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It is easily one of the most expensive discs you can own for the PlayStation 2. If you find a copy of Rule of Rose PS2 at a garage sale for five bucks, you haven't just found a game; you’ve basically won a small lottery. But the price tag isn't even the most interesting thing about it. Developed by Punchline and released in 2006, this title didn't just stumble into cult classic status. It fought a war to get there. It was banned in some places, vilified by politicians who never actually played it, and eventually buried by a limited print run that turned it into a "holy grail" for collectors.
Honestly, the game is uncomfortable. It’s meant to be. Unlike Resident Evil or Silent Hill, where the horror often comes from a physical threat or a supernatural monster, Rule of Rose settles into the pit of your stomach through psychological cruelty and the terrifying hierarchy of children. It’s about Jennifer, a young woman trapped in a 1930s England setting—specifically an airship—governed by the Red Crayon Aristocrats. These aren't cute kids. They are malicious, class-conscious, and deeply traumatized.
The Controversy That Killed the Game Before It Launched
You might have heard the rumors that the game was "banned" across the board. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, though the reality isn't far off. In the UK, the backlash was so fierce that the publisher, 505 Games, cancelled the release entirely. Why? Because of a moral panic.
Franco Frattini, who was the European Justice Commissioner at the time, famously attacked the game for what he called "obscene cruelty." He claimed it featured children being buried alive and suggested there were sexual undertones involving minors. Here is the kicker: he hadn't played it. Almost none of the critics had. While Rule of Rose is undeniably dark and features scenes of children being physically and emotionally abusive to Jennifer, the "erotic" elements people feared were largely metaphorical or completely misinterpreted by people looking at out-of-context screenshots.
Because of this firestorm, the game saw a very quiet release in North America via Atlus and in Japan via Sony. Because the sales were modest and the reviews were—let’s be real—pretty mixed back then, the game went out of print almost immediately. That scarcity is exactly why you’ll see copies listed on eBay for $500, $800, or even over $1,000 depending on the condition.
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How the Gameplay Actually Works (It's Rough)
If you’re going into Rule of Rose expecting a polished action experience, you’re going to be frustrated. The combat is, to put it bluntly, clunky. Jennifer is not a fighter. She swings a knife or a pipe with the desperation of someone who has never held a weapon in her life. The hit detection is notoriously finicky. Sometimes you’ll swear you hit a "Limping Man" enemy only for Jennifer to whiff the air while the monster chomps on her.
But the game has a secret weapon: Brown.
Brown is a Labrador Retriever that Jennifer finds early on. He is the heart of the game. Mechanically, Brown is your tracking system. You find an item—maybe a scrap of ribbon or a piece of candy—and you let Brown sniff it. He will then lead you to the next objective or a hidden item. It’s a slow, methodical way to explore, and it builds a genuine bond between the player and the dog. In a world where every human character is trying to break your spirit, Brown is the only source of unconditional love. It makes the moments where Brown is threatened feel genuinely sickening.
The Red Crayon Aristocrats and the Story
The narrative is where Rule of Rose PS2 truly earns its reputation. It doesn't use a linear A-to-B structure. Instead, it’s told through "chapters" that feel like twisted fairy tales. You have the Tale of the Little Princess, The Gingerbread House, and The Bird of Happiness.
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At the top of the food chain is the Red Crayon Aristocrats. This is a secret society of girls living in an orphanage (and later, the airship) who have established a rigid, cruel social hierarchy.
- Princess Mamie: The cold, aloof leader.
- Diana: The enforcer who uses her status to bully others.
- Eleanor: The girl who carries a birdcage and seems detached from reality.
- Meg: The intellectual who uses rules and "fines" to control people.
Jennifer starts at the very bottom. She is the "Filth," the peasant who must bring a monthly gift to the Aristocrats to avoid punishment. The game explores themes of childhood trauma, repressed memories, and the loss of innocence in a way few games have dared to since. It’s heavily influenced by the psychological depth of Silent Hill 2 and the aesthetic of films like Company of Wolves.
Why the Critics Originally Hated It (And Why We Love It Now)
When the game dropped in 2006, the "Golden Age" of survival horror was winding down. Reviewers were moving toward the high-octane action of Resident Evil 4. By comparison, Rule of Rose felt archaic. The fixed camera angles were seen as a relic of the past. The slow movement was criticized as boring.
However, time has been kind to the game’s atmosphere. We’ve realized that the clunky combat actually serves the theme. Jennifer should feel powerless. The "bad" controls contribute to the feeling of being a victim in a world that hates you. The soundtrack, composed by Yutaka Minobe, is almost entirely strings. It’s mournful, screechy, and beautiful. It sounds like a 1930s radio broadcast melting in the sun.
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Realities of Collecting: What to Look For
If you are actually looking to buy a copy of Rule of Rose PS2, you need to be extremely careful. Because of the high price, the market is flooded with "reproduction" discs. These are fakes.
- The Case: Authentic North American copies (Atlus) have a specific weight and plastic quality.
- The Manual: The manual is thick and full-color. Many "complete in box" listings are missing this, which significantly drops the value.
- The Disc Surface: Authentic PS2 discs have a specific "layer" look on the data side. Fakes often look like burned DVD-Rs with a purple or blue tint.
- Region Locking: Remember that PS2 is region-locked. A Japanese copy (which is often much cheaper, around $150) will not work on a standard North American console.
Is it worth the money? If you want to play it for the "fun" factor, probably not. You can find better combat in a $20 copy of Silent Hill 2. But if you are a student of game design or a fan of psychological horror, there is literally nothing else like it. It’s a poem about misery. It’s a beautifully rendered nightmare that shouldn't have been buried by a political controversy.
Actionable Steps for Horror Fans
If you want to experience Rule of Rose without spending a month's rent, you have a few options. First, check your local "retro" gaming stores rather than eBay; sometimes they don't update their prices to the absolute peak of the market. Second, if you just care about the story, look for "Longplays" on YouTube that include the cutscenes. The cinematic direction is the game's strongest suit.
For those who actually get their hands on a copy, play it in the dark with a good set of headphones. The sound design is subtle. You’ll hear the creak of the airship and the whispering of children just out of frame. Don't rush. Let Brown lead the way. Most importantly, don't try to fight every enemy. Running is usually the better option, just as it would be for Jennifer.
The legacy of Rule of Rose isn't just its price tag. It's a reminder of a time when developers were willing to be deeply weird, deeply sad, and incredibly provocative. It represents a "lost" style of Japanese horror that prioritizes feeling over mechanics. Even if you never own the disc, understanding its place in history is essential for anyone who cares about the evolution of the PS2 library.
Keep an eye on digital storefronts, though don't hold your breath. Because of the complex licensing between Punchline (which no longer exists) and the various publishers, a digital remaster is a legal nightmare. For now, Rule of Rose remains a ghost in the machine, a rare artifact of a darker era of gaming.