A Year Told Through PS1-PS2 Games


Published on ?, 2025
This project is a calendar that maps its days to the in-game day of PS2 games, and how the date plays a role in the narrative or mechanics. This is a work-in-progress list and is narratively spoiler-free, although core mechanics are disclosed.
  1. January
    1. Indigo Prophecy 01.26 - 02.27
  2. February
  3. March
  4. April
  5. May
  6. June
  7. July
  8. August
    1. Michigan: Report From Hell 08.20 - 8.25
  9. September
  10. October
  11. November
  12. December
    1. Raw Danger 12.24 - 12.26

January

Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit

January 26 - February 27

On the cold night of January 26th, Lucas Kane commits a murder in a quiet New York City diner, and doesn't know why. Soon after he flees, cops Karla and Tyler, arrive to figure out who did it. These two mysteries unfold over the next few days while a devastating February snowstorm approaches. This storm is forcasted through weather reports during the early-game, before becoming threatening enough to influence the characters to taking alternative travel routes or gathering for warmth. The cold turns common scenarios like walking from car to building into an extended button mashing event to make it through the blizzard. Majority of the events take place between January 26 and February 2nd, however all events take place until February 27th.

AUGUST

Michigan: Report From Hell

August 20 - August 25

August 20th is your first day as a new cameraman at ZakaTV News. Accompanied by sound engineer Jean-Philippe Brisco and news anchor Pamela Martel, your crew is covering a plane crash at Lake Michigan that has caused a mysteriously dense fog to roll over Chicago. Very quickly, your crew discovers the city is overrun by terrifying creatures and attempts to escape the city while capturing as much entertaining live footage as possible. Michigan: Report From Hell is played through the footage filmed by your camera, the exception being journal entries that start off new days by recalling the events of the day prior. The days advance when you stop filming, whether it's forced by bed time or to mentally recover from a devastating death, or you decide during key moments to interfere with what is taking place in front of you and, by effect, put down and turn off the camera.

December

Raw Danger / The Desperate City 2

December 24 - December 26

On December 24th the mayor of the city of Del Ray is hosting an opening ceremony for "Geo City", an architectural accomplishment of an underground mall. The ceremony is cut short by a massive flooding, causing a city-wide evacuation over the next three days, to which you play through from the perspective of 6 individuals. A main mechanic of Raw Danger is managing your body temperature (BT) through warmth (increased by food and heating) and wetness (prevented by umbrellas, raincoats, and drying off). You're challenged by winter storms and rising waters that are submerging the city and cutting off your safe routes. As you traverse the cityscape, Christmas jingles ring through empty malls and festive lights provide convenient ropes to hang on. Raw Danger revolves around the details of surviving a cold natural disaster through decisions between warmer clothing at the cost of a heavier bag, or rationing food with companions to keep others characters warm.