Rain is the next PS3 game you have to play
With a helpless lead character and invisible baddies unveiled only by the constant deluge, you won't have played anything like it
It starts with an innocent look out the window for an unnamed boy, who spots the silhouette of a mysterious girl in the rain. He calls out to her, and notices that similarly invisible creatures, exposed only by the rain, are on her trail.
The rain shall reveal all
Rain is not your common or garden adventure/puzzle game. During a closed-door session at the Tokyo Game Show, the developers (SCE Studios Japan) demonstrated simple gameplay controls – walk, jump and interact – but it is also very far from being your usual platformer. Why? For one, the character is completely defenseless, and has no means of attack.
The rain is your ally, and your worst enemy. With it, you can spot the boy, who is also barely visible, even as the rain splashes on him and creates a silhouette. Move indoors, and you’ll have to rely on environmental objects such as water puddles, wet footprints or bump into objects to pinpoint his location.
These actions reveal the boy’s position to you, and unfortunately, to the unknown creatures. And once that happens, run. Run for your dear life, and hide.
There are two methods to hide your presence – going under a shelter to mask yourself from the monsters, or running underneath a monster that’s taller to seek safety. Monsters are also attracted to sound. Play it right, and you can distract them, clearing a path in the process. During the demo, a gramophone was cleverly cranked up to got the attention of the monster, allowing the boy to slip through and follow the girl.