Back in the day, the most universally recognized control input was the jump button. Thanks to the evolution of modern shooter games, the state of games has evolved so that the trigger button is now the most recognized control input around. Imagine a game with no preset control schemes that relies heavily on varied inputs to perform different actions. Heavy Rain is a game that does exactly this. The game doen’t use a traditional control scheme, rather it requires you to make whatever control inputs a situation requires. Just because you pressed a certain button to execute a particular action doesn’t mean pressing the same button will result in the same action as before. Even more interesting is the game’s heavy reliance on its plot. While most games will have you blasting through opposition to get to the answers, the shooting in Heavy Rain is minimal. In one completion you will shoot maybe 5 enemies tops. The game plays more like an interactive story than a traditional video game. So how does this all work out? Read on…

GAMEPLAY (9/10)

To say that developer Quantic Dream is pushing the creative envelope with this game is a bit of an understatement. Heavy Rain takes the traditional control schemes found in most modern games and throws it out the window. What we are left with are on screen instructions that tell you what control inputs to make during a given situation. Need help getting out of that burning vehicle? Hit L1, R2, and rapidly tap X at the same time. This is just one example of control commands in Heavy Rain. While it may seem strange, after the first act, it becomes almost second nature.

The game starts out by introducing you to this control scheme. You assume the role of one of the playable characters and begin doing everyday things like brushing your teeth, getting dressed, and drinking coffee. It may seem a bit tedious at first, but once the action starts, it never really lets up. there is always constant tension fo what is coming next. Even more exciting is how you are going to handle the situation. In otehr games, you already know what inputs to make to ensure your character’s survival.

In Heavy Rain, you won’t know what these commands are until you are already knee deep in trouble. You may get a plist second to react by pushing the square button. These types of inputs, often referred to as Quick Time Events (QTE), have been seen in other games (God of War series comes to mind). However, unlike in other games, Heavy Rain has already established a context which makes these inputs all the more crucial. While other games will simply give you a “Game Over” screen while you wait to reload, the consequences in Heavy Rain are even more critical. If the character you’re playing as happens to die, the story will continue on without them. Get one thing straight about this game- nearly everyone can and probably will die no matter how crucial they are to the plot. No one is safe, which makes executing the correct control inputs all the more vital.

Many people have dismissed this game as nothing more than a type of interactive movie. Despite the unorthodox controls of this game, I found it to be one of the msot immersive games I have ever played. I was obsessed with finding out who the murderer was. I was equally obsessed with not letting any of the main characters die. There are numerous outcomes to the endgame, all of which are effected by the choices you make and who survives to the end of the game.

STORY (9/10)

Heavy Rain has an excellent plot. The city is being terrorized by a serial killer known as the Origami Killer. The Origami Killer kidnaps young boys and kills them after so many days have elapsed. He leaves origami animals at the scenes where he abducts his victims. You assume the roles of 4 different characters all of whom are tied to the origami killer in some way or another. There is Ethan Mars, a loving father who lost his oldest son to a car accident. His youngest boy has recently been kidnapped by the Origami Killer and he must race against time to try and save him. There is FBI Agent Jayden who has been sent to the local precinct to help the cops profile the killer ala Criminal Minds. There is the hardnosed ex cop turned detective Scott Shelby, who has been hired by to look into the Origami Killer case. Then finally there is Madison, an attractive young woman who is investigating the murders for reasons that are not revealed initially. While playing the game, you get the sense that anyone, even the main characters, can wind up being the Origami Killer.

You do not have control over which character you assume control of. In fact, you take turns on who you are controlling as the plot is unfolded through the eyes of these four individuals. While the game has its moments of disbelief, it is impressive when it all comes together at the end. One of the coolest things is how the lives of the other characters are affected by each character’s actions. In my first playthrough, I was unable to save one of the characters and he wound up being killed. Later in the game, another one of the characters was being accused of murder as a result of the character that died not being around to share evidence that would clear his name. Small details like this really enhance the game’s sense of immersion.

SOUND (8/10)

The brooding soundtrack of this game is excellent. It really helps convey the dreariness of the constant rainfall and the urgency to find Ethan Mars’ son. The music does an excellent job of setting the mood throughout the game while avoiding becoming overly cheesy and melodramatic. Occasionally, I experienced glitches where the sound would cut out or just the music would cut out and it really took me out of the game. There were even a few instances where it caused me to miss some key dialogue.

The voice acting in this game is pretty good overall. Some of the characters seem to be voiced by European actors who are badly trying to hide their accents while speaking in an American accent. Sometimes this gets a bit disturbing as their accent fades in and out. In the big scheme of things, it is not that important but it does take away from the game as it happens fairly often.

GRAPHICS (9/10)

Heavy Rain has some incredible graphics. The player models all look very detailed and about as lifelike as you can get in a game. The environments are all well fleshed out to really help contribute to the overall beauty of the game. Likewise, the water and rain effects seen throughout the game are flat out impressive. It is one of the few games I’ve seen in which water moves and flows like it is supposed to.

Despite all of this graphical praise, the game is not without its flaws. Sometimes the transition from gameplay to cutscenes is way too noticeable due to the difference in graphics between the in game characters and how they are depicted in the cutscenes. There are also random glitches where your character may get stuck on a wall or a step. When I first played the game, the opening scene had this wierd rainbow pattern all over my character. It finally went away in the next scene, but it just feels like these types of occurences happen a bit too often for a finished retail version of a game.

REPLAYABILITY (9/10)

For a game with no multiplayer componenet, Heavy Rain has a ton of replay value. Each decision impacts how the stroy will play out, so naturally there are quite a few ways to finish the game depending on your previous in game actions. Die hard fans will want to pay through every possible scenario in order to unlock all of the possible endings. There are just so many choices that can affect the game’s outcome and it should keep most people quite busy trying to figure them all out.

The game also features a chapter select option in which you can choose to replay specific chapters to see the effects of making different choices. There is also some planned DLC cming for this game in the near future. Another major replay bonus is trying to catch all of the clues that you missed the first time through. After I finished the gmae and found out who the killer was, I immediately started another playthrough to see if there were any signs indicating the killer’s identity. It is in the little details like this that willl keep people playing this game trying to unlock all of the possible scenarios.

OVERALL (9/10)

Overall I think this is an excellent game with a very strong plot. I was a bit skeptical at first as to how they would work everything out, but QWuantic Dreams seems to have found a solid formula for this type of game. I can’t wait to see their future offerings on similar type games as I can easily see this type of game becoming its own genre or even revolutionizing the way we play games in general. This game seems like the next step in bridging the gap between quality cinema and quality gaming. Hopefully more developers will help to evolve this style of game as the possibilities are endless.