Grime is an outstanding souls-like Metroidvania RPG that will test the might of anyone regardless of how familiar they are with these types of games. It features brutal boss fights and intriguing environments that will surely get the player's heart pumping hard.
Similar to Dark Souls, this 2D dark fantasy game offers unique game mechanics and unforgiving combat. Here are some tips to remember, which can make the game's difficulty more manageable.
Developed by Clover Bite, Grime is available on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, and Google Stadia. The game was released on August 2, 2021.
10 Pick a Peripheral
Grime is brutal when it comes to solidifying the mechanics in the player's mind. It can go slow to fast real quick, so it's recommended for a person to use whichever peripheral is the most comfortable for them when it comes to playing games.
If the player has established muscle memory with a Controller, they must use it. If they're used to Keyboard and Mouse, go for it. Knowing the mechanics and picking the better peripheral for the player is the key to fully enjoying the game.
9 Absorb and Healing Breath
Absorb is Grime's unique parry. It's taught right at the beginning without any weapon in hand. It can do the following:
• It absorbs the Prey if their health bar is red.
• It absorbs projectiles and reflects them back to the Prey.
• It blocks an attack and staggers the Prey if their health bar is grey.
It's recommended to absorb Preys as much as possible to fill the Breath meter as it's not possible to heal unless it's almost full. Each section of the meter represents one Prey's Breath, which means the player must absorb multiple enemies to fill it all up. They will, then, be able to regain a certain amount of health.
8 Hunting for Traits or Skills
In Grime, the player will not only gain insight about all the Preys but also acquire their trait/skill after absorbing a certain amount of each. They will be able to pick which trait/skill is most useful to them in their exploration.
The player must find a Crimson Ichor or kill Prey with uncounterable attacks (red-outline) to obtain a Hunt Point, which is needed to grow a trait/skill. If they want to respec or reallocate their Hunt Points to change their build or when they find a more useful trait/skill, they'll need Motley Pearls to do it.
7 Developing Vessel
The player will need to gain Mass to develop their vessel through killing or absorbing Prey. It's recommended to upgrade the Health and Force early on to make room for mistakes, which can also make exploration easier.
Later, they can pick which stat/attribute to upgrade depending on the weapon they want to use. Each upgrade gets pricier. But there'll be opportunities along the way that helps them gain a large amount of mass. Bear in mind that it's not possible to respec stats later on. So have a plan before upgrading a stat.
6 Pick a Weapon
The player will find weapons as they explore different areas of the game. It's recommended to pick weapons that are suitable for a user's play style. Weapons vary in speed and power; the faster the weapon, the lower its power, and vice-versa.
Similar to Dark Souls, there are requirements for every weapon the player wants to wield. There are three stats for weapons to scale with, namely: Strength, Dexterity, and Resonance. So pick a weapon or two and focus on upgrading the stats for it.
5 Map and Beacon
It's recommended for the player to find the Beacon as soon as they arrive in an unfamiliar area. It reveals the paths they have already explored and will explore, including the hidden ones. The map allows the player to leave marks, which makes it easier to remember where the shortcuts, items, and traders are.
There's only one Beacon in every area and it's situated between 2 surrogates. The player will be able to find the Beacon before the second surrogate, provided there are only two of the latter in the area.
4 Grime Currency
Each time the player kills a Prey and breaks things, they'll gain a certain amount of Mass. It's one of the two currencies in Grime. This is what's needed to develop the vessel into the build that players have in mind that should be able to make the challenges ahead more manageable.
There are traders that people will meet in different areas of the game. They sell weapons and armor sets that can't be found elsewhere. Some of them accept Mass, and some only accept collectibles that are placed in hidden or difficult corners of the area.
3 Explore Thoroughly
Grime allows players to backtrack and explore previous areas with newfound abilities, which helps them uncover more secrets and open up routes. There are consumables and collectibles to be collected in every area, which can go from common to rare resources.
There are missable items that are placed in narrow or hidden corners that require the player to use an ability, which they can gain from killing a certain great Prey. Exploring every area thoroughly can be a rewarding experience for those who try.
2 Armor Sets
The armor sets are cosmetic only. It doesn't have anything to offer the player except making their vessel look cool. There are tons of armor sets that are scattered in the game. Many of which can be picked along the way.
But some can only be collected later because they need to use a certain ability to get them. There are missable traders that sell armor sets in exchange for collectibles that can be challenging to get.
1 Familiarize Patterns
The player will face frustrating boss fights and puzzles throughout their journey. Some of these challenges can seem impossible, especially when the Prey can deal massive damage and with the Healing Breath gradually refilling their health bar.
It's OK to die multiple times. Every attempt the player takes is an opportunity to familiarize the Prey's patterns and to practice getting the right timing to absorb them. Eventually, they will be able to overcome a challenge they first deemed to be impossible.