Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2570 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Atari
• Released on: 2005-09-16
• Platform: Windows XP
• Number of items: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
In a nutshell:
The term "interactive movie" is justly associated with misguided attempts at combining games and film. Fahrenheit's cinematic leanings, however, incorporate the elements that make movies different (characters, tension and plot) with well thought-out game mechanics, and the result is uniquely thrilling.

The lowdown:
Making decisions against a rapidly dwindling timer, your character wakes up having just committed a bizarre ritual murder of which he has no memory. You must switch between playing the fugitive and the cops on his trail, your conflicting jobs are to help the anti-hero escape and conversely to help put him behind bars. But what mysterious force drove him to kill in the first place?

Most exciting moment:
Frequent interludes of rapid button pressing simulate physical exertion as your character escapes a looming threat you can see catching up with you. Your heart will be palpitating. Your nerves will be frayed.

Since you ask:
The introduction and brief tutorial from the game's "writer/director" David Cage, is actually the head of the title's French development team, Quantic Dream, animated as a videogame character.

The bottom line:
Utterly superb movie-style thriller with genuine frights and a superbly tense climax.
Nick Gillett

Manufacturer's Description
New York January 2009

For no apparent reason, ordinary people are killing total strangers. Although there are no direct links between the murders, they all show the same ritual patterns. Lucas Kane becomes one of these murderers, and haunted by strange visions he must try to keep one step ahead of the police to discover what is happening to him.

Inspector Carla Valenti and Agent Tyler Miles are heading up the investigation. A series of disturbing clues takes them into a world they can only dream of. Meanwhile the early onset of winter paralyses Manhattan in an unbearable grip of snow and cold. Each day the temperature drops as the winter conditions draw over the dark streets of New York.

The final countdown has already begun!

Customer Reviews

Good atmosphere but...
This game really shines in terms of its atmosphere and also to a slightly lesser degree, its storyline. The story is very good and you are constantly trying to guess whether the real guy responsible is someone you know.
I haven't completed the game yet(I'm over half-way there), but I hope there will be a plot twist at the end.

The gameplay is where I think the game falls short. I guess I was expecting something like Max Payne, but alas...it was more like one of those dance move games where you have to press buttons when they light up.

NOT All the sequences were of this sort however...some had you pressing left and right repeatedly and thats about it. I did play a scene in a shooting gallery where you did get to aim and shoot at some targets and I really hope they develop that into something later in the game.

It is a good game, if a little boring(to me anyway). I would definitely advise you to rent it out and give it a try because you might love it!

Short but Sweet
It looks like most of the reviews here already covered all the good points of this game, but I just thought I'd add my thoughts. It is a short game in some ways but there's a fair amount replayability there as there are three different endings and multiple ways to play out most chapters. Once you've completed some of the mini-games you can also go back and play them again.

I was worried that this game was over-hyped but it really is good. I saw one review that said it wasn't an adventure game because you had to make quick decisions and on some occasions pound the keyboard a bit to progress the story. This is true, but I felt that it immersed me more in the game rather than annoying me.
The one thing i did find slightly annoying was that occasionally I was concentrating so hard on getting the reaction games right that I wasn't really watching what was happening in the game. It didn't bother me too much though.

In summary- great game.

Less a game & more an interactive film
A murder was committed and you play both the murderer trying to get away and figure out why it happened, as well as the detectives trying to catch the murderer and bring him to justice... the game is well written and the characters well fleshed out, and I found myself striving to do the best I could with both sets of characters - get away with no evidence as the murderer, while trying to find everything as the detectives.

In addition to the "core" storyline, there are a few side paths that further flesh out the characters, making you really care for them, as well as a providing some light comic relief and fun - a basketball game, kickboxing match & sitting and jamming with yourself are a few such moments. There are also a couple of homages to other films (Silence of the Lambs being the most blatant set-piece). The game also ALWAYS make sure you have enough information & plot details present to progress, though it's handled in a deceptively smooth way.

The soundtrack also deserves a mention - Theory Of A Deadman are notable (whose CD "Gasoline" I bought on the strength of the 4 tracks in this, particularly "Santa Monica") and are joined by a number of classic motown tunes.

Overall, its a gripping, clever game that'll make you think - though it has limited replay value due to the somewhat linear progression of the game.