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  1. A small, sleepy town is rattled by a double shooting and the local police is quick to rule the matter a murder-suicide, but Detective Michael Stone is determined to uncover the truth in this story-driven mystery game. Rainswept, from developer Frostwood Interactive and publisher 2Awesome Studio, uses simple graphics and basic gameplay elements to tell an emotional, affecting story about love and trauma, and the long-reaching effects of both. It's not a typical adventure experience, but Rainswept has a way of making a lasting impression. You play as Detective Stone, a detective from the big city that has come to the small town of Pineview to help solve an apparent murder-suicide. The victims are a young couple only recently moved to town, and their lack of connections or roots in the community only makes the investigation more complicated. Worse yet, Detective Stone is dealing with his own demons from a troubled past. The basic set-up does have some typical detective story vibes, and even a bit of Twin Peaks influence when things get a little weird, but even if Rainswept relies on some tropes there's still a great buildup around the mystery. It's a slow build, but gradually seeing more of the characters' lives, both the victims' and Stone's, is gripping, and the themes at play here—some of which are quite dark—are handled well and with appropriate delicacy to highlight very human and painful experiences. It's a slow, satisfying story buildup, and yet the ending does feel somewhat rushed. It's not a bad conclusion to the story, it's just that not every element of the ending feels like it fully has time to breathe, which is perhaps only more stark in comparison to the relatively leisurely pace that the rest of the investigation has. There's such weight to the rest of the story and its themes of trauma that the final reveal of what actually happened doesn't have quite the impact it should. As for the actual gameplay, Rainswept is pretty light on interactive elements. Your investigation will take you all around Pineview and you'll have to talk to townsfolk or interact with objects to examine them, but you generally aren't tasked with solving mysteries or resolving clues on your own. You simply examine everything around you and the story plays out, so Rainswept is more of an interactive story than anything. You can occasionally wander the town and talk to people though, which adds a fun bit of world-building to the experience. It would've been nice to have a bit more direct gameplay involvement with how things play out, but ultimately it doesn't detract from the story being told. Rainswept is also not the kind of game you'd typically replay repeatedly, though viewing the story again knowing everything that happens could add an interesting perspective. Realistically, this is the kind of game you play once for a solid six hours or so, which still isn't too bad considering its low price. The game's art style may seem simple at first but in the end it feels oddly appropriate for this small town where people live their lives—or try to live their lives—as simply as possible. The flat 2D visuals also doesn't mean that there aren't some striking scenes peppered throughout the game, and the basic, marionette animation of the characters' movements is oddly charming. The music is by and large moody and atmospheric, exactly what you'd expect from a story-driven detective game, culminating in an excellent final number that manages to capture the mood of the whole experience. Rainswept's quiet, unassuming sense of style may leave it poised for a similar release on the Switch, but you shouldn't overlook this story-driven experience. While the game plays it light on gameplay interactivity, the mystery at the heart of the story and, more importantly, the insight into flawed, emotional, human characters makes this a detective story worth unraveling. Anyone that enjoys a thoughtful, narrative-driven game would do well to check out Rainswept. Rating: 7 out of 10 Raindrops Review copy provided by publisher Rainswept will be available on the Switch eShop on July 24 for $9.99. Pre-purchase before release for a 10% discount: $8.99.
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