Gravity Rush (franchise)

Last updated
Gravity Rush
Genre(s)
Developer(s) Japan Studio (Team Gravity)
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Creator(s) Keiichiro Toyama
Producer(s) Makato Isomine
Artist(s)
  • Yoshiaki Yamaguchi
  • Shunsuke Saito
  • Takeshi Oga
Writer(s)
  • Keiichiro Toyama
  • Naoko Sato
Composer(s) Kohei Tanaka
Platform(s)
First release Gravity Rush
February 9, 2012
Latest release Gravity Rush 2
January 18, 2017

Gravity Rush, known in Japan as Gravity Daze, [lower-alpha 1] is a media franchise centered on a series of video games developed by Team Gravity, owned and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is created by Keiichiro Toyama, who also created the Silent Hill and Siren series. The franchise is best known for its action-adventure video games, which has been supplemented by a two-part animation, a film adaptation, and various merchandise.

Contents

The first installment, Gravity Rush , was released on February 9, 2012, for the PlayStation Vita. The game follows protagonist Kat, a superhero tasked to restore the floating city of Hekseville and save humanity from invasive species known as Nevi. Gravity Rush Remastered was released for the PlayStation 4 on December 10, 2015. A sequel, Gravity Rush 2 , released on January 18, 2017, for the PlayStation 4, featured a three-way conflict between humanity, the Nevi and the Garrison Army.

Gameplay

Gravity Rush protagonist Kat using her powers of gravity manipulation, aiming several objects at a target during a time trial Gravity Rush screenshot.jpg
Gravity Rush protagonist Kat using her powers of gravity manipulation, aiming several objects at a target during a time trial

Gravity Rush is an action-adventure video game in which players take the role of Kat, a young woman who can manipulate how gravity affects her, allowing her to walk on walls and fly through the air. [1] Kat navigates the game's open world both on foot using roads and walkways, and using her powers; activating Kat's abilities, the player tilts the video game controller, aiming Kat and allowing her to "fall" in that direction. Kat can use her abilities to walk on vertical surfaces or areas such as ceilings and the underside of structures. Kat's gravity-based abilities are tied to an energy meter which decreases when her powers are active. When fully depleted, Kat's powers deactivate until the meter recharges. [2] [3]

Combat takes place either on the ground or with Kat using her powers against enemies. When on the ground, Kat attacks by kicking enemies in their weak spots. When using her powers, Kat can rotate and aim at those weak spots. Increasing Kat's distance before using her powers increases the amount of damage. [1] [3] Some abilities used in combat, such as the ability to locate and lock onto weak points, are tied to a cooldown timer which must replenish before being used again. [2] [4]

During navigation, Kat can find three types of pick-ups; blue cubes which restore her energy and allow prolonged use of her gravity powers; green crystals which restore health; red crystals which allows the use of her special powers; and pink crystals which act as the games' currency. [2] These gems are rewarded by completing quests given by non-player characters (NPCs), and can be used to buy and upgrade new abilities for Kat, or attributes such as health and energy. [3] [4] Quests include escorting NPCs, fighting packs of enemies, and making deliveries. During these and other types of quest, Kat can use a particular ability to pick up objects and carry them with her as she navigates Hekseville. Some areas require Kat to navigate platforming sections, which grant access to new abilities tied to the story. [1] [2] [4]

Games

Release timeline
Mainline number entries in bold
2012 Gravity Rush
2013
2014
2015 Gravity Rush Remastered
2016
2017 Gravity Rush 2

Main series

Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush is an action-adventure video game developed by Project Siren in association with Japan Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was initially released for the PlayStation Vita on February 9, 2012, in Japan, June 12, 2012, in North America, June 14, 2012, in Australia, and June 15, 2012, in Europe. Gravity Rush follows Kat's efforts to help restore the floating city of Hekseville which is overrun by Nevi.

A remastered edition of the game titled Gravity Rush Remastered was developed and released on December 10, 2015, in Japan, February 2, 2016, in North America, February 3, 2016, in Australia, and February 5, 2016, in Europe for the PlayStation 4 by Bluepoint Games.

Gravity Rush 2

Gravity Rush 2 is an action-adventure video game published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. This sequel to Gravity Rush was released for the PlayStation 4 in Europe and Australia on January 18, 2017, in Japan on January 19, 2017, and in North America and the United Kingdom on January 20, 2017. The game takes place sometime time after the events of the first game, where Kat ends up being drawn from her home of Hekseville into another universe and should liberate the citizens of Jirga Para Lhao from its evil rulers.

