First Gameplay Video of Rain
Some games just command our attention from the moment they’re announced. Thatgamecompany’s Journey is a fine example, as is Giant Sparrow’s The Unfinished Swan or Playdead’s Limbo – simple games with simple concepts, unique aesthetics and, above all, an incredible level of playability.
Unveiled at last year’s Gamescom, adventure game Rain seems to fit such a template. Developed by PlayStation C.A.M.P (the team behind weird indie curio Tokyo Jungle), rain is the story of a young boy who follows the “silhouette” of an invisible girl out into the pouring rain, only to find that he has become invisible too, and can now only be seen beneath the downpour.
From a gameplay perspective, Rain is pretty exciting. For a start, the protagonist is invisible to the naked eye unless you’re out in the torrent, so when indoors, for example, you’ll be controlling a little fella you can’t even see. It’s vital for avoiding enemies and solving certain puzzles, but it also adds an otherworldly quality to Rain that seems to only ever be present in smaller releases.
Below is the first ever gameplay video for Rain as shown at the Game Developer’s Conference this week and posted on the PlayStation Blog earlier today. It reveals the first part of the Sony-published game and is a wonderful showcase for the ethereal aesthetic and the beautifully-evocative sound of the constantly drumming rain. Like Limbo, there’s an enchanting yet unnerving feel to Rain, and the same sense of uncertainty, of fear mixed with wonder.
Rain has been very quiet since the Gamescom reveal, but we’re hoping for more information on this little curio in the coming months. In the meantime check out the video of the opening section of the game, entitled The Children and the Night.
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Rain will be released on PlayStation 3 in 2013.
