GRIS: The Art of Embracing Sadness

An analysis of the story of Gris, using the 5 stages of grief through gorgeous watercolors in the journey from the death of a loved one to acceptance. In the five years since its release, it continues to reflect the effects of loss.

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Music from the game Undertale
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[pixeljurnee]

The 5 stages of grief has received criticism over time with additional models being suggested, including a reworking of the stages into seven: 1. Shock and denial, 2. Pain and guilt, 3. Anger and bargaining, 4. Depression, 5. The upward turn, 6. Reconstruction and working through, and 7. Acceptance and hope.

[iSOBigD]

Man, this was such a great game. Visually it's already beautiful with the hand drawn look, the colors building up, the unique worlds and great animation...But the story and meaning behind it really makes it such an amazing game. It really hits hard if you've just lost someone, especially a child. I believe it was about someone losing their child, likely before birth, and dealing with stages of grief after the fact. Beautiful game, although very sad too.

[badoublenana]

This video is all I needed. Beautifully executed. Thank you.

[valmont]

I played this game with absolutely no desire to see symbolism or metaphors of any kind, and it was still a superb experience. You can totally enjoy this game without reference to trauma, loss, or even grief.

[jpnissen]

i love this game and ur breakdown of it <3 i started crying when gris nearly got eaten by the eel and the turtle comes bursting through and carries you away. for me it was about friends helping you and that you dont need to fight alone. this whole scene with the eel and turtle was so immersive and i just felt such a release when the turtle burst out, i started crying and gris is also relaxing and she lets the turtle carry her. this game is so beautiful <333

[Lubenskii]

I just finished Gris and it's an absolutely stunning game that made me cry without it needing to say a single word which was beautiful. And it's awesome to hear your thoughts on this game as a psychologist and bringing your own personal journey through grief to connect further with this game. Amazing analysis for an amazing game <3

[sarahv]

I've been trying to branch out to other games and experiences outside of my comfort zone recently through gamepass. Playing Gris gave me chills, it was a truly breathtaking experience. Your analysis of it was so beautifully written and thought out. I've never really seen Gris be talked about or mentioned before I played it so I didn't have any expectations going in besides to try something new. I'm a pretty sensitive person but I'm not very good at reading between the lines or seeing symbolism, and your explanation made this game even more impactful. I'm excited to check out your other videos and read through your Medium articles.

[iMakeThat]

I don’t usually react to jump scares… but that eel got me hard 😂

[Whoknowswhere]

I just found this game hours ago. 30 mins in and this game is breathtaking. A masterpiece

[FamilywithFour]

This game is a visual masterpiece and its great to see this discussion on mental health in gaming!

[ElieHaykal]

Started GRIS a couple of days ago and will finish soon. The introduction is one of the most memorable game openings ever.

[beatsms]

my mother went b4 christmas, ya know (cancer). i use to belive that my mom was strong like me coz everytime she had health problem she always came back on top, and my worries would just disapear, but this time she didnt came back and i never got to say i love you. i always think that she is gonna be coming back just smiling saying that she is not dead, that she is fine. im angry coz i keep beliving that is whats gonna happen. but it wont this time. she is really gone. message to all: give a lot of atention to your parents if you love them

[RAGaming]

As someone who was diagnosed with PTSD and depression, I very much appreciate how deep this game seems to explore all those different types of emotions and uses the different colors to help represent them. Thank you for an amazing game analysis and sharing your own experiences dealing with some of these emotions as well😊

[noraabodylove]

The gameplay reminds me a lot of Journey but the colors really add so much to the visuals. Great job with this video! I have this game on my wishlist and may have to bump it up. But dealing with the grief part might be a struggle. I still haven't finished Spiritfarer since the loss of my dad!!

[DavetheTurnip]

Thanks for this. I just finished Gris on stream. I loved its visuals and sound but was confused about the symbolism. Your video puts it into much stronger context and I think I like it even more now. 🙂

[BellaGameSter]

An Interesting game..
Everyone who have lost a loved one will understand. May their souls rest in peace🙏🏽💔

[yuckyhamsandwich]

This is such a cool concept🙌🏼 narrating a game so beautifully. Graphic is so pretty too.

[Mohype]

I love how you described the artistic elements of GRIS in such a concise and detailed way. I subscribed. Much love!

[Shakespearept]

Very personal and thoughtful review. Great watch :) Probably gonna give this one a try. Must be interesting to play with the perspective of your profession.

[ChilledSoul]

I enjoyed the experience but sadly never connected with it as I simply didnt understand what was going on. Those experiences always bum me out too. Beautiful art and music.

But man I come to these videos and it seems like everyone understands what it was about. Gosh I feel stupid