Indigo Prophecy
Score: 95% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Atari Developer: Quantic Dream Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Adventure
Graphics & Sound: Indigo Prophecy's style and atmosphere more than make up for any technical issues the game faces. Technically, the game rides the rails between being a really good-looking game and simply an okay one. One of the game's major bullet points is that all of the characters' movements have been motion captured by real actors, a trait that is very noticeable during many of the action sequences. At the same time, there are still a number of jerky animations or movements that just seem "off" or, at the very least, over-exaggerated. Character models range from highly detailed to simply passable; but when you consider the game's narrative structure, this is forgivable since you want the main characters to be the center of attention and not the woman in the red dress walking around in the background. One of the bigger technical gaffs is the camera that, surprisingly enough, has its fair share of issues. Multiple camera angles are offered though all focus more on presenting a cinematic feel rather than a playable one. In other words, the camera has a tendency to get caught up on objects in the environment (like walls). This is especially problematic in tight spaces since you can easily find yourself stuck with an angle that makes it hard to find the hotspot you're looking for. Indigo Prophecy wouldn't be worth playing if it weren't for the excellent voice acting. All of the actors really fit their in-game roles and come across as genuine personalities rather than a random assortment of polygons. In short, you won't find any phoned in performances anywhere in the game. The game's soundtrack is equally well done and contains a mix of original tracks and licensed music, giving it a movie-like feel.
Gameplay: Imagine going out for a cup of coffee only to black out and wake up next to a dead guy in the men's bathroom. You have no clue what happened, only that you're now clutching the murder weapon and are now suspect number one... Thus starts Indigo Prophecy, one of the year's most engrossing and unique titles. You play the role of Lucas Kane, and you're having the worst day of your life. You've been accused of a murder that you don't remember committing and even worse, all of the evidence suggests that you did it. But, things aren't always what they seem, leading you through an adventure that would make even Alfred Hitchcock scratch his head in wonder. After the game's opening, you'll take control of Kane as he tries to figure out a way through the diner without drawing too much attention to himself. Every decision you make will affect how things play out. For example, if you simply walk out of the bathroom without cleaning yourself up or dumping the murder weapon, it is a safe bet the game will be over quickly. In other words, you have to think like a criminal instead of simply doing things and hoping for the best. Over the course of the game, you'll not only control Lucas, but you'll also witness the game's story through the eyes of several other characters, including Lucas' brother and the two detectives that are hot on Lucas' trail. The overall story is actually rather good, which is nice since that's really why you're playing the game in the first place. However, it should be said that the story isn't for people who have a hard time following plotlines and clues. The story never gets so complicated that you have no clue what's going on, but it does tend to go a little deeper than your typical episode of CSI and some elements can get lost in the deluge of information that will flood your brain at times. The beauty of it all is that many of the story elements are influenced by your actions, so the narrative doesn't feel forced -- allowing for an easier to follow story. Still, this game requires that your brain remain "On" for the duration of your adventure. Making choices is actually pretty easy. All of the actions you can perform show up at the top of the screen and can be cycled through with a nudge of the analog stick. So, if you want to clean off the blood on your hands, all you have to do is walk over to the sink and click the context-sensitive icon. In many respects, Indigo Prophecy plays like your typical adventure game. The only difference it that the story and exploration segments are periodically interrupted by mini-games, making Indigo Prophecy just as much a test of reflexes as it is a test of smarts.
Difficulty: Another of the really neat aspects of Indigo Prophecy is the interactive tutorial that opens the game. The entire tutorial is essentially a guided tour of the game's many actions led by the game's director. He'll take you through a sound stage (which is made to look like the "set" of the game) and show you how to perform the various actions you'll need to do in order to complete the game. Learning the play mechanics is really only half the battle. To win the war, you'll have to think through many of the game's choices and try to think about how they'll end up playing out. Again, making a hasty decision could wind up costing you the entire game.
Game Mechanics: Indigo Prophecy is more of an interactive movie than an actual game. Instead of a focus on action like most video games, the story and its many twists all take center stage. So, instead of "playing" through several action sequences only to find part of the story, you'll instead find yourself watching the story with a few interactive areas. Most of your playtime is spent either walking around looking for the next story trigger, or taking part in mini-games that determine events during action sequences. For example, some sequences will have you matching analog stick movements with flashes on the screen. During the sequence, two circles will appear in the middle of the screen. Sections of the circle will light up, signaling you to pull the corresponding analog stick in that direction. This is where the real action in Indigo Prophecy begins since some of the action movements can get pretty tricky -- requiring you to stay focused. Some actions will require you to time button presses or pump the L and R Trigger buttons in time with what's happening on-screen. The downside to these areas is that the signal movements are usually in the dead-center of the screen, making it hard to enjoy what is going on in the game. Of course, the exact opposite is true in a few sequences because the on-screen action can sometimes make it hard to tell what the stick or button movements are. Indigo Prophecy is a risky release for Atari -- at lease as a console release. Adventure games of this sort are rare outside the PC (which sees several released each year), making Indigo Prophecy a unique experience. However, the risk was well worth it. It may not be the thrill-a-minute experience most games are, but the well written story and interesting play mechanics still make Indigo Prophecy something every gamer should check out.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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