Rule of Rose

[Cai Calamigarde]

I bought it the other day...
Started playing yesterday, the quality is very good, but...
I'm quite disturbed the way it goes.
So if there is anybody who played it, I wanna ask some questions:

Is it alright to play in front of my parents?
Does it contain some... sexual content or no?
I know my english is not good but, people who know the game would understand me.
I would be pleased if anyone could inform me.
Thanx

[gummybear]

I know it's old but I just pick this game out lately to play it. I am rather confuse at what is going on, If you know the answer please explain to me the following:
1) what is the deal with the whole airship thing?
2) why does the main character let the kids billy her when she's much bigger and older than her?
3) what is the deal with the imps? are they real? or is she just imaginating them?
4) why did she go back to the orphanage in the first place?! it makes no sense.....
5) who the hell is the final boss suppose to be? what he done to the main character in the past that made him the "final boss"?

[lovelysan]

If you play to the end, most of those questions are revealed gummybear....

Er, anyways, Rule of Rose is one my favorite games. Sure, a lot of the gamplay is kinda.... subpar, but it makes up for it with the story and atmosphere. That and the fairy tale elements are pretty nifty. And I like the whole, very twisted, "A Little Princess" inspiration ( it's a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett).

Also, since the game isn't really that scary or even gory, it's pretty much the only "horror" game I can play ^^;. (normally, I'm quite the wimp.)

@Cai_Cal in regards to your questions:
I don't think playing any horror game in front of your parents is the best idea.... just saying. And the game has some almost-implied sexual moments, but honestly, I think they were rather tame.

[gummybear]

I did play till the end, and I still have no clue what the hell happened, AT ALL.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by gummybear

I did play till the end, and I still have no clue what the hell happened, AT ALL.

This is a sign that the game has done exactly what the creators intended.

[Jan-Poo]

Doesn't look that appealing to me. And why lovelysan claims that many of those questions are explained?

Just curious, i'm planning to play this game one day, but if nothing is explained in the end, then maybe i won't bother.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Just curious, i'm planning to play this game one day, but if nothing is explained in the end, then maybe i won't bother.

The point is to be confused and creeped out, and be left with a sense of "what the hell did I just play!?"

Ah, the mind screw genre. My favorite.

[holyalexander]

looks interesting.. i think im going to play it...

[lovelysan]

Originally Posted by gummybear

I did play till the end, and I still have no clue what the hell happened, AT ALL.

....oh. Huh. Okay. In that case...

Originally Posted by gummybear

I know it's old but I just pick this game out lately to play it. I am rather confuse at what is going on, If you know the answer please explain to me the following:
1) what is the deal with the whole airship thing?
2) why does the main character let the kids billy her when she's much bigger and older than her?
3) what is the deal with the imps? are they real? or is she just imaginating them?
4) why did she go back to the orphanage in the first place?! it makes no sense.....
5) who the hell is the final boss suppose to be? what he done to the main character in the past that made him the "final boss"?

Spoiler for SPOILERS! WOO~:

Before I answer the questions, I need to point out one thing:


The most important thing to realize is that the entire game takes place in Jennifer's mind. But it's all based on a few traumatic experiences she had in her past.
You didn't shoot the final boss at the end did you? You get an extra chapter that explains a whoooole bunch if you don't.

Anyways, on to the answers!

1) what is the deal with the whole airship thing?

If you read some of the newpaper clippings and thing in game, you'll discover that Jennifer was involved with an accident on an airship. She was the only survivor.
Because of this traumatic incident, she eventually ended up in the orphange. Where ANOTHER traumatic incident occurred.
Due to this, her mind sort of mixes the two things up.

2) why does the main character let the kids billy her when she's much bigger and older than her?

Two reasons, The first is it's her memories of past bullying events that she is reliving now. You'll notice that EVERYTIME someone is directly bullying her, Jennifer is usually on the floor with the other person towering over.
The second reason is that when Jennifer was young, she always fancied herself as being more "adult" than the others. It's her self perception, not reality.


3) what is the deal with the imps? are they real? or is she just imaginating them?
There's actually a lot of theories on the imps. MY personal theory is that the imps represent her own stress/emotions towards certain incidents that occured in her past. And also, her own mind trying to force herself NOT to remember.

That's my take on it though.

The more literal interpratation of the imps is that they were some creepy-ass doll and masks that the kids made for Halloween . Seriously. The dolls can be found in the basement in the end game.


4) why did she go back to the orphanage in the first place?! it makes no sense.....

On the literal level, she didnt'. It all took place in her head (mentally.)
On the mental level, she "went back" to force herself to remember and come to terms with those past events.


5.) 5) who the hell is the final boss suppose to be? what he done to the main character in the past that made him the "final boss"?

