t say to take my word for it, as it’s not even my word, so all of this is mere speculation so far. But, a ray of hope it is nonetheless. So, what games are coming? Well, rejoice as the fan favorite Demon Souls and Ghost of Tsushima is among them.

Demon Souls, Ghosts of Tsushima, TLOU Part 2, and more coming to PC this year
byu/TheEternalGazed inGamingLeaksAndRumours

I’m sorry my fellow Bloodborne fans, it seems even unconfirmed leaks don’t mention Bloodborne or it’ll sound fake right from the get-go. The crushing disappointment aside, there was one point that interested me the most. It was how Sony plans to put more obscure exclusives on PC, too. The name mentioned in the leak is Infamous: Second Son, but more are to follow, and the only thing I want is a Gravity Rush series port.

Gravity Rush Deserves The Recognition Most Of All

For a moment, let’s say the leak is indeed true and Sony does plan on releasing the PC ports of more obscure exclusives. There are a lot of titles I wish to see, but today, I’ll point out one of the most important and deserving ones: Gravity Rush. Even among PlayStation’s exclusives, it is a highly underrated and rarely-known series that might finally reach the recognition and renown it deserves if it gets a chance to come out on PC.

Exactly 5 years ago today, Gravity Rush 2 was released on PS4! It's my sincere hope that @PlayStation won't forget about this wonderful game and its predecessor. With more and more PlayStation games being ported to PC, why not give Gravity Rush a chance as well? #gravityrush2 pic.twitter.com/wILk0Xkyyd

— Gravity Rush Central (@GravRushCentral) January 18, 2022

so, what exactly is this Gravity Rush that I’m praising so extensively? Well, I’m sure you know about Silent Hill. Gravity Rush was a project started by the same person who created Silent Hill, Keiichiro Toyama. He was the creator of Silent Hill but left Team Silent to join the Japan Studio after the first game. There, he created the brilliant Siren franchise first, and then Gravity Rush for the PlayStation Vita.

Hearing about Silent Hill and Siren, you must be thinking of Gravity Rush to be a similar kind of horror-fueled game, but it can’t be more different. It was a highly creative concept of utilizing gravity-based abilities to tell a unique story of a floating city, presented in a magnificent art style and gravity-defying cinematics. Most of all, since it was for the PlayStation Vita, the game effectively incorporated the gyroscopic abilities of the handheld to create realistic shifting of scenes.

Gravity rush 2 on the vita is so good ^ ^
byu/Amazing-Lengthiness1 ingravityrush

Looking Back At Gravity Rush 2, Seven Years Later

The purpose of the game was to create a world that gives a realistic depiction of the gravity-bending concept. The story follows Kat, a girl with the supernatural ability to alter the gravity affecting her body as well as her surroundings. The game did a magnificent job of making this power as immersive as possible. The narrative and art direction exist to solidify this concept. I can’t help but praise the developers for creating such fluidly disorienting visuals.

The story itself was the game’s weakest point, but honestly, it did what it wanted to accomplish pretty superbly. Next came Gravity Rush 2 for the PS4, and it took the formula to the next level. Not only did a feature a much more realistic and immersive world, but it did a brilliant job of making the existence of Kat in this floating city even more meaningful. Now you have the environments reacting to your actions more believably.

[Gravity Rush 2] [Screenshot] This game has a nice colour palette.
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The gravity-bending experience was better than ever. In a beautiful anime aesthetic, looking at the continuously disorienting surroundings changing on your whim, and the cinematic execution of all this is something very few games have been able to accomplish, at least for me. Oh, and you know what, it’s the perfect timing to discuss this beautifully serene adventure, as January 20th marked the 7th anniversary of Gravity Rush 2‘s western release.

I’ll Never Forgive Sony For Shutting Down Japan Studio

Whenever I look back at Gravity Rush, I’m reminded once again of how much Sony messed up when it shut down Japan Studio. It was honestly a pretty cruel and foolish move, and it cost Sony dearly down the line. Japan Studio was one of Sony’s best first-party studios and was responsible for some of its most creative exclusives. Gravity Rush for sure, but games like Knack, Ape Escape, LocoRoco, Astro’s Playroom, etc. were all its masterful creations. 

The Unappreciated Magic of Gravity Rush and Sony’s Japan Studio | Animator Spotlight
byu/megaapple inGames

Besides, do you need any more reason than how it was involved in the development of Bloodborne? I don’t think there’s a speck of a need for me to tell you why Bloodborne is a masterpiece, and although it was by FromSoftware, Japan Studio was an integral part of it. Yet, Sony somehow thought it was unfitting and disbanded the studio. It was absorbed into other organizations like Team Asobi, but the integral members are long gone.

2月末でSIE JAPAN Studioを離れることになりました。これまでありがとうございました。次の場所でもゲーム制作を頑張ります。
I’m leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment at the end of this month. I’m going to continue working hard on creating games. Many thanks to everyone! pic.twitter.com/WPpiLpCtoY

— 山際眞晃 Masaaki Yamagiwa (@giwamasa) February 25, 2021

One of the victims is Gravity Rush, and it is a very unfortunate one. I mean, as much as I love the series, I can’t even hope for a sequel. The original team inside Japan Studio, Team Gravity was disbanded after Gravity Rush 2, back in 2020. And a year later, it was over for Japan Studio as a whole as well. Even though Toyama wanted to create a Gravity Rush 3, he left Sony in 2020 as well, and I don’t think a new entry can do much justice now.

Prior Plans Or Not, Sony Needs To Port Gravity Rush

Having said all that, I still feel like I haven’t done the game and my love for it justice, I ought to explain more. Regardless, the Gravity Rush series is a brilliant gem you should never sleep on. And since my hopes for a sequel were crushed long ago, I at least hope Sony gives the game another chance by releasing it on PC so that more of my fellow gamers can experience the series at its full glory. The series’ director shares my thoughts, too.

Sony is remaking/remastering horizon zero dawn for ps5 and PC I’m wondering if we could get a Gravity Rush 1 and 2 remake/remaster for ps5 and pc I’m willing to buy gravity rush a 5th time and gravity rush 2 a 3rd time
byu/Village_demon ingravityrush

The leak did say that Sony plans to put forth obscure classics, but it doesn’t mention which ones except for Infamous: Second Son. However, I’ll say this regardless of any leak or if the company has any plans, it needs to consider giving Gravity Rush a turn at recognition. It’s one of PlayStation’s most underrated exclusives and can do great on PC. Oh, and it’s not just Gravity Rush, either. Rather than popular titles, I’ll be happier to see more underrated ones.

Since the leak did mention Infamous: Second Son, I think that’s brilliant news and I can’t wait for it to become a reality. But, let me say another thing. I admit Second Son is loads of fun and deserves another chance, but the entry that deserves it even more is the original Cole saga. The first Infamous is a game that genuinely deserves a revival, and putting it on PC would be the best result of it. I hope Sony doesn’t overlook these underrated gems.