Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy (PS2/Xbox/PC) Review

As Beyond: Two Souls is just around the corner, I'm going to be looking back at Quantic Dream's two previous titles, Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain. I'm not going to review their first game, Omikron: The Nomad Soul because I've never played it and I don't think I ever will since I'm not a PC gamer. Without further ado, let's begin.

After the release of Omikron: The Nomad Soul for the PC and Dreamcast, David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream, went on to develop a game that would be a truly cinematic adventure. The result was Fahreheit, otherwise known as Indigo Prophecy here in the US.

The story starts with a guy named Lucas Kane, who gets possessed by a mysterious entity, forcing him to murder a man in a bathroom at a local diner in New York. Lucas snaps out of it and finds himself with cuts on his forearms and escapes right before a policeman discovers the body. Two detectives, Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles, investigate the murder, while Lucas tries to figure out what caused him to murder the man at the diner, all the while trying to avoid getting caught by the cops. The story is basically a crime drama, mixed with elements from paranormal thrillers.

For those wondering why it's called Fahreheit, it's because as the story progresses, the temperature begins to slowly drop. If you're also wondering why it's called Indigo Prophecy in the US, it's because it came out around the same time as the Michael Moore film, Fahrenheit 9/11, and in order to avoid confusion, the title was changed. I prefer the name Fahrenheit because it ties in with the narrative better.

Throughout the game, you switch between the three main characters:



(Counter-clockwise from left to right)
Tyler Miles, Carla Valenti, Lucas Cane

Lucas Kane is an IT manager who grew up in a military base, who often isolated himself from other kids when he was young. He also has a brother named Marcus, a priest who looked after him after their parents died. He is single, having separated from his girlfriend, Tiffany. Throughout the game, he sees visions of a little girl, as well as a mysterious cloaked figure who might be behind his possession.

Carla Valenti is a police detective who is really dedicated to her work and willing to get the cases done. She is also very claustrophic, and in one chapter, she has to overcome that in order to look for information. Outside of work, she has little to no social life with only a couple of close friends.

Tyler Miles is a police sergeant and Carla's partner in the murder case. He has a lazy but very upbeat attitude, and enjoys activities like basketball and video games. Despite his upbeat attitude, he also has a fiancee who always fears that he could get hurt, due to him being a cop. He's basically the comic relief of the game, uttering one of funniest lines ever ("What am I, in a video game?").

One aspect in the game that really shines is the atmosphere. The game has a very depressing tone and, to quote Caddicarus, "really unhappy visuals". The game also has a snowy setting, and in order to get the full effect of the game, I recommend playing it on a cold, snowy day, better yet, at night. This leads me to talk about the game's main focus: immersion.

As you control a character, you will find yourself interacting with various objects like drinking, using the bathroom, opening doors, et cetera. This is done by moving the right analog stick (console versions) to move in the direction the symbols at the top of the screen tells you to move. There are also times when you are commanded to repeatedly press the shoulder buttons as a way to make the player feel as tired as the character they play.

There are also quick-time events, where two circular diagrams, resembling the Simon game, appear on the screen during a scripted sequence. The two diagrams both represent the analog sticks and the direction each joystick is being told to go to. For those who despise quick-time events, don't worry, because there is a text on the screen that tells you to "Get ready" for when an action set-piece occurs, so at least it warns you on what's to come.

 

When talking to NPCs, you have a limited time to pick the words your character has to say. The top of the screen shows the options, while below the options is a timer. If you don't pick a dialogue branch in time, the character will randomly pick one.

Lucas's mental health decreasing after finding out he killed a man.

Throughout the game, you will also have to take care of the characters' mental health meter located at the bottom right of the screen. Various actions can either raise the meter or lower it. The highest you can go is "Neutral" and the lowest you can go is "Wrecked". If the meter is at its lowest, the characters will fall into a state of depression, to the point where they commit suicide, giving you a game over. This is a very cool feature, and something I can imagine using every day.

Some might wonder why the meter doesn't fill all the way to the very top. According to Gamer Reaction, it is due to the setting in which things don't go quite as well that you can't ever be happy; "the highest you can possibly be is neutral." This can apply to just about anybody who faces a lot of stress in their lives. Has anyone ever felt like that in their everyday lives, to where you never actually feel happy, but just neutral?

To increase replayability, there are bonus points located that will unlock bonus content like behind the scenes videos and songs.

The voice acting is great, and each character sounds right. As well as that, the score perfectly captures the emotion and atmosphere of this game. The score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti, who is best known for composing some of David Lynch's films like Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive (check them out if you haven't already). Listen to the soundtrack here if you're interested.

In addition to music, there are various licensed songs in the game, including four from the band Theory of a Deadman. You might think they are there for the sake of popularizing, but the songs placed in the game actually have a purpose. The Theory of a Deadman songs, for example, all fit with Lucas's character, summing up that he is a loner. Another example is Patrice Rushen's "Hang It Up" which matches Tyler's upbeat character and background, having grown up in the streets.

With everything said, does the game have its share of downfalls? The answer is yes. One aspect I didn't like were the stealth sections taking place in Lucas's childhood. They felt out of place and they have their share of camera issues. Though, there aren't a lot of stealth segments in the game, so I can forgive that.

One thing that its successor, Heavy Rain, does right is that if a character dies, the story continues regardless, impacting the ending, and futher showing that you live with your mistakes. Here, if a character dies or fails in certain sections, you are given the option to quit or continue from the last checkpoint. I'm not sure if that was the intention, but I kind of question it.

My biggest gripe, however, without getting into spoilers, is the second half of the story. While not terrible and it did not ruin the game for me, those who have played it will agree that the second half changes focus and it left me with some headscratching moments at the end... or endings. Although, it does require multiple playthroughs in order to understand everything that's going on, but I still question the direction the second half took.

Nevertheless, Fahrenheit is a really well-crafted game that didn't receive a lot of attention when it came out. For those who say Heavy Rain is really innovative, they have never played this game. It succeeds in every aspect from the story (the first half, at least), character development, music, atmosphere, gameplay, and the overall cinematic presentation. There is also some replayability with the bonus points and multiple endings. It's not for everyone, but for those who are interested in playing, I can't recommend it enough.