Pro-Choice

Game: Indigo Prophecy
System: Playstation 2
Release date: September 20, 2005
Developed by: Quantic Dream
Published by: Atari

Indigo Prophecy is all about choice. The actions, decisions and omissions each player makes in Indigo Prophecy will change the direction and ultimate ending of the game. Moreover, those who play the game control up to four characters directly and influence indirectly the destiny of many more. That kind of freedom of choice is not entirely unprecedented -- many modern RPGs allow players to make small and large choices throughout the game with sometimes far-reaching consequences -- but in Indigo Prophecy it is a centerpiece of the gameplay, perhaps its defining characteristic.

Indigo Prophecy is the brainchild of David Cage, a French musician and video game developer. Cage developed Indigo Prophecy, originally titled Fahrenheit, almost as an interactive movie and not necessarily a traditional video game. Even though players can alter the storyline by choosing one action or another during the game, each corresponding reaction unfolds with a cinematic quality; even action sequences are entirely scripted, although players must input the proper sequence of buttons to complete them.

Indigo Prophecy is set in New York City and begins in a sleepy East Side diner in the middle of the night where Lucas Kane, one of the main characters and the principle protagonist, brutally murders a stranger in a rest room while under a paralyzing trance. He commits the crime but is convinced another party was controlling his actions. Shortly thereafter, Lucas finds himself running from the police, fighting against violent and inexplicable visions, and unraveling the mystery of the murder and its role in a larger conspiracy.


Although Lucas is the main character in Indigo Prophecy, players can control Marcus Kane (Lucas' brother) and NYPD detectives Tyler Miles and Carla Valenti. In many instances, damaging evidence forgotten by Lucas can subsequently be discovered by Miles or Valenti, thus drawing the two parties closer toward confrontation. The ability to play multiple characters embroiled in the same muddled scenario might seem like a gimmick, but Cage and the Quantic Dream team has done an excellent job of attaching meaningful and well-written back stories to each character. Some characters, predictably, are more interesting than others, but together they form a patchwork of dynamic and endearing personalities.

Indigo Prophecy boasts several gameplay elements, not entirely innovative, which enhance the game experience. These include the aforementioned action sequences which require players to quickly input color-coded button commands, a mental health meter which monitors the sanity/stability of the main characters, and a conversation system which allows players to prioritize questions, alternate between telling lies and admitting the truth, and choose the topics of conversation.

Score: 84/100