Rule of Rose: Difference between revisions

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As one of the rarest games on the PlayStation 2, the game's pricepoint increased steeply over the years, with used copies of the game selling at the least $100.<ref name="price chart">{{cite web|url=http://videogames.pricecharting.com/game/playstation-2/rule-of-rose|title= Rule of Rose Playstation 2 - New & Used Price Comparison | publisher = Video Game Price Charts | accessdate=2013-04-07}}</ref>
As one of the rarest games on the PlayStation 2, the game's pricepoint increased steeply over the years, with used copies of the game selling at the least $100.<ref name="price chart">{{cite web|url=http://videogames.pricecharting.com/game/playstation-2/rule-of-rose|title= Rule of Rose Playstation 2 - New & Used Price Comparison | publisher = Video Game Price Charts | accessdate=2013-04-07}}</ref>


== Rule of Rose: The book ==
There is currently an ongoing project that will take Rule of Rose to the bookstores. A fan is now writing what will become the novel of Rule of Rose. You may read an extract of the initial draft from the first chapter that the writer recently published:
"Quizás fuera por la galante obscuridad de la noche o por los olmos frondosos salpicados por robles maduros que ya me sentía como en casa. Me así de un sentimiento de familiaridad que me concedía la sensación de haber andado por esos parajes, una impresión de haberme apoyado en los gruesos troncos de esos árboles, la premonición de haber vivido por años entre el olor de las virutas y los arbustos mojados por la lluvia.
Podía proyectar en mi mente recuerdos imaginarios de múltiples paseos por los senderos naturales del bosque como percibir la sensación ficticia de mis pies al pisar el humus esponjoso, no obstante, en mi memoria no había reminiscencia que verificara esos presuntos presque vu esbozados en mi subconsciente.
Tenía la sensación de no recordar nada; estaba cansada, no podía pensar con claridad."
The Book will be initially written in Spanish, but the writer is planning on translating it into English as collaboration comes.
==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist|group="nb"}}
{{reflist|group="nb"}}

Revision as of 04:10, 21 November 2015

Rule of Rose
Developer(s)Punchline
Director(s)Shuji lshikawa
Producer(s)Noriyuki Boda
Designer(s)Yoshiro Kimura
Yoshikazu Nagasawa
Hiroyuki Nohara
Programmer(s)Shinji Ichiyama
Kazunari Mimura
Takamichi Nitta
Artist(s)Shoji Ichikawa
Writer(s)Tomo Ikeda
Hideki Okuma
Shuji Ichikawa
Composer(s)Yutaka Minobe
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Rule of Rose (Japanese: ルールオブローズ, Hepburn: Rūru obu Rōzu) is a survival horror video game for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Punchline and SCE Japan Studio and was published by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan. It was later published by Atlus in North America, and 505 Games in Europe.

Set in 1930 England, the plot revolves around a nineteen-year-old girl named Jennifer, who becomes trapped in a world ruled by young girls who have established a class hierarchy called the Red Crayon Aristocrats.[1] The game has been compared to survival horror games Silent Hill and Haunting Ground, due to the psychological horror used throughout and because the main character is accompanied by a canine companion.[1][2]

Rule of Rose garnered mixed reviews from many publications upon its release; reaction to the story, music, and the horror elements were almost universally positive, while the gameplay was panned. The game was also the subject of a much controversy due to its use of violence and implied sexuality among some of its underage, female characters.

Gameplay

Screenshot of gameplay: Jennifer and Brown encounter the imps

The player explores the game environments looking for restorative items, furthering the plot by accomplishing tasks and experiencing cut-scenes while sporadically encountering enemies and bosses. Early in the game, the player encounters and rescues Brown, Jennifer's pet Labrador retriever.[3] Brown accompanies Jennifer throughout the game and will respond to the player's commands.[4] Brown can be ordered to track items by scent, be commanded to 'stay' and be called to Jennifer's side. Brown cannot attack enemies, but will growl, which distracts some imps and bosses, allowing Jennifer to retreat or land a few blows without fear of retaliation.[5] He can be injured to the point of collapse, however, causing him to stop distracting enemies or tracking an item.[3]

