Fahrenheit, also known as Indigo Prophecy in North America, is a cult video game developed by Quantic Dream and manufactured and marketed by Atari Europe SAS. According to the Quantic Dream website, Fahrenheit has sold over 800,000 units worldwide since it was released in September 2005.
In this paranormal thriller, New York City is stunned by a series of mysterious murders that follow the same pattern: ordinary people become possessed and kill absolute strangers in public. In this video game, the main male character must uncover the supernatural forces behind his crime.
Console versions of the game eschew most of the traditional methods of control, making minimal use of the face buttons on the controller, instead using twin analog sticks for all player actions. The left stick controls movement of the character, and the right is used for context-sensitive actions. For instance, when Lucas approaches his table at the diner in the opening scene, one direction may cause him to take a seat, while another makes him examine his bill, and a third lets him pick up his drink and take a sip. The available options are displayed with simple diagrams at the top of the screen. More complex motions, such as climbing a fence or spinning a yo-yo in "around the world" fashion, require controller motions akin to those used for special moves from conventional fighting games.
This includes changing between characters, navigating menus in computer systems, and displaying the "mental health" of the character. On the PC the game can be controlled by keyboard and mouse, with key movements and mouse gestures used in conjunction in lieu of analog control sticks, but Windows gamepads with analog sticks are also supported, and recommended.
The game also requires feats of endurance, involving the alternate pressing of the left and right shoulder buttons as rapidly as possible. These left and right trigger sequences are generally used to evoke (and cause) physical exertion, such as running or swimming.
An empty Sanity meter leads to an end depending on the character (Carla and Tyler will give up their badges, and Lucas will either turn himself in, or commit suicide) and a Game Over.
The game is set in January 2009. The story begins on a cold New York night, when Lucas, in a possessed trance, stabs a man to death in the restroom of an East Side diner and then flees the scene. The player is placed in control of all three, and occasionally of Markus, Lucas' brother, over the course of the game, and thus is given the chance to sometimes aid one character in opposing another.
The game features three endings with the outcome dependent solely on the results of the final scenes. However, the game features many more scenes and game-play sections, depending on the choices that the player makes.
Lucas contacts a spiritual medium, who places him in a trance to recall the events in the diner, which initially terrify the woman. Lucas returns to his apartment to find it surrounded by police. During this time, Lucas demonstrates superhuman strength, reflexes, and agility, dodging bullets fired by police and leaping 30 feet into the air onto a moving subway train. Lucas' ex-girlfriend is eventually kidnapped by the Oracle to draw out Lucas, and in an attempt to save her from a fall, Lucas is killed. He is brought back to life later in the game by an AI called the "Purple Clan.
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