Купить NAIRI: Rising Tide

A game about surviving in a desert kingdom, delivered with confidence and self-assurance.

I like this game a lot more than Nairi: Tower of Shirin. The scope of the franchise is clear now: each game centers on a different aspect of the setting of Shirin. The first game focused on the poor district, the second game presented the middle district, and the third game will focus on the rich district. There is so much clarity of purpose seeping through the game’s framework, a certainty of its setting and story, delivered with such a precise pace and tone. Its kind of incredible to behold. Rising Tide so dramatically expands its world, offering a greater variety of nuance and internal discourse to its setting that really makes it feel more like a real city. I kind of adored it!

The puzzle dungeons are genuine challenges that forced me to make heavy uses of maps and notes in order to reach their conclusion. But the way all the pieces click together into a greater whole is downright electric once the entire picture slots together.

Its tough for me not to feel anxious about the world of indie development. The different costs and barriers to turning a profit. How difficult it is to survive to keep making the things you’re passionate about. I don’t like to sit in the mentality of art as profit versus art as art, but I couldn’t help but fuss about the future of Home Bear Studio and Nairi. So I was reluctant to write a Steam review for a while because of how inevitable it might be that the review would become just about that. Which is why I was kind of surprised and heartened to get a message from Home Bear Studio on social media responding to that anxiety and encouraging me to keep some faith. They didn’t have to try and assuage my fears, I’m sure they’ve got all kinds of bigger priorities. But the passion and care this team have for their game and this world… its something I think is worth rooting for.

Buy this game. Its cute, its fun, and the people making it care a lot about it. That’s worth the price of admission.

good game but the puzzle so hard without walktrough

I just love the ambiance, the characters, the story and the music. I couldn’t wait to start that new chapter !!

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 17.1h (100% achievement, finished the game)
[b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No.
[b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (6 achievements).
[b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No.

[h1]Intro[/h1]
[i]NAIRI: Rising Tide[/i] is the second game of the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=NAIRI&category1=998&supportedlang=english&developer=HomeBearStudio&ndl=1][i]NAIRI[/i][/url] series, with its story continuing from where [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/802450/NAIRI_Tower_of_Shirin/][i]NAIRI: Tower of Shirin[/i][/url] ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198132503739/recommended/802450]my review[/url]) ends. It is a point-and-click game set in a world where humans and animals live together.

[b]Pros:[/b]
— Hints that help when you stuck
— Collectibles with a tracker to find the ones that you missed

[b]Cons:[/b]
— Hints won’t help if you stuck on progression

[b]Specs[/b]
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

[h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1]
[b]Yes.[/b]
[i]If you enjoy playing point-and-click games and like the visuals, buy it on a sale.[/i]

[hr][/hr]
[h1]In-Depth Review[/h1]

[h3]Visuals[/h3]
[i]NAIRI: Rising Tide[/i] uses the same-looking visuals as its previous game. Characters are colored with soft colors, with smaller details that can be seen in most [i]Studio Ghibli[/i]’s works, which became the inspiration for this game’s visuals. The backgrounds, however, look more stunning with their painting-like design that blends well with the character design.

[h3]Story[/h3]
The story continues sometime after the first game ends, telling the adventure of Nairi in the middle district. There is also a detailed summary in the main menu for those who have forgotten the story or haven’t played it. I found it to be enough as a refresher after finishing the first game for so long.

To be honest, the lore is still hard to grasp. All of the council talks just tire me out, especially since I already forgot most of it from the first game. These parts of the story seem to be the build-up for what the main character has to face later on, but it was just too boring for me. Well, at least I still got the gist of it, even if just a little.

On the other hand, the main character’s story is way lighter. It tells about their journey to the Rich District from where they currently are—similar to the premise for the first game. A great deal of the dialogue is about how to progress with the game, while being light interactions between the characters, to know more about their backgrounds and the great storm. I enjoyed reading these more, which luckily was happening more often.

[h3]The Game[/h3]
[b]Gameplay[/b]
[i]NAIRI: Rising Tide[/i] is a point-and-click game. As such, you are supposed to pick objects on the ground and use them for others to go to the next area. This game also provides two puzzle dungeons, a big area with puzzles that are interconnected with each screen inside it.

