Acquiescence
Member
Playing it now - the game looks gorgeous.
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Rain |OT| Wash away those Last Guardian blues
- Thread starter Acquiescence
- Start date
Original Man
Member
i dont understand how people can call this mediocre because of "style over substance" but give a game like Journey 10/10(dont get it twisted, I loved journey as well)
SomedayTheFire
Member
dat western bias
BubblegumCrisis
Member
Just finished it in the one sitting, liked it quite a bit. Certainly not the longest of yarns but a lovely ride nonetheless. It was highly atmospheric, with visuals, sound design and score going a long way in helping set its intended mood nicely, this only increases as the game goes on.
Platforming, presentation and the inclusion of a partner are very reminiscent of ICO (particularly the latter part of the game) and the Unknown creature that hunts you down relentlessly seemed to have come straight from Resident Evil 3.
I’ll say the stealth and puzzle elements never do get too fleshed out or require any real degree of thought for that matter as they don’t put you in any genuinely demanding situations that call for it. Conundrums have only the one solution and that solution is always very obvious and easy to accomplish.
I would have liked to see them expand upon certain ideas but alas many of those said ideas were introduced only to be used the once or twice through the entirety of the game, but taking the length of the game into consideration I can understand not wanting to overuse any one given mechanic.
Despite its shortcomings I felt satisfied after the credits had rolled and am very appreciative towards Sony for their continuing effort in making these smaller/ atypical titles.
Platforming, presentation and the inclusion of a partner are very reminiscent of ICO (particularly the latter part of the game) and the Unknown creature that hunts you down relentlessly seemed to have come straight from Resident Evil 3.
I’ll say the stealth and puzzle elements never do get too fleshed out or require any real degree of thought for that matter as they don’t put you in any genuinely demanding situations that call for it. Conundrums have only the one solution and that solution is always very obvious and easy to accomplish.
I would have liked to see them expand upon certain ideas but alas many of those said ideas were introduced only to be used the once or twice through the entirety of the game, but taking the length of the game into consideration I can understand not wanting to overuse any one given mechanic.
Despite its shortcomings I felt satisfied after the credits had rolled and am very appreciative towards Sony for their continuing effort in making these smaller/ atypical titles.
Cave Johnson
Member
Just finished it - beautiful, haunting & melancholic. I love how they merge european towns together like some dream. I must say it's the only other game that follows the ICO formula not utilizing the "game-mechanics" as their core gameplay but as a support device to progress through the story (hence the straightforward obstacles). I can see why this unorthodox method will not jive with those looking aiming for such experiences. It breaks fundamental rules of traditional gaming and it's sad that it had to come from the same exact studio despite ICO's diverse influence in gaming.
That being said, I didn't like how they resolved the ending, it became your typical
That kinda spoiled the whole journey for me.
As a side-note: Connie Talbot delivered the music that truly synchronises the theme of the game. Glad it was part of the pre-order bonus.
Just so you know, the controls are exactly like that of Silent Hill/Biohazard. Very old-school, and you can see the Pyramid Head and Nemesis references right there down from the musical theme and tone.
That being said, I didn't like how they resolved the ending, it became your typical
kamikaze moment when the antagonist relay his final action.
As a side-note: Connie Talbot delivered the music that truly synchronises the theme of the game. Glad it was part of the pre-order bonus.
Just so you know, the controls are exactly like that of Silent Hill/Biohazard. Very old-school, and you can see the Pyramid Head and Nemesis references right there down from the musical theme and tone.
chicagocubsfan
Member
Rain's soundtrack is amazing.
Acquiescence
Member
Soundtrack of the year? Just got to the big bridge that crosses over the river, and the piece that plays during that part is something else.
Miles Quaritch
Member
So I can download all the extras apart from the dynamic theme. This is getting pretty annoying...
KennyLinder
Member
Same here! It says Auto-Download when available. Thought it would be by now.
Miles Quaritch
Member
It's good to know I'm not the only one suffering from this issue. Hopefully it'll activate at some point over the next few hours.
Game is fantastic so far, loving the visuals, the atmosphere, the soundtrack. It's all fantastic.
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
Finished the first two chapter last night/this morning. I like the atmosphere of the Parisian city and the effect the rain has on the gameplay. It's one thing to see it in a video vs. playing having the mechanic play out when the controller is in your hands. I like it.
A friendly reminder if the hint went away too quickly, don't tap the button to run, hold it down to sprint continually. It's imperative in the early going for some of the encounters.
A friendly reminder if the hint went away too quickly, don't tap the button to run, hold it down to sprint continually. It's imperative in the early going for some of the encounters.
