6 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 1.2 hrs on record
Posted: 7 Apr, 2023 @ 4:10pm
Updated: 7 Apr, 2023 @ 5:49pm

Curator page here--> DaRevieweD #222 <-- New review every week

"RAIN-RAIN GO AWAY… NO WAIT, COME AND PLAY!!"
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2959142324

Here's The Thing:
You step into the shoes- or should I say bare feet, of an unnamed boy who is visiting his grandmother. His family had plans of going to the amusement park but that went down the drain because of the constant downpour, what with it being the rainy season in Japan and all. Will he find something meaningful to do or will he just laze away?


! SHOUT OUT !
This title was suggested by my new YouTuber friend and mentor “My Soul To Take”! So be sure to tune into his channel and subscribe~


[+] PROS;

:) A TERU-IFFIC WAY TO PASS THE TIME~
This is no mere game, but rather an experience- a rainy day simulator, and in some ways a page out of everybody’s life stories. You are given free rein of how long you wish to dawdle in the house, whether it be 20, 40 or 60 minutes! Even though it is meant to capture the mundanity and agonizing lingering of time, it never felt stressful or all that boring. Besides, you could always skip to the next memorable event at the click of a button.

What do you do? Well, it can range from simply doing literally nothing sitting kneeled down on the side porch, your eyes transposed to the continuous precipitation; wandering around the house and really observing what is in it on account of being trapped by the watery prison; talking with as well as showing items of special significance to other members of the household which would get them to reminisce on better days, and embarking on a mini-adventure that will enliven the senses!

Although the game is up front with how long it can occupy you for, I found that I voluntarily stayed much longer than I had to thanks to its incredible ambiance and a very heartwarming homemade feel that is the end game sequence. It’s even something that I am fairly sure I would revisit on another rainy day, which isn’t always too far off from now~


:) I CAN ONLY SHOWER IT WITH PRAISES!
I dunno about you, but I am head over heels for singular settings, and here, the developer manages to cast these short spells of magic that start and stop. Conjuring eyes-sparkling, if not mouth-watering scenes profoundly suggestive of My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), or any Studio Ghibli production, really! The child-like wonder, imaginative play, bountiful interactions, and once you’re done with it… a beautiful treasure of a memory.

Even in its plain form, that is to say without you triggering the razzle-dazzle and fantasy seeping into reality- the house has a pulling and tugging sensation that washes over you, indicating to you that the creator went the extra mile in imbuing care and meaning into each and every room in addition to the personal effects that reside in them.

Same goes with the soundtrack, which channeled bouts of an invisible orchestra in your own little concert hall, propelling more than half of the game’s deeply mesmeric and satisfying mood! The remainder owed to the rustling together of ordinary yet crucial sound effects like the incessant pitter-pattering on hard surfaces, splish-splashing in the puddles, and your past moments in the rain making noise in your mind~


:) TSUYU THINK IT’S A BAD SEASON!?
I like that the story worked multiple angles in that it could be interpreted as (1) a bystander’s short peering into a boy’s life with his family once his plans are thrown out the window! (2) A personal role-play with people referred to only by their titles “mum”, “brother”, “neighbor”, and etc because who hasn’t had their day invaded by the pesky rain!? (3) A journey back to your childhood and the possibly zany things you did out of boredom…

With that nostalgic effect further compounding if you were born into an Asian (or better yet Japanese) household or have ever spent any time in Japan during its annual June-July rainy period. However, with rain being such a universal element, it’s bound to land on a strong emotion or two! I also loved how it disguises itself as a story about nothing, or more like “doing nothing” when really it packs so much hope and meaning~


:) TWIRL DOESN’T STOP BECAUSE OF A LITTLE WETNESS…
The game’s message is simple enough, and it hits like a flood- in life, a little rain must fall… So the itinerary of activities you had painstakingly set aside for that one day, and were looking real forward to didn’t pan out after all. Is your life ruined? Perhaps! But is it over? Not by a long shot! Even if time is a silent fun killer here with looming external shots of the house accentuating its stillness and dullness.

As this game guides you, there are a plethora of things to do in the confines of your own home; things you wouldn’t have appreciated, let alone given the time of day otherwise! It teaches and reminds you to make lemon out of lemonades, that your sticky situation is what you decide NOT to do with it! Improvise and you just might garner even more enjoyment and meaning than what you had originally envisioned.

One of the first few Western songs that came in mind as I was playing with the water was “Singin’ in The Rain” which as we all know is all about and for overcoming adversity, employing “rain” as a clever metaphor for life’s hurdles! Then, funnily enough, the more upbeat “Umbrella” creeped in too and I was itching to do a dance number with the eponymous object.

But yeah, I liked the resounding hopefulness behind the game, and the ending cemented that sentiment. I kind of wished there was a save feature, but that would go against what the game is trying to convey- you must get through the rain in order to view the rainbow… if it ever even arrives~
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2959142939

[-] CONS;

:( SOAKS TO BE YOU RIGHT ABOUT NOW!
The physics of some objects and item grabbing was janky in some parts, but I will just continue skipping in the rain~


BUGS:
x None, and DOWNPOUR get that ;)


NITPICKS:
~ A couple of misspellings, but then again, I was too absorbed to care!
~ Slightly too long delay in between certain sentences of dialogue. Doesn’t bother me!
~ I could see my headless body at times- okay, that freaked me out!! But you can’t tell I’m crying cause of the rain droplets.


"THE RAIN NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT~"
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2959143271

Last Words?
Drops an all too familiar, usually blue topic on you, but puts a heavily breathtaking & sunny spin on it. Romanticizing even fantasizing the hail out of it- and I very much don’t yearn for it to pass~

10 / 10

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6 Comments
DeadeGuard98 7 Apr, 2023 @ 6:37pm 
@Drugoja I coulda sworn that was from an earlier draft! Eww, it's so... just no!!!

AHAHA, I feel like I've said that a hundred times by now.

Thank you, I agree- I should have used that "contemplative". Perfect word for it~

And ya welcome as per usual~:ditrustlove::LIMBO_candle::catchilling:
Drugo⚸a 7 Apr, 2023 @ 5:55pm 
>>This is no mere game, but rather an experience-<< I can't believe you said this xD
But seriously, reading your review and watching that trailer/screenshots, it does seem to be a unique experience. Excellent for when contemplative mood strikes (which is often :ayos_sorry:) Thanks for bringing it to my attention, it's going on wishlist :aidolstar:
DeadeGuard98 7 Apr, 2023 @ 5:14pm 
@Drewid It really is, like I'm running outta words to describe it...!

Thanks bruh. I truly appreciate it, but you already know that~ :campsunshine::happystar2022:
Drewid 7 Apr, 2023 @ 4:46pm 
This seems like a really nice cozy game. Excellent review!
DeadeGuard98 7 Apr, 2023 @ 4:21pm 
@MySoulToTake Gosh, you don't have to rub it on my face! I'm already wet from the mud and everything~:UDG_Heart::Janitor_Heart:

(In all seriousness, thank you for the suggesh~~)
MySoulToTake 7 Apr, 2023 @ 4:18pm 
😁😁 told you were going to love it. ❤️