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The question of whether or not video games are art? This question has yet to find a definitive answer among developers, writers, or even gamers, although I think most would like to see the medium accepted alongside literature, cinema, and music. One way to reach for that level of expression could be to make games that closer resemble movies. Indigo Prophecy takes that route by focusing on plot, characters, and cinematography, resulting in a spectacular game with a gripping story. This innovative and addictive adventure game gives you complete control over multiple protagonists and it is your job to keep them sane and safe throughout a winding narrative about a murderer, a prediction, and a little thing called the apocalypse.
In true movie fashion, the unfolding events are often viewed from multiple cameras and there are quick cuts and dramatic close-ups. Often, the screen will be split and show you parallel events or angles in a way similar to the television show 24. The initial plot begins with Lucas Kane in a trance as he murders someone he has never met in the restroom of a New York diner. Knowing that he is not “a murderer” doesn’t change the fact that Lucas has in fact killed someone, so you must evade the police while trying to answer the question, “What the hell just happened to me?” Almost all of the game is played as Lucas and two other characters: the no-nonsense detective Carla Vincent, and her laid-back partner with a heart of gold, Tyler Miles, who are both tasked with solving the murder case.
The game is incredibly story-driven and fairly open-ended. Thrills comes from discovering what happens next in the overarching narrative and deciding how to proceed in the individual episodes that are both open-ended and interrelated—the actions you take will have repercussions later on. For instance, at the very beginning when you are given control of Lucas after he has committed the murder, you are faced with an intricate dilemma. First, do you leave the victim lying there or try and hide him? There is a cop sitting at the counter—should you just run out the back or play it cool and leave calmly after paying your bill? What you choose to do will either foster or destroy your characters’ sanity, and if it falls to the level of “wrecked” then the game ends. These kinds of choices and the interactions that follow comprise the game as you guide the main characters on their journey.
In its attempt to make their trip as cinematic as possible, there are no in game cursors or always-on indicators. A keyboard and mouse can theoretically be used, but they are ungainly and mechanical next to a gamepad whose control is exercised primarily through dual analog joysticks. For instance, if I want Lucas to lift the dead man, I walk him over with the left stick and an icon will appear in the black bar at the top of the screen that indicates an action is available and the manipulation of the right stick that is needed. Sometimes, like when sitting at a desk, there are multiple options, such as pushing the right stick up to stand, pushing it to the left to open a drawer, to the right to use a phone, and down to use the computer. When any action is taken, an in-game cut scene takes over to show it unfold. I was surprised that these, at least on a first run, never become tiresome, which is good because it is impossible to skip any of them or any of the dialogue, for that matter.
Fortunately, the voice work is consistently high-quality and interesting. The developer has done a fantastic job finding talent to portray the numerous characters and hours of spoken lines. Had the performances been cheesy or lackluster, caring about the characters and their plight would have been significantly more difficult to empathize with. Music is also used well to underscore tensions of just provide atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed how Tyler got to play records in his apartment and then have the music follow him as he went into work, which then felt very much like a Shaft movie.
However, the visuals representing people and their New York surroundings are a bit behind the times. While the movements used in exploration and cut scenes are meticulously motion-captured to wonderful effect, the models used have low polygon counts, making people and objects look blocky. Even though extra attention has been given to faces, they still have awkward lip-syncing a fair share of the time. While the dated graphics are serviceable, as I played I couldn’t help but wonder what the same game would look like using the Source engine’s advanced character models and facial features.
Carla looks passable, but her eyebrows often angle weirdly, making her appear cross. If she and the other characters looked as natural as Alyx and the rest of Half-Life 2’s crew, it would be easier to empathize with them. Relatively speaking, the PC version offers the best graphics because of the anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering not present in current-generation consoles, but the bottom line is that the graphics do their job consistently and, compared to audio, are ultimately less important in this type of game.
Exploring the unfolding narrative is engaging, but to add variety and simulate actions that involve skill, luck, or both, mini-games appear frequently. The most common challenge is moving the two control sticks in directions indicated by rapidly flashing lights. While the on-screen directions resemble a pair of Simon games, instead of repeating a memorized pattern, you have to follow directions as they appear, making it more similar to DDR (but without the need for rhythm) with your fingers. These sequences are used when the characters fight, play basketball, and even dance. Other times, you must use the right and left trigger buttons rapidly or with careful timing to simulate physical exertion or to keep panic at bay, respectively. These situations provide fun challenges for your dexterity, and are a satisfying way to control how well you perform without forcing the game to dabble in the shooting, fighting, swimming, and dancing genres, much less providing a quality experience. The downside is a certain element of corniness that should have been avoided. Before a sequence begins, a bold “GET READY” flashes in the middle of the screen. When finished, either “GREAT!” or “FAILED!” appears, and it feels a little like kindergarten. After the hundredth time, you might be insane, but you’ll probably not even notice it.
Other elements of the game tend to worsen as you make progress. The story, while intriguing and superior to the majority of games on the market, eventually moves beyond supernatural to nonsense, as it outlandishly raises the stakes. In addition, some more personal storylines have twists that come without warning and are not adequately explained. Mostly, though, the game succeeds in suspending disbelief and the out-there developments near the end do not make it bad, but simply prevent it from being as good as it could have been.
Because this is an adventure game that lets you act out a complex story with your own choices, an inevitable problem arises: not enough freedom. Whether you have two choices or eight, it is always possible that what you personally think should happen won’t be an available course of action. This, though, is mostly a trap of our technology (until the holodeck appears), and the game does a commendable job of providing openness within a detailed narrative environment.
It took about ten hours to reach the conclusion, but the gameplay and story never felt padded or redundant. Because of the element of choice, it is also fun to replay episodes to see what happens if, for instance, you let someone die or leave less evidence at the murder scene. When I was asked with drawing a mug shot of Lucas I was only 10% accurate, but when I tried again later and did better the detectives were able to match it to him, which they hadn’t done in my previous game. Because of this variety, I can see myself coming back to play this game in the future and trying to do the opposite of all my previous choices. There are also bonus cards you can find sprinkled throughout the game that can be used to “buy” extra content, which makes sense for a game that emulates a movie. Music, galleries, and extra gameplay sequences can all be unlocked and I found the making-of featurettes to be especially interesting. These supplements add extra value to an already satisfying experience.
Indigo Prophecy does have its shortcomings. In fact, I would be surprised if future games did not improve on many aspects of it. However, at this time it is a revolutionary game that delivers the experience of an interactive film with actions, romance, and mystery that are linked together in an overall outstanding narrative. Adventure is one of the oldest gaming genres, and this game reinvigorates it with a unique and compelling experience that is accessible to those who have never played an adventure game before. If for no other reasons, it should be played because it is different and offers a taste of interactive entertainment’s promising future. It’s not perfect, but it is art.
System Requirements:
- Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP
- Pentium III 800 MHz or faster
- 256 MB RAM
- Approximately 2 GB free hard-disk space
- 8x CD-ROM drive
- 32 MB Windows 98/Me/2000/XP-compatible SVGA video card
- Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP-compatible sound card
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Download the Gameplay Video
80 MB WMV (widescreen 16:9)
5 minutes 39 seconds