Reviewed: October 25, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox

Publisher
Atari

Developer
Quantic Dream

Released: September 20, 2005
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB: Mature

8
7
9
7
8.0

Supported Features

You start off as the killer (Lucas Kane) in the bathroom just after you have plunged the knife into a stranger severing all three arteries to his heart. It is here that you are faced with the first of many decisions to make. The bathroom is filled with evidence and it is up to you to decide how to deal with the situation. Your choices are a combination of getting rid of the murder weapon (putting it in the trash can), hiding the body (in one of the stalls), and washing your hands, or taking the easy way out by sprinting out the back door.

It’s cool because everything you do in this game affects the outcome. Sometimes the outcome is big, sometimes the outcome is small, but it’s what gives this game such a high replay value.

You can even take control of different characters by switching off between chapters; however, you can only switch off between the two detectives who are investigating the murder case (Carla Valenti, Tyler Miles). They are partners and you will be playing from each of their perspectives as well. Often you will have to switch from Carla to Tyler and vice versa so each one gets an opportunity to question people and look for evidence.

After beating the game and playing the first 6 hours multiple times, I now have a pretty good understanding about the positives and negatives that Indigo Prophecy has to offer. If I were to have reviewed this game based solely on the first three hours of gameplay, then I would have scored it much higher than its current rating. Unfortunately, the more you play it, the more you realize just how many problems plague the game. The graphics are lackluster and the camera and movement controls are frustrating.

Some of the gameplay is very similar to that found in Sega’s little known title Shenmue for the Dreamcast and eventually the Xbox. For the strong majority unfamiliar with the game, I’ll explain the mechanics in greater detail. The game is essentially a movie that requires you to make critical decisions that will change the game’s outcome. Movies, of course, have fast action scenes and so does Indigo Prophecy.

The developers wanted to include the player in the experience so there are relatively difficult action sequences that require you to be quick with the analog sticks. What I mean is that during an action sequence, two colored rings appear in the middle of the screen, corresponding to the directions of the left and right analog sticks. When you see this on the screen, push the left, right, up, or down on the corresponding analog stick when the colors appear. It may sound difficult to understand, but it’s pretty intuitive once you get used to it, but it will require a lot of practice for some.

Performing the correct actions in order can be tricky because the colors appear and disappear so quickly. Fortunately, there is some room for error. One other control function that physically gets you involved is pushing R1 and L1 buttons over and over. You must do it as fast as you can for what seems like an eternity during some of the action scenes and while working out in the gym.

One positive thing Indigo Prophecy has going for it is the presentation. Playing the game really gives you the sense that you are watching a movie unfold due to the very unique and stylized camera angles. The story and voice acting are the strongest things going for this game because of how much it lacks in all the other departments. If you love RPG’s because of their story lines, then this game is for you.

The second positive thing to note is that the way you input commands is unique and will require some practice. Practice makes perfect and this is not a game where you simply press buttons and easily beat it. To input commands such as talking to someone or interacting with anything from furniture to random objects you must perform the right analog stick function show on the screen. For example, to sit down, I may have to press down on the analog stick.

Saving in Indigo couldn’t be easier because it’s automatic. Sometimes that’s a bad thing in games that don’t save at the right moments, but that’s not the case here. Saving occurs before all the big moments so you can restart from the point exactly where you would want. You’ll have to watch for the saving icon in the top right corner of the screen so you know when it’s ok to quit.

The presentation is wonderful, but the camera angles associated with that can be a major annoyance. Let’s say you are walking by a building when all of a sudden the camera angle moves to another position and now you are moving in the opposite direction from which you came. And, since you are now moving in the opposite direction, the camera switches back and once again you’ve done a 180. This happens far too often and is especially annoying when you are in a stressful situation and you have a time limit.

The orchestrated music is also top notch, done by Angelo Badalamenti (also known as Andy Badala), who composed scores for such films as Dark Water and Cabin Fever. He has composed scores for more than 70 movies/TV shows in his life time and his experience can be heard throughout the game. There are also several quality tracks from Theory of a Deadman that highlight the overall presentation.

There’s no multiplayer here, but the single player mode has more to offer than a one way ticket. In fact, there are multiple endings to see and there’s always a good reason to go back and answer important questions differently to see the reactions you’d get.

There are also some interesting bonuses to find throughout the game, which can be unlocked using collected bonus points. One of these is a look behind the scenes at how they motion captured every character in the game, and also the usual artwork, movies and music tracks.