Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy

PAL (EU–UK) cover version with the original name of the game, and to the right the NTSC (United States) cover version named Indigo Prophecy. The dripping blood is missing in this latest version of the cover. — PAL (EU–UK) cover version with the original name of the game, and to the right the NTSC (United States) cover version named *Indigo Prophecy*. The dripping blood is missing in this latest version of the cover.

“	Guilt is a chilling feeling...	”
– Fahrenheit tagline

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy a.k.a. Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy in North America) was developed by Quantic Dream and directed by David Cage. It was originally released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox in September 2005, and subsequently on Microsoft Windows in October of the same year. The name change in North America was made to avoid confusion with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 documentary film, which was released in 2004.^[1]

The game was available on PC via Steam as the censored North American version titled Indigo Prophecy, and on GOG as the uncensored European version titled Fahrenheit (with an option to toggle censorship using the "US mode" setting in the Fahrenheit.ini file). Both versions were later replaced by Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered, which was released on January 28, 2015 for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The remaster features updated textures, controller support, and multiple subtitle and dubbing language options.^[2]

A port was also made based on the original PlayStation 2 version, it was released for PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store on August 9, 2016. Physical editions were released, with Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Collector's Edition on December 2020 and Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy 15th Anniversary Edition on January 26, 2021. They came with various collectibles like special cases, stickers and artbook and soundtrack. Depending on the region, the PlayStation 4 port may be based on either the North American or European PlayStation 2 release.

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy introduced elements—ethical ambiguity, romance, the inability to perish, and interactive storytelling—that would endure in Quantic Dream later games, like Detroit: Become Human.

Plot[]

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy has a complex and dynamic plot that changes based on the player's decisions, but some elements remain constant throughout the story.
See also: List of Chapters

The game begins with a dramatic and intense scene: Lucas Kane, who is possessed by an unknown force, commits a brutal murder in the restroom of a diner in New York City and then flees the scene. This event sets off a chain reaction, and the case is soon assigned to Detectives Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles.

As the investigation unfolds, Lucas seeks help from a spiritual medium named Agatha, who attempts to help him understand the events leading up to the murder by placing him in a trance. However, their progress is cut short when Lucas returns to Agatha's place the following night, only to find her dead. The police, meanwhile, have identified Lucas as the prime suspect and lay a trap to capture him. In a surprising turn of events, Lucas demonstrates supernatural strength, defeating the police officers and escaping onto a moving train.

Guided by what appears to be Agatha's spirit, Lucas learns that the murder he committed was part of a Mayan sacrifice ritual meant to unlock a passage to the "Other World". He meets with a specialist on the Maya civilization, who explains that the ritual was meant to unlock a powerful and ancient secret. According to the specialist, the executioner in the ritual was traditionally supposed to commit suicide afterwards, which adds to the mystery and intrigue surrounding Lucas' situation. As the story progresses, Lucas' ex-girlfriend, Tiffany, is kidnapped by the Mayan Oracle, a mysterious and powerful figure who is seeking the Indigo Child, a young girl with a secret that grants unlimited power to whoever hears it.

In his efforts to rescue his ex-girlfriend, Lucas eventually discovers that she has been kidnapped to draw him out, and both she and Lucas perish in the ensuing confrontation. However, Lucas is brought back to life by a group of artificial intelligence that seeks the Indigo Child and her powerful secret. The A.I's motivations and goals are complex and multifaceted, and they play a crucial role in the story's unfolding events. Meanwhile, Carla's investigation leads her to interview a convict whose modus operandi mirrored Lucas', and he tells her about the Orange Clan, a mysterious organization of which the Oracle is a member. The Orange Clan is searching for eternal life, and they believe that the Indigo Child's secret holds the key to achieving this goal. Lucas makes contact with Carla and convinces her to trust him, explaining that the Oracle will do anything in pursuit of the Indigo Child.

As the story reaches its climax, Lucas discovers the location of the Indigo Child and brings her to a military base where he grew up and was exposed to a force called Chroma. This force gave him the ability to resist the Oracle's attempts to drive him to suicide and will enable the Indigo Child to deliver her message. The Oracle and the A.I follow them, and a final battle takes place, with the fate of the Indigo Child and the world hanging in the balance.

The game concludes with a sense of resolution and new beginnings, as Lucas is shown to be living with Carla, who is now pregnant, three months after the events of the game.

Gameplay[]

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy is an action-adventure game that can be played from both third-person and first-person perspectives. The player's actions and decisions can change the story and lead to one of three possible endings. The game's controls involve using the analogue sticks for movement and actions, and the trigger buttons to activate special abilities. The game also features replayable chapters and a unique control system that mimics exertion by requiring rapid button presses ("quick time events", QTEs).

The game also includes a mental health leveler of the characters, which varies according to the events of the plot and the actions of the player, establishing the game over when it reaches zero.

Console versions[]

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy was launched on the PlayStation 2 as Fahrenheit for PAL (European Union) and as Indigo Prophecy for NTSC (United States, Canada, Mexico) regions. On the PS2, a saved game required 187 kB of space on an 8 MB memory card.^[3]^[4]

The game was also released on Xbox in a similar manner. The PAL version supported Dolby Digital but did not include Memory Unit support,^[5] whereas the NTSC version offered Memory Unit compatibility (requiring 30 blocks of space, or 500 kB ca.^[6]) but lacked Dolby Digital.^[7] In 2007 the game was included in the Xbox Originals lineup for backward compatibility with the Xbox 360.^[8]

Both NTSC versions of the game were censored by the ESRB, a fact that is evident from the game's cover.^[9]

Reception[]

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy received generally positive reviews. On review aggregator Metacritic, the game has a 85/100 score on PC,^[10] and 83/100 on PlayStation 2.^[11] Critics praised it's innovative approach to game story telling while citing the awkward and sometimes painful QTEs as a partial solution to the question of innovative realistic player interaction.

It won multiple awards and sold over 1 million copies.^[12]