Indigo Prophecy

"What a Shame"

This is my very first review and since I have just finished this game, which I loved to play, I decided to give it a whack.

As you can tell from the title and the score I have given the game, something doesn't quite add up. However, the "shame" part will be dealt with, like a cluster grenade with the pin taken out. It really is a travesty.

There are people, gamers, who will say this game is terrible, that it is over-pretentious crap. There always be with any game, of course, but these people simply don't really like ambitious video games which like to show that your imagination should let things go slightly and, y'know, enjoy the experience.

After all, there aren't too many games which start with a narrator, a crow flying through a snow drenched New York and a bone chillingly good murder scene.
Yes, a murder. Very few games try to pack as much emotional power into a game like Fahrenheit does in its first few hours. From this moment, Lucas Kane's' life, the protagonist of the piece, depends on you.

I've obviously been quite vague on what happens to begin with; however that would be to spoil everyone fun when playing for the first time.

The game plays like a point and click adventure, like Broken Sword, but is done in its own unique style. To perform actions, sign come up on the top of the screen indicating the direction the right thumbstick is to be used. This involves physical actions as well as conversational parts.

Along with the unique style of gameplay are interactive sections which are performed using the thumbsticks and should buttons. these are good ways of making you feel like your performing the actions the character is doing onscreen, especially through the big action sequences.

And these are great action sequences. From being on the run, escaping flying angels and fighting superior beings in mid air, this game has it all.
While you have to concentrate on these actions, you still are able to understand what's going on and feel a sense of achievement in doing something good on screen.

As ive already said, it is pretentious as shown above, but its great stuff and, overall is pretty believeable.

However, this game, with all its brilliant quirks and story, wouldn't be great if it didn't have a great score and brilliant voice acting. All of the actors do a great job here; however special praise should go to Lucas Kane. Since he is the main character, he needs to be spot on, and is almost perfect in what goes on around him.

The music is subtle and very immersive while also being very tense and exciting when it needs to be, while the graphics, though being slightly primitive, lend the characters good facial expressions and excellent agility throughout the action sequences (especially when it's done with motion capturing).

There are a few downsides to the game however, noticeably being the two stealth sections, which basically suck and are actually not needed at all.

Also, it is, and was, painfully obvious that this game is just as linear as any other. I know it is supposed to be that you create you're own destiny, but it can't be achieve in ANY game. If you can, then it isn't a game at all (unless it has no story to it). This is also supposedly true of Fable, the 'fabled' game where you can create your own destiny. er, no, you can't.
However, if the story is good (and it is), and it is enjoyable to play, the answer is: who cares?

So, all in all, I love this game, almost in every way. The graphics are fine, the gameplay is refreshing and is great to use too, while the story is actually almost perfect and is the main reason to play it, like any game.

What's wrong with the story? Certain parts of the last hour. Damn.

After an awesome scrap on top of the high rise building, for some reason, either they had no money (doubt it), no other ideas (not sure) or they wanted to get it over with (maybe), they rush the story so quickly it isn't really plausible and is unfinished.

Important plot points, enemies and details are thrown in with much finesse like everything else, but disappointingly, are still done with the same direction and poise the rest of the game is so brilliant for.

Despite an incredibly bad, pretentious last confrontation and a well executed but quick ending, which really sours a truly awesome game, it is still worth anyone's' money as well as devotion and attention, which for 98% of the game it demands and expects. Which is all it can ask for.

Graphics - 8
Gameplay - 9 Overall - 9/10
Story - 9
lifespan - 8

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/06