Missed Masterpieces: Indigo Prophecy

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July 31st, 2007 posted by Link in Uncategorized

“Missed Masterpieces” is my attempt at writing a monthly column on great games that lived largely unnoticed by the consumer market. Some of these may have received critical acclaim, others may have not, but think of this column as a way to find interesting games that you wouldn’t ordinarily think about purchasing.

Indigo Prophecy
Platforms: PS2/Xbox/PC
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Quantic Dream
Release Date: 9/26/2005
Avg. Price: $19.99 New / $13.99 Used
Known as “Fahrenheit” in the UK, Indigo Prophecy was an extremely unique adventure title. The game is all about plot, so if you aren’t into watching cutscenes or thinking when you play games, it’s probably not for you. If you give it a try, though, you won’t be disappointed.

Indigo Prophecy centers around the story of Lucas Kane, an IT professional working in New York City - in other words, a fairly ordinary guy. The game opens with a seemingly insane Lucas emerging from a bathroom stall at a local diner to kill a fellow dumpingsman with a knife to the heart. His hands covered in blood, Lucas suddenly wakes up. He has no recollection of what has happened, and he knows that he isn’t responsible for the death. Now you’re in control. Do you leave the bathroom and try to run away from the diner? It just so happens that there’s a cop enjoying a cup of coffee right near the bathroom door. Should you just wait it out? What if the cop has to pee? Should you hide the body first? Not a bad idea, but what about all the blood on you and the floor? Eventually you’ll find that you have to use a mop to get rid of the traces of blood, move the body into a stall, and clean yourself off in the sink all before exiting the bathroom. Then you’re outside and faced with a whole new set of options. Let’s say you safely escape. Now the game might throw you into the role of the cop investigating the man’s murder…
See how crazy it gets? The game doesn’t throw these different scenarios into your face, you actually control your character in 3D space. A lot of it is trial and error. But the presentation and quality of the game’s cinematics make it all worthwhile. It will begin to play with your head before it’s all said and done. The story is entertaining up until the end - but unfortunately, the ending leaves a lot to be desired. It really doesn’t matter though. If you play all the way through, you’ll have rewarded yourself with one of the richest experiences of the last generation’s offerings.

Buy it New:
PC Version (14.99, Amazon)
PC Version (14.95, Circuit City)
Buy it Used:
PS2 Version (14.99, GameStop)
Xbox Version (12.99, GameStop) - backwards compatible with Xbox 360