The Games of my Life

This is the most recent game mentioned in this site, so far. In fact, I bought it less than a month ago. It’s not a huge game, I finished it in about a week, but until I reached the end, I didn’t play any other games at all. Because Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy in the U.S.) absorbed me completely.

If I had to label it, I’d say it is an adventure game with some action parts. But I could also say that it’s an interactive movie. No, don’t go away yet - it’s nothing like the “interactive movies” of the 90s! Those were simply grainy cut scenes with bad actors, and you watched more than you played - there’s a reason those games aren’t made any more (though Gabriel Knight 2 was actually very good).

Fahrenheit is nothing like those. I’m sure you’ll agree when (and if) you play it - the game isn’t perfect, and it certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s innovative, unique, with a great story (although it loses some focus near the end) and fantastic presentation. I’ve played the PC version, but from what I’ve seen, the PS2 and Xbox versions are exactly the same.

Now, I don’t want to spoil the game for you, but I want to describe the game’s first scene. It’s the one included in the demo, which you can download from the official site, so you can see it for yourself today, if you want to.

You start by playing a 30-ish guy, who’s sitting in a toilet in a diner’s restroom. Then you get up, walk in an odd way to an older guy who is washing his hands, and stab him with a knife. Several times. The guy is dead. Then you regain control of your senses. The victim is a complete stranger. You have blood on your hands. There was a cop eating in the diner, and he slowly gets up and walks to the restroom. What do you do?

No, there’s not just one solution. You can panic and run (and get caught or not). You can try to hide the traces of what you’ve done - hiding the body, for instance, although with all that blood on the floor… You can phone your brother. You can get out without paying your bill, or not. You can walk out the door, or run.

Many options. And in the next part of the game, you play the two detectives who are assigned to investigate the murder. What you did in the first part affects the second. Did you leave obvious clues? Did people notice you as you were leaving? Are there any way for the detectives to re-trace your steps? Can they have a suspect soon?

And this is just the beginning of the game.

What got into you to make you kill a total stranger, by the way?