RIVE – There’s More Than Just the First Mission

RIVE is a twin-stick shooter that I’ve been extremely excited about since first playing a demo of it almost 18 months ago. Wow, has it really been that long? In the short demo I felt the game had great potential based on a good design and appealing gameplay. I obviously thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the game. I even took a moment to ask the developer a few questions about it.

Well, lots of time has passed since I played the demo and I’m now thrilled to have my hands on the fully released version of RIVE. However, the odd thing that I’m dealing with now is that even though I finally have the full game, I’m well over an hour into it and still haven’t gotten past the first level. Why, you ask? It’s because it has the smooth and appealing gameplay that I remember, and mostly because I sooo want the top score for the first stage leaderboard!

Have you ever started a game that you were so interested in that you continuously played the very first level over and over again until you had a respectable score? I tend to get a little caught up, or slightly obsessed, in that type of situation where I restart the mission hundreds of times until I get that perfect run that leads to a high score. However, all I was expecting to get in the first level of RIVE was a top 25 score. I would have been quite happy with that.

Good news! I hit the top 25. But actually, it went a lot further than that as my obsession led me to the third overall score after an hour of play. However, shortly after landing in third place I perfected the secret to keeping the multiplier running throughout the entire stage. Once I had that down I snatched the crown for first overall. See the video below.

Now that I hit my mark, I will finally allow myself to move on to the second level and experience that there really is more to RIVE than just the first mission. Apparently there is a campaign that’s over six hours long, well at least for the average player because I’m already two hours in and still have only completed one level. I have a feeling my time with RIVE could reach a very high number – just like my scores.

What games drive you to perfection for that top overall score? It’ll be nice to read in the comments below about some similar situations others have encountered with leaderboard obsession. And while you think back on those moments, here’s an exciting look at all the intense action that’s featured throughout RIVE. It’s time that I continue on to experience more in the game!