Brown's ability to locate items is an integral part of the game, used in every chapter of Rule of Rose to progress further.[6] The same system allows the player to find health restoratives and other items which, while not essential to complete the game, can help the player.[3] Players select an item from the inventory for Brown to locate, which is then connected to the 'find' command until changed or removed.[7] Every item selected this way can be used to find at least one type of item. When tracking items this way, Brown will lead the player through the game environments, scratching at doors in his way, signaling the player to open the door.[4]

Most health restoring foods and all tradeable items are hidden and must be uncovered by Brown, though the player can choose to avoid searching for these items in order to progress quickly. Restorative items include snack foods, candy, and chocolate. The different types of restorative items heal varying amounts of health. Bones and other items can be used to restore Brown's health if he becomes injured. Other items such as marbles and ribbons have no immediate use, but may be traded with the Aristocrats in order to obtain food, rare items and weapons.[3]

Combat is almost exclusively melee, with a variety of improvised weapons available, such as kitchen knives and pipes. Jennifer is a timid character:[6] her melee attacks are neither powerful nor long-ranged. Evasion of enemies is often used instead of fighting. With the exception of a handful of bosses, all enemies in the game are imps—skinny, doll-like creatures the size of small children. Different animal-headed imps appear throughout the game, alongside regular imps.[8]

Plot

Story

Taking place in England in 1930, Rule of Rose centers on Jennifer, a young woman who is led to an abandoned orphanage by a small boy. She follows him into the attic and then to a grave in the courtyard, where she digs up a coffin with a bloody sack inside it. Four children sneak up on her and pour water on her, before shoving her into it, and she loses consciousness.[9] She awakens in an abandoned airship[nb 1] ruled by a cruel group of children known as the Red Crayon Aristocrats: the mysterious Princess and Prince of the Red Rose; the confident Diana, the eldest of the group of children and the highest-ranking under the Princess and Prince; the distant Eleanor; the intelligent Meg, who loves Diana; and Amanda, who despises Jennifer, as her arrival caused Amanda to be put at the bottom of the hierarchy. Under the threat of death, Jennifer must appease the Aristocrats by bringing an offering for them each month, and she finds herself ranked near the bottom of the hierarchy. Although she encounters adults and other children on the airship as well, they are either unkind or distant toward her. She eventually befriends the sickly child Wendy and frees Brown, a dog who aids her in finding gifts and battling imps.[10]

Jennifer eventually regains her memories of being cared for by Gregory Wilson, an emotionally unstable farmer who named her Joshua after his deceased son, after being orphaned in an airship crash. Wendy discovered her at his home, and they exchanged letters. Wendy convinced her to escape from him, but not before taking his gun. The two renewed their oath of "everlasting, true love", with Jennifer's stuffed bear exchanged for Wendy's brooch.[11] On the airship, Jennifer retrieves the stuffed bear after it is stolen and is given a red crayon, the symbol of the Red Crayon Aristocrats in return.[12]

The game's setting then transitions to the now-inhabited orphanage.[nb 2] Bullied by the children, Jennifer is horrified to find that she has become the offering of the month and loses Brown when she encounters Wendy in the courtyard. She eventually learns that Brown has been killed instead. Wendy then reveals herself as the Princess of the Red Rose, the leader of the Aristocrats. Jennifer, now a child, slaps her and casts aside her brooch, hating the Aristocrats and herself for being too cowardly to oppose them.[13]

Afterward, the Aristocrats approach Jennifer, now an adult, in the hopes that she will replace Wendy as their leader, as they have cast aside the tale of Stray Dog, a creature which kidnaps disobedient children, as Wendy's lie. Jennifer, however, finds that Wendy has brought Gregory to the orphanage, having conditioned him to obey her, and he proceeds to kill the children. Wendy then orders him to kill Jennifer, who manages to subdue him with the aid of inexplicably alive Brown. Wendy then confesses that she brought Gregory to the orphanage because she had felt that Jennifer did not love her. After giving Jennifer Gregory's gun, Wendy is snatched into the orphanage by Gregory. After a brief battle with him, Jennifer gives a remorseful Gregory the gun, which he uses to commit suicide.[14]

Rule of Rose concludes with Jennifer, now a child, waking in the orphanage and reflecting on the events and characters. Letters exchanged between her and Wendy reveal that the sickly Wendy had become jealous of Brown, feeling that Jennifer treasured him over her. Jennifer reveals that after it was discovered she was the lone survivor of not only the orphanage massacre but the airship crash that was thought to have no survivors, the media coverage of the children's deaths was diminished, and she vows to remember her friends. In the final scene, Jennifer visits Brown, now a puppy, in the shed and puts a collar on him. Promising to protect him for eternity, she then closes the door on him.[15]

