Rainswept Review
By: RJ (@rga_02)
- Rainswept
- Developer/Publisher - Frostwood
- PC
There is that old movie cliche where your typical Americana small town is littered with dirty secrets, that are masked by beautiful scenery. Rainswept brings that tried and true trope into the gaming medium. But does it go beyond the Scooby Doo level of engagement?
You take control of Detective Michael Stone where he finds himself in the small, but cozy town of Pineview where a recent murder-suicide has occurred. Surrounded by incompetent cops and chatty residents, Detective Stone has an uphill battle to face with not only his surroundings but also his internal own struggles.
Rainswept plays like your typical point-and-click game, Detective Stone goes around town looking for leads and clues. Along the way, he finds himself chatting with the residents and performing mundane tasks every now and then.
While the dialog you have with the residents is well-written, the execution is bare bones. Don’t expect a dialog tree like you would find in games such as Life is Strange. The structure is really linear and whatever you chose won’t change the overall ending of the story.
But the strong part about Rainswept is the immersion that engulfs you. The town itself is so cozy. The trees, the chatty folks, the aesthetics, and most importantly - the rain- all resonated with me a bit. I live in the 3rd largest city in the United States, but sometimes I have some grand wishes of throwing it all away and moving somewhere small and cozy. Rainswept was able to give me those feelings.
Mix that along with the wonderful accompanying soundtrack, then you have a recipe for some good vibes.
And as I mentioned earlier, the dialog in this game is very well-written, especially during the background story of the two victims. It’s believable and almost relatable, and at the end of the day, you will find yourself sympathetic to them.
This applies to the residents of Pineview - their chatty nature is something to be both appreciated and something to roll your eyes at. Like with the aforementioned flashbacks, it’s believable and really close to home, regardless if you live in the city or a small town.
At times I wished this game was just a visual novel where you would just click away to see what happens next. The “adventure” part is lacking and it’s a shame, as the dialog in this game is well done.
If you can see past the flawed gameplay then you will find yourself with a nice narrative, otherwise, it would just be soothing to hear the sounds of the rain.