 WOW! An Amazing Game |
| Review Date: March 11, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Allen, Japan |
The Ps3 exclusives just keep getting better and better. Heavy Rain is simply and amazing game. It's and whole new experience that is a little bit different for everyone because of all the choices have and the decisions you can make in the game. I'm on my second play through and am now just seeing how different the game can be when you make different decisions. It's like being longest movie ever with the best storyline ever and you can control everything that happens. The visuals are incredible, and the action scenes are so intense.
In conclusion...buy Heavy Rain!
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Something fresh!
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| Review Date: March 11, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jeremy R. Vinyard-houx, CO USA |
| Didn't even buy it from Amazon, but loved it so much I thought I would leave a review. This is one of those games that has multiple endings based on the actions you do, the best I've seen so far, I want to inform prospective buyers though that I was able to beat the game over the course of a week on a rental (between classes, and doing other stuff). Be that as it may, it had me thoroughly engaged the entire time and really gets you into the story and the game play, as simple as a first glance may make it seem, actually got my heart pumping at certain tense moments. I did pretty well on my first play through of the game, unlocking a lot of the content. So, I don't think I'm going to buy it, but certainly commend it and recommend it to anyone who is interested in unlocking every possible outcome, or going to share it with friends or family. Bottom line if you own a PS3 your missing out if you don't play it at some point. It definitely ears is M rating with lots of adult content, but handles it in such a sophisticated way. As a final note, if you like games like this you might like the PS2 game Shadow of Destiny (in it you solve the murder of your own death, while not as good, it is a fun game to get you thinking, it has time travel and such). |
Something different
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| Review Date: March 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: JTW, USA |
No doubt by now, you have an idea about what this game is about, so there's no need for me to go over that. If you want something different, then this game is for you. I mostly play shooters, FPS or 3PS. I don't care for sports or driving (cars, bikes, skateboards, etc.) games, so HR was a welcome addition to my game collection. It's really what I consider to be an interactive movie. It's not an open environment, in fact it's fairly linear, but depending on how you respond in certain situations will dictate how the story unfolds.
Graphics
The facial graphics are just amazing. The facial close-ups will blow you away, but like what a lot of reviewers have already said, some of the background items look really clunky. Overall, though, the graphics are amazing.
Controls
Awkward. I haven't felt like throwing my controller in a looooong time, but I did while playing HR. This is the reason why I only gave it four stars for 'fun'. You get directional cues that pop up on screen when you walk by something to be examined. This is when you hit a button or push the stick in a certain direction. You may have to to turn around and walk by something several times before you can get everything to work just right.
Re-play
I don't usually re-play too many games and since this is a murder mystery, the re-play value, to me anyway, is nil.
Sound
Great. It really adds to the suspense.
Story
Good, but remember, these are game makers that have made an interactive movie, not Spielberg, Tarantino, or Shyamalan that made a game. It's not perfect, but I still enjoyed it.
Camera
Also awkward. You play the game from a third person point of view. Sometimes the directional cues that popped up were obscured by objects on the screen. I knew I had to do something at certain places, but I couldn't see the directional cues clearly when they popped up. You can change the POV a little, but I like to be able to look all the way around me when I play. You can really only look in the direction your body is pointing. If you want to look behind or far to the left or right, you have to actually turn your character around.
Content
Very mature. This is not for the kiddies. Mind the M+17 rating.
HR isn't perfect, but if you want something different, definitely give it a try.
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One word.. Intense
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| Review Date: March 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: C. Jordan, Rheinland-Pflaz, Germany |
** May contain spoilers **
One of the most intense, and interactive games I have played yet on PS3. The story was so good, I was on the edge of my seat for over half of my playthrough.
One of only gripes I have, is that moving around can be extremely clumsy sometimes. The most frustrating thing I ran into was during the second trial, trying to crawl through the tunnel and all I could do was run into walls or turn around until time ran out. Also, just walking around in the environments can be pretty clumsy and I found myself running into things or veering off alot without meaning to.
Be warned that there is alot of adult themes going on here such as child violence, nudity (male and female), drug use, and mental illnesses. That said, definitely not for kids.
Final word: This game is intense, riveting, and well made. I hope that if you are into this kind of game, you enjoy it as much as I did. |
A good foundation for the next installment...
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: The Loud Mouth, |
First of, The game being a PS3 exclusive title, is a must buy for all PS3 owners out there. The developers tried to deliver a new kind of experience with this title and it's an experience like no other so far.
The review...
Presentation - (4/5)
The game was presented in a drama/suspense thriller and the delivery is consistent with the genre.
Mature Content - (4/5)
The developers were able to justify a mature content out of the game's story. The unbalanced psychological and sexual themes were integrated well within the game. It aint cheap. It certainly acknowledges the market for mature games.
Story - (3/5)
The story was interesting enough. Very typical of the genre but it isn't a New York Time's best seller quality stuff.
