The year 2004 has been a turning point in gaming for suspense fans. From Sonys innovative Siren to Bethesdas upcoming Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth, theres a certain maturity that has bled into the genre thanks to developers that think outside the box when it comes to bringing players some truly frightening gaming experiences. It looks like gaming is about to take a different sort of sidestep into the realm of psychological thriller later this year when Vivendi Universal Games releases Fahrenheit on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. The game promises to combine a highly cinematic style with elements of action and adventure as players take on the roles of both hunter and hunted. Developed by Quantic Dream, Fahrenheit is set in what looks like a film noir version of modern day New York. Its not another survival horror game at all, but looks to be a title that fans of The X-Files and films like Identity might find quite intriguing.
The plot concerns a series of motiveless, random murders committed by ordinary people against total strangers. The police can find nothing that links the crimes except that they all follow a similar ritual. Players start out as Lucas Kane, who becomes a killer against his will as he murders a man in a restaurant mens room. He flees the scene only to find himself tortured by strange visions that could be a clue as to what compelled him to kill. Kane then has to race against time not only to try to find out what is happening to him, he also has to keep ahead of the police who are hot on his trail.
Youll also play as Inspector Carla Valenti and her partner in the investigation, agent Tyler Miles. Carla is a tough yet beautiful no-nonsense cop who (I think) bears a passing resemblance to Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight. The last playable character is a bit of a secret so far, but were in the process of gleaning more info from the developer. Fahrenheit will give players a number of opportunities to affect the manner in which the story plays out, thanks to the combination of timed action sequences and an intuitive interface. It sounds like some of the gameplay elements will lean toward the Quick Time Events found in Yu Suzukis Shenmue games in order to keep the game flowing more like a film in some of its action scenes.
Although the screens here are from an early version, Quantic Dream has captured a certain gritty, wintry New York vibe in the games graphics. The game uses the cold weather as not only an atmospheric visual element, but also as a major plot point as youll discover during the game. Youll also notice the rather cool split screens and camera angles that the game will use extensively to give players the sense that theyre part of an interactive movie. Character models and environments are quite solid, and the game uses a very distinct color palette that enhances its realism all the more. Well have to get a hands-on to let you know just how it plays and sounds, but so far, Fahrenheit looks like one to definitely keep an eye on, as its on track for a 4th Quarter release. Well be back with more news and updates as they come in.
