 Review By: Jared Black |
Developer: | Punchline / Shirogumi |
| Publisher: | Atlus | |
| Genre: | Survival Horror | |
| ESRB: | Mature | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Memory Card | |
| Buy Now: |   |
When it comes to the survival horror genre, I’ve always preferred the Silent Hill approach. That is, rather than simply throwing dozens of zombies at you, the game instead takes a while to establish its atmosphere, slowly building a sense of dread inside the player. This is the approach Rule of Rose takes, and it’s one of the most disturbing games I’ve ever experienced.
Rule of Rose tells the story of 19 year old Jennifer. Set primarily in England in 1930, it begins with Jennifer riding a bus. Approached by a mysterious boy who asks her to read him a story, she soon follows him off the bus and finds herself at the Rose Garden orphanage. It’s here that unlucky Jennifer’s own demented fairy tale begins. Trapped in a world where the demented orphans, who call themselves the Red Crayon Aristocrats, have run of the place, Jennifer is forced to bring the Prince and Princess monthly gifts or else face severe punishment.
Rule of Rose’s storyline is easily the game’s biggest strength. As is the case with most survival horror games that take this approach, early on very little makes sense. Usually the children will require you to bring them various gifts, such as a rabbit that’s escaped or a beautiful butterfly. As you approach the end of the game however, all of the clues you’ve been given start making sense and come together very well by the end of the game (particularly if you get the “good” ending).
The game plays out in different chapters, or months in this case, with each month requiring a task to be accomplished for the Aristocracy. At the beginning of each chapter Jennifer receives a storybook drawn in child-like penmanship, which abstractly foretells the events she will have to endure in that chapter. These books are well done, with a very simple writing style (as you’d expect to find in a children’s book) but a sadistic edge.
Gameplay is a mostly standard mix of survival horror and adventure elements, which means lots of exploration to find things or places to advance the storyline, facing off against plenty of otherworldly creatures, a limited inventory system, and plenty of disturbing scenes. The one thing that really drives the game forward however is Brown, Jennifer’s canine companion that she finds early on in the adventure. By selecting an item and telling Brown to find on it, he’ll sniff out other items to advance the plot or otherwise benefit Jennifer. The load times are a little obtrusive however, with rather lengthy load times between practically every room. This is frustrating since you’ll frequently have to backtrack through multiple areas to advance the plot or when using Brown to sniff out other items.
Throughout the adventure it’s easy to tell what items Brown needs to sniff and find on to advance, so you’re virtually never at a loss for what to do next. The game tells you how many related items each item has, so even if you do get stuck it’s easy to search for items that have yet to be discovered. Additionally, save points (represented by imaginative Bucket Knights – stick figures with a bucket for a head) also offer clues in the form of thinly veiled riddles. In fact, on the whole the game is actually a bit too easy. While the game itself will leave you unsettled, its difficulty level will rarely make you feel tentative.
Posted: 2006-09-11 21:01:44 PST