Every so often, a game comes along that changes the way I feel about video games. Heavy Rain is one of them. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game that has absorbed me as completely as this one did. I suppose I should preface this review by admitting that Heavy Rain is the main reason I finally broke down and bought a PS3. (Sure, I’m a month or two late, but that’s what I get for procrastinating on my taxes.) I had been lusting after this game for well over a year, all the while lamenting my lack of PS3. But the game’s highly anticipated release, along with PS3’s much more reasonable $299 pricetag, was, for me, a winning combo I could no longer ignore.
So a few days ago I wasted no time breaking the seal of the PS3 box, breathing in that delicious new console smell (I know you know what I’m talking about) and christening my Sony experience with this amazing game. I won’t bother delving too deep into the plot or the characters, as I’m sure you can find more than enough information about them elsewhere. Instead I’d like to focus my review on congratulating Quantic Dream for crafting a gaming experience like no other. It seems incorrect somehow to refer to Heavy Rain as a video game, when really it’s more akin to an interactive film. The direction and art design demand your attention right away, with graphics so realistic you almost feel like you’re intruding on these character’s lives. (Side note: the game definitely lives up to it’s M-17 rating; it’s definitely not a game I’d let my kids play…if I had kids). The meticulously detailed environments, rich soundscapes, and of course the game’s signature relentless, pounding rain combine to create an atmosphere of intense foreboding. It’s an emotionally heavy experience that progresses from light to dark; from sadness to full on despair.
Although there is but one overarching objective–to identify and stop The Origami Killer–the four main characters each have their own story to tell. Your actions and decisions as a player impact their personal narratives, for better or for worse. There is no right or wrong in Heavy Rain, there is only cause and effect. The best course of action to take is not always the most obvious; and sometimes the game throws a decision at you so fast you can easily miss it. Yet the game progresses even if you fail or if your actions don’t unfold as intended. By the way, Heavy Rain’s auto-save feature prevents you from going back for “do-overs.” Thus, life goes on and you must live with your choices.
With that final thought in mind, I’ll try not to beat myself up too much for unintentionally killing off 3 out of 4 main characters. ;-)
My thoughts after finishing Heavy Rain:
- Damn, I fucked up.
- Damn, I fucked up a lot.
- Now I’ll need to play through it again just to redeem myself.
- The identity of the Origami Killer…wow. Did not see that one coming. At all.
- Yes, Heavy Rain was worth the wait. (And worth my PS3 purchase, for that matter.)
- This theme music is going to be stuck in my head for a long time…
And now, a few small gripes (because Heavy Rain, although amazing, isn’t perfect):
- It was shorter than I had hoped. On the other hand, like a well-edited movie, it was no longer than it needed to be.
- Sometimes the game is too linear for my taste; it’s often too obvious where to go or what to do next.
- Some of the button combinations are frustrating as hell; be prepared for rigorous finger exercises.
- It could just be my shitty TV, but sometimes it’s really hard to see the action icons. There were multiple times when I interpreted an action incorrectly because either my character was hiding it, or it was too small to see.
Despite its minor flaws, I loved every second of Heavy Rain and I wish there were more games like it.
