This footage was released back in March, but just in case you missed it - here we go folks: the invisible world of Rain.
This game looks astounding. Not since Broken Sword and Resident Evil 3 have we seen a game with such elegant usage of camera angles. The player’s small stature contrasts against large European buildings with Sundance-level proficiency - letting the player know that there will be a whole world to explore. Camera angles are handled with such brilliant precision that the player can’t help but feel as if the game isn’t compensating for it’s innovative gameplay with a shoddy FPS perspective or lack of guns & grenades galore. (Because that’s what the kids are playing these days don’t ya know)
One thing to note is that Rain isn’t trying to emulate anything within the real world. This is no football game, there are no wars here. It earns vast amounts of kudos for inventing it’s own gameplay formula - something we’ve seen among smaller, mobile games but not too much within console gaming. This world has it’s own rules, it’s own lore and it’s own gameplay to show off - and that is so damned refreshing.
By blending storytelling into the actual environs we are treated to a visual novel of sorts - which helps to heighten the calm, stealthy gameplay. This is because when the text is on-screen the whole experience feels safe and comfortable - but when the player is forced to encounter the enemies, all of a sudden the game becomes entirely dependent on the actions of the player. This little nuance establishes that all important atmosphere - fans of Ico will feel right at home here.
It’s actually quite hard to place this bad boy within a genre, but at it’s heart, Rain is a stealth game for sure. But there are no gadgets, no ziplines and no military bases to infiltrate.
Just a refreshing, polished gaming experience and a wondrous world to explore.