Graphics - (3/5)
Don't get me wrong... the graphics are topnotch but some of the on-screen elements ruined the masterpiece aspect of the visuals w/ some low-res objects and crowd that seemed like from THE SIMS. It felt like the project was forcibly wrapped up to meet the commercial launch.
Sounds - (3/5)
The musical scoring was good enough to give the game the drama/Suspense-thriller feel. The voice acting were good in general with the exception of some mediocre voice talents.
Controls - (4/5)
The control scheme was refreshing. The game maximized the functionalities of the six-axis controller. The controls worked well but still it aint perfect. On rare occassions, the button response at times were slow.
Replay Value - (4/5)
The idea of having several ways to end the game is a proven formula for eliciting repeated gameplays. I have unlocked several epilogues already and I'm sure I'll be able to unlock more on my next play through.
Downloadable Content - (2/5)
"The Taxidermist" episode was made available thru the v1.0.1 game patch and it took me 4 hours to complete the download. But when I try to play the downloaded episode on the Downloaded Content menu, the game quits and connects to the PSN Store where it displays no content. I deleted the content and tried to download it again but the issue has not yet been resolved. I've read that other people were able to play the game though.
Overall Score - (3/5)
In summary, the game was able to deliver and met some of the high expectations. Was it good enough? A lackluster Yes! An exclusive title this heavily hyped is expected to deliver strong on every aspect and came up short in some of the critical areas of the game. Quantic Dreams was able to set a firm foundation for the next installment and should focus on addressing the issues and weakpoints of the game. With some refinements on the next installment, commercial success is guaranteed and the GOTY award won't be a farfetched idea. |
I think we have an emergency!
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Marella, |
Pointless nudity, violence against children, and voice acting that rivals Sega-AM2's Shenmue series. Scenes that have a problems with framerate that slow down the experience. On top of all of that, the serial killer was obvious when the character was introduced.
Some of the acting here is fairly decent. There are SOME awesome actors here, I'm suprised Pascal Langdale didn't win an oscar for his amazing performance as Ethan Mars. BUT, Judi Beecher, JUDI BEECHER is terrible; like she's never had a character role in her life. Her lines are monotone and without feeling. She hardly sells the Madison character.
Quantic Dream threw in some unimportant characters with undeveloped storylines to distract you from the terrible plot with enough holes to fill The Boeing Plant. The ending plot twist was predictable and cliche. I won't even bother going into detail. There's really nothing to talk about here.
Overall, this movie would be worth a rental. It's a film that drags out of a'bit too much.. there are far too many scenes that don't progress the story, lame minor characters that have no connection to the plot; scenes of Ethan brushing his teeth or playing with nick-nacks merely there to increase the duration of the film. Horrible. |
A touching and a very special game
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Y. Canneva, MTL |
| I had been expecting the release of Heavy Rain for PS3 since its announcement at the E3 exposition a few years ago. I had been totally hooked by Quantic Dream's previous game, Indigo Prophecy for PS2, XBOX, PC and Gamecube. So, if you played that game and liked it, I can garantee that you will love Heavy Rain. The story is very solid and the fact that your actions actually control the unfolding of this story is probably the strongest appeal of this game. But Heavy Rain wouldn't be a success if the characters weren't likeable or interesting. But luckily they are just that. As the game progresses, you, as the player, become emotionnally tied with these characters. At first, I didn't think I would care about the four fictionnal characters present in the game, but thanks to the thought mechanic that you can access with a press of the L2 button, the connection between the character and the player is established fairly quickly. Also, regarding the gameplay, I really liked how natural and logical the quick time events were. Sometimes the game can be challenging, but rarely frustrating, except for the camera, which, for some scenes, seems to be placed awkwardly. There's so much to discover in the world of Heavy Rain that one playthrough is not enough to discover all of its secrets. You can replay the whole story taking different moral decisions if you want to see the other possible endings. In conclusion, I'd like to say that this game is not for every body out there because it deals with a lot of mature themes and that this game is a very unique one and also one of my favorite games of all times! |
nothing like it...
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: K. Payne, canaduh |
This game gives a whole new meaning to interactive gaming!!!!
i must say that there isn't much out there like this game... it's an interesting, unique and fresh concept for a video game let lone your average fantasy, war, racing games which sony seems to keep pumping out. This game is like The Sims meets 7even meets Crash...
I have been playing for about 5 hours today since picking it up, and had to let others know how unreal this game is... the graphics are impressive and with about 20 possible endings you get plenty of hours of play out of this game. i've owned a ps3 since January and 13 games later this is the first game i've bought brand new and it was worth every penny...
for those that buy this game not knowing all the possible endings and are quick to sell it...pick it up, it's your gain... even if you pay full retail for it, it's very well worth it...
