Metascore
85 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 41
  2. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. A completely engrossing game, designed for the patience of adult players, that will stand up to an almost infinite number of sessions. It's a technically marvellous achievement by David Cage.
  2. No game is perfect, but Indigo Prophecy will be the standard bearer for a future generation of adventure games and would be a great candidate for a feature film. It deserves to be played, scrutinized and devoured by all gamers – action and adventure, casual and hardcore alike.
  3. Indigo Prophecy is unique, artistic, immersive and beautiful. There's no reason in the world why any self-respecting gamer shouldn't have this game in their collection.
  4. It's not a terribly big budget epic; it's like that smaller, incredibly well-done indie movie that raises the bar with a great core concept and striking attention to detail throughout.
  5. Fahrenheit features a fascinating, ever evolving storyline that really does change in real time depending on your actions.
  6. Indigo Prophecy may not have the technical backings of a winner with its dated graphics and strange control scheme, but everything else screams classic.
  7. An excellent adventure title for those of us who haven't had a good adventure game in sometime, and with but a few small tweaks, this game engine could produce many fine adventure games.
  8. Those who won't look at a game unless it's got big guns and lots of mindless goons to destroy will likely detest Fahrenheit and wonder what the fuss is all about; however those who'd like to glimpse how videogames can become an effective means to telling stories and interacting with them will find one of the surprising contenders for Game of the Year.
  9. The gritty atmosphere, gripping action sequences, and incredible central narrative all mix beautifully to provide many hours of great gameplay. The 'every action has a consequence' mechanic means that the game offers up considerable replay value.
  10. 90
    The game feels a lot like a movie, but the interaction is extensive enough that the player is a crucial part of the unfolding storyline.
  11. The game starts out kind of like "The Twilight Zone" meets "CSI," but then it turns into The "X-Files" with some "Matrix" undertones.
  12. A truly extraordinary game, and easily one of this year's landmark titles. Evocative, unique, original, atmospheric and gripping – most contemporary releases struggle to lay claim to just one of Fahrenheit's strengths.
  13. The game itself is quite simple and short, but the story folds out in a great way. One of the best games of 2005 so far. [Sept. 05]
  14. Indigo Prophecy marks a tremendous rebirth for a very stagnant genre. Let's hope its mature style serves as an inspiration for other developers.
  15. Indigo Prophecy so unabashedly wants to be cinematic that the menu prompt for the new game is "New Movie". [Dec p.56]
  16. This is a twisted and deranged game, and I loved every minute of it.
  17. Fantastic – absolutely the best graphic adventure title of the year – and is a game others should aspire to in many ways.
  18. Well, it's a good game, even though some of the purists will say that it's not a genuine adventure.
  19. In the long run, although you'll find yourself bothered by the control scheme, the just-above-average graphics, and the minor sound quibbles, you'll forget it all as you get sucked in to the story of Indigo Prophecy.
  20. As an adventure game at heart it's amazing to find it's also a cinematographic experience, an emotionally gripping drama.
  21. A breath of fresh air in the adventure gaming world, well worth playing despite some dodgy camera angles.
  22. Solid graphics with a consistent feel, one of the best story presentations I have seen in a game since the original Half-Life, mixed all together with a variety of puzzles and changing environments combine to make a knockout of a title.
  23. A classic adventure pumped up with massive doses of adrenaline. [Nov 2005, p.82]
  24. 85
    And yet there's still something here that kept us playing to the end. Can't quite put our finger on it...ah yes, now we remember what it was: This game has a story that's almost too damn good for a video game.
  25. Despite some of its drawbacks, however, Indigo Prophecy manages to captivate the player in every possible way. It's a very good game, but not an excellent one. A little more function to go with the gorgeous style and gripping narrative, and this would be a game for the ages.
  26. Indigo Prophecy is a game that actually gives the term "cinematic gameplay" some context, as well as some real heartfelt meaning.
  27. 83
    The game's sound, story, and characters are so strong, and the variety of situations players will find themselves in is so large, that at no point is this a boring play experience.
