Rise and Shine from developer Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team and Publisher Adult Swim Games is a fast-paced action game where you take control of Rise, a kid in Gameearth who is caught in war he didn’t ask for. Want to learn more? Then read our Rise and Shine review!
You should get things going by playing the tutorial so that you can get the hang of things. You’ll move around with the left analog stick, and jump with the X button. Rise jumps by using his gun, and can do a second jump by pressing X again in mid-air. For shooting, you need to unholster your gun with the L2 button, aim with the right analog stick and shoot with the R2 button. You can press the Square button to reload, and since every bullet is extremely useful you should always keep an eye on your ammo count. The Triangle button is for a quick dash in the direction you press the left analog stick. And if you’re ever in need of taking a small breather, use the Circle button to take cover. You can still aim and shoot while in cover, but if you lean out of cover, you’re vulnerable to damage.
Gamearth is the home of all videogame characters ever. The game properly begins an hour of before the alien invasion of Gamearth, and you quickly realize the game will not be holding your hand during your adventure. If you’re not quick to take cover when the first aliens enter the scene, you’ll be dead in a handful of seconds. After a short cutscene, you’ll be given Shine, a powerful weapon smart-ass weapon that is key to ending the onslaught. Shine gives Rise infinite respawns, which is a very handy ability since you’ll probably end up dying a dozen times before you’re even out of the starting section. Your quest is to take Shine to the King who knows where the Ultimate Weapon is – Shine is the key for unlocking said weapon.
Soon after this you’ll gain access to a laser sight, a very handy tool that will make it easier to aim Shine. And then, then things start to get real fun: you’ll find an RC add-on floating around which will allow you to control bullets after they’re shot! This is only available within a set range from Shine, but it’s certainly a very welcome addition and something that sets the game apart from other entries in the genre. You can select an RC bullet with the L1 button, shoot it as usual and then aim it with the right analog stick – and if you want to make it go superfast you can press the R2 button again! There’s also electric bullets which can be set with the R1 button, as well as other stuff you’ll unlock as you go.
You should be on the lookout for treasure chests that will aid you on your quest. These will allow you to increase the total number of bullets that Shine can hold, which is certainly appreciated! Every extra bullet means you can deal more damage and destroy more enemies between reloads, which in this game is a must. Missing a shot and not having another bullet to correct your mistake could be the difference between completing a section and having to respawn from the last checkpoint.
There are plenty of easter eggs and nods to other gaming franchises. You’ll see characters that will remind you of Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Qbert, Street Fighter, Donkey Kong, Metal Gear Solid, Pac-Man, Portal, 1943, Flappy Bird, and dozens of other games and franchises, which was sorta expected considering you’re playing a game set in a world where all videogame characters live.
Rise and Shine is a tough but fun action game in which everything and anything can kill you in a couple of seconds. You need to make the most of the available cover so that you can destroy all enemies before they overwhelm you, making sure that every shot counts. There are several areas in the game where you’ll be attacked from all sides of the screen, with slow moving bullets, bullets that split into smaller ones, acid that covers the floor and does considerable damage, and even bombs and mines that can one-hit you. It sounds overwhelming, but if you stick with the game, you’ll see this is a charming and fun PS4 release.
Disclaimer
This Rise and Shine review is based on a PS4 copy provided by Adult Swim Games.