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
Three chapters in, really enjoying this. The atmosphere is great and the music really is special. Sparingly used, but works well given the only other sounds are monster roars, objects moving/falling and, of course, the rain.
KennyLinder
Member
Yep, enjoying this also. Bags of atmosphere, plays nicely, like the text driven story, feels good. Also, good rain 
silver.tongue
Member
Too much stuff to play right now.
I'll get it when it is $9,99.
I'll get it when it is $9,99.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
I downloaded it lasgt night, didn't get to play it because I was too busy with the BF4 beta.
Prince Vultan
Banned
Just playing this now. Fuck yeah it is one gorgeous ass game.
Music is great as well.
Music is great as well.
Miles Quaritch
Member
To those who have finished, how many chapters does this have?
I've just finished chapter 4 and I don't want to breeze through the entire game in one sitting...I want to try and draw it out as much as possible. I know it's relatively short and that's fine by me, hopefully not 5-6 chapters short. Would hate to think I've already blitzed through more than half the game...
I've just finished chapter 4 and I don't want to breeze through the entire game in one sitting...I want to try and draw it out as much as possible. I know it's relatively short and that's fine by me, hopefully not 5-6 chapters short. Would hate to think I've already blitzed through more than half the game...
SkyTurnsRed
Banned
I watched our reviewer play it briefly, and I think it was 8.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Thanks,
Isn't too bad, slightly disappointed it's turning out to be much shorter than I initially thought it would be...I've only been playing for about 90 minutes, give a take a couple of breaks to get some food, post some very basic impressions.
Still, it's a great game. Fantastic atmosphere and OST. I think I'll savour the last four chapters and draw them a little...a chapter a night sounds pretty good.
Miles Quaritch
Member
I really love the little touches. The footprints when you exit the rain, the squelching sound when you run through and track mud. Fantastic attention to detail. Really very impressive stuff.
Dragon1893
Member
What a lovely game. Definitely getting some Ico vibes. Love the visuals, great atmosphere, very melancholic. Main focus seems to be stealth with some light platforming and puzzle solving.
A great game to play after a stressful day.
A great game to play after a stressful day.
Acquiescence
Member
Completed. Random thoughts...
Visual/audio design is amazing. It's not a graphical powerhouse, but the attention to detail in the environments and the various effects like the rain splashing against the cobbled streets is impressive.
Wins the accolade of Soundtrack Of The Year.
Atmosphere up the wazoo. On a par with the Team ICO games in this respect. The last two chapters in particular... wow.
Establishes a strong connection between the player and the two leads despite zero dialogue or facial animation.
Critics weren't kidding when they said the game was short. Then again, I did blaze through it in two sittings, which in itself should be considered a good thing I suppose, as I couldn't tear myself away until it was finished.
Doesn't contain the emotional payoff I was expecting, but close. Ending left me a bit confused to be honest. There's no tidy resolution, and I felt the game could have done with one. It still moved me, but I'll have to play a second time to collect the Memories, which apparently flesh out the narrative somewhat.
I look forward to future discussion regarding the game's themes and plot.
Visual/audio design is amazing. It's not a graphical powerhouse, but the attention to detail in the environments and the various effects like the rain splashing against the cobbled streets is impressive.
Wins the accolade of Soundtrack Of The Year.
Atmosphere up the wazoo. On a par with the Team ICO games in this respect. The last two chapters in particular... wow.
Establishes a strong connection between the player and the two leads despite zero dialogue or facial animation.
Critics weren't kidding when they said the game was short. Then again, I did blaze through it in two sittings, which in itself should be considered a good thing I suppose, as I couldn't tear myself away until it was finished.
Doesn't contain the emotional payoff I was expecting, but close. Ending left me a bit confused to be honest. There's no tidy resolution, and I felt the game could have done with one. It still moved me, but I'll have to play a second time to collect the Memories, which apparently flesh out the narrative somewhat.
I look forward to future discussion regarding the game's themes and plot.
After beating the game, I'd have to say there are a fair few reasons for criticism. One was the camera angles were really bad considering your character blends into the background. Everything was similar in color too so it was hard to know where you were and what you were supposed to do. I died almost every encounter with "The Unknown" because of that. It is actually even shorter than Journey also and I feel as if it would have been cool to have the online random co-op experience Journey had in this game.
OneEyedKing
Member
I really enjoyed this, it's short and sweet but still very compelling. Plus the music was excellent.
I wasn't really paying attention during the credits but I saw Ueda's name, was it just a special thanks kind of thing or was he actually involved with this in some (presumably small) capacity?
I wasn't really paying attention during the credits but I saw Ueda's name, was it just a special thanks kind of thing or was he actually involved with this in some (presumably small) capacity?