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This Is Only My Opinion
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: B. Alexander, Crofton, MD United States |
Heavy Rain is one of the most massively over-hyped games to be released in years on any platform. I bought into the hype to the tune of $60, as anticipation of this game was one of the top reasons I finally purchased a PS3 over the past Holidays. My overall opinion is that you should RENT this one first.
As you can read in most of the reviews posted here, this game definitely has sharp graphics, character animations, voice-acting, and music. My response is, so what?? This is 2010, so any game that is not strong in these categories is pretty much dead in the water. Giving praise to Heavy Rain for achieving what should be expected nowadays on the current generation of hardware seems a bit like holding a graduation ceremony after every grade of school, or giving the kiddies loser trophies to make them feel like winners. Oh yeah, we do that now, don't we!!
The Quick Time Event (QTE) cut-scenes are very well-crafted for the most part, presenting much more lengthy and detailed button sequences than those presented in some recent games such as Resident Evil 4. The QTE scenes reminded me of those awesome old-school Dragon's Lair and Space Ace arcade games, which I probably pumped over $50 worth of quarters into each as a kid.
My two largest issues with Heavy Rain are that its characters lack depth and substance, and that the story contains so many plot-holes that the narrative often became frustratingly nonsensical and hard to follow; at least it was for me. These flaws can be overlooked in a button-mashing or first-person-shooter action game like God of War or Call of Duty, but it is completely inexcusable in a game that is presented as an interactive thriller / mystery like Heavy Rain.
As for lack of substance, depth or emotion in the characters, all you have to do is compare the actual Heavy Rain game with the mind-blowing "Prototype: The Casting" trailer that becomes available to you about halfway through the game as bonus material. I'm talking about the trailer where Mary Smith the housewife talks directly to the camera in the kitchen. It is absolutely amazing, but unfortunately, it has absolutely nothing to do with the actual Heavy Rain game, nor is it anything like the actual game. Funny how the Gamespot website uses Mary's image with the gun in her hand from that teaser trailer as the main screen shot for their Heavy Rain review page. Lie much do you, video game mass media hype machine???
I looked on YouTube, and that Heavy Rain teaser came out almost 4 years ago. It was clearly meant to deceive gamers into thinking that THIS is what Heavy Rain was actually going to offer in the department of character depth and emotion, something that would have rivaled, if not surpassed that of live-action movies. Nope, sorry gamers, we gotcha good with the old bait and switch!!!
The most dreadful part of Heavy Rain is the multitude of gigantic plot-holes and broken narrative in the story. The manipulation, deception and border-line lies on the part of the game-makers reminded me of the worst of David Fincher or M. Night Shamalama-ding-dong movies. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but you should not have to completely check your brain at the door before engaging in a psychological thriller such as "The Game", or "The Sixth Sense", nor should have you be forced to do so in a video game like Heavy Rain.
There may be a fine line between a red herring in a mystery story, and an unfair plot deception, but my opinion is that the makers of Heavy Rain went well out of their way to make the narrative unreasonable, and this severely detracted from the game experience for me. I often found myself asking questions like, "Why is this character here now, when it was a different character that just received the clue in the previous scenes?" or "How does this character even know that character?" or "How did this character do that horrible deed, when I was in control of them for all but a few seconds in that one particular scene??"
In summary, Heavy Rain boasts sharp graphics, animations, voice-acting and musical scores, and its QTE cut-scenes work well. However, the lack of character substance and poorly-crafted story made this game overall a major let-down for me. Playing this game was like pounding cool-looking square pegs into cool-looking round holes with a cool-looking hammer, while the pegs and hammer made cool sounds, and cool music was playing. In other words, I found Heavy Rain to be relatively entertaining for a while, but ultimately for me, it was a pointless exercise, and a waste of about 10-12 hours.
This game is the perfect example of a title you should RENT FIRST, NOT BUY.
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Best PS3 Game of 2010 thus far!
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Adam Soltani, Oklahoma City, OK |
(NO SPOILERS)
Have you ever sat at the edge of your seat and screamed out in a movie theatre for the characters on screen hoping that they would come out on top? Have you ever squirmed at the thought of what a main character in a film or on tv would have to do to save someone they love? Have you ever felt so emotionally involved in a film or television series that you had to know how things end, otherwise you wouldn't be able to sleep at night?
If your answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you get just a glimpse of the kind of emotional rollercoaster that Heavy Rain takes one through. Heavy Rain, as games go, does start out rather slow, however, the slick visuals and interesting environment kept me engaged until the pace quickened. One thing for sure, is that, once the pace does pick up in this game, it will keep your eyes glued to the screen and you will not want to put the controller down until you complete the game. So, be it a fair warning to any of you who, like myself, hold down other responsibilities in life... Make sure you leave at least 1 - 2 hours per sitting, if not more, to sit down and play this game, otherwise you may not be able to put the controller down.
