Within the first hour, there are scenes of children violently beating a dog, as well as the now-infamous (thanks to the trailer) rat-on-a-stick incident. As the Red Crayon Aristocrats live by their own childish ideals, you'll see stuff which - although perfectly understandable in the context of a child's logic - just doesn't seem right when approached from an adult viewpoint. While we're on the subject of the story, there're some genuinely unsettling ideas at play here. One of our favourite deviations from the norm is that, as you explore, rather than the usual dry "You have found a shovel"-type on-screen text, your activities are related in the third-person, using the sort of sing-song language found in a children's story book - it's a really interesting idea and helps keep you in the game world brilliantly. By the developer's own admission, Rule of Rose is more of an 'interactive movie', than a game and the way it relays its narrative is endlessly intriguing. It might seem superficial to place these sorts of things above gameplay but, as far as we're concerned, the purest form of survival horror is all about telling an engrossing, captivating story - and a convincing atmosphere is one of the strongest tools to do this. As you explore, first the dilapidated orphanage where you encounter the sinister activities of the Red Crayon Aristocrats and then the grim, depressing interiors of the group's fish-shaped airship, a mournful cello solo accompanies your every move, giving the whole thing a real sense of melancholy. Even the score is impressive, avoiding the usual noisy electronic cacophony found in Silent Hill and so on. Within minutes of starting, you find yourself exploring an impressively detailed recreation of 1930s England, with everything from the architecture to furnishings feeling spot-on - and while the in-game graphics aren't a patch on the glorious CGI cut-scenes, they do their job more than adequately. For all its similarity to other genre entries, the developer's wilfully different stylistic approach appears to have created a game which reeks such an authentic, if wildly unsettling, atmosphere, it's hard not to be impressed from the get-go. You see, with that out the way, we can discuss the things the game gets very, very right. That might seems a rather negative way to start a preview, but if you plan on approaching Rule of Rose for your next survival horror fix, it's worth noting these things from the off. Similarly, it seems that the genre's staple backtracking and endless procession of locked doors are all present and correct. Mainly, that it can be difficult to maintain your bearings and direction as the camera does its best to stun you with some flashy angles. Unfortunately this means that, in the build we played, the usual problems of the system arise. Action unfolds through the usual stylised camera angles, following Jennifer from one location to the next. On waking alone in a park, you're tasked with guiding Jennifer to the apparent safety of a nearby house before night falls. Gameplay, at least, is immediately familiar if you've ever experienced a Resident Evil, Silent Hill or Project Zero game before. From the off, it's readily apparent that Rule of Rose does little to innovate within the traditional survival horror template. As is the way with these things, it's up to you, as Jennifer, to seek out the truth and put a stop to the Aristocrats terrible rule. Set in 1930s England, the game tells the tale of her encounter with the Red Crayon Aristocrats - a strange, dominating hierarchy of children, who use humiliating punishments and horrific violence to command both the youths and adults around them. As a swift summary, Rule of Rose follows the story of a young, vulnerable girl called Jennifer. Here's the good news: for all its familiarity and occasional quirks, we're still very much looking forward to getting our hands on the finished game. However, we've had the chance to spend a few hours with the English language version of the game to really get a feel for its somewhat lofty ambitions and genuinely disturbing narrative offensive. Enter Rule of Rose, a game which sticks so rigidly to the traditional survival horror template you'd be forgiven for dismissing out of hand at first glance.
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