My previous post is a guide on the first five bosses of Ni no Kuni, but this game is so amazing that I had to put up a post on it.
In rain, you play as a boy who is completely invisible unless he stands out in the rain (and it rains constantly in the game. It is the only thing about this game that never changes). He is even invisible to the player, as the only way to keep track of him is by watching for footsteps or footprints (depending on the environment). The "invisible when dry" mechanic is often used to solve puzzles.
This game is often known for making the player feel "lonely". Not sure what that means because it never had that kind of effect on me.
The puzzles are somewhat simple and you can probably figure them fairly easily. Plus there is a hint button.
The game also has minor stealth elements, as the boy and later the girl (who is also invisible unless in the rain) must sneak past what look like skeletal dog monsters, a weird rhino like beast, and the major villain, the unknown. Literally. That is what it is called. The unknown. Who is downright terrifying once it notices the boy. It has a very long finger too. Making it even creepier.
If you look closely you can see the unknown on
the far left of the image.
But this is a puzzle game, so don't expect epic jump-scares. Oh and the unknown can kill the boy and the girl in one hit. Also it is invisible unless wet or covered in mud. And no, you cannot fight the unknown. Why? It can instant-kill you, it can smash apart cover from the rain, and it can climb walls (albeit very slowly). Also the world of rain is the world of the unknown. Nothing can escape the unknown. NOTHING. AT ALL. Or maybe something CAN stop it. Or not. You have to play the game to find out if one can stop the unknown.
But anyway, no location in this game outstays it's welcome. Soon enough the boy finds himself in a admittedly spooky factory, an abandoned church, a sewer, a circus, a France inspired town, and very late in the game a stone maze-like facility. All the while the unknown is in hot pursuit.
The game also has a very vague but interesting story. Even the very first quote is confusing: "Perhaps if he has not become lost in the night, maybe he would still be there". There are theories over what the story (and more importantly, the unknown itself) symbolize/represent.
This is what I know of the story. Both the boy and the girl are suffering from a fever, as explained by the text that appears to narrate the events of the game. The girl is obviously in the more severe stages of the fever, as she frequently stops to cough or pant. A popular theory is that the unknown IS the fever itself. But it is nothing more than a theory. I don't have a theory, because I am not one to theorize. BUT another important detail is that there is a door to light (a.k.a. the real world) and Light appears to be the only thing that can harm the unknown, for when the unknown looks at the light it suddenly starts "burning" (shown by trails of smoke and a sizzling noise)
Then ending leaves a ton to perspective by the way. Oh and I should mention that you cannot control the camera in any sort of way. It is fixed and automatically changes angle as you progress. Which to me is alright as it creates a cinematic experience. In fact one might say that this very video game is like a silent French film due to the French type architecture and music (save for when the unknown appears, in which case the music becomes ominous like in a very well made horror film. Not that I like horror films. I prefer a classic family friendly comedy)
Another thing I should mention is that the boy and the girl will still be visible no matter what if they step in mud. (mud makes there feet visible).
And that is about it. Relatively short. This is a short but sweet game. And rain is available for purchase on the PS3 (in fact it was published BY Sony themselves) and is currently download only. For more info please go to Wikipedia or the official site.
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