Graphics: Some of the best I have ever seen in a video game. At times, I found the visuals and environment to be more engaging than many hollywoood films I have seen. The characters are lifelike, the environments are alive, and the amount of characters you can see on screen at one time are rather unbelievable. The only issue I noticed while playing the game was that the characters, at times, moved in an akward manner. Other than that, I give the graphics 10/10.
Controls: Control scheme is simple, yet effective. Anyone from a non-gamer to a pro-gamer can pick this game up and have fun. Therein lies a problem for some, in that with such simple controls, this game plays out more like a Quick Time Event game than a video game, such as Grand Theft Auto or the like. Therefore, if a person doesn't feel comfortable giving up their immense in-world gaming freedom, they may not feel comfortable with this control scheme. If, however, you are willing to try something different, you will be in store for a great time. Controls 6/10.
Story: Storyline is the absolute best I have seen in a game to date. I have been blown away by game storylines as of late, recently completing Bioschock and Uncharted 2, and this by far is the most in-depth, engaging, and shocking storyline I have ever seen in a video game. One word of caution to those with kids: This is a very mature game, and handles very mature subject matter. This game basically would equate to a R-rated film, so let that be your guide. Story 10/10.
If you are looking to have one of the most fun and exhilirating experiences that currently exists on the PS3, don't pass up Heavy Rain. |
Revolutionary experience
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Rene, Los Angeles, CA United States |
This game is brilliant and completely warrants a PS3 purchase alone. It is the new step in the evolution of digital entertainment and must be experienced by all adult ps3 gamers. Younger than 18 need not apply.
Dark, brutal at times, emotional. I dont think Ive ever played a game with such emotion. I found myself legitimately sad after my ending, which was one of the more tragic ones, being that the main characters can die. However, I was satisfied with my ending, because thats what it was , MY ending.
This game also looks jaw dropping in most respects.
I am so glad I was able to experience such a thing. This has to be one of the greatest cinematic experiences (video game or otherwise) that Ive ever seen.
This game deserves its universal acclaim.
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Storytelling evolved or flawed experiment?
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Cloud, Canada |
Unlike movies where there's not a whole lot of progression outside of digital effects, gaming has a very noticeable evolving of the medium from either graphics, seamless changes from cutscene to gameplay or just different types of games. But in regards to linear storylines like Final Fantasy XIII or "Good or Bad" of Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain is different in that is wants to make a storyline that constantly evolves where not everything will bring about the obvious results and there will be consequences for every action you make. While at times choice can come down to simply "you either saw this or you didn't", Quantic Dream loves to tell entirely story-driven games with quicktime events mainly and of course this can cause divisive opinions: a game that plays itself or a unique way to tell a story without having difficulty curves, hard bosses or combo systems. With dark subject matter, sex and nudity, violence and a film-noir tone not to mention a huge amount of hype, can Heavy Rain reach a wider audience than say, God of War 3? Hope it does since it'd be cool to see more of these kind of games. Game isn't flawless though and I kind of wish it was considering how well it does everything else.
Story: My god the story, easily the best thing about the game. Great characters, way better directed than Indigo Prophecy (camera angle wise) and those of you who love murder mysteries will love this. Basically the story is about the Origami Killer, a serial killer whose MO involves kidnapping young boys who are then found roughly 3-4 days later with an orchid on their chest and an origami in their hand. You play as 4 characters, Ethan Mars, Madison Paige, Scott Shelby and Norman Jayden who all have their reasons for going after the Origami Killer. But depending on your actions, not everyone will live but you'll uncover more of the story if everyone's living so do your best to keep them alive.
Graphics: Indigo Prophecy even on a PC had a weird grainy quality, graphics looked slightly fuzzy but it looked well enough. Well ho.lee.crap did Quantic Dream take a leap forward with Heavy Rain. Aside from the "uncanny valley" quality, the game quite frankly looks stunning and there's so much attention to detail especially in the sets that it seems they spent so much attention to make these places look like actual places and that can also apply to the characters such as the loading screens and even smaller touches such as the water dripping off a body after taking a shower and of course rain is constant outside which also has a great look. One weird minor thing was that a lower brightness made a really David Fincher-esque lighting where it looked incredibly moody yet it was hard to see yet higher brightness made everything looked even more awesome but lost the lighting atmosphere low brightness did. But that's me.
Sound/Music: Also really pleasant is the music which can be haunting and almost tranquil with piano but then it can get really intense which really makes the more action-y set pieces even more energetic. But where it's going to divide people is in the voice acting which doesn't quite have the same quality the storyline demands. The voice actors can range from really well-done (Norman Jayden might be your new favorite character) whereas other characters kind of have a weird flat tone, almost as if what they say is disconnected from where they actually are. These are mainly found in the "L2 choices" where holding L2 brings up a list of things your character can think which at times can just not sound right. But there's a huge number of voice actors so you're going to see a whole range of good to great character voices.
