PlayStation 3 has released some of the best downloadable games of this generation, as Journey. Will Rain, the exciting new production of Japan Studio be the next game to ad to this generation of games? Lets take a look at the Rain Review.
Sony Japan Studio has given birth to some of the most unique catalog of PlayStation, from the original Ape Escape to the most recent Puppeteer or the yet unreleased The Last Guardian . A study has also served to strengthen the program PlayStation CAMP. by which, the Japanese video game enthusiasts have been able to present their original ideas to create one.
It is also true that in recent months we have seen independent developments have tried to go beyond the narrative form, as Journey or The Unfinished Swan, two titles that have touched poetry and with their messages, have wanted to play the soul of the players. Rain also drinks of this aspect, shaping a unique title, the kind with the PlayStation DNA and only find on a platform of Sony.
Rain is committed to a scheme more “typical” than the two aforementioned titles and, broadly speaking, can be defined as a plataforme packed with adventure and puzzles. The game is very simple and as if it were a fairy tale, puts us in the shoes of young man who, during a rainy night, looks to pass under his window to a mysterious young woman, almost invisible, whose silhouette vaguely shown by rain. This young woman flees in terror, pursued by a monster also virtually invisible … so the girl decides to go after them.
But, after crossing a mysterious portal, the young man also becomes invisible and is where the real adventure begins. 8 chapters in which we reach the girl, save her from the monsters and restore our visibility. An approach that, first, you can remind another masterpiece of the Japanese studies from Sony, ICO, but in practice, they have rather little to do. Yes, the two characters both titles cooperate, there are platforms … but the dregs left at the end is very different.
As mentioned, the platforms are the backbone of the game, but not the only one. Here’s a game element that differentiates similar experiences and rain is the name of the game. And in Rain, rain is what makes us visible, your absence (if we under an awning or in a tunnel), completely invisible and only see the footprints of the young. We must learn to use these two variables to avoid monsters and draw them to another place, so that the girl might flee or help us in our next step.
There is also a third possibility, allowing us to trace and lure the monsters can dive in puddles or “pools” Improvised away the mud. Watch out, also has stealth because if, for example, are totally invisible but hit bottles, tables or whatever, the monsters will come looking for us.
All while jump, climb and interact with the environment and our companion. And here is one of the keys of Rain: its extreme simplicity. Everything is done with 3 buttons, like jogging Square, Circle X to jump and to interact (open doors, take items … etc..). In fact, Rain has been designed taking into account people who have never had contact with a game, so if we got stuck in some of their situations, just press Select for a track is displayed.
Moreover, the puzzles themselves are not overly complex and invite us to find keys and take them to a particular lock, use a doll to distract the monsters (must be invisible and move, for example, after a fence) or go giving way to our companion while being chased by a “nemesis”. They are simple and do not pose a challenge, as a rule.
There is no action (you can not pick up a stick and beats tiing with monsters), so it comes down to move through the only possible way there at all times, jumping, and climbing when new obstacles appear and help our colleague. A facile development which also is affected by other bigger problem: its duration. Between 2-3 hours you can complete the 8 chapters with little difficulty (each chapter makes an average of 20-30 minutes).
In his defense say that, to complete the adventure a first time, you unlock a secondary task: locate three memories (shaped like a sphere) is in each chapter. A “rough” excuse to replay, but at least prolong its duration.
It’s a nice story, yes, and maybe that is what you will be invited to complete the game more than their ability to engage and entertain. Yes, their mechanics of visibility / invisibility are unique and attract attention at first … but in the end everything becomes very mechanical.
On the other hand is his technical and artistic section, which is almost the best in the game. The water and recreation are the true protagonists of Rain, along with the mechanics of visibility and invisibility. The city where the game takes place is gray, dark and beautifully conveys the feeling of “despair”, with varied environments from a circus visited a church or an abandoned factory. Meanwhile, the few video scenes are like a watercolor, with very small animations that convey the message and setting of Rain .
But where Rain stands above other productions is in its soundtrack, by Yugo Kanno . Quiet melodies that relax and go with the atmosphere and spirit of the game. A unique and unusual in many ways, the kind that only Sony knows how to produce and exceeds expectations.
