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Sony's Rain Has A Release Date
Gamescom 2013 is underway, and Sony is showing off titles for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. PlayStation CAMP's Rain (developed in coordination with Aquire, the studio behind the Tenchu series) is a tale of two children exploring their stormy world while trying to find out why they have become invisible.
Much of Rain is reminiscent of Ico, including the relationship and communication between the boy and the girl, and the juxtaposition of exploration and tension. As the boy explores the world, he will encounter monsters that chase him. "The core gameplay is to control the visibility of the boy," producer Nariko Umemora told us.
Instead of outright combat, the boy must make hide himself. As he's only seen when exposed to the falling rain, finding cover under awnings and other shelters will keep him safe. The control scheme is simple, using only three buttons in addtion to the thumbstick (jump, run, and a context-sensitive action button).
The tone changes from a sense of being lost once the boy finds the girl. Their relationship starts to blossom wordlessly as they explore their world and discover what has happened to them.
The entire game takes place at night, during a storm, but the varied environments keep things fresh. The experience is approximately four hours when moving at a reasonable pace. "We tried to find the right length that wasn't too short, but we also didn't want to exhaust the player," director Yuki Ikeda said. Players can return to the world of Rain again to collect items that help fill in the story, enhancing the replay value.
Rain will be released on October 1, 2013 for $14.99 in the United States. Pre-orders are opening today, with a music montage, avatar pack, and dynamic theme available as bonuses.
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