Other games

Characters from the Gravity Rush series have made guest appearances in games outside of the Gravity Rush franchise. Kat was added to the Everybody's Golf 6 roster as downloadable content. [5] Kat, Raven, Alias, and Yunica were added as a costume pack for LittleBigPlanet 2 , the PlayStation Vita version of LittleBigPlanet , and LittleBigPlanet Karting . [6] Kat is a playable character in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale , available as downloadable content. [7] and made a cameo appearance in Astro's Playroom (2020). [8]

Backwards compatibility

Sony revealed on January 4, 2021, that the two Gravity Rush titles that launched on the PlayStation 4 — Gravity Rush Remastered and Gravity Rush 2 — are compatible on PlayStation 5 through the backwards compatibility program.

Film

A film adaptation directed by Anna Mastro and written by Emily Jerome was reported to be in development at PlayStation Productions and Scott Free Productions. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Jak 3</i> 2004 platforming video game

Jak 3 is a 2004 action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The game is the sequel to Jak II and serves as the conclusion of the trilogy. The story of the previous games continues as the player takes on the dual role of recurring protagonists Jak and Daxter. It adds new weapons, devices and playable areas. The game was followed by Jak X: Combat Racing.

<i>Sly Cooper</i> Series of action stealth video games

Sly Cooper is a series of action-adventure and stealth video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The first three games in the series were developed by Sucker Punch Productions. Sanzaru Games developed the fourth game while Sucker Punch worked on the Infamous series. The first three games were remastered into high-definition for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita by Sanzaru Games, titled The Sly Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiichiro Toyama</span> Japanese video game designer

Keiichirō Toyama is a Japanese video game director and designer, best known as the creator of the Silent Hill, Siren and Gravity Rush franchises.

<i>Gravity Rush 2</i> 2017 video game

Gravity Rush 2, known in Japan as Gravity Daze 2, is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Japan Studio's Team Gravity division and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The sequel to Gravity Rush, the game was released for the PlayStation 4 in January 2017. Directed by Keiichiro Toyama, the core mechanic of the game is the player's ability to manipulate gravity, allowing unique movements and navigation. The game follows Kat, a gravity-shifting teenage girl and super-heroine, after she is drawn from her home of Hekseville into another universe and must liberate the citizens of Jirga Para Lhao from its evil rulers.

Japan Studio was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. A first-party studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment, it was best known for the Ape Escape, LocoRoco, Patapon, Gravity Rush, and Knack series, the Team Ico games, Bloodborne, The Legend of Dragoon, and Astro's Playroom. In April 2021, Japan Studio was reorganized and merged with Team Asobi and other SIE studios.

Bluepoint Games Inc is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2006 by Andy O'Neil and Marco Thrush, the studio is known for video game remasters and remakes, such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015), Shadow of the Colossus (2018), and Demon's Souls (2020). Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired the company in September 2021, making them a first-party developer for PlayStation Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Vita</span> Handheld game console by Sony

The PlayStation Vita is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territories beginning on February 22, 2012. The console is the successor to the PlayStation Portable, and a part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices; as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles, it primarily competed with the Nintendo 3DS.

<i>LittleBigPlanet</i> Puzzle platform video game series

LittleBigPlanet (LBP) is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series put a strong emphasis on user-generated content and are based on the series' tagline "Play, Create, Share". The tagline represents the three core elements of the series: playing alone or with others locally or online, creating new content using the in-game creation tools, and sharing creations and discoveries online with other players.

Sony has released a number of previously released PlayStation video games, remastered in high-definition (HD) for their newer consoles, a form of porting. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" and "PSP Remasters". The former consists of multiple PlayStation 2 games compiled on one Blu-ray Disc. The latter are individual PlayStation Portable games republished on Blu-ray. These games are not direct ports, but remastered versions in high-definition, to take advantage of the newer consoles' capabilities. The remastering of the games include updated graphics, new textures, and Trophy support, and some of the remastered games released on PlayStation 3 have included 3D and PlayStation Move support. Some HD remasters have also been released individually or in bundles as downloads on the PlayStation Store; others are released exclusively as downloads.

Infamous is a series of video games developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The series follows the adventures of Cole MacGrath, Delsin Rowe and Abigail "Fetch" Walker, super-powered "Conduits" who must decide their own destinies of becoming either good or evil.