The puzzle dungeon is a neat idea, but it can tire out some people. Luckily, there is a way to skip it and continue with the story right away. However, for those who are looking for the challenge, it was a nice brain teaser.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3366825743

The puzzles are not too easy, but not too hard either. You can consult the hints for progression, and you are forced to think the big picture to solve the dungeon, remembering the places that have puzzles that you haven’t solved that you need to come back to later and think about how they are connected. I found the first one to be exhausting since I needed to travel back and forth a lot, but the second one is more up to my tastes since they have smaller puzzles to tackle on.

The game also incorporates some sort of hidden object element. There is at least one hidden coin on each screen that you can pick up as a collectible. Achievement hunters need to watch out for it, and even those who aren’t still can benefit from it since they can be used for hints. Moreover, there are enough coins to unlock the hints in the game as long as you pay attention to where they are located. It’s such a nice and clever system.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3368963734

That being said, as helpful as the hint system was, it might not work all the time. I didn’t know where to progress in the puzzle dungeons twice, one in each of them, and the hint system wasn’t available to guide me. Well, I admit it was just a slight overlook, but it would be nice if I also could get a hint on where to go next.

The maps are really helpful. It’s a no-brainer for the puzzle dungeons since you tend to miss out on a lot of stuff if your memory isn’t good, but the map eventually can be used to track collectibles and puzzles that you missed. Some collectibles can be hard to find so it can save time from all the frustration of not finding enough of them. Plus, the hard-to-find ones are usually in a place where you can backtrack, so you will technically not miss anything.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3366581011

[b]Length and Difficulty[/b]
I finished the game in 17h. I believe I restarted the game twice because I tried to figure out why some of my achievements got locked after I reopened the game. The achievement bug was resolved shortly after, though. Moreover, I was also stuck on some puzzle dungeons, which took most of my playtime to solve.

Some of the puzzles can be tricky to solve, but some can be brute-forced, while others have hints that you can consult. I don’t think you’ll have any issue in beating the game, especially since you can skip the puzzle dungeons that have most of the difficult puzzles in, and even if you want to clear that, the dev already made a video walkthrough for both of them.

[b]Issue[/b]
I found the button puzzle in the second puzzle dungeon to make the game run slower. Moreover, I find it hard to find the relation to the solution in these types of puzzles since I’m not sure which event took place first based on the pieces of murals. Moreover, the game can softlock you if you open a map in the Middle District in a certain area. However, the developer responds to bug reports quickly so I believe these are just a matter of time until they are fixed.

[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
[i]NAIRI: Rising Tide[/i] is a game that has a lot of things that you can do while you progress the story. At first, I hated the concept of the puzzle dungeons, but I ended up enjoying them later on. It was a nice refreshment from the relaxing puzzles that the game has outside of it, and the coin-collecting element just adds more challenge for you. It’s a game that is enjoyed not for its story, but for its gameplay.

[quote]This game was reviewed with a key provided by the developer for free through Curator Connect.[/quote]

[quote]Follow our curator page: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.

Intriguing story and fun puzzles. I felt the added collectables were unnecessary but I’m not a big collectables person anyway. I’m amazed at how satisfying the story can be when it’s not complete.

Cute game, just sad that took them more than 6 years since the first chapter (Tower of Shirin)… Hope that I don’t need to wait for another 6 years for the next chapter

Super cute «casual» adventure. If you enjoyed the first one you’ll love this sequel. I guess the chibi and very kids-friendly style may not suit everyone but I think it is great for some laid-back adventuring.

I loved the first game and I loved this game too. I’m hoping there’s another one because of how this one ended. 😢 I managed to finish the dungeons however they were frustrating but I did find out that I could skip them if I wanted to. I crawled my way through them anyway. 🤣

[quote]If you enjoy reading this review, please consider following [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/VeesCozyCorner]Vee’s Cozy Corner[/url] for more.[/quote]

If you played NAIRI: Tower of Shirin and were excited to see some more, you’ll be happy to know that HomeBearStudio, in concert with publisher Hound Picked Games, have just released this long awaited second installment on Steam. It picks up right where the first one left off and continue Nairi’s story. This story rich point & click game has a lot of dialogue, so it might also appeal to some visual novel lover.

The main character is Nairi, but there are other noteworthy appearances from a charming character cast. During the introduction you play as Shiro who you might remember from the first game. Shiro finds his way to the Middle District and reunites with Nairi. You then start playing as Nairi. She is a young girl from the rich district. Her whole family has been kidnapped, and she’s on a quest to save them. Her quest takes her on a journey which starts at Badu’s Bakery. She needs to make her way back to the rich district where she believe her family is being held against their will. Her quest takes her on a grand adventure. This story has everything: some funny moments, a would-be revolution, corruption, a mysterious conspiracy, and even a prophecy that threatens to engulf the whole world.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376449555
The artwork is completely hand-drawn, and it is gorgeous. I love the fun colorful style. Visually it’s one the most stunning indie point & click game I’ve played this year. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed. Everything in NAIRI is aesthetically pleasing, even the little ‘developer’s intro’ at the start is created with care.

