Glass Rose (PS2) Capcom/Cing

Glass Rose for the Playstation was released around 2003 by Capcom and is certainly an interesting game. I picked it up in a Sainsbury's for around a tenner so I wasn't expecting much. What drew me to it was the attractive box art and interesting blurb. (Plus I can't resist a good time-travel game.)

Whilst Capcom describes it as a survival-horror game, I would say that it is definitely more of a point-and-click murder-mystery. Whist the two aren't mutually exclusive, the only survival comes in the handful of QTEs that are scattered about the game. (And they're so easy they may as well have not bothered.)

Now I've only seemingly been pointing out the negative so far, but this game has a lot going for it. It has lush graphics for it's time, fantastic characters and a truly engaging plot. You really want to know what is going to happen next.

The basic premise is that you are reporter Takashi Kagetani, investigating an old mansion where several people died. You go in there with your friend Emi Katigiri. Whilst investigating something happens where Emi disappears and you are time-warped back to the 1920's. Just about the time when the murders would take place.

Your job is to get back to the present, solve the mystery, find your friend and find out who the mysterious Kazuya Nanase is. (You've assumed his identity in the past, you see.)

Also you're psychic.

This is less fun than it sounds as we get to the nuts and bolts of the game. Basically the chapters of the game are split in different hours. With a set number of hours in each chapter. In each hour you have to talk to certain people and find out specific information.

This is the dull part because it is literally, just highlighting every part of text until you find a word that gets a new response. It's a trial and error slog. This is also how you use your psychic abilities. By pressing a different button and seeing a foggy image.

Despite this, you will find yourself wanting to go through all of this to find out the plot as it slowly unfolds and you learn more about the characters around you. With two very different endings it's up to you to find the truth.

I enjoyed this game for what it was despite it's flaws. If you can find it then it's worth checking out.
--Velvet Tea.