Rule of Rose

1. Aldrich

   Dec 19, 2011

   10

   I have never played this game before but I watched a walkthrough on Youtube through one sitting and what I saw was a game with storyline tooI have never played this game before but I watched a walkthrough on Youtube through one sitting and what I saw was a game with storyline too cruel- yet too beautiful- to go untold, and it massive use of symbolism and the perspective of a child in the cruel situation/life is what made me give it a 10/10… Expand

   • 2 of 6 users found this helpful
2. PaulA.

   Jun 14, 2007

   9

   Great story its a masterpiece but unfortunately it goes really down by those controls and the stupid gameplay... But its still GREAT !!

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
4. SnakeC.

   Sep 26, 2006

   9

   A worthy adventure.

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
5. heychrisfox

   Oct 26, 2012

   8

   Games that bring controversy with their releases are always intriguing releases, and Rule of Rose is no different. An independently developedGames that bring controversy with their releases are always intriguing releases, and Rule of Rose is no different. An independently developed game, published by Atlas in North America, Rule of Rose follows the story of Jennifer, a skittish young girl who - through a strange series of circumstances - finds herself in the 1930s English countryside, chasing a boy down a dirt road. This chase leads her to The Rose Garden Orphanage. But things take a turn for the bizarre: when she encounters a grave at the manor, she gets a horrible feeling, digging it up to reveal a coffin. She is then surprised from behind by some of the children, who push her into the coffin, and bury her alive.
   
   When she awakens, Jennifer finds herself in what appears to be a zeppelin. She is in the custody and care of a group of children, mostly girls, who call themselves The Aristocrat Club; they demand that you pay the club tribute in the form of monthly gifts of their choosing, the penalty for which not making your offering is death. Thus, Jeniffer begins to wander the zeppelin, searching for gifts, and experiencing what seem to be extremely disjointed scenarios involving her and the Aristocrat Club.
   
   Gameplay is your run-of-the-mill survival horror sort, wandering around with small, blunt, or generally ineffective weapons while little imp creatures chase you around. This makes running the most appropriate option in most situations, as Jennifer isn't the most competent battler you've ever encountered, haphazardly swinging her weapons around. The scenery (either the dark and seemingly abandoned orphanage or the metallic and eerie zeppelin) is exceptionally creepy, and the mood is set very well, with a great accompanying soundtrack. But navigating these environments can become cumbersome to traverse, as many of the corridors look identical, and it's easy to get turned around, especially when weaving between imps. Furthermore, certain chapters can be long with infrequent save points, meaning if you take an unlucky blow to the head from Billy the goat-headed ugly who wants to nom on your innards, you'll have to start from your last save, which can be time-consuming and just plain taxing.
   
   But for all the game's faults, it is all brought together by its fabulous storyline. The Aristocrat Club is anything but, making Jennifer suffer through verbal degradation and hazing rituals. And with the surreal environment of the zeppelin, with seemingly no adults taking care of the children, the kids rule in a Lord of the Flies styled dominion. Each chapter of the story is prefaced with a hand-drawn childrens' book that provides an off-kilter summary of the coming chapter. The entire story comes across as a haunting and visceral 9-year old's worst nightmare, and while the story may seem very disjointed and confusing, it gives you enough plot points to keep you hungry to see how it all comes together. And while it seems like this resolution may never come, a calming denouement after the climax of the plot offers all the answers to the questions that were brought about. If anything, this very rare - and at times, controversial - and unique release may not be the best game you've ever played, but certainly one of the most intriguing, and worth your time.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. Razzee

   May 25, 2019

   7

   Very intriguing storytelling, but both combat and item search systems are totally broken. It's very hard or impossible at times to defeat soVery intriguing storytelling, but both combat and item search systems are totally broken. It's very hard or impossible at times to defeat so many enemies. Backtracking is a routine, and 5 seconds worth of loading time separating you from the room next door also sum up to the frustration, thanks to having to use the dog to find every damn item. Aware of the poor combat mechanics in advance I went for the Rusty Sword to make my experience a bit less frustrating and I recommend anyone reading this to do so. From my understanding, the story is quite simple but how it is told is so convoluted and bizarre. One of the adults in the game is depicted as a pedophile, though it is not true... They did it so people would pay more attention to the game? No wonder it was banned everywhere. It's worth playing at least once, if you can overlook the broken combat and item search systems, but I didn't and still wouldn't pay what people are asking for an original copy nowadays. If you love Rule of Rose and want to show appreciation for their work, the only logic method to support the long gone Punchline in the current time is to buy their only other game, Chulip, digitally available as a PS2 Classic for the PS3. Supporting the studio founded by the director of RoR, Onion Games, is an option too. Buying an overpriced DVD that will inevitably rot away won't be of any help to them. Spend wisely. Taking everything good about RoR into account, I'm giving it a score of 7 because I refuse to believe that budget was a problem for the developers, since it was commissioned and published by Sony as an exclusive for their console. It deserved more love, and I honestly want to know what went wrong along the way for the game to be launched in such a unplayable state.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. jcarl663

   Jan 20, 2016

   7

   Story is great. Really great.
   The ambiance and world building is great.
   The game play is not so great. Controls are clunky and combat isStory is great. Really great.
   The ambiance and world building is great.
   The game play is not so great. Controls are clunky and combat is basically pointless to try. Boss fights are a slog.
   I don't remember the puzzles too much (which is telling on its own) but I don't recall them being particularly deep or clever.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. antenneone

   Aug 3, 2018

   3

   Una buena idea, buena historia para una jugabilidad desastrosa. Y en los videojuegos eso es lo mas importante. Hay survival horror buenísimosUna buena idea, buena historia para una jugabilidad desastrosa. Y en los videojuegos eso es lo mas importante. Hay survival horror buenísimos en ps2 como para perder el tiempo con este juego, por muy cotizado que esté y por mucho gusto que les de a los coleccionistas tenerlo entre sus manos. El juego es malo y no hay más.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful

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