When it's your job to, like...review things, two things tend to happen.
One, those things become work.
So you end up looking at them with a much more critical perspective than you used to.
But also, the things you like about those things...really come into focus.
So much so that...sometimes, you can instantly tell if you're gonna like something.
I could instantly tell I was gonna like this.
See, if I had to jot down a list of things that I personally look for video games, Rain
would have almost every bullet on the paper.
It doesn't have bullets, for one.
Which means it's different, for two.
It's also sleek, smart, simple...and actually, it's a great example of this amazing third
thing that sometimes happens.
Sometimes, you come across a thing that just...makes you a fan again.
And holy crap, am I a fan of Rain.
So what is Rain?
Well, there's the simple answer...and the other answer.
In fact, the gameplay probably sounds kind of boring.
You walk around, you avoid enemies, you find the exit.
It's a straightforward puzzle-platformer, that's the simple answer.
But there's a lot more to this game than just...mechanics and gameplay.
See, Rain is an experience.
And that's the other answer.
You play as little boy lost in a big city.
An empty city, too.
The only other citizens are strange monsters, and they're trying to kill him.
That's pretty much all we know at first.
Well, that and the fact that...he's also invisible.
And there's a little girl.
And it's raining, too.
And that's when you start to figure out what Rain is about.
It's the interactive adaptation of a childhood nightmare.
You're cold, you're lost and no one can see you.
Well, no one but her.
Now, in a practical sense, this is a game about water.
Everything that happens is dictated, in some way, by the rain.
So first and foremost...I mean, being invisible, you can't really see yourself unless you're
standing in the rain.
So your first instinct, then, is...get to the rain, right?
So you can see what you're doing.
But then again, in the rain...they can see what you're doing, too.
So Rain is also a game about balance.
You need to see what you're doing, but you really have to use restraint.
At first, you use the rain as a point of reference, almost to recalibrate yourself.
But the more you play, the more accustomed you become to the transparency.
You start platforming and puzzle solving without the water, relying on footsteps alone.
At which point...the rain becomes the enemy.
That's what's so cool about Rain.
Everything really is...fluid.
And of course, the little girl plays a central role, as well.
She's the only sign of life in this place, so the boy is naturally drawn to her.
You spend a lot of time trying to reach her, as well as protecting her.
A lot of times, you're clearing the way for her, so she can escape those...things.
Whatever they are.
Anyway, you really do care about her.
That's due in large part to the game's incredible storytelling, and atmosphere.
Rain tells a great story, but it does it in a way that's interactive.
You're part of the story...as opposed to a passive audience, just watching some boring
cut scene.
And that's something a lot of games could learn from.
I don't want to gush too much.
I mean, there are some issues with repetition, and the gameplay certainly won't be for everyone.
But I think Rain is larger than the sum of its parts.
Nothing it does exists by itself.
Every element of its design exists in harmony.
Everything comes together, for an experience that's easy to get into.
And impossible to forget.
Turns out, even when they're slow, there's nothing like a dance in the Rain.