Gameplay: In one way, I can describe Heavy Rain as a hardcore gamer that casuals can play. While this isn't as banal or empty as most casual titles, you don't necessarily have to be a frequent gamer to play Heavy Rain. The bulk of the game is QTE-driven where you either do an analog motion with your right analog a la God of War, face buttons, Sixaxis movements or your shoulder buttons. For example, getting up out of bed might be Up, drying yourself off after a shower will require some controller shaking or using your hands can be shoulder buttons. Where it can get tricky is using a lot of these at a given time. For example, in one scene you have to tend to a baby in which you lift baby up with R1 and work on the diaper with the analog while still holding R1 and that doesn't even include some of the more complex uses. But they're a vast improvement over Indigo Prophecy where a Simon-Says type display was on screen and you had to use your analog sticks in a certain direction or your mouse which usually resulted in confusion as to which side required what action.
The other part to Heavy Rain and unlike the quicktime events, something that wasn't fixed is the walking controls. Here you hold down R2 which makes you walk forward while the left analog controls the direction. For any who have played old school Resident Evil will find it's somewhat similar in that one button moves character forward while you steer but where it gets unwieldy is trying to navigate the environment only for your character to re-enter a room because you didn't properly steer them towards the other door. Be prepared for a lot of turning and re-turning in a specific spot trying to get the QTE prompt to show up. Also one thing people may not like is that there's no run. You walk the entire game in these scenes and unlike Indigo Prophecy where environments were at least a bit open, there's not a whole lot of room in this game to run anyway but to walk so slowly to where you need to go only for cutscene to activate and have character sprinting seems odd.
One thing that I do like about the story (just to re-visit that for a minute) is that your decisions will not always bring about the most obvious outcome. Mass Effect 2 had a problem with this where regardless if a character was completely mean and anti-you, having a paragon choice completely turned a character around and he just walked away from you. One scene in Heavy Rain, there's a scene where as the detective Shelby, you're trying to get information from a prostitute about her son who was one of the Origami Killer's victims. One dialogue option makes Shelby be very tactless and very blunt about her indifferent attitude and she decides yeah, you're right, you do got a point and decides to open up. Another scene you decide to get on a convenience store clerk's good side but he throws it right in your face and completely calls you out on your BS which can result in not getting anywhere. This can set up added pressure where characters can be affected by the littlest things or biggest things. My only complaint is that this doesn't mean the game will wildly deviate with your choices. Like in the above convenience store example, a robber comes in intent on getting some cash. This can result in one of 3 scenarios: you sneak up on him and knock him out, you get caught only to then knock him out or convince him to leave the store. I did the last 2 and I still got the same result but in certain other scenarios you can do actions that will completely change the ending.
How appropriate it is that Heavy Rain comes out within a month of the looooong yet linear Final Fantasy XIII and the short but linear God of War 3. Seems like a big month for the Playstation 3 and unlike those other 2 where you can be into that style or not, I'll wholeheartedly recommend Heavy Rain not only because you don't often play this type of game much but also because it helps support the whole "sequelitis" thing going on that lets unique games that become successful potentially inspires them to try new things too. But really you can be into this game by surprise or just not find it your style but definately play it. |
Edge of Your Seat!
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Samantha B. Peterson, Oklahoma City, OK, USA |
| Great game, keeps my husband (who plays it) and me (who watches it) glued to the tv. Engaging plot, characters developed in a way you want to know their stories, and some very tense parts of LIFE or DEATH! Image quality great, but some controls are awkward (my husbands reasoning for four stars instead of five) and we had an issue with sound in cut scenes. Heard others had sound problem, too, so it may be the game. A little bit of lag during some game play sequences. But this is THE coolest game I have ever watched! |
Da Stuff Games are made of!!!
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| Review Date: March 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Alfred Mixon, Korea, USA |
| Short review:Best game I played in a while, Hands down! I was so drawn by the story. Great game can't wait for part 2. This is the direction a lot of games are going to be moving towards in the years to come. This is the 2010 people, this is how games should be looking now adays. |
Not a video game...a video experience
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Brian Reaves, Anniston, AL USA |
This game truly left me breathless on more than one occasion. While not a button masher like some fighting game or a shoot-em-up like Halo, this is a cinematic experience that is unlike anything else I've ever seen. Every single decision you make has some effect on another part of the game. The split-second decisions you make will lead your storyline down a path that you cannot undo. While there may be moments in a discussion when you can take your time to plan out your next question, some situations require literally a two-second choice and the wrong one changes everything.
The soundtrack to this game was like something you'd hear in a movie somewhere. The plot twists were incredible, and when the Origami Killer's true identity was revealed...I was speechless. The move was so clever it made me question everything I'd seen up until that point. You'll be fighting for your life one moment and if you lose, your character will die. If that character dies, you continue on without them, but they might have had some pivotal purpose later and you desperately needed them.
