Heavy Rain… what an amazing looking game. In anticipation for this huge release I decided to check out Quantic Dream’s 2005 breakthrough title Indigo Prophecy (aka Fahrenheit to all non-americans). Like Heavy Rain, Indigo Prophecy is structured like an interactive movie with a few gameplay elements thrown in. Critically acclaimed at the time of its release just how well does Indigo Prophecy hold up in this new decade, especially with the knowledge that its spiritual successor is just around the corner.
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Console: PS2, Xbox, PC
Developer: Quantic Dream
Release Date: 2005
Currently Available On: Xbox 360 (via Games On Demand)

Release Reception:

Although it never exactly break the bank at retail Indigo Prophecy was a critical success and even today it retains a loyal fan base. The game alternately puts you in control of possessed murderer Lucas Kane, sexy detective Carla Velenti and her partner Tyler Miles. Lucas is essentially the games main character as most of the key storyline moments center around him. While dining in a restaurant a mysterious dark force takes over his body and Lucas finds himself unwillingly committing a murder in the restaurant’s bathroom. This lead Lucas on a life changing journey as he attempts to discover “who” or “what” is really behind the killing. On the opposite end its up to Carla and Tyler to find out Lucas’ identity to ultimately track down and arrest him. The big draw with Indigo Prophecy is the fact that theoretically every decision you make somehow factors in to the story. For example, as Lucas if you forget to pick up your knife after the murder Carla or Tyler might find it and have access to your fingerprints. Likewise if either detective fails to discover a piece of evidence or coax the appropriate information out of a witness, tracking down Lucas may prove harder than it should be. Although it may seem a bit weird helping the police to track down your own character the brilliantly conducted tutorial explains that you as a player should see your role as a director in a movie rather than an active participant. Throughout the game you’ll also have to keep track of and maintain your characters mental health which is indicated by a bar at the bottom corner of the screen. Although this concept sounds good on paper it can also work against the game and contradict everything we know about the characters. Its understandable why Lucas would commit suicide if he became too depressed but watching Tyler quit his job because he became too tired one night or Carla killing herself because she became too spooked out by a scary basement is entirely unbelievable.

How Well Does It Hold Up?

Graphics:
For a game that strives to draw players in with its movie-like themes and presentation, Indigo Prophecy’s blocky visuals and stiff animation can seem a bit jarring at times. Even when upscaled via the PS3 its hard to feel like you’re directing a movie when your “movie” looks so much like a damn game! On the bright side, the characters are fantastically designed (with the exception of the stereotypical “black cop”) and for the most part they talk and react in a realistic manner. Although the graphics pale in comparison to the likes of God Of War or Black, Indigo Prophecy is still one of the best looking games to be released on the PS2 and unless you’re a complete graphics whore you shouldn’t have too much of a hard time experiencing it today.

Gameplay:
In terms of pure gameplay Indigo Prophecy can sometimes be less than ideal. Most gameplay moment consist of either walking around confined spaces to collect clues and interact with your surroundings or pushing the analog sticks in the specified directions to control your character during lengthy quick time events. During the exploration sections you’ll often be a victim to the games cumbersome controls and awkward camera. There was a moment during the game where I literally couldn’t walk from one end of a laundry mat to the other because the controls wouldn’t let me. Interacting with other characters can be extremely fun though, especially when you’re put under pressure and have a limited time to lie your way out of a conversation. The fact that there’s so many ways to deal with each situation means that you’ll truly feel like you’re using your own initiative rather than following a pre-determined script. The quick time events are usually implemented well especially when they’re used to advance the story but at times they can feels like convoluted efforts to lengthen the game. The game also throws in other elements and sub-plots (which I won’t spoil) as you progress to keep thing from feeling too formulaic.

Sound:
The music in Indigo Prophecy is very minimal but what is here works well. The voice work is usually spot-on but that also means that any character which doesn’t sound right tends to stick out like a sore thumb. The funky jazz music which often plays when you’re in control of the African American Tyler is borderline racist but other than that the audio guys at Quantic Dream did a great job.

Overall:
Sure some aspects of Indigo Prophecy seems a little dated and the story kind of falls apart at the end, but overall it is still a fanatastic and unique game that is well-worth experiencing today. It’s clear that David Cage and his team at Quantic Dream had great aspirations for Indigo Prophecy but were restrained by the limited power at their despoil with the original Xbox and PS2. Thankfully they have another shot at cracking this nut with the upcoming Heavy Rain and there’s no doubt in my mind that Cage and Co. will right any wrongs they encountered here. If you’re at all interested in Heavy Rain I would definitely recommend that you pick up a copy of Indigo Prophecy and sink at least a few hours in to it first, especially since you can find a copy online for dirt cheap these days.

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