Rain

Rain is an adventure game which is centred around the novel mechanic of invisibility. The player takes on the role of a young boy who is invisible and can only be seen when standing in the pouring rain. When under canopies, bridges and awnings outside, and also while sheltered indoors, the boy cannot be seen by the player themself nor the enemies that inhabit the world, and can only be tracked by his watery footprints. The invisibility mechanic applies not only to the player's character but also to all enemies within the game.

The player utilizes the visibility of the boy, and other creatures, in the rain to solve various puzzles and tasks throughout the game.

Rain takes place in a town loosely inspired by mid-twentieth century Paris, and follows a young boy. In the opening of the game, he is stuck in bed at home with a fever. During the day he stares out of his window and sees an invisible girl in the rain who is given form by the rain casting a silhouette around her. She stares at him for a brief second before being chased away by something huge and menacing that is also invisible unless the rain gives it a form.

Curious, he follows the two down an alleyway, whereupon exiting through a pair of large doors, the day suddenly turns to night and the town is now deserted, occupied only by strange invisible beasts that roam the streets. The boy also realises that he himself is invisible, and that he and the beasts are only given form by the rain.

The concept for Rain originated as a starting point to create a game featuring a completely invisible protagonist, exploring how the environment could dictate a character's form through rain. P! incubator program, which aimed to support experimental titles following the success of unique games like Journey, Tokyo Jungle, and Echochrome. The narrative's tone was shaped by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami; while the team initially planned a darker story focused on severe suffering, witnessing the disaster prompted them to alter the core concept toward a message of human connection and hope.

According to director Yuki Ikeda, the central emotional theme of the narrative was inspired by the universal childhood experience of getting lost, which evokes a mix of loneliness and fear, alongside intense curiosity about one's unfamiliar surroundings. Lead planner Tomoharu Fujii, art director Seiichi Terashima, and map designer Tomokazu Oki designed the empty, urban night environment to feel "lived-in," seeking to evoke nostalgia and melancholy by suggesting the ghosts of other people's presence had been there moments prior.

The game received an aggregated score of 72/100 on Metacritic based on 77 reviews. Daniel Krupa of IGN rated the game a 7/10, praising some of the game's mechanics but said "Rain creates a distinctive heartbreaking atmosphere, but fails to develop it into a more engrossing experience." 0 as well, praising the gameplay, music and some of the puzzles, saying "Rain uses chilling atmosphere and a heartfelt story to draw you in to this fantastical world", but criticized some of the mechanics of the puzzles. Brittany Vincent of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 3/5, saying "There's the potential for a beautiful journey here, but Rain seems to be too content to wallow in its melancholy to create any real engaging gameplay."

5, stating "Rain pulls strong emotion out of its simple mechanics." Christian Donlan from Eurogamer rated the game a 6/10, while praising its lighting and atmosphere, he criticized the poorly paced story and the repetitive plot, as well as the game for not being challenging. He called the game "a missed opportunity".

In retrospect, Rain has been recognized as a hidden gem within the PlayStation 3 library, valued for its visual appeal and artistic design. It has developed a minor cult reputation among fans of atmospheric experiences, with critics drawing strong artistic and thematic parallels to Fumito Ueda's Ico, particularly regarding its sense of vulnerability and the bond between the two main characters.

This status is further reflected in the modern collectors' market; due to the scarcity of its physical printings, the English-supported Asian release has since been cited by industry outlets as one of the rarest and most sought-after physical games on the PlayStation 3.