<i>LittleBigPlanet PS Vita</i> 2012 puzzle-platformer

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is a puzzle platform video game developed by Double Eleven, Tarsier Studios and XDev Studio Europe for the PlayStation Vita handheld game console. It is the fourth game of the LittleBigPlanet franchise; a series of puzzle platformers centered on user-generated content. The game was announced in January 2011 along with the reveal of the PlayStation Vita console, then known as the Next Generation Portable (NGP), and the first details of the game were revealed on 6 June 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It was released on 19 September 2012 in Europe, 20 September 2012 in Japan and Australia, and 25 September 2012 for the North American markets.

<i>Gravity Rush</i> 2012 video game

Gravity Rush, known in Japan as Gravity Daze, is a 2012 action-adventure video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Gravity division and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. Gravity Rush Remastered, a high definition remaster developed by Bluepoint Games for the PlayStation 4 was released in 2015 in Japan and 2016 in the West. In Gravity Rush, players control Kat, an amnesiac with the power to manipulate how gravity affects her, and uses her powers to help the people of Hekseville against the mysterious Nevi, helping its people against threats and uncovering the mystery behind her past. Gameplay has Kat exploring the open world of Hekseville, completing missions for townsfolk and defeating Nevi. Navigation and combat heavily involve Kat's gravity-altering abilities.

<i>LittleBigPlanet Karting</i> 2012 kart racing video game

LittleBigPlanet Karting is a kart racing video game developed by United Front Games and San Diego Studio, in conjunction with series creators Media Molecule for the PlayStation 3. It is the fifth game of the LittleBigPlanet franchise, and the third LittleBigPlanet game to be released on the console. The game was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and was released in November 2012.

<i>PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale</i> 2012 fighting crossover video game

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed by SuperBot Entertainment, in conjunction with Bluepoint Games, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from different PlayStation video game franchises competing against each other in multiplayer battles. The game was released in November 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.

<i>Destiny of Spirits</i> 2014 video game

Destiny of Spirits was a free-to-play online social strategy game with role-playing elements for the PlayStation Vita, developed jointly by Japan Studio and Q Entertainment for Sony Computer Entertainment. The game was divided into three online regions, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, each with a separate server. The game's servers were closed down on June 30, 2015, following an announcement made a few months prior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation TV</span> Microconsole manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment

The PlayStation TV, known in Japan and other parts of Asia as the PlayStation Vita TV or PS Vita TV, is a microconsole, and a non-handheld variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld game console. It was released in Japan on November 14, 2013, and Europe and Australia on November 14, 2014.

<i>Cosmic Star Heroine</i> 2017 science fiction role-playing video game

Cosmic Star Heroine is a science fiction role-playing video game by Zeboyd Games. The game's development was funded partially through a Kickstarter campaign. Cosmic Star Heroine was released in April 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows platforms; it was later ported to the PlayStation Vita in April 2018 and Nintendo Switch in August 2018. It received a version for Google Stadia in April 2021.

Kat (<i>Gravity Rush</i>) Video game character

Kat, known in Japan as Kitten, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Gravity Rush series. A young woman with retrograde amnesia, she awakens in the city of Hekseville after falling from the sky, and sets out to discover the origins of her power to shift gravity. She becomes a hero to the people of the city after defending them from the threat of mysterious creatures called the Nevi. Her powers stem from Dusty, a supernatural, catlike organism that is bound to her, and whom she later realizes is a type of being known as a guardian. Her rival and, later, ally is Raven, a fellow shifter with a crow guardian named Xii who is said to be Kat's other half.

<i>Astros Playroom</i> 2020 video game

Astro's Playroom is a platform video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Asobi division and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. A sequel to Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the game comes pre-installed on every console, serving additionally as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Guraviti Deizu (Japanese: グラビティデイズ)

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Petit, Carolyn (June 13, 2012). "Gravity Rush Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gravity Rush (Instruction manual) (North American ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment. June 12, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Jim, Sterling (May 24, 2012). "Review: Gravity Rush". Destructoid . Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Miller, Greg (May 24, 2012). "Gravity Rush Review". IGN . Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Kat From Gravity Rush Has Cameo In Hot Shots Golf". PlayStation Blog . August 28, 2012. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Sack it to Me: Gravity Rush Comes to LittleBigPlanet". PlayStation Blog . November 19, 2012. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ "First PlayStation All-Stars DLC: Kat and Emmett Join the Battle Royale (For Free!)". PlayStation Blog . November 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ IGN (November 12, 2020). 64 PlayStation Game Easter Eggs in Astro's Playroom. YouTube (Video).
  9. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 22, 2022). "'Gravity Rush' Film Based On PlayStation Game In Works From PlayStation Productions & Scott Free; Anna Mastro Attached To Direct From Emily Jerome's Script". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.