I had high hopes for RULE OF ROSE after seeing the introductory CG movie (available at gamershell.com and numerous other places on the web), which I thought featured some incredibly haunting and original images…such as the final shot of a huge black koi swimming through the sky. I’m sorry to say that the game–at least so far–falls short of its opening cinematic, and may be one of those games that should have been a full-length CG film instead of a game. The story–I would say it is part Neil Gaiman, part Silent Hill, and part City of Lost Children–is surreal, pretty original, interesting, and genuinely unsettling. The actual gameplay (you know, the supposedly fun and challenging part), however, isn’t very engaging, except that it brings you to another chapter of the tale.

There is one aspect of RULE OF ROSE, however, that is absolutely superb: the musical score. The music, by Yutaka Minobe, is a striking and original contrast to the lackluster gameplay. It is one of the best game scores I’ve ever heard, and one of the best scores of any type I’ve heard in months.