The replay value on this is unprecedented. You can immediately replay the game and instantly change your story completely. While the identity of the killer will remain the same, you'll still find so many places to change the story and it'll be like watching an entirely new movie.
Fair warning, this game earns its "M" rating. The language here is not for children, and there is the potential for a few racy scenes (it's all in the decisions you make). Still, for an overall experience that will change the way you perceive a video game, this is unbeatable. |
Great game, but not for everybody
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Drews, Fountain Valley, CA |
I realized when I first heard about this game, that this is the type of game that I will love. I love the idea of making decisions that affect the world around me, and that it had adult themes. I loved that it was not the usual shooter, RPG, or Science Fiction game. It was something completely different, and I found that refreshing. There are some issues with the game, but the game is a welcome change to all of the other games out there. Here are what I thought were the pros and cons:
PROS:
Heavy decisions. Some of the decisions were honestly hard to make for me. I loved that feeling of what certain decisions would have on me.
No "Game Over". I love that the game just continues if you fail at certain things, or do not do certain things, or even if a character dies.
ARI. This is what the detective uses to investigate a crime scene. This was the only, small sci-fi part, but I loved it. It was cool to work with it, and see it in action. Great idea. I wish I was able to use it even more!
Timed Responses. I loved that I only had a specific period of time to make a decision. I know this is nothing new, but it is always welcome.
Emotions. Believe me or not, but this was the first game that I ever played that I seemed to actually care for characters. I could feel certain pain, and happiness. This probably is because I recently became a new father, but it was very emotional at times for me.
Replay Value. After I finished my first play-through I immediately wanted to try different things to see different results and endings. I have never really felt a need to play a game a second time until Heavy Rain. Also, it has downloadable content. My amazon purchase gave me the first episode free, which I have played through twice already. It was a short, but very nerve-wracking experience. I can't wait for more episodes.
Graphics. The graphics were stunning many areas, including how characters moved. Everything seemed natural. There were a few tiny hiccups, but I loved the look of the game.
Mature Content. It was nice to see mature content done in non explicit manner in a game. What I mean about "mature content" has nothing to do with age, or simply nudity. It deals with real emotions, and real characters. It's more then simply anger and humor that many other games only deal with. I really enjoyed this.
Automatic Saves: I loved how the game saved automatically, specifically after certain decisions. Yes, I could go back and choose the chapter over again, but what's the fun in that?
CONS:
QTEs. If you don't like Quick Time Events, where you have to do certain movements quickly, this will be frustrating for you. This is a very large part of the game. I didn't mind it, but this could be a huge con for some people.
Graphic Stutters: I noticed a few graphic stutters. The game also crashed on me once. Luckily the game saved automatically right before. Apparently, this does not affect all copies, however.
Game Length: The game is short. It probably took me about 7 hours my first playthrough. If all you are looking for is one playthrough, don't care about DLC, then I strongly suggest to rent this game.
Voice Acting: Simply put, the voice acting is terrible for the most part. There is real emotion there, but you can easily tell that English is not most of the characters main language. That took away a little bit from the believability of the game. Some people have actually suggested playing in French with English subtitles to make it more believable.
Character Movement: I had a lot of trouble with the movement of the characters at certain parts of the game. I would push one way and the character might go another. Also, when the camera changed angles, you have to change the way you are directing the character. This became annoying after a while.
1 challenge: There was 1 particular challenge, which I do not want to give away, but it took me completely out of the story and made me completely aware that I was playing a video game. It was very much like a normal video game. It seemed very out of place to me, and I thought it could of been done a lot better.
In the end, I loved the game. The Pros completely outweighed the cons for me. I love the real life of the game, and the difference from all the other games out there. I am excited to see the difference between endings. I have only seen 3 of them so far, and from what I understand there are 22. |
Make Choices, Face the Consequences (No Spoilers)
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Steven Herring, |
| Let me start by saying that this is a great game. There exists not a more thrilling plot in gaming. It doesn't play like a normal game, it is more like an interactive movie. That didn't bother me at all. The quick time events in this game are very stressful. I never thought that pushing buttons that pop up on the screen could be so fun but it is. There are some problems in the controls though. The walking in the game sometimes gets inverted when the camera changes. It's nothing too bothersome, but it is annoying. The facial animations are some of the best I've ever seen in a game. The emotion in this game is amazing. It really helps you connect to these characters and feel their pain. Some of the environments could have been done better though. The objects in the game are not well done, almost ps2 quality. Thankfully the characters are very well done so it distracts you from the low res objects that appear around them. The story has a lot of twists and turns that changes based on the choices you make. There are multiple endings and it really helps the replay value, as you try to achieve them all. Heavy Rain feels more like a Hollywood suspense thriller then a video game, but don't let that scare you away from one of the most engrossing games of the current generation. |
Chinatown meets Silence of the Lambs
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: N. Bishop, |
If you're a fan of dark, Noire-type murder mystery, then this is the game for you.
