Publisher: Atari

Developer: Quantic Dream

Genre: Adventure

What makes this game really stand out is that there are not 1 but 3 main characters that you have to control. In addition to this, parts of the game are displayed as small movie clips which you have control over.

The game starts off with a scene in which the main character kills a man. The game wastes no time in getting you involved and from the very beginning, you are faced with options that shape your game play. In the opening scene, do you hide the body and try to clean the blood off your clothes? Or do you just walk out and run away? The choices you make also affect your character’s psychological meter (a character can kill himself from depression), and affect the way your characters respond to things.

Once you get out of the diner, you control the story’s other two characters (there is a total of 3 main characters and a few side characters). The other two characters are detectives who are investigating the murder; in other words they are chasing you.

When playing Fahrenheit there were two things which got me glued to the game; the story and controls. This is one of the few games that keeps you in constant suspense and makes you want to keep playing to find out more about the story. The worst thing that I can say about the story is that the “good” ending was not satisfying enough. And if there would ever be a squeal, one would hope that Quantic Dream would pick up from where they left off.

Fahrenheit features a truly innovate control feature during the action cut scenes, where you control your character in the middle of a clip by pushing the right buttons at the right time, as in Resident Evil 4.

Graphics

Limited by the technology of PS2, the characters are not as detailed as they would be on a PC. Another drawback is that most of the characters appear a bit boxy — straight angular cuts, no smooth curves.

Music & Sound

The dialogue is done in a realistic and clear manner. The music soundtrack is excellent, and you’ll find yourself unlocking songs and listening to them over in the bonus section.

A few flaws in the game keep it from deserving a higher score. One of the things I’d like to mention is the way the controls stick to a direction after the camera angle changes.

Over all a must play game, for the casual gamer and the serious gamer. Quite easy to get into, and once you start your hooked till the end.

The Score 8.9 (out of ten)