Development

For inspiration, Punchline drew on the cruelty found in fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and Edward Gorey.[16]

The company Punchline, which had previously developed the video game Chulip, developed Rule of Rose for the PlayStation 2.[2] A group of twenty-five developers, Punchline began the project after being asked by Sony Computer Entertainment to develop a horror video game; not wanting to create a game similar to the survival-horror series Resident Evil, Punchline decided on the goal of developing a "new type of horror game, one which wasn’t the usual zombie, ghost and slasher type," with an emphasis on psychological horror rather than "surprise- and shock-based horror."[2] This decision led them to the concept of "a game surrounding childhood and children," but from both view points to show how children and adults can find the other one terrifying, with a primary focus on the adult's perspective.[2] Though Western critics have noted similarities with William Golding's 1954 allegorical novel The Lord of the Flies,[8][17] the developers did not draw inspiration from it,[2] instead focusing on the "mysterious and misunderstood" nature of girls.[16] The story formed through trial and error as the developers figured out how to create a sense of fear, ultimately adding the children's secret society, the Red Crayon Aristocrats.[16] They also included Brown as a way to balance Jennifer's "helpless and unhappy" personality and make the game more enjoyable.[16] Because of budget and time problems, the combat system was left a little rough.[18]

Rule of Rose's graphics are heavily stylized, incorporating a series of visual filters similar to those used in the Silent Hill series.[8] The developers researched the behavior of children, monitoring a group of European and American children, and photographed references for "the game’s textures and models"; for the motion capture, the team had Japanese children act.[2] At the request of the developers, the group of children also expressed through drawings or written words what caused them to be happy or afraid.[2] The company Shirogumi worked on the computer-generated imagery present in Rule of Rose's cutscenes.[19]

Punchline included several themes in Rule of Rose,[20] with the primary one being "intimate relationships between all people".[2] A major theme in the game is the difference between a child's and an adult's way of thinking, and how children might treat adults if they were given power over them. Players are helpless to prevent their adult player-character from being bullied by the children.[20] Another is how attachment "to one thing can bring out the worst in people."[18]

Soundtrack

The musical score was composed by Yutaka Minobe, who also composed the music of Skies of Arcadia and some tracks from the Panzer Dragoon Orta soundtrack. The entire score was created without electronic instruments—most of the music was produced by musicians, the Hiroshi Murayama Trio, using string instruments and vocals provided by Kaori Kondo, Hiroshi's wife. According to the game's developers, the music was intended to bring a human element to the atmosphere in the game.[20] A 6-track promotional soundtrack CD was produced by Atlus, which was issued to customers from certain retailers when Rule of Rose was pre-ordered.[21]

Controversy

At E3 2006 Atlus announced that it would be releasing Rule of Rose in the United States,[22] following Sony's decision to pass on an American release.[23] This was on the grounds of the game's erotic undertones involving a cast of female minors. The developers disagreed with this, saying that the sexual themes are only a small part of the game.[2]

In November 2006, three French deputies introduced a bill asking for the game to be banned for sale, arguing that the goal of the game was to "rape, beat up and kill a little girl", and that if nothing was done, video games could become an "uncontrollable factor of decadent violence in our society."[24] That same month, 505's Australian distributor, Red-Ant advised that the game's Australian and New Zealand release would be canceled.[25] The game had yet to be rated by the Classification Board.[26]

European Union justice minister Franco Frattini attacked the game as containing "obscene cruelty and brutality." He also called for changes to the PEGI rating system in place across Europe and for government officials to engage in discussions with industry representatives.[27] Frattini received a letter from Viviane Reding, commissioner for the information society and media, who criticized Frattini's actions: "It is...very unfortunate that my services were not pre-consulted before your letter to the Ministers of Interior was sent out," reminding him of the commission-backed self-regulating ratings system called PEGI that has operated across the European Union since 2003. The PEGI system of classification, according to Reding's letter, offers "informed adult choice" without censoring content: "This is in line with the Commission's view that measures taken to protect minors and human dignity must be carefully balanced with the fundamental right to freedom of expression as laid down in the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the European Union."[28] On March 7, 2007, a group of Member of the European Parliaments presented a Motion for a European Parliament resolution on a ban on the sale and distribution in Europe of the game and the creation of a 'European Observatory on childhood and minors'.[29]

