Heavy Rain

When 10 years from now someone looks back at the past decade in gaming, one ps3 game stands out...Heavy Rain. A choose-your-own adventure type of game, this film-noir interactive drama centers around the Origami Killer, who spies on kids and leaves an origami on their trail. You play the role of various characters. It's not easy or hard. It's how you play the game. The game will end quickly if all of the main characters die if you choose different paths. The graphics are pretty good, the sound excellent (minor audio glitches), and the controls are really excellent. Trophies are also good as you can get plenty of them to level up your trophy profile. Definitely worth getting it for $60. Highly recommended.

I use the word 'thriller' as normally one doesn't associate that word with a video game, rather a movie or TV show. But the lines between interactive and passive entertainment have been blurring for some considerable time now, and Heavy Rain is the latest evolution of this.

From the same director and software house who brought us the 'infamous' Fahrenheit, notorious for its 'Simon Says' style of interaction, Heavy Rain shares this same basic game mechanic of following on screen prompts to engage particular actions. If you're near a chair, pressing the instruction cue, such as the right stick up, will see the character interacting with the chair, possibly by sitting, maybe by leaning on it.

And this simple yet extremely effective way is the model for the whole game. There is no 'forward back left and right with jump punch' type of control, instead movement is facilitated by R2 acting as a pseudo 'accelerator' and the left stick guiding the player - it's clunky, and at times obstructive, but it just about does the job.

As for the actual plot, because let's face it, that's the point of the game, to be a story, Heavy Rain follows the pursuit, by 4 main characters, of a notorious serial killer called the Origami Killer who is kidnapping and drowning young children. Suffice to say our heroes become embroiled in his latest kidnap and it becomes a race against time and rain (that will become clear later).

The ultimate question we have to ask ourselves, as to whether we like this game or not, is what we expect of it.

Is it the evolution and revolution of gaming that it promised to be? Probably not - it is let down by some mechanical failures, plot holes wide enough to fit the Titanic through, and a fair number of event/dialogue contextual gaps which make little sense at the time.

But inasmuch as these irritate, Quantic Dreams have to be applauded for trying. And trying really hard. Yes, the story and plot would have benefited from being proof read by professionals, but anyone looking that deep for flaws is missing the point - the game tries to do something quite different, quite radical, and involving of the player in ways not seen before by other games.

Heavy Rain does not hit the mark in everything it does, but it comes close overall, and is a worthy attempt at doing something dramatic and different in a gaming market which is in danger of becoming sterile.

It might leave you baffled, elated or just plain determined not to like it because you aren't blowing up people every five seconds. Yep Heavy Rain will (as expected) not be for everyone, which should be mentioned now as this game isn't for the young or inpatient. But it is everything that was hoped for and oh, so much more.

We play as four characters who are all centered around one particular lunatic who has a hobby of killing people in rain water - hence the title. Ethan Mars, is the character who seems to have the most obvious and complex problems and has to undergo some serious exertion throughout the game to the point where you think what else can they throw at him?! But obviously this is a spoiler-free review so I won't ruin the experience he can choose to take or not. The other playable characters include Scott Shelby a street hardened private detective who surprise, surprise is looking for the killer; Norman Jayden (FBI this one) also investigates the killer, mostly with his superspecs that could make Sherlock Holmes jealous. Madison Paige is our last individual who suffers crippling insomnia and finds solace by sleeping in motels, she finds herself drawn to investigating the killer.

The story is in a word: phenomenal, truly addictive gaming (take that Call Of Duty) as long as your willing to be submerged by it's complexity. But the best thing that really astounds is the huge amount of choice and the sometimes fatal repercussions it can have, it makes the game feel a lot less linear and really does ask 'How far are you willing to go to save someone you love'. Graphically it also exceeds - just take a peak at the loading screen if you are doubtful, I only found the odd hiccup while playing such as the audio occasionly stopping or the love scenes which could have been pulled off by Quantic Dream if the people didn't look like they were trying to suck the air around each other's mouths rather than kissing.

It sometimes feels hard to believe that you can be playing a game that is hugely refreshing and enjoyable despite some of the extreme lengths you have to take. The introduction and end are both oddly satisfying, it uses a cinematic start and knockout finish (no matter which one) with beautiful cut-scene's throughout. Heavy Rain is easily one of Playstation's best exclusive and a style that will hopefully inspire many more to follow its lead. To David Cage I say 'Bravo' on this masterpiece and greatly anticipate the DLC.

Let's figure this: you have been dreaming of become a a movie star for a long time, and then someone offers you to star in his adventure movie, and you accept it. This is the case of Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain is a video game - and a movie at the same time, with brilliant combinations of drama, action, adventure, and thriller elements. It has gorgeous graphics with amazing attention to the smallest details, terrific atmosphere, great audio, and one of the most sophisticated storyline ever released as a video game, no one even comes close to it. And get this: no superhero, no alien, no monster, no future setting, no demons, no magic spells - it is about several (well, OK, four) ordinary people deal with extraordinary situations, set in our time.

Well, honestly, Heavy Rain may not be the game for everyone. If you're more into shooting and slashing spree from the start (Ninja Gaiden, everyone?), this game might bore you as hell because it does have its slow-paced moments, especially at the beginning. But now I'm talking movie here, and since I said that this game qualifies as a movie too, let me remind that even fast-paced action movies may be slow at times, so it might be a good excuse to give this game a go.

The actions are simply based on moving and quick time events. No worries of memorizing combos and complicated button assignments here...you will spend more time watching than actually pressing the buttons to play...well, that's one more reason why I call this game a movie.

If you plan to grab a copy, pick the Heavy Rain Move Edition. It is basically the same game with tons of extras: PS Move support (as the title says), nice theme for your PS3, bonus tracks, some behind the scene and promotional footage, and the biggest one - in my opinion that is -, Taxidermist side-story (originally released as DLC) to feed your adventure fetish a bit more after you finish the game - that's ALL in one box.

So adventure PS3 gamers (if you don't have a PS3 then it is not your lucky day) rejoice, for you're on one - no - two really nice treats this time: it is a great game as well as a marvelous movie. What are you waiting for? Go to the nearest store, pick a copy,provide a nice couch along with some snacks, spare some times, and get ready to star in your own movie!

Pros:

• Great story & characters
• Challenging choices
• Pretty good graphics
• Great plot twists
• Great music

Cons:

• Slow start to story
• Some story plot-holes
• Few bugs and glitches

Verdict: Another Quantic Dream game that conducts a great story with sympathetic protagonist that keeps you glued to the game. Thou with a slow start may push people away, the game delivers soon after.

8.5/10