Evolution is usually fairly hard to see. Every few years or so, we may see a tiny tweak here or a minor shift there, but on the whole, change is a slow and ponderous process that can't easily be seen with the naked eye, and it's only in retrospect that we can look at a particular point in time and say "There—that's where everything changed." In the development of gaming, some such moments are obvious and legendary, such as the creation of the Super Mario Bros. or the popularity of Everquest, but some are more subtle and quiet, their full effects not immediately obvious. Drawing equal inspiration from Choose Your Own Adventure books, Shenmue, FMV games like Dracula Unleashed, and Samba de Amigo, Indigo Prophecy surpasses the sum of its parts to become something entirely new and unexpected. Darwin would be so pleased.

The story of Indigo Prophecy centers on a bizarre string of murders taking place in New York. Normal, law-abiding citizens are randomly killing perfect strangers, sometimes in broad daylight. Players start the game as Lucas Kane, who's the latest Average Joe to turn Jack the Ripper. After dazedly carving arcane symbols in his own forearms, Lucas brutally kills a man in the bathroom of a diner. Eventually, Lucas enlists the help of his brother Markus, a priest, whilst trying to stay one step ahead of two of New York's finest, Carla and Tyler. The player will control each of these four characters at various parts of the game, providing a unique approach to storytelling. When Tyler (or Carla—they're usually interchangeable during police activities) is interrogating Lucas, for example, who is it we're supposed to be rooting for? We see the story unfold from all directions, each character filling in a missing piece of the puzzle or providing his or her own perspective. Lucas and Markus explore the mystical side of the killings, while Carla and Tyler stay grounded in solid facts and evidence. The plot follows many twists and turns, but never feels too forced or outrageous. I hate twists for twists' sake, but the story of Indigo Prophecy progressed in believable, though unexpected, ways.

Choose Your Own Adventure Game

Though they've been around, in one form or another, for decades, adventure games have become less and less visible in the marketplace. The genre's slow pacing and limited interaction has left most modern gamers completely disinterested, despite beautiful graphics or intricate plotlines. The traditional gameplay, that of hunting through static environments, collecting items, and solving obtuse (often nonsensical) puzzles simply failed to hold the interest of a gaming population used to fast paced action and twitch-based control. Indigo Prophecy tries to bridge the gap between the two playstyles, with interesting and engaging results. Players must still examine the in-game environments for important items, such as evidence at the scenes of the crimes, but rather than simply pointing and clicking, they'll use the right thumbstick to interact with the scenery. Pushing the thumbstick back and forth will run a mop over the bathroom floor, for example, putting the player more in touch with the action at hand. Some actions are also time-sensitive, creating a sense of urgency that traditional adventure games completely lack. Frequently, two colored rings will appear in the center of the screen representing the two thumbsticks. Players have to flick the appropriate stick in the correct direction when that part of the ring lights up, with failure usually resulting in death. It's sort of like a combination of the QTE's from Shenmue and the posing from Samba de Amigo, only with more psychopathic cultists and fewer monkeys. Although it does succeed in putting players square in the heat of the moment, such as Lucas's fight with enormous phantom tick monsters, forcing the player's attention on the middle of the screen means that he can't actually watch the action that's unfolding.

Instead of the usual dialogue tree, conversational choices are displayed at the top of the screen, over a rapidly-depleting bar. A direction is indicated beneath each topic. Moving the thumbstick in the appropriate direction will select that particular option. If the bar completely runs out before the player makes a selection, the game will make the choice for them. The game will ensure that the player has the minimum amount of information necessary to advance the plot, so there's no worry about ever getting stuck, but for the most interesting and fleshed out story, it's best to choose as many conversational options as possible.

Decisions, Decisions

Some of the choices in Indigo Prophecy directly affect the plot or story development, and some simply affect a character's state of mind. Each playable character has a Mental Health meter, and the lower it goes, the more depressed the character becomes, potentially leading to some negative outcomes. Little things, like listening to music or having a snack can improve mental health, while watching the news or having a bad dream will lower it. Adventure games are always full of tiny pockets of interactivity, but before now they've always pretty much just been for show. Now there's an actual reason to search through the cupboards in the kitchen, or play basketball with a co-worker. None of these activities are strictly necessary, but they really add to the completeness of the characters and make them feel more like actual people with distinct personalities. They also give the player a greater sense of doing something, as opposed to just sitting back and watching the action unfold.

While all of the control innovations do a great job of drawing the player into the action, sometimes they get overused and end up sapping out some of the fun. At one point in the game, the extremely-claustrophobic Carla must venture into the police archives to examine the files of an old case. The puzzle that follows is really pretty basic—simply move the archive shelves into the proper configuration to let Carla through to the computer—but players have to alternate between pulling the left and right triggers in order to control Carla's breathing. Lose the rhythm, and Carla gives in to her fear, freaks out, and runs out of the room. Trying to work the mechanics of the puzzle while maintaining a healthy breathing pattern isn't insanely difficult, and I give Quanticdream credit for sheer creativity, but it does start to feel like busywork after a few minutes.

Although the storyline, voice acting, and music all work hard to create a creepily haunting atmosphere, the graphics are a real letdown. The blocky models are PS2-launch era quality, at best. Play Deus Ex for the PS2, then pop in Indigo Prophecy, and I defy you to point out significant differences. There are bright spots, such as the aforementioned phantom tick monsters (man, I just never get tired of saying that), some evil angels, and Lucas's nightmarish visions, but for the most part the graphics are inexcusably weak. The game does such a great job of bringing the player closer to the action, it's a real shame that the graphics do everything they can to push the player back out of the experience.

Indigo Prophecy tries its best to forge new ground, and as is often the case with something brand new, it gets a few things wrong. The mini-game-esque nature of the control gets a bit repetitive, having to frantically pull triggers is hard on the fingers, and the stealth missions were tedious in the extreme. The game, however, is far more than the mere sum of its parts. The control scheme, absolutely unique to a title of this sort, really gives players the feeling that they are driving the action, as opposed to helplessly observing it, while each of the playable characters fills out the story so that it's never one-sided or dull. Although it's not perfect, Indigo Prophecy is a fascinating and entertaining step in a new direction. I can't wait to see where it all goes from here.