Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) PC Review

In recent years, graphics have overtaken gameplay and storyline in game importance. Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy in North America) by Atari is an exception. The game begins as you take control of Lucas Kane, an introvert of sorts, who has just committed a violent murder in the bathroom of a New York City diner. The catch is, Lucas was in a trance and had no control over his actions. The first order of business is to escape without being caught or raising suspicion.

For the remainder of the game, you will play as Lucas as he runs from the police and tries to discover exactly why he killed this man. You'll also take control of the detectives investigating the crime and other major characters as well. The game plays out like a movie, and each move you make affects a later outcome.

I'd rather not ruin the story too much for you, so I'll move on to the breakdown.

Controls

The game uses pretty basic controls, but with a variety of purposes. The arrow keys are used to move your character around, the control key enters your PDA, and the mouse is used to perform actions. Conversations involve using the mouse to decide what will be asked/answered, and these decisions must be made in a short amount of time. There are also Shenmue/Simon-esque button-mashing portions in which you must press buttons in a sequence to do things ranging from staying quiet while an apartment is investigated to fighting your enemies. Once you get the basics down, you will easily get the hang of the game.

Graphics

As the game supports rather dated video hardware, you can't expect even a Half-Life 2 out of this, but the graphics are far from terrible. You also may notice that poured liquids are absent in the game, but these are just minor details.

Audio

The sounds in this game are great. I played through the game wearing a pair of headphones and felt truly immersed within the game. The character voice acting is very well done, and the environment sounds make up for any graphical lacking. In addition, the soundtrack fits the game quite well with songs from Theory of a Deadman and others.

Replay Value

With all the choices there are to make throughout the game, playing through multiple times will be almost a given. After finishing the game within six hours, I will gladly play through at another difficulty level and make some different choices.

In conclusion, though it might not be the longest or most graphically-enhanced game, Fahrenheit has an intriguing storyline and enjoyable gameplay. If you're a fan of games such as Silent Hill and Shenmue, this one is a buy. At the very least, if you have some time to spare and don't feel this review warrants a purchase, check your local rental store; within a week you should be able to play through it a few times.

This game is now available in all markets.