Rain follows the adventures of a young boy, who one night after seeing a girl in trouble, ventures deep into the rainy night in hopes of helping her. However, once he gets out in the downpour, he begins to realise that he is invisible, and the only way he can see himself is by seeing his outline due to the rain. Otherwise, in covered areas, nothing but his wet footsteps show up. Now, he must use this to his advantage if he is to save the mysterious girl from a very menacing danger.
The game begins like a night time story you might read, accompanied by crisp and cheerful drawings with descriptive words. It is all accompanied by a beautiful piece of music, that is the rearrangement of the beautiful “clare de lune“, which serves as the games main theme. Right from the get go, the game gives you a simple message from its vibe, “Relax, Sit Back and Enjoy The Ride“. After the introductory cut-scene, you are thrown into the world, and introduced to the game’s main mechanic, which is also the games unique selling point. The rain makes the child visible to you, while the shelter from it hides him. However, you can still see him by his wet footstep marks that he leaves behind.
There are several types of enemies to face in this game, all cleverly designed and different in behavior. Seeing as you are a child, the enemies cannot be directly fought with, but have to be overcome intellectually. You will have to use your environments and invisibility to your advantage. Like for example, when you get out in the rain, or noisily step in a puddle, you will draw the enemies towards you, after which they will start chasing you. In the first level, you can have them follow you, and just as they are about to close in on you, can move out of the way causing them to tumble over some unfinished structures, opening up a path for you. However, this process can feel tense as there is no life bar in this game, and a single hit is enough to put the boy to eternal sleep. Also, you are not the only one who goes invisible outside of the rain, as the monsters themselves share that particular talent.
My favourite part of the game related to the enemies was when the bigger, and more alpha monster was ruffing around with the more lesser ones, showing dominance. You can in fact, use this to your advantage at times, luring them towards it each other! Sometimes you will also have to solve puzzles with this in mind. I just hope the puzzles were a bit more thoughtful and deep, as at the moment they do feel a bit shallow. However, that might just be me as everyone will perceive them differently.
Now, getting back to the story, it is an absolutely joyous and light hearted experience that truly shines when accompanied with the beautiful music and moody visuals. During the gameplay, you will start to come towards this part where you can actually hold the girls hand, and that moment feels absolutely memorable. You just see these two young children, who are not worried at all by their circumstances and are just happy to be playing together, or be together. It might remind you of ICO at times, which was also a solid game. Furthermore, even though the enemy sections can get tense, you can still play this game set back, and relaxed. It is definitely a very calm and cheerful experience, even due to the monstrosities involved.
However most of this wouldn’t have been possible, had it not been for the level design. You see, every corner of this game’s world feels so moody and rich with story, like for example, when you come to this little cathedral/church you see this construction equipment everywhere. It kind of gives you an idea that the place might be getting renovated. Then there are the European inspired architect everywhere that give depth to the setting. The rain further strengthens the moody ambiance with its echoing soundwork. Sound is perhaps another strong point of this game, as everything from the raindrops to the echoing footstep has depth and realism to it, truly immersing you.
The only gripe I have with this game, is that it lacks a bit of polish in gameplay. Things don’t tend to work so fluidly at times as they should, and it will mess with you in terms of immersion. For example, during some of the chase scenes, the camera angles take control of themselves and at times make it confusing for you to find a way through, causing you to hit onto things. Furthermore, the movement could feel a bit more responsive, but it is nothing too big and can be let go for the sake of the beautiful story the game is trying to tell. It isn’t particularly long too, as it can be finished within 4 hours, which is a decent length for a downloadable game. It also never feels very hard or easy, but just right. The game only gets challenging when the enemies start taking cover from the rain, and all you have to rely on are the different footsteps you see appearing on the floor.
Finally lets talk about the most outstanding aspect of the game. Its simple yet beautiful music, that is effective in its each cue and melody. The composer, Mr. Yugo Kanno has done a marvelous job providing character to the game with lighthearted and melodic music that utilises several different instruments. In fact, I would recommend you to get the edition that comes with a suite track of the games music. It really is a solid track. To top it all off, the ever so talented Connie Talbot, has lent her beautiful voice for the vocals of the main theme.
With its charming storyline, heartfelt music and a moody setting, Rain provides for a very relaxing and engaging experience. Other then the few problems with the gameplay and puzzles at times, I really didn’t find anything getting in my way of me enjoying this game. However, some people might not like the short duration of the game, but for £9.99 it is a pretty solid deal. So if you want to get a game you can enjoy before bed, akin to a bedtime story, then get this! Also, I would advise to please get this instead of GTA V for your kids, if they are young as it is charming for all ages.