Imabikisou for PS3 Review - Part 1

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Do you like horror? Do you own a PS3? Are you into Japanese gaming? If you answered "yes" to these questions Imabikisou may be for you. Join me as I explain how this Japanese horror themed visual novel is both accessible, and not, in my review of Imabikisou for the PlayStation 3.

Imagine you're a 20-something male college student living in a small one room apartment in the city. You spend your days studying, hanging out with your friends, and longing after your closest female friend with whom you haven't quite taken that next step. This could be the set-up for a romantic comedy, but instead Chunsoft and Sega take us down a scarier path with the dark, atmospheric, horror game Imabikisou.

One of the easiest things to complement about Imabikisou is the dark tone that's set right from the start. The gripping introductory movie shows a couple speeding down the road as one frantically sketches an image of a woman in his sketch book, apparently high on some kind of drug. The driver speaks reassuringly only to spontaneously burst into flames as she drives the car off the road. It's clear from this intro that we aren't merely dealing with the effects of some sketchy narcotic, but that there may be some connection between drug abuse and something even more more sinister in the world of Imabikisou.

The photographic imagery in the game uses real life actors and strong lights and darks to bring the sinister tone of the subject matter into the visuals themselves. The interesting angles of the shots draw you into the dreary, washed out scenes. Monochromatic filters set contrasting warm and cool tones. Most of the time the characters eyes are hidden, and when they are shown it's normally for effect when there is a strong moment of terror or emotion.

Visuals aside, the game play is that of a novel with branching story paths. This is the kind of game play you either love or hate. I find it interesting that this style of game play, popular for horror and romance stories, has taken hold in Japan whereas it's relatively unknown in the US. It is far from the dominant style of game in Japan, but it enjoys some measure of commercial success. I think that the limitations of the interactivity and the focus on narrative over action are challenges for Western gamers. It also lends itself well to subject matter that that is less engaging to a Western audience that is focused on war, guns, and fighting.

• Imabikisou PS3 Review - Part 2