Rain revels in simplicity

Rain
(Sony; PS3; rated everyone 10+)

As beautiful as a watercolour painting and accompanied by a piano rendition of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de lune”, this platformer revels in simplicity. Rain tells the story of a boy chasing after a girl. She’s running away from a monster, and he’s trying to catch up, dodging the fiend and other dangerous creatures along the way. The ever-present rain here isn’t just for atmosphere; it’s essential for navigation. Because the boy, the girl, and the creatures are invisible, they can only be seen when their forms take shape in the rain. Step under cover and you become undetectable. You survive the creatures by sneaking past them; occasionally, you’ll have to run to escape. Rain doesn’t push the intriguing mechanic as far as it could, which disappoints, but for an afternoon serenade, it’s lovely.