‘Rainswept’ Demo Preview

It’s a story that’s not strange to us all. A city detective taking a step back in his career by investigating the sudden deaths of two residents of a suburban town, with shifty characters with a ‘this stuff doesn’t happen around here’ attitude.

However, with Rainswept, the thought of this similarity didn’t pass my mind. This was a completely new experience.

If you managed to read ZombieChimp’s news coverage of Rainswept, then what you know is that this game, developed by Frost Interactive, is ready for a January 2019 release date.

Rainswept

The game follows Detective Anderson through his investigation of the shootings of Christopher Green and Diane Miller, and the blank responses from the residents of Pineview over their deaths.

Through interviewing the locals and examining crime scenes and solving puzzles, it is your task of fighting against Pineview to crack the case open and discover the truth. With a story-first approach and multiple perspectives, there is so much to explore about Pineview.

Up until the 16th August, a playable demo was available to people through Gamejolt and Itch.io. So I downloaded it and took a look while I had the chance.

Further Into The Demo

The demo gives you an opportunity to play the first hour of the game, starting at the very beginning: the shooting of Chris. This scene is then followed by a cinematic, picturesque opening credits sequence as we are introduced to Detective Anderson, with an ambient and eerie piano accompaniment. It really sets the tone of what we can expect from Pineview and this story.

You arrive at the crime scene to an incompetent police force, disorganised and inexperienced with dealing with murder and large crowds.

When you enter the house and the crime scene, the sheriffs are eager to conclude the case in time for the town’s annual festival. Despite this, you ignore their persistence and, with the help of Officer Blunt, begin the investigation, but not before your character experiences a traumatic apparition at the crime scene, hinting at further conflicts for Anderson.

Sarcasm or…Sarcasm?

The controls are explained, tried-and-tested in this scene, and also gives us a chance to try out the dialogue options where we can choose to be a compliant person to the town or a sarcastic force to be reckoned with.

This can help create a better understanding of the other characters in the way you respond, where you can find out more about their dismissal or interest in the investigation.

You spend most of the time in the demo talking to the residents of Pineview. From the man who owns the car repair’s service to the two twin brothers that own a café and bar side-to-side, ‘Grandpa’ who makes Donuts and the lady he flirts with across the street. They all deny knowing anything about Chris and Diane, which makes the story that more captivating.

As all of this is unfolding around you, Anderson also has to deal with his horrific visions and nightmares that keep him at night. There is a strong scene in the demo where we experience one of these nightmares, where a floating entity appears from above his bed. We find out that Anderson is experiencing regret over something that’s happened to him in the past. In terms of what that is, it’s still hidden from us.

Aside from these visions, what makes me want to find out more about this couple is the ending scene of the demo. As Detective Anderson and Officer Blunt explore the couple’s bedroom and all of the letters and pictures, they come across one dated back to the day they met: the 31^st of December, 1995.

‘Love’ At First Sight

A shy and timid Chris is approached by the pessimistic and blunt Diane, from the start an obvious conflict of personalities. One appreciates the beauty of everything around him and the other wanting to leave everything behind. It isn’t until the clock strikes midnight and the skyline is lit up with bursts of colourful fireworks that the two come together and see the beauty of that moment.

With such a connection, what happened in the space of ten months for things to end the way it did?

Armaan Sandhu, the creator of Frostwood Interactive and the designer of Rainswept, is an ambitious individual who has worked as an architect and a filmmaker. He is now stepping into the art of video games, alongside the sublime score by micAmic. These two creators have created this world of diverse and complex characters in a town full of secrets and thoughts, with breath-taking art scenery and revealing flashbacks. There is more to Pineview than meets the eye.

Show your support on the Indiegogo fund page and subscribe to get updates here. Follow ZombieChimp as we keep a close eye on this game, and where the developer will take Rainswept, from being a great demo to a game with so much potential.