If you are into story above gameplay, this is a four-star must-play. Why and how a mysterious child leads her to the building is left for the player to unravel. The story begins with her sleeping on a bus ride sometime around 1940 and continues through scene after scene of Jen being mistreated by the pre-teen inhabitants of a bizarre orphanage. The protagonist is a weak, timid, conservatively dressed young woman named Jennifer, who is much more a damsel in distress than an action hero. Surprisingly, the game holds more appeal for feminists than for guys in sticky raincoats. There are definite sexual undertones to some of the action - the cinema that runs before you start the game revels in it - but anyone looking for a socially acceptable hentai substitute should look elsewhere. If you know anything about Rule of Rose, you probably think of it as "that creepy pedo game." The fact that the back of the box features a closeup of a girl's mouth sucking on someone's finger doesn't do much to dispel that perception, and neither do the widely published images of that same leering pubescent girl juxtaposed with scenes of bondage and humiliation. Overall, it's quite an accomplishment, except for one thing: it's decidedly lacking as a game. The engrossing story and imagery have the feel of a well-crafted arthouse horror film and the themes of lost innocence and friendship gone wrong left me wistful and nostalgic. Rule of Rose is an ambitious, provocative, and satisfying work when taken as a whole.
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