The publisher has chosen to cancel the release of the game in the United Kingdom following complaints by Frattini and other EU officials, and "largely misleading"[30] commentary from the British press.[31] It was released in the rest of Europe. Review copies of the title had already shipped to British journalists when this was announced. The British body which had granted the title its 16+ PEGI rating (the Video Standards Council) responded to the press and Frattini's comments: "I have no idea where the suggestion of in-game sadomasochism has come from, nor children being buried underground. These are things that have been completely made up. [...] We’re not worried about our integrity being called into question, because Mr Frattini’s quotes are nonsense."[27]

Poland's Ministry of Education raised questions concerning its appropriateness for minors (the game was rated 16+) because of the themes of child violence and sexuality. The ministry informed the prosecutor's office of possible crime.[32]

Reception

Review aggregator Metacritic gave Rule of Rose a weighted average of 59/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[33] The reviewer for video game magazine Play wrote: "I think everyone should experience this game, especially horror fans, but in order to do so, you're going to have to suffer through times of sheer agony--just like poor, unlucky Jennifer."[33] According to the Official PlayStation Magazine, the game "[b]lends the stuff of nightmares with stylish sound and graphics. Sadly, the developer should have spent longer on the gameplay."[33] Edge magazine found neither plot nor gameplay appealing: "It’s just a murky brew of meaningless, exploitative dysfunction filling an empty game, and it leaves a bitter taste".[33]

Critical response to the title has been average. Generally, the game has been praised for its deep thought-provoking storyline and symbolism (as well as its soundtrack), but has received almost total criticism regarding gameplay.

It is generally agreed that the title has an interesting plot, with The AV Club observing that "aside from a few deep curtsies and an unlockable Gothic Lolita costume, the characters are more sinister than sexualised".[39] However the gameplay is widely lambasted as clumsy, archaic,[40] and unrewarding.[4][7] The press was generally divided upon how much the gameplay detracts from one's ability to enjoy the story itself. GamesRadar described Jennifer as "a cringing, passive non-entity" and stated: "There's no denying that Rule of Rose is extremely pretty, atmospheric and disturbing.... but as an adventure game, Rule of Rose just sort of wilts."[8] IGN listed Rule of Rose as one of the worst horror games created after 2000.[41] Acegamez, on the other hand, not only admired the game's plot but also found the gameplay appealing if slow, "a wonderful psychological thriller that will draw you in with its bizarrely compelling narrative, atmospheric presentation and thoughtful story-based gameplay".[5]

As one of the rarest games on the PlayStation 2, the game's pricepoint increased steeply over the years, with used copies of the game selling at the least $100.[42]

Rule of Rose: The book

There is currently an ongoing project that will take Rule of Rose to the bookstores. A fan is now writing what will become the novel of Rule of Rose. You may read an extract of the initial draft from the first chapter that the writer recently published: "Quizás fuera por la galante obscuridad de la noche o por los olmos frondosos salpicados por robles maduros que ya me sentía como en casa. Me así de un sentimiento de familiaridad que me concedía la sensación de haber andado por esos parajes, una impresión de haberme apoyado en los gruesos troncos de esos árboles, la premonición de haber vivido por años entre el olor de las virutas y los arbustos mojados por la lluvia. Podía proyectar en mi mente recuerdos imaginarios de múltiples paseos por los senderos naturales del bosque como percibir la sensación ficticia de mis pies al pisar el humus esponjoso, no obstante, en mi memoria no había reminiscencia que verificara esos presuntos presque vu esbozados en mi subconsciente. Tenía la sensación de no recordar nada; estaba cansada, no podía pensar con claridad." The Book will be initially written in Spanish, but the writer is planning on translating it into English as collaboration comes.

Notes

  1. ^ The "Bird of Happiness" chapter starts in the airship, but its final scene shows Jennifer and the children in the orphanage.
  2. ^ Characters who have died in earlier sections of the game, the maid Martha, the distant young adult Clara, and the headmaster Mr. Hoffman, all appear unharmed and inexplicably alive in this section of the game.

