This game catches my attention because it was on sale for $2.50 on PSN last week. I have to say the game experience it provides is worth way more than $2.50.

It was made by Sony Japan studio. After all the 'hit-games'(kittykuma acclaimed) recently played, I get a feeling that games come from Japan studio always have some uniqueness in them.

This Rain game is no exception.

The whole game feels like a journey you can only experience in your dream. A bizarre dream? A thrilling dream? Definitely not a sweet dream, although it do filled with bittersweet moments.

You entered a dream realm from the very beginning. The world has a girl character who is chased by a monster boss. You, as the boy char, want to help the girl with her escape.(Why always girls need to be saved I wonder lol)

The game has a unique mechanic. The place where the rain did not reach would be where you, the boy, would disappear entirely. While you are visible, the monsters in the realm will see you and try to chase you and attack you. You have to hide under roof/shelter to avoid being detected.

Girl and boy crossing the Bridge to reach the light on the other side of the river

The entire game is composed of puzzles and platformer elements. You have to use your brain to figure out a way to move forward. Game is quite linear and usually will place a close-up camera to show where you should go in each area. It's a very easy game in both puzzle and platformer part.

I think the designers want gamers focus on the gaming experience and to perceive the feelings the designers want to express.

The game have no dialogue of any kind, only written text lines from time to time to indicate the game progress, which is a risky design choice. But, surprisingly, it fits this game's atmosphere perfectly.

The original soundtrack is top-notch quality too. They help enhance the gaming experience quite a lot.

The graphics presentation reminds me of Resident evil 2 somehow.

wow creepy church. I don't know how, but the game graphics reminds me RE2 from time to time.

The game ended at a high pitch final note with a happy ending. Although I feel the original design might have two different endings.

• Graphics: 7.5/10
• Game play: 9/10
• Story: 9/10
• Sound effect & Music: 10/10

Overall score: 9.0 /10

PS: the other recent game I played called “Brothers: a tale of two sons” gives me the same amount of joy I'm having with this Rain game. They have the same level of design quality and uniqueness in them. Although both only last 3 or 4 hours game play time but they are unforgettable gaming experience. I like to see more of this type design trends in game industry.

It feels like you entered a boutique store. Things on the shelf might be tiny but they are designed with lots of effort and each have a distinctive style(独具匠心). Things really don't need huge size to stand out.

I'd like to play more of those "micro-boutique" games rather than those so-called AAA titles.
(微精品，哈哈,猫熊忍不住又乱造词 :p)

The games you might like if you enjoy Rain:

• Beyond: two souls 10/10
• Brothers: a tale of two sons 9.5/10