Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered Review

Before Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, there was Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit, if you’re European) - a deeply atmospheric tale that was reasonably groundbreaking at the time. 10 years later, and here it is, on the App Store, in the guise of Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered. As the iPad has become the perfect instrument for adventure gaming, it’s a more comfortable fit than its previous console iterations, and it’s sure to grip, even despite some uncomfortable control issues.

It’s best to go into the game relatively cold, knowing as little about it as possible. Suffice to say, there’s been a murder and one of the characters you control committed it, albeit while possessed. A lot more unfolds than that, covering the occult, possession and some good old fashioned police work. The initial opening scene, in which you help cover up the crime within a diner before switching to the police investigation, is going to stick in your memory for a long time to come. It’s very well done.

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered combines such great storytelling with a few twists and flourishes when it comes to control methods. Interacting with objects isn’t a matter of simply tapping on them, but by swiping in a particular direction. It’s a little strange at first, but soon feels quite natural and ties in particularly well with more tactile experiences. Yes, there’s a sex scene, and yes you can get involved - an exceptionally rare thing to see in any game, especially on the App Store.

Elsewhere though, the controls are a bit annoying with a virtual joystick moving you around, but all too often, you’ll run smack into a wall for no reason. Forgive Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered though, it’s worth sticking with.

The story will gradually draw you in, culminating in a choice of significantly different endings, giving you the perfect reason to try things a little differently later on. Relatively minor flourishes such as completing everyday tasks can make a difference here too, given your mental health is important and represented by a bar that rises and falls, depending on what’s going on. Hit the bottom and it’s game over.

Sure, that virtual joystick will slowly send you insane (it did for me) but stick with Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered. It tells a wonderful story with some great design choices. It’s an experience that holds up well after ten years. Oh, and remember to have plenty of room spare. 6gb is needed to download it. Yes, it’s hefty, in more ways than one.