References

  1. ^ a b Spencer (2006-06-16). "Atlus explains Rule of Rose". Siliconera. Retrieved 2007-04-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sheffield, Brandon (2006-06-07). "Thank Heaven for Little Girls: Why Rule of Rose May Be 2006's Most Controversial Game". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2007-04-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Aya (2006-09-12). "Rule of Rose Review". Just Adventure. Retrieved 2007-04-22. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Lachel, Cyril (2006-09-12). "Rule of Rose Review". Gaming Nexus. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Litten, Matt. "Reviewed - Rule of Rose". Ace Gamez. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b Speer, Justin. "Rule of Rose Preview". GameSpy. Retrieved 2007-03-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Kasavin, Greg (2006-09-23). "Rule of Rose for PlayStation 2 Review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e Reparaz, Mikel. "PS2 Reviews - Rule of Rose". Games Radar. Retrieved 2007-04-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: March 1930: The Little Princess.
  10. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: April 1930: The Unlucky Clover Field.
  11. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: June 1929: The Gingerbread House.
  12. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: October 1930: The Rag Princess Sews.
  13. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: November 1930: The Funeral.
  14. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: December 1930: Stray Dog and the Lying Princess.
  15. ^ Punchline (2006-09-12). Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2). Atlus. Level/area: Once Upon a Time.
  16. ^ a b c d "Staff Interview". Atlus. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
  17. ^ Donovan, Tristan (2010). Replay: The History of Video Games. East Sussex, England: Yellow Ant. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4. OCLC 639031262.
  18. ^ a b Sophia (2006-09-26). "Interview with Carl Chen, Project Lead for Rule of Rose". GamersInfo.net. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  19. ^ Matt Wales (August 4, 2006). "More Rule of Rose shoots up our nose". CVG UK. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c Brudvig, Erik (2006-05-11). "E3 2006: Rule of Rose Hands-On". IGN. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  21. ^ Dwyer, Travis (2006-07-14). "Atlus Announces "Rule of Rose" Soundtrack". Gaming Age. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  22. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (2006-05-11). "E3 06: Rule of Rose headed to USA". GameSpot. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Anderson, Nate (2006-06-08). "Citing its underage eroticism, Sony America pulls plug on Japanese video game". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
  24. ^ Depierre, Bernard (2006-11-17). "Prévention de la délinquance - Amendement N° 354" (in French). Assemblée Nationale.
  25. ^ Ramsay, Randolph (2006-11-29). "Rule of Rose canned for Australia". The Register. Retrieved 2011-08-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ "Refused-Classification: Rule of Rose". Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  27. ^ a b Jenkins, David (2006-11-24). "Rule Of Rose's UK Release Canceled". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
  28. ^ Ballard, Mark (2006-11-27). "Euro commissioners swap slaps in video game row". The Register. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
  29. ^ "Motion for resolution at the EP website". European Parliament. 2007-03-08.
  30. ^ Wales, Matt (2006-11-24). "Rule of Rose Plucked From UK Shelves". IGN. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
  31. ^ Ingham, Tim (2006-11-24). "505 Games pulls Rule Of Rose release". MCV. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Waglowski, Piotr "VaGla" (2006-11-18). "Rządy Róży - kontrowersyjna gra na Play Station 2" (in Polish). Retrieved 2006-11-19.
  33. ^ a b c d e "Rule of Rose Games Homepage". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  34. ^ Coffery, Robert (2006-09-13). "Rule of Rose Review from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  35. ^ "Cross Review". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese) (893). Enterbrain. January 2006.
  36. ^ Burner, Rice (2006-09-15). "Rule of Rose (ps2) review". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  37. ^ Speer, Justin (2006-09-13). "Rule of Rose - Page 1". GameSpy. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  38. ^ Wales, Matt (November 28, 2006). "Rule of Rose UK Review". IGN. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  39. ^ Dahlen, Chris (2006-09-11). "Rule of Rose Review". The Onion. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ Gallaway, Brad (2006-09-20). "Rule of Rose Review". Game Critics. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ IGN staff (2009-10-14). "Cheers & Tears: Horror Games". IGN. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  42. ^ "Rule of Rose Playstation 2 - New & Used Price Comparison". Video Game Price Charts. Retrieved 2013-04-07.

External links