A short downloadable title developed by SCE Japan Studio released in 2013. From initial screenshots and the tone of the game, it felt very much in the spirit of Ico. Rain's game mechanics are simple; this is a puzzle game albeit with the puzzles being extremely easy. Mixed in are some simple platforming although the game focuses more on the emotional impact rather than gameplay. The thing that differentiates Rain is the fact that your character, a young boy, is invisible. He can only be seen when he's out in the rain (and only his outline). This is used in effect throughout the game when you need to hide from enemies or lure them away. When he's out of the rain, you can tell where he is either by wet footsteps, splashes in puddles or mini dust clouds. To cut straight to the point, Rain is a somewhat mediocre game with a real risk of losing your attention.
The pacing is slow which in itself isn't a big problem except for the fact that the puzzles does not engross you or keep you eager for more. Puzzles are extremely simple, a lot ends up with you timing your runs to avoid detection to some undercover place. Platforming involves jumping from place to place with no skill required. The controls amount to run, jump and interact. Interaction with environmental objects is awkward and slow. You have to run up to the object, position yourself right such that a word (e.g. "lift" or "grab") appears before you press the interact button. It's clumsy and annoying. The camera angle is fixed which makes platforming sometimes a bit annoying. It can be hard to gauge the distance and you can fall off the platform to your death, however, this doesn't happen too often.
The gimmick of disappearing when not in the rain can be another sore point as it can be difficult to judge where your character is from just the footprints. Sometimes you might end up overstepping yourself and lead to a premature death when you accidentally step out into the rain leading to enemies detecting you. There are some chase sequences which makes the game more exciting and intense. The enemies will kill you with one hit when given the chance but it never feels unfair and the game doesn't abuse this fact. There are times where the puzzles pull a good trick or two and you appreciate the cleverness. The game is short, easily able to be finished within three hours. There are eight chapters in total, with the earlier chapters being shorter and the later chapters being longer. During the fourth chapter you will team up with a girl and puzzles will then start to take on a collaborative quality. It's not handholding like Ico but it develops a relationship between the two characters.
Unfortunately, but the time Chapter 7 and 8 comes along, you feel that the game is going to end soon but it doesn't (getting precariously close to the point of overstaying its welcome). To increase the longevity of the game, after you've completed it once, there will be collectibles. These take the form of "memories" which provide some further backstory. The story tells of a boy who for some reason unknown, finds himself invisible. He spots a similar invisible girl and they trek through the city (based on Paris) to find out the reason why and to restore their visibility. What makes it harder is that there are invisible monsters prowling around the city which are hunting them. This provides enough reason for the game and it dangles a carrot in front of you with the notion of wanting to find out how this will end and what caused the invisibility in the first place.
The story is told through text which appears onscreen as you're playing the game (appear above a wall or at the same angle as a ledge etc). It's a cool way to tell the story and was very effective. There are still cutscenes to watch from time to time. The graphics are good. The environments are as varied as it an be within a city with shared aesthetics that is always raining. You travel through the outside, a church, factory and sewers. The environmental designs are great. The music takes on a tranquil hollow quality, increasing the lonely feeling of the game. Overall, Rain is a solid game. There are some minor flaws which dampens the enjoyment, it can also be boring and bland at times. However, it provides a good atmosphere and the idea of only being visible in the rain manages to keep your attention for the three hours required to finish the game.
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