I just finished this game for about the 3rd or 4th time, and I want to go back and play again to get all of the different scenarios / endings, so I will make a quick pros and cons review.
Pros:
Atmosphere - Beautiful. The game starts off with some beautiful set pieces in daylight, but then becomes much darker and grittier as the story progresses. Much like in games like Silent Hill, these dark and depressing looking locations will disturb you, while at the same time attracting you in some deep way. I spent much of the game exploring areas that I knew would not move the game or the story along in any way. I just simply wanted to see all that there was to see of this beautiful game.
Music - Incredible score. The music moved me emotionally during the sad and beautiful scenes, and it really amped up the intensity during the intense, action-filled scenes. I purchased the soundtrack on itunes directly after finishing the game.
Story - I can't recall the last time I played a game where I cared so much about the characters and what they were going through. The sad endings made me truly sad, and the happy endings made me feel truly happy.
Replayability - I have never seen so many branching scenarios and different endings in a game before. It is insane how many times you can replay this game without ever having the exact same experience.
Graphics - The graphics can seem inconsistent in their quality at times, but mostly the game is a marvel to look at. In some ways (particularly the character faces), this is the best looking console game to date.
Cons:
Slow Start - To be clear, this is not so much a con for me because I understand that they had to have a calmer, happier time in the character's life at the beginning of the game to establish how happy his life was at first. However, these days you have far too many gamers who will toss something aside if it has a slow start, so it probably wasn't the best decision to make in those terms. My solution would have been to shorten the amount of time it took for the "real game" to begin.
Voice acting - European actors trying to do english voice-overs. Not good. They probably should have just had the game take place in Europe if they weren't planning on casting American voice actors.
Gameplay - It's not all bad. I'm just talking about the walking. You walk by holding down the R2 button. I don't understand the decision behind simply not allowing us to move around with the left analog stick. Trying too hard to be original?
Plotholes? - Not really sure... it just seems that by the end of the game, there were a lot of weird behaviors and such from the characters that seem contradictory. The story became so complex that not everything was explained, and some explanations seemed, again, contradictory.
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Despite the cons, at the end of the game my heart was saying "5 star experience. Bravo!". This isn't a game for everyone. In fact, I'm not really sure I would even categorize the game as "fun". I would say it's an enthralling, interactive and engaging experience that will make it so that people who enjoy good, emotional stories with characters that they can really connect to will not want to turn off the game until completion. It draws you, and it's the kind of experience that will stay with you long after you're done.
Well done, David Cage and everyone else at Quantic Dream. This game deserves much success.
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W-O-W
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: SnS, Crossville, TN |
There is very little in the gaming world that is new. Game A comes out and someone says, "Game A is like Game B." or "Game A plays like Game B, but with hints of Game C". There is really nothing wrong with that, because this mash-up of popular titles makes for some still very enjoyable games that will keep you glued to the screen for hours. However, every once in a rare while, a game comes out that has no real ties to any games prior. It's unique, it's different.......and all too frequently, it's slaughtered before the creators have a chance to build on it. Enter Stage Left: Heavy Rain.
Is this "game" an action-packed powerhouse of edge of your seat moments? No. Is it an RPG with dazzling special effects? No. In fact the only thing you can really say with any certainty is, "Heavy Rain is among the most unique experiences on any console to date." Now that can read two ways depending on your mindset. A) You are of the mind that because this doesn't have items, leveling, inventory, or even a set sotryline; that it is, therefore, boring. If that is your mindset, fine. Avoid this game. B) You are a gamer that is always looking to experience something new and visceral. You read reviews that have a hard time categorizing this in any particular genre and that alone intrigues you. If that is your mindset, fine. Buy this game immediately.
Ultimately, the gameplay is simply a series of button presses and motions that mimics movements of the characters on screen. That is it. Depending on the choices you make and the effectiveness of your reactions, your story plays out. There is no "You are dead. Reload from last save point? Yes/No". Your character dies and the story continues to play on as if that was what was intended the whole time. Game time itself is rather short, probably clocking in at about a day's worth of gaming. However, to really see all the game has to offer, you really should playthrough many different times. Honestly, for me, being able to playthrough a game more than once and get a different story.....a completely different story, each time; makes this not, as one reviewer called it "A movie you pay sixty dollars to see", but rather multiple movies you pay sixty dollars to see.
The graphics are the pay dirt of this game. The facial expressions, lip-syncing, everything is so amazingly vivid and crisp that it really makes you wonder sometimes if this is indeed a movie or a game. Even more amazing is the fact that as amazing as the graphics are, there is no frame-rate drop to be seen. Even in the most hectic of scenes. Textures are full and vibrant with reactions and movements that are fully believable.
The plot is fantastic. Really that is all I can say since, apart from the very start of the game, your experience playing may yield a plot much different than mine. However, I will say, whoever wrote the script for this game is a real talent.
