It's ironic that I should be writing about the winter-themed game, Fahrenheit, immediately after a post about a freak snowstorm, but here I am. Actually, since I played the U.S. version of the game, renamed Indigo Prophecy, I had no idea that temperature was going to be one of the most important factors of the game's plot until near the end.
It's that plot that makes Indigo Prophecy (as I shall now call it) so awesome. The game is outstandingly ambitious as it strives to be the truly interactive story that gamers have dreamed of since text adventure. The story, a warped mystery punctured with murder, shrouded in mysticism, and layered with character depth, proves intriguing and compelling from the moment you begin. How you play the game -- whether you win or lose certain mini-games and what you have your character do in certain scenarios -- affects not only the character you're immediately playing as, but the two other playable characters too. For example, in the opening scene -- in which you control Lucas Kane, who has just killed a man -- the way you try (or neglect) to cover your tracks affects what evidence the two detectives who soon arrive, and who are also playable characters, can find. A mental health gauge follows you through every moment of the game, and drops whenever something disturbing or unsettling happens to your character. You can increase your mental health by performing comforting or relaxing actions, like working out, playing guitar, or, yes, taking a leak. Mental health might also be increased or decreased by choosing the right responses in conversation. You only have a few seconds to choose from your list of responses each time, which simulates real-time speech and adds some weight to which of the limited number of questions you should ask.
The interactive control you have over the plot is what makes the game so much fun. As Lucas, you have to make a lot of smart decisions on conversation topics and since you're a fugitive you've got to cover your tracks well. As the two detectives, Carla and Tyler, it's awesome to switch control between the two and make them work together to piece together the clues of the murder. But this seemingly grand effect you have on the story is deceiving, and marks the beginning of my many troubles with Indigo Prophecy. This synopsis I’ve written may so far sound like you can actually control the entire plotline of the game, like your actions can result with entirely different scenes, plot twists, and character relationships, and that’s what I initially thought when I first started playing. However, the effects you have on the story are much more shallow than that. In fact, Indigo Prophecy has only one story to tell, with a predetermined beginning, middle, and three insignificantly different main endings that can only be changed in the final scene. There are a number of quick endings that you can see if you fail a mini-game or don’t complete a task, but they’re more like the “game over press start to continue” screens then anything else. Ultimately, the decisions that you make during the game only affect the story immediately, and the most you can change the plot is by ignoring chances to see more cut-scenes. Even if you don’t gather all the evidence that points to Lucas being the murderer, Carla and Tyler will still find him out and the story will still follow the same course.
Of course, realizing this doesn’t mean being pulled along for the ride can’t be fun. The mystery and character depth is compelling enough to keep playing. But as much fun as some of the gameplay elements are, like watching your character’s mental health, some of them prove to be just as much a chore. The worst examples are the two stealth sequences, which I thought were boring and confusing. The action sequences, which play like interactive movies where you control how well your character does by playing a Simon Says-like mini-game, aren’t as bad and can even be fun ... in small increments. Unfortunately, Indigo Prophecy uses these action sequences too often and sometimes has you monotonously pushing buttons for minutes on end.
Still, all these complaints prove trivial as you progress and the story becomes more and more intriguing. I was captivated by it: Lucas’ apparent descent into madness and his struggle to unravel the truth; Carla’s disturbing findings as she furthers the investigation; Tyler’s more positive and amusing counterbalance to the doom and gloom of the rest of the game. Finally, I eventually reached what I consider to be the climax of the story: where Lucas visits a history professor and realizes what is going on.
And then the game became unplayable. Why? Because the story, the only reason to continue playing, had fallen apart. Deus ex machina EVERYWHERE. (Speaking of which, =OMG SPOILERS LOL=) Suddenly, all of Lucas’ troubles were being attributed to not one but THREE different secret organizations. Then, suddenly, it turned out the world was in danger and Lucas was the only one who could save it. Then, suddenly Lucas dies, is brought back to life through some unexplained method, and becomes, in every meaning of the comparison, Neo from The Matrix. Suddenly, there are robots, the Apocalypse, a relationship between Lucas and Carla, and suddenly Tyler is eliminated from the story.
It’s obvious that the last part of the game was rushed and what may have seemed like some good ideas were butchered to create this mess of an ending. According to the Wiki, which also lists the criticisms I made in this post, it’s because of some large-scale changes that occurred late in development. It’s tragic, because if the ending of Indigo Prophecy had been handled better, it would have been a truly great game. As it is, it’s a lot of fun about three quarters of the way through, and then a huge letdown for the remaining fourth. It’s also not as revolutionary as it claims to be, though it is every bit as ambitious and an amazing experience as it appears. I’d like to think of it as the first step towards something greater; a game with a truly changeable and interactive plot; the next step in adventure games.
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