  28. If you enjoy a good story and don't mind a more laid-back approach to gameplay, this is a title you simply cannot ignore. [Oct 2005, p.124]
  29. It's almost shocking how seamless, engrossing and accessible Fahrenheit is. It's sad, then, that it shows weakness in the one area where it needed to be stronger than any other game: the script. [Oct 2005, p.84]
  30. Even though Indigo Prophecy is grim, it's also engrossing.
  31. 80
    If it was a book you'd call it "a real page-turner"; it can be nigh-impossible at points to put down. When all is said and done, as the credits roll across the screen, you'll remember the poignant moments as part of the story, not the actions you took that caused them to be played out.
  32. Flawed genius - but so captivating while it lasts that you won't really care. [Oct 2005, p.94]
  33. 80
    It does drag on in a few spots, and its sci-fi bent may betray the original premise, but it brings gamers a deep, compelling story told in a clever way -- both in terms of narrative and gameplay execution.
  34. Now THIS is how all adventure games should be made! Quantic Dream has developed an absolutely brilliant game for a genre that was on its deathbed. This sucker gave us goose bumps, sweaty palms... the works!
  35. Though the inclusion of repetitive mini-games is anything but evolutionary, this game is well worth a look for those who can handle some reflex action in their adventures.
  36. Re-jig the control system and there is no doubt you would be on the verge of an outstanding game. Even with the foibles of the controls, both of us agree that this game was well worth the price of admission.
  37. 70
    Fahrenheit is a bold step in the right direction, and though not perfect, it has enough charm, polish and excitement to make it one of the most interesting titles of the year.
  38. But just keeping the player's attention is not enough to make a great game, and the tragedy of Indigo is that it so wants to be one.
  39. 70
    Once you get past its unsightly graphics and need for a gamepad, you'll find that Indigo Prophecy is one of the more refreshing and unique titles released in years.
  40. It's about halfway through Fahrenheit that the wheels start to wobble. The game begins to veer away from its complex murder-mystery beginnings into the realm of pure fantasy, with a final chapter that can be hard to stomach.
  41. Although the storyline is definitely morbid and intriguing, Indigo Prophecy screams of Dance Dance Revolution and Simon with its directional controls and the near system requirement for a dual analog gamepad.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 129 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 60
  2. Negative: 13 out of 60
  1. DG
    10
    People seem to keep ragging on the game play, and while the simon says circles aren't highly exciting, you have to realize that this is an adventure game, a genre that has historically been completely point click. The point of an adventure game is generally story, with most actual game play being dominated either by puzzles, or in this case, rapid decision making in stressful situations -- where the results can largely affect the story. Action sequences involving the colored circles I felt made the player feel the intensity of the situation -- and to keep you focused and engaged to intense cut-scenes without distracting you from them. This is a rather revolutionary adventure game in that it is dominated by decision making that actually has real affect on the plot. I found this game to be more gripping and exciting than many action games, because making the wrong decision in this game can have negative and irreversible consequences for my character that are not just 'you're dead, respawn and try again.' Full Review »
  2. "Indigo Prophecy" is a great movie-like game that encourages the players not to only screw around with the AI and do what they say, but the talk and communicate with them. YOU make the story; YOU are the player and YOU are the director. Every move of yours affect the game....I mean movie. Overall a must play epic game that, like "Mass Effect", counts your every move. Full Review »
  3. It started out utterly amazingly...and then it slowly became a steaming pile of arse. The plot takes a left-turn down turd-street and picks up every cliché on the journey. Watching the opening movie, hearing him talk about the "real" controllers of the world in an Illuminate-esque way, i cringed and hoped the game wasn't going to take that route. I was wrong... Your decisions mean nothing until the very end of the game, where you'll be given one of three immensely similar endings. 50% of the game forces you into Quick Time (-events-) Sections, where an entire chapter is devoted to playing a Simon-says game without checkpoints (here's a tip, mash every single button, there's no penalty, and it's the only way you'll get through the game without sending a turd-package to the developers). The camera's a bag of arse. The story is a bag of arse. The ending is a gigantic bag of arse with more loose ends than a heavily used reusable cotton bag (of arse). Oh, and there're plenty of plot holes. PLENTY. The characters are likeable however, and the non-quick-time-button-mashing-sequences control well enough. The music's pretty good. In fact, that's about all that garnered the 6 - the characters. Full Review »