Things are never quite what they seem. (Fahrenheit (PC))

Member Name: oodlenoodle9

Product:	Fahrenheit (PC)
Date:	30/10/07 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning storyline, acting and soundtrack.

Disadvantages: No sequel....yet

This game is stunning. It is a masterpiece. In my mind it is a strong candidate for the best game of all time, incorporating realistic and likeable characters, beautiful, atmospheric settings, and most incredibly of all: a story. And a mind-bogglingly wonderful one at that.

Let me take this opportunity to remind you that this is a video game, and the phrases “video game” and “decent story” very rarely enter into the same sentence without attempting to murder each other. But French developers Quantic Dream (even the name exudes fantastic-ness) have managed it, and with incredible style.

I’ll calm down now. Promise.


WELCOME TO NEW YORK

It is the year…well, I’m not too sure actually – sometime in the future – but cars still have wheels and people still eat food. The game starts in a diner in New York, which is in the grip of an incredibly bitter winter. The main character, Lucas Kane, has just stabbed a man to death in the men’s toilets, whilst seeing visions and moaning in an ill sort of way. He comes back to reality, aghast at what he’s done, with only seconds before the policeman in the next room decides he needs a wee.

This is where you are thrown headlong into the story. You instantly panic almost as much as Kane – do you run? Do you try and clean up? But what if… and what if…

And just to help you keep calm, the game developers have created a so-called “elastic” script – you can’t deviate too far from the story, but your current actions will still affect the game later on. It is this that allows you to effectively hunt yourself as you take on the roles of Detective Carla Valenti and her partner Tyler Miles, as well as Lucas Kane as he fights to retain his sanity and indeed his very life.

Whatever you think this game is going to throw at you, I can tell you that you are almost certainly wrong, and will continue to be almost to the very last minute. The story is rich and detailed, with many twists, turns, and fast paced bouts of action.

Did I mention that it’s stunning?


FIND GLORY BEYOND THE CHEAP COLOURED LIGHTS…

At first, the controls seem very, very weird. The camera seems to be always in the wrong place, and the first time you have to act fast, coordinating (shock horror) your left and right hands, it all goes to pot.

But quickly you realise that those coloured lights arranged on the screen so that they form two circles with different colours lighting up on the left, right, top and bottom (trust me, it’s not as weird as it sounds) are there for a reason. Up, means press up – and press it quickly! It will not be long before you realise that the flashes coordinate themselves with what is going on on the screen. Need to dive left? Chances are the left lights are going to flash on.

By the end of the game, you will be dodging, ducking, jumping, kung-fu-ing, concentrating, guitar playing and so on as if you’d done it all your life.

With two sets of arrow keys.

Somehow it doesn’t matter at all. I don’t know how so much can be conveyed by use of arrow keys, but before long it really seems natural and smooth – but not necessarily easy.


UBERMENSCH ANYONE?

What makes Fahrenheit even more intriguing is the element of philosophy that is involved, something that I only half noticed until I read the Wikipedia article about an hour ago. Without giving away the story, the game manages to ask questions about the nature of reality, value of religion, God, humanity in general, DNA, evolution and probably more. It also has a strangely Nietszchean theme to it – from Lucas Kane’s favourite book, to the idea of the ‘Ubermensch’ (super or over man) and the slave mentality, David Cage, boss of Quantic Dream and writer of the Fahrenheit story has created a story so deep that it would stand out amongst films and books, let alone video games.

And there is another interesting aspect that ties Fahrenheit even more closely to films – you may not realise it, but it is all acted by real people. They may be men wearing lycra suits with white bobbles all over them to allow computer generation, but every fight, chase and even conversation is acted out so that it seems all the more realistic. Combine this with sublime voice acting and, if not stunning, very good graphics and you have a game that you will lose yourself in.


A SHAME, SO FEW PEOPLE READ SHAKESPEARE THESE DAYS…

Occasionally you will be required, as part of the action, to perform feats of endurance whereby you hammer the left and right arrow keys as madly as possible, which is actually quite tiring on the fingers (maybe mine are just weak) and can get slightly annoying, especially on the higher difficulty settings as they become near-impossible or impossible, depending on the responsiveness of the keyboard. Still, they ensure that you interact, even if poor Lucas is having a considerably rougher time of it than you are.

Also there is the mental state meter, with full being “neutral” and zero being “wrecked,” at which point you go insane/commit suicide/turn yourself in to the cops. It is worth considering how your actions will affect this because some incidents unavoidably raise/lower it. You may have heard the story of how one virtual Lucas with only about 5 points of sanity left tried to buy a drink from a vending machine, found they were sold out and committed suicide. Don’t let it happen to you!

I would also recommend, if you can tear yourself away from the action, to explore your surroundings a bit and talk to anyone you can. Not only will you find more bonus tokens (allowing you to unlock music, artwork and videos) but it will also help to keep you up to date with the fairly complicated back-story that is going on all the time. Later in the game you may well go “aaahhh…” as you realise the links and feel very pleased with yourself.

Three possible endings, depending upon how successful you are in the closing chapters of the game, all leave the possibility of sequels. Perhaps I shouldn’t hold my breath, but I will anyway.

Another element that really stands out is the soundtrack, which is written by Angelo Badalamenti, with many songs from other artists such as Theory of a Deadman, Teddy Pendergrass, Nina Simone, Bobby Byrd, and many more. It is dramatic, powerful stuff.

Finally, worth noting is the fact that the game is “unsuitable” for young children. Frankly if you ask me, there’s nothing in here that many children won’t have seen before on TV, but some of the murders are fairly graphic, some settings very creepy, and some sex scenes leaving little to the imagination. If you ask me this makes the game all the better and you should take the view of the French and be laid back, but it is really up to you and your discretion. The 16+ certificate is certainly safe.


COME AND TAKE A SEAT BY THE FIRE.

I never thought I’d say it about a video game, but Fahrenheit is easily the equivalent of a good book. Why the worldwide population of gamers doesn’t refuse to play anything else I’ll never know, but if you want a game that will truly blow you off your feet, look no further. I have yet to find an equivalent in storyline, and it may well be a good while longer that I have to wait as most gamers these days cry out for mindless space alien blasting games. I can’t recommend this game enough.

Summary: Tell me, what is your cage like?