Gaming Rule of Rose

[Dagger]

When I went to the store to pick up Okami, I noticed a survival horror game called [url=http://www.atlus.com/ruleofrose/][u]Rule of Rose[/u][/url]. I didn't buy it, given that I knew absolutely nothing about it, but something about the cover and the vaguely Lord of the Flies-esque description on the back (cruel, dominant children) really drew me in. So I poked around online when I got home, and the general consensus among reviewers seems to be that the combat system is not so hot, but the storyline and atmosphere are outstanding.

Since I've never played a game in this genre before, I have no basis for comparison, but I'm beginning to think that Rule of Rose might be as good a place to start as any. I keep seeing comments about the excellence of the storytelling, which for me would probably be sufficient to balance out any weaknesses in the gameplay. Anyway, I've got a lot of other stuff to play before I can even think about going back out there and actually buying it, but if anyone else here is interested in it or has already started playing it, I'd love to see your thoughts.

~Dagger~

[TheResplendent]

[font=tahoma]Don't expect an exhilirating or action packed survival horror like RE or SH...it is much more passive than that and chock full of disturbing cryptics. The story is smooth but at times (a lot of times actually) it can drag on and become redundant...but keeping an open mind is a must for the game. It has subtle hints of psychological horror and it dosen't really "go there" as far as epic story with haunting after-effects goes. It was a good concept, but not a game i'd go out of my way [u]not[/u] to trade in for another game.

Overall, it is worth playing if you have patience and are capable of thinking beyond a straight line...but you might not find it being worth the full retail price. The primary reason i gave it a chance was because it was an Atlus title. They have been known to have a few duds, this isn't really one of them, but it's not one of their "ground breaking successes" either.[/font]

[Charles]

If you're just getting into this genre, the best place to start on Playstation 2 is Silent Hill 2 (if you have not played the first it does not matter) or the Fatal Frame (especially the second one) games. Rule of the Rose looks interesting and I've been keeping my eye on it but the general consensus is that it's pretty boring.

Back when I first bought the Playstation 2, I had a game called Shadow of Destiny, in which you would constantly witness the main character die and then find a way to change his fate. I don't know how it would hold up now, since it's been years since I've played it, but it was really awesome and the fact that I still remember it is meaningful. If you could dig that one up for a low price then I recommend it. At this point it's probably $10 or less.

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='Charles']If you're just getting into this genre, the best place to start on Playstation 2 is Silent Hill 2 (if you have not played the first it does not matter) or the Fatal Frame (especially the second one) games.[/quote][COLOR=maroon]I don't know, Silent Hill 2 pretty much put me to sleep - in fact, it was the first (and as of this writing, only) game that I actually fell asleep while playing. I kid you not: just running back and forth, back and forth, going around and around with unstimulating scares... zzzzzzz

I mean, yeah, it's depressingly depraved, but I wouldn't consider it scary, you know?

Fatal Frame 2, on the other hand, had a very interesting premise that kept you on the edge of your seat, not to mention that the story was very interesting. Looking first-person at a deranged ghost has that effect. How you read about some of the ghosts and their backgrounds also enhanced the atmosphere.

I've heard that either part I or II was based on a true story or grounded in some Japanese myth, but I have yet to find any confirmation of that. [QUOTE]Back when I first bought the Playstation 2, I had a game called Shadow of Destiny, in which you would constantly witness the main character die and then find a way to change his fate. I don't know how it would hold up now, since it's been years since I've played it, but it was really awesome and the fact that I still remember it is meaningful. If you could dig that one up for a low price then I recommend it. At this point it's probably $10 or less.[/QUOTE]HOLY F###! You too? I thought I was the only loser with that game! I seriously loved it, and yes, I recently played it again and it still holds up. Even the graphics, although clearly outdated, have their charms about them, especially if you are an anime fan.

Shadow of Destiny isn't the most challenging game (then again, no horror game is...), but it's a thinker, with mutliple endings. I still highly recommend it, although you should be warned that you can beat the game in 5 hours, and get all the remaining endings in another five, tops. Still, it's worth it.[/COLOR]

[Goodbye, Face]

[font=arial][size=1]Man, I had Shadow of Destiny at one point but I somehow lost it. I got it used and it was just the disc in a small clear case. :-/ I remember I loved the game until I got stuck the first tiem you go into the past (like, the actual past, how confusing).

Anyway, on the topic, I've only seen the videos of the game that were shown on Cinematech a little while ago. I thought that the game looked beautiful and interesting. I guess I'm a little dissappointed to hear that it's not so good. I'm compelled to rent it, though, since I know that most of Atlus's games do not remain on shelves long enough for a price drop. *glares at SMT: Nocturne and Disgaea*

Also, wasn't there another survival/horror game a few years ago with a girl and a dog in it?

EDIT: I looked it up, Haunting Ground. Apparently this game's canine AI is better, though. That's pretty good.[/size][/font]

[Semjaza]

After spending time with this there's really no reason to recommend Silent Hill heavily over it. They play very similarly in most senses. Silent Hill doesn't exactly have an interesting combat system to begin with, although it's a bit less frustrating than in Rule of Rose.

The problem with Silent Hill, for me, is that over the course of four games the entire thing just got kind of stale. I enjoyed the first two, but that was kind of the end of it. Rule of Rose, while kind of a darker psychological tale in the same sort of basic vein, deals with a rather different concept that I personally have enjoyed on a higher level than most similar games as of late.

With most of these horror titles you kind of wind up with great gameplay or great story. They very rarely combine. Even in RE4, I cannot say I gave two shits about the convoluted nonsense spouted out over the course of the game, but the gameplay itself was awesome. With Rule of Rose, the gameplay is rather typical (and hurt by the combat), but the story and atmosphere are top notch.

I've been particularly impressed by the use of music in the game. It's largely very sparse, but it builds tension really well... to an extent I don't even think many horror movies have successfully accomplished in recent years.

I did notice EGM gave it bad scores. They compare it to Training Ground, which really has no comparison to this game beyond featuring a dog and a girl. The controls are not that bad, you're not really supposed to fight every last enemy, etc.

In a world where people seriously think FEAR is a compelling and scary game, I have to wonder how something as well composed as Rule of Rose doesn't work for them.