There is a journal that you can view at any time during the game. Inside you can read past dialogue, view hints, and see your artwork. You accumulate these artworks by finding them hidden in different locations during the game. Each collected artwork is a piece of concept art that you can view in your journal. You can acquire figurines by buying them from Reza with in-game coins, and these can also be viewed from the journal.

The narrative is an interesting blend of humor, adventure and a lot mystery. NAIRI contains a lot of dialogue, but they cycle quickly enough for fast readers. You can also click once to make them instantly appear completely. In addition, you can go to the settings and change the speed of the text’s appearance. If you want to reread the narrative you can see it in your journal. In some parts of the game you can switch characters during the dialogue, and the NPCs will reflect that by reacting differently.

There are three save slots, and while it’s a sufficient number, the issue is that you can only use one at a time. When I play a point & click game I like to save often and at different point in the game. It’s lacking the ability to save in multiple save slots through the same playthrough.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376448233
This second entry is a big step up from the first one. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first NAIRI game, but it was simpler. In NAIRI: Rising Tide, the developers have added tons of clever details and features which makes for an excellent player experience. To give you one example of these little details when you want to exit the game you have to click on the ‘exit’ button while holding the mouse button for a couple of seconds. This ensures that you don’t misclick and lose all of your progress. It’s a simple detail that makes a big difference for the player. In this second entry you get a different map for each section of the game which makes it easier to find things because each map is simplified. Another new feature is the toolbelt. It lets you combine items in new and interesting ways.

The hint system is also interesting. Instead of clicking a ‘hint’ button, the creators have made the hint system an integral part of the game. There are coins hidden everywhere in NAIRI’s world, and you’ll be able to use these to buy hints after meeting Pipi, the cute little chick. He loves coins, and teams up with you. In exchange for coins he gives you hints. The hints will be drawn in your journal, and they can be a nudge in the right direction all the way to full solutions. It’s up to you, and how many coins you want to spend.

One aspect that I love about this game is how the different features are introduced in compelling ways. For example, the fast travel is introduced when you meet the Rising, a group of fed up citizens. The rising’s leader asks you to help their members before answering your query. One of those tasks is to fix Fadi’s whistle. Once completed, you receive the whistle, and the ability to fast travel. From there on, you can blow the whistle to call Fadi and travel quickly between locations. This is an interesting way to introduce fast travel. It helps to make it an integral part of the game as opposed to just a feature you’re introduced to in the tutorial.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376450114
When you play NAIRI: Rising Tide, you really get the feeling that this is a work of love. The creators have put in time and effort to create a fun and engaging experience. The puzzles are no exception. They flow well with the narrative, and are purposeful. One of the first puzzle you solve involves delivering Bear Buns for Badu. It’s a hidden object puzzle that spans a whole section of the map. You receive drawings of the customers in your journal. In addition, when you read the dialogues there are hints sprinkled in. If you are in the mood for an extra challenge, there are also three optional dungeons. If you want a more relaxing experience, you can simply skip them without consequences. There is a good amount of variety with many different types of puzzles.

The story is interesting, but what makes this game shine is the gorgeous hand-drawn artwork, and all of the extra player-friendly features. NAIRI: Rising Tide was a joy to play. The atmosphere is cozy and the puzzles are fun to solve. I like that they made the bonus dungeons optional so that players can customize their experience. This second entry is more than the sum of its parts. If you love story rich point & click games, you’ll love NAIRI: Rising Tide.

[h3]Positives[/h3]
[list]
[*] Stunning hand-drawn artwork
[*] Fun story related puzzles
[*] Optional dungeons for an extra challenge
[/list]

[h3]Negatives[/h3]
[list]
[*] Can only play in one save slot per game
[*] Puzzle oriented players might find the large amount of dialogue daunting
[/list]

[quote]For more cozy gaming, visit the [url=https://veescozycorner.com]Vee’s Cozy Corner website.[/url][/quote]

Cute and cozy, brain-teasing puzzle game.

Gotta stan a game with such nice vibes,
even though I have not finished it.

For any interested buyers: Start with the first one (Tower of Shirin)!