Mar 2, 2010
Heavy Rain isn’t just a game, it’s an Interactive Drama. This game is not for everyone, and developer Quantic Dream took a huge risk in designing it the way it is. You will get frustrated, you will possibly get angry and you will feel rushed at certain points in the tale. I often found myself cursing out the game for presenting me with an option I did not want, or accidentally not getting a reaction command down resulting in the death of a character.
In other words; this game is amazing. The fact that it can engross it’s player in such a world where your decisions affect the lives of your characters, and do so in a very story-driven and complex way is a feat in itself. Oh, the story. Don’t get me started. Too often these days, Video Games suffer from lackluster storytelling, and focus solely on the gameplay. That’s all well and good for some, but for others like myself, Gaming is an important form of entertainment. As such, I want my experience to not only offer some great gameplay, but a damn good story as well.
In Heavy Rain, you start out as an ordinary guy with a family. Two sons, a wife, and a wonderful house. You’re an architect. You hold your family above all else and they love you for it. The game does start out slow, but Quantic Dream did this to establish the backdrop for the rest of the tale. It is gradual but necissary. The events that unfold in the first parts of Chapter One lay the groundwork for the entire game. Long story short, your ultimate goal is to save one of your sons and find the Origami Killer.
There are many different playable characters, each with their own story and trail they are following to find the killer. The control scheme in this game is different; in fact, I don’t think it’s ever been done before. Though complex at first, you get the hang of it easy and realize the biggest part of the game are the Reaction Commands. You will do your fighting, driving, and running for your life all in these quick Reaction Commands. It can get frustrating, but that’s the beauty in it. If you got into a fist fight in real life, you have split-second decisions you have to make. The control scheme in this game conveys that sense of urgency, as the fight you’re in will not stop for you to wait and figure out what to do next.
While I did notice some grahpical errors here and there, it was nothing devastating or long-lasting. The graphics, overall, are great for a videogame. The facial expressions alone tell you that Quantic Dream spent lots of time and effort getting every detail just right. The game not only plays out like a movie, it actually looks like one, too. Some objects in Heavy Rain’s world are low-res, and can look a little out of place next to everything else. This doesn’t hinder the experience at all, in fact, it reminds me of those old cartoons where you knew an object was going to be moved just by the way it looked.
The game can play out very differently depending on what reaction commands you hit or miss, what decisions you make and who gets killed along the way. Your characters can die depending on what you do, and there are multiple endings. All in all, Heavy Rain is an unforgettable experience, one that should not be passed up by any PS3 owner looking for a game with a great story, and damn good visuals.
Pros:
– Great Story
– New Interactive Controls
– Your actions affect the Story
– Great Visuals
– Great Music
Cons:
– Some Graphical Issues
– Definitely not for everyone
Final Verdict: 
