Throughout the game you’re watching Kathy try and hold it together as she uncovers more about her grandfather’s life, and there’s a lot of surprising moments. The build-up to the story’s climax is well-paced, even uncomfortable at times. Kathy has a lot of sharp wit to share with the player and her antics are part of what makes the story so compelling. There’s good, healthy discussion in this game regarding anger and grief, and the player grows alongside Kathy, observing how she handles her emotions during such a rough period in her life. Kathy suffers from nightmares that plague her mind, and the player is forced to watch her suffer throughout the story. Kathy is very strong-willed, sassy, but she’s also a girl on the edge as well.

The main appeal of this game really comes from its storytelling and Kathy is a very compelling heroine. Those looking for challenging, mind-bending puzzles will not find them in Kathy Rain.

There is only one puzzle in this game that truly feels like something out of a Ron Gilbert/Tim Schafer game, and even that one isn’t super challenging. Some adventure games tend to be very obtuse in how they handles puzzles, but Kathy Rain does an amazing job of being fairly straightforward making itself accessible to newcomers of the genre. What I loved about this game is that it’s very easy to follow. Clouded in mystery and intrigue, Kathy makes it her personal mission to undercover the truth behind her grandfather’s death, and what truly went on in his life prior. When Kathy Rain’s grandfather dies, she goes to the funeral only to learn that his life wasn’t what she imaged. Developed by Clifftop Games, this homage to the early 90’s point-and-click adventure genre focuses on a young journalism student with a troubled past. Kathy Rain had me hooked from the get-go.

Realizing how huge my Steam backlog is, I decided to put a few titles on my desktop and give them the big old college try. I remember how intriguing the game sounded - a big-haired, lady detective? Sign me up! - and I put it onto my Steam Wishlist without much thought. I had never heard of Kathy Rain: A Detective is Born until I read a review of the game over at RPGFan years back.

Download kathy rain ps4 for free