Finally boss is a man named Gregory (I think). He found Jennifer after the airship accident and took her in. His son had recently died, and being delusional, he believed Jennifer WAS his son.

.....There's also a good chance that he was killing kids in town and burying them in the ground so that they would "grow." ....yeaaaaaaaaah. He wasn't well....

A certain "princess" at the end of the story took advantage of Gregory's mental imbalance and the final tragedy occurs. (Though my personal belief is that her original intention wasn't for things to end SO badly.)

Anyways, in the end, the game is basically just a lovely mind screw that tells a tale of how young girls bully each other. Honestly, I think that females in general would probably find this game easier to understand than most buuuuuut.... The game is (intentionally) disjointed and things do need to be pieced together, so one needs to be in a certain mindset to really be able to follow.


Anyhoo, hope I answered your questions satisfactorily ^^ .

[lovelysan]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Doesn't look that appealing to me. And why lovelysan claims that many of those questions are explained?

Just curious, i'm planning to play this game one day, but if nothing is explained in the end, then maybe i won't bother.

There's an extra chapter at the end of the game that can be missed if your violence crazy .

In other words, when you go outside, don't shoot the final boss . (do go to the menu though with the gun for another option though .)


EDIT 2- Oh yeah, and I should mention that while there is a whole bunch of interesting theories and things about the Rule of Rose story a loooooot of the fans of this game are kind of crazy and randomly angry. It's probably because the game appeals to the sensiblities of the artsy-type and well that lot tends to be.... well.... kind of crazy and randomly angry XD .

[Fevvers]

Despite loathing the gameplay (with what few battles there were), I love Rule of Rose to bits. I admit though that the game really tests a gamer's patience in delivering it's story, still I thought that fit the thematic qualities and atmosphere (which it has in spades).

This site offers lots of interesting theories, if you're interested.

[alarmadadna hadi]

I really love this game. Although I didn't enjoy the fighting/survival aspect of it as it was too frustrating at times, it has the best story I found in any horror game, symbolism and surrealism peaks at you from almost every scene or hint.
I actually wouldn't have minded if they dropped the battles for puzzles or something.

I got the main plot by the end of it, but the web in the link kafka posted helped tie many loose ends.

[gummybear]

Anyhoo, hope I answered your questions satisfactorily ^^ .

I have one more question that been bugging me the whole time: Why? Why does she have to go through this again if it's just memory? what is in it for her to do it? It seems to me that it's more logical to forget about things like these and move on with life rather than being haunted by the past. I don't know, it's just me.

[Kitsu]

I have a question, I planned on playing this game but it's really hard to get in germany because of follow reasons:
The game caused a lot of uproar and again fueled the discussion about violence in video games It is described as "just a murky brew of meaningless, exploitative dysfunction filling an empty game, and it leaves a bitter taste" well and that's harmless... For a time the government wanted to forbid it in whole Europe. Because it shows children in context with perverted, violent and sadistic imagery, which violate the law of human rights. It was said that the only goal of the game to egg on violence and to victimize and abuse the weakest.

Well.... normally I ignore such comments and statements but....
Is that game really that bad? And if it is "okay" is it worse it to get it with all the hassle?

[Jan-Poo]

I know of that story too, it was just a good example of one of the most idiotic campaign against video games, but certainly it isn't the only case. Note that the game was planned to be released with a "16+" from the beginning however there was still some concerned parent that was orrified at the idea that such game was going to be sold to children. And there were many newspaper that showed sound title like: "here is what our children play!".

[Tyabann]

Using 'innocent' children in juxtaposition with violent and disturbing imagery is an excellent storytelling technique. People pay more attention when children are involved.

[Kitsu]

Of course I know that the people overreacted but still it sounded really "bad". Normally it's only the same old "pointless shooting and murder"-thingy. But that just sounded really bad. So it's enjoyable? it seems rather interesting but if the whole point is violence and pornography without any context and point....
I must admit I enjoy games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil (well the last REs were rather pointless shooting at some pointless zombies but...)...so you guys think it's a good idea to get it?

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Kitsu

Of course I know that the people overreacted but still it sounded really "bad". Normally it's only the same old "pointless shooting and murder"-thingy. But that just sounded really bad. So it's enjoyable? it seems rather interesting but if the whole point is violence and pornography without any context and point....

Exactly, see, that's NOT the whole point.

It's using fictional children to MAKE a point, and people MISSED the point, which is why they overreacted.

Oh, and there's little sexual content other than lesbian subtext and implied child molestation.

[Kitsu]

So it has a meaning which was totally overlooked by those people. That does seem familiar
well, if that's the case I'll try to get it

Thanks for the quick answer

[Jan-Poo]

As far as i know there's a lot less gore than in title you mentioned and there is absolutely no explicit pornography. However the are very disturbing scenes, like an old man touching a little girl a little too much. and many other displays of childish cruelty.