Game Details
Name: Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy
Format: PS2/PC/Xbox (tested)
Genre: Action Adventure
Region Reviewed: PAL
Year of Release: 2005 (UK)
Reviewer: Jamalais
Known as Indigo Prophecy in America, Fahrenheit is one of those games that attempted to create a interactive film experience. Some excepted this concept with open arms, some people frowned on it proclaiming it technically wasn't a game. Well several years has passed since that fateful release on the Original Xbox in 2005 so lets see if Fahrenheit is still worth investing in.
Fahrenheit's story has you following three character Lucas Kane a 9 to 5 IT worker who has a fondness for reading Shakespeare in diners, Carla Valenti a young cop who is claustrophobic and Tyler Miles, Carlas police partner and your typical comic relief in a cop duo but he likes Basketball which is ok in my book. Essentially New York as well as the world is starting to get cold, really cold and bizarre murders are occurring round the city where normal folk are killing innocent people then themselves. I won't spoil the story too much as it is the games strongest draw. What I will say is the game is filled with a fair few twists and turns playing out very much like a film, if it hooks you from the beginning it is very likely you will play through to the end.
This is a game that starts you off in one hell of a predicament. You start the story as Lucas Kane, during a brief period of possession Lucas cuts open his own wrists and then proceeds to stab the hell out of a innocent guy in the toilet. He then comes to his senses and the player takes control. This is quite something for a game as this rather tense moment is timed you can either go through a long process of hiding the body and the evidence and sneak out of the diner without anyone suspecting what you did, or you can just run out the door in a panic. The entire game is played out by the players decisions, some choices lead to death which means you have to re start the scene though there are usually multiple routes to progress through the story.
Gameplay wise you basically control your character with the left thumb stick and you then use the right thumbstick to interact with items in the world displayed on the top frame of the screen. The game then has this simon says quick time event system which plays out during the major action screens. You basically have to use both analogue sticks and move them in time with the displays on the screen. The game positions this in the centre of the screen so you can watch the action. Being the anxious gamer, I was much more concerned with getting the prompts correct than watching the scenes.
An important mechanic the game uses which I felt never seemed to have a big enough impact on the game as it should is the mood meter. Basically certain choices and decisions you make in the game will impact a small bar on the bottom right of the screen that pops up to show the mental stability of you character. Should your character get too depressed the game is over. It seemed like a great mechanic to use in the game maybe affecting how you react to other characters in the game, sadly it really doesn't have any impact on the story unless your intentionally getting your character depressed to see the game over scene. On that note that's one thing I admire about the game if you die or fail you get a scene that pretty much ends the story of the entire game rather than a typical game over screen. Of course you can try the scene again where you left off but this is a clever concept to close the story entirely should you not want to continue further.
Graphics for the game are standard affair. The 3D character models and environments are showing their age by today's standard of games. If you enjoy the story the graphics will not deter you from the experience, most of your experience will be spent in snowy environments and peoples apartments though there are a few surprise locations you will not expect. This game also used motion capture on the characters so most of the animations were carried out by real life actors. The game has a nice little documentary giving a over view how the game was made like a dvd extra which is something I wish more games incorporated.
The soundtrack to the game is pretty good. This games uses music from real artists like Theory of a Deadman and Nina Simone and giving them some pretty good exposure most likely increasing their own popularity and music sales. Even if your not too fond of the music the game does a good job using it at the right scenes where it would make sense to fire off a certain song like good old 'love TKO' by Teddy Pendergrass during a make out scene. The games score stands head over heals as the strongest music in the game, most of the melodies just feeling so hopeless and sad, matching the mood of each scene so well like a blockbuster film. Combining both the music and score together makes a killer combination which the game also allows you to listen to at your convince in the extras menu. In case that wasn't enough the voice acting is solid. This is pretty important for a game that is heavily story focused. Almost every character is believable in their role although occasionally you'll come across the odd line of dialogue from a character that just makes no sense usually from the background extras.
Fahrenheit is not a long game at all. Unlike most games this game is designed for you to see it through to the end, you will probably complete it in two long gaming sessions. Should the quick time events bother you too much you can turn the difficulty down making it a lot more manageable, which is something I actually recommend in this game since it is story focused. The game has multiple endings but after completing the game the first time it is unlikely you'll be playing through the story again straight away. This is one of those games you'll probably play through once a year and maybe just do things a little different compared to how you remember doing them before and you will most likely see scenes play out differently each time you play through.
RGG Scores
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Lastability
Overall Score:
7
8
6
6
6
Verdict:- Of course the big deterrent is if the story doesn't grab you then you won't like this game and will likely fall into the crowd of people who moan that this is a film not a game.
Personally I praise designs like this but I guess a lot of that's stems from one of the other passions in my life which is of course watching films and this game does a fantastic job of creating a interactive story telling experience that just works.
The game isn't arcade action or FPS fragging, it's a unique game that allows you to determine your own path through it. I recommend this game for everybody to try especially to those who are looking for a more casual experience. Plus if nothing else if your a busy gamer this is one game I can assure you most people will complete.
Second Opinion:- Transbot loves this game and can see past a few negatives in the controls and gameplay.
Although it's unique in the sense it utilises the two analogue sticks instead of reverting to buttons for the majority of the time he was begging for the quick time sequences to end. There were too many and some felt very unnecessary.
The controls are a bit stiff and in conjunction with a clunky camera makes certain aspects of the game difficult to navigate through successfully, however this is overwritten by the dark plot and interesting gameplay which is moral-testing fun! It's an unfortunate shadow of Heavy rain now which more players need to purchase.
Transbot demands you play this!!!
Transbot Scores:- 7 out of 10