KennyLinder
Member
Just completed it tonight.
I thought it was a good game and whilst not offering anything in the way of challenging gameplay, it was really pleasant to play and was about the right length I think. Any longer and they would of probably had to introduce new game mechanics to mix things up which there was no reason to do. Short, solid, done in one evening over two sittings. Perfect, really.
Probably won't go back to get the memories as I am trying to tackle my backlog before PS4 hits.
Cool game, anyone in two minds should definitely check it out if you if you like adventure games.
Have to call out the music which was brilliant throughout, and fitted the game and story perfectly.
I thought it was a good game and whilst not offering anything in the way of challenging gameplay, it was really pleasant to play and was about the right length I think. Any longer and they would of probably had to introduce new game mechanics to mix things up which there was no reason to do. Short, solid, done in one evening over two sittings. Perfect, really.
Probably won't go back to get the memories as I am trying to tackle my backlog before PS4 hits.
Cool game, anyone in two minds should definitely check it out if you if you like adventure games.
Have to call out the music which was brilliant throughout, and fitted the game and story perfectly.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
I'm still confused about what the deal is with the pre-order bonus. I thought it came with a soundtrack. However, it only mentioned a "music sampler". What is that? I assume it is a few tracks from the game and not the whole soundtrack?
Dragon1893
Member
It's a sample. You don't actually get the soundtrack.
I still can't download the dynamic theme.
KennyLinder
Member
I just looked again, I can't get the theme either. It's in my download list. Maybe there was a problem with it or something so they pulled it from releasing today (or maybe they forgot to release it!).
Finished it. Not bad, although it's far from perfect or fleshed out. I'd say it's the japanese equivalent of Brothers: a tale of two sons, with less gameplay and more atmosphere.
It's definitely worth a playthrough, it's one of those games that even if not amazing are definitely different from the establishment. As a game is merely passable, as an experience it's filled with atmosphere, but a bit meaningless when all is said and done.
It's that kind of game that isn't incredible, yet you play it from start to finish cause you can't put the controller down, even if you can't picture why.
It's definitely worth a playthrough, it's one of those games that even if not amazing are definitely different from the establishment. As a game is merely passable, as an experience it's filled with atmosphere, but a bit meaningless when all is said and done.
It's that kind of game that isn't incredible, yet you play it from start to finish cause you can't put the controller down, even if you can't picture why.
I finished this last night and it's fulfilled my expectation. The artstyle, soundtrack and atmosphere were superb, I also like the character animations as they look really neat. The gameplay was functional, not too complex that it would mess up the flow of the game and not too simple that you could just blaze through it. I was positively surprised about the variety of enemies in this game but it's a shame that some of them were only used like once or twice while the Unknown was getting a little too much screentime. I like the way the story was told but I'm not so sure about the story itself, though I appreciate that it was not trying to be overly confusing as the likes of Unfinished Swan.
The length of the game is a little disappointing thanks to the fact that you have to follow the game closely during the first playthrough cause collectibles are only available after you beat the game, I only needed like 3 hours for it. I was also experiencing regular mini slowdowns which were not really a big deal but annoying nonetheless.
Still, solid experience and I'll give it one more playthrough to grab the last of the trophies.
The length of the game is a little disappointing thanks to the fact that you have to follow the game closely during the first playthrough cause collectibles are only available after you beat the game, I only needed like 3 hours for it. I was also experiencing regular mini slowdowns which were not really a big deal but annoying nonetheless.
Still, solid experience and I'll give it one more playthrough to grab the last of the trophies.
Dragon1893
Member
I'm in love with this game. Some encounters can be surprisingly tense.
Music is fantastic.
Music is fantastic.
Miles Quaritch
Member
You're not, still won't download for me either. I guess they had to remove it at the last second as mentioned before.
Dragon1893
Member
That unknown that is always chasing the boy reminds me of nemesis in RE3. Dude won't give up.
Acquiescence
Member
I still can't get it either. Don't worry, I'm sure Sony will realise the error and remedy it at some point... I hope.
Oh it definitely has fantastical elements to the story and setting. I mean, you play as an invisible boy who can only be seen from the torrential rain falling on him, lost in an abandoned city. It's like a dark fairy tale almost. Game takes a weirder turn in the last two chapters as well.
Well the setting just seemed a bit drab...Im waiting for Unfinished Swan to go on sale I think instead
Dragon1893
Member
It's a stealth game, not a puzzle game. It consists on figuring out how to get past the monsters using your ability to become invisible when sheltered from the rain.
'Figure out'? Admittedly, I've only done five chapters, but not once has it required any figuring out at all.
Dragon1893
Member
Oh, come on.