Rule of Rose

Reviewed by Daniel Gonzales
September 8, 2006

Developer: Punchline CG Publisher: Atlus / Sony Computer Entertainment Website: Click Here Platform(s): PS2 Number of Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M for Mature

Jennifer (front) and the children of Red Rose Orphanage. Courtesy Atlus. Click image to enlarge.

Atlus provides gamers with an extremely unique mix of survival mystery horror with its stylish, film noir console endeavor, Rule of Rose .  The player assumes the role of Jennifer, a young girl who was orphaned after her "mummy and daddy" died. She is sent off to the Red Rose Orphanage where the children who inhabit its halls live according to the rules of a secret society known as the Rule of Rose. The children are far from normal and their deviant behavior is recorded fluidly in a fairy tale book known as "The Little Princess." With the help of her companion Brown, a loyal golden retriever, Jennifer sets out to discover the secrets and mysteries that lie deep within the hallowed walls of the Red Rose Orphanage. In doing so, Jennifer encounters many eccentric and unique characters as well as demonic imps that impede her path. It's up to the gamer to decide whether or not Jennifer, the "Unlucky Girl," will get to live happily ever after.

Punchline delivered admirably its introduction to the game.  A pleasant scene of a gorgeous day at the park, somewhere in Europe during the early 1930s, suddenly turns morose for young Jennifer. The shadow of Zeppelin floating overhead quickly turns the tone of what serenity there was.  Visions of Brown then of children heartily laughing as they drew crude pictures of pigs and hammered nails into a coffin, were just a few snippets of what was to come. To enhance the Rule of Rose experience, players have the option to change the graphics filter which will portray the game in a grainy, old film style.  My hat goes off to the mastermind behind the score of Rule of Rose. Eerie strings chime into each situation and scene perfectly, while other moments can tease the player with complete silence.

There is no doubt that Rule of Rose allows gamers to use their investigative abilities to solve several of the games' deeply challenging puzzles.  I found myself wondering What do I do now? then rejoicing with an "A ha!"  The puzzles in this game are difficult, but any hardcore gamer or any fans of Silent Hill and Children of the Corn will appreciate what they have to offer. Even though the controls are a little slow and using Brown to sniff out clues can sometimes get frustrating due to the linear nature of Rule of Rose, the achievement of playing through such minute obstacles is well worth it.  The story is not like any other found in any game to date. I applaud the Rule of Rose team for its ingenuity and innovative style to this twist on survival horror.  The boss battles are literally harder than any I have faced in any type of survival horror game. The challenge may dissuade the gamer away from its clutches at times, but the yearn to continue on should keep one going. Remember that the game takes place in the 1930s, so weapons are crude and primitive, in the form of forks and pipes to name a few.  Nefariously, I enjoyed stabbing the imps with a fork resulting in a pool of bloody flesh, but I digress.  Rule of Rose is a title that should not be passed up when it arrives on the shelves this fall.

I give Rule of Rose a high Evolution Factor for the simple fact that this story and this type of game are a pioneer in gaming genres.  This game breaks the mold with its character development and storytelling.  The question I pose is will there be a sequel? Only time will tell. Due to the linear nature of the story, there is not much replay value unless of course you want to see the morbid cutscenes over and over again.  Do yourself a favor. Pick up the title and find out for yourself what is The Rule of Rose.

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