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 lovers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Positives

• Stunning hand-drawn artwork
• Fun story related puzzles
• Optional dungeons for an extra challenge

Negatives

• Can only play in one save slot per game
• Puzzle oriented players might find the large amount of dialogue daunting