Ultimately, Heavy Rain is different, and as such will be a love or hate it game. There is very little out there that I can compare to that would give you an accurate idea of what the game is. "Interactive Drama" seems to sum it up nicely and far be it for me to try to outdo Quantic Dream in describing their own game. If you are on the fence and not sure about whether you'll like it, then by all means rent it. Personally, for me, I pre-ordered it and haven't regretted a single moment. I will say though, I cannot fathom how ANYONE who actually played this game through to completion could give this anything less than 3 stars. |
A movie that costs $60 to see
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: E. A. Ruiz, Boston, MA USA |
| As others have mentioned this is more an interactive movie than a game. Graphics are fantastic, but gameplay does not really exist - you walk and you press buttons that correspond with the screen prompts. That's all there is. I bought this to try and pass the time until Final Fantasy and God of War came out, but I probably won't be finishing the "game." |
would have been great 15 years ago
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. T. Slutz, Los Angeles, CA |
i really wanted to like this game. i really wanted to care about the characters. but i didn't and i couldn't. the characters are very two dimensional as other reviewers have commented on. i could live with that, but that's actually the game's smallest flaw. the controls are just plain horrible. it's extremely difficult to control the character and the system doesn't register when you press a button half the time. considering the game is entirely QTE button presses, that's a serious problem. i missed a lot of opportunities to expand the story because of that. in addition it's nearly impossible to see the on-screen prompts, and i'm playing on a 37" HDTV. they're like a quarter inch tall. that only added to the frustration. the final nail in the coffin was the story/dialog. atrocious. in a game that's supposed to suck you in with its story that's a fatal flaw. ever wanted to spend 10 minutes brushing your teeth and shaving in a video game? yea, me neither but heavy rain forces you to.
some will like this game. if it were released in the mid-90s heyday of FMV games i would have too. but in the ADD, over-caffeinated world of 2010 it commits the most egregious of errors: it's boring. |
Game of the Year
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| Review Date: March 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Tbear, Pittsburgh, PA |
| I have been playing video games since Pong back in the seventies. I can confidentally state that Heavy Rain is one of the most immersive, riveting and emotionally charged games I have ever played. This game is not for everyone, however. If you are the type that likes non-stop, guns-blazing action (though there is some of that) then this is not for you. This is definitely for mature players only. There is some nudity, there is some serious violence and there are some gut-wrenching, emotional scenes that are not for the meek. Character development is by far the best of any game I have seen, played or heard of. You will truly be invested in the well-being of each of 4 main characters. They are all beautifully fleshed out (literally and figuratively) and you will actually care what happens to each of them. The graphics artistry is masterful. The plot twists would make Alfred Hitchcock an instant video game fan, were he alive today. |
AWESOME!!
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| Review Date: March 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Maggie, Bethesda, MD USA |
| I'm a 25 year old female and I am absolutely in love with this game. I'm sure all the other reviewers have expressed all the unique & amazing qualities of this game time and time again; I simply wanted to assert that Heavy Rain is a great experience for us casual gamers as well. My boyfriend bought this and let me play the opening sequence for him, before the end of the night I had created my own profile on his PS3 and started my own game. For all you gamer guys who have girlfriends who don't understand your hobby, try getting them to play this... it will open anyone's eyes to the imaginative power of video games. |
Awesome Movie Game
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| Review Date: March 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jordan Portobanco, Fairfax, VA. |
| alright this game isnt for someone that wants to go around killing and blowing stuff up. this is much like watch an 8hour long movie that you can control. honestly its awesome for what it is. i totally think if you want to get something that doesnt take much skill and will totally suck you in this is the game for you. Even my wife, who by the way really doesnt play video games unless its singstar or rockband. totally got into it. it was easy enough for her to play but what counts is this one is the story. Dont get if you want to blow stuff up. but if you like story go for it. |
Good Concept ..Average Execution
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| Review Date: March 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: D. Coates, |
Like many others i was eagerly awaiting the release of Heavy Rain, it had gotten enough publicity over the past year and i have been watching the progress of it's development and finally i can review the game for myself now.
Firstly i was a huge fan of Indigo Prophecy for the original Xbox, and although the ending in that game was a jump the shark moment i enjoyed the concept of movie game play and so Heavy Rain is the next step in the next gen of this type of experimental genre.
The game itself has an interesting story, the characters are well enough developed that you do get the feeling of actually being involved in there own lives, the downside of this though has to do with the mundane of the characters lives, i know what the developers where attempting, but i think it falls into mundane having to fetch plates, take an inhaler and open a car door, what is odd about that is that the times you wish you could do something and move on your own free will to wherever you chose is not available, you are carried along a linear path with certain choices, some will be insignificant others more prevelant, but still at the crux of the game is that choices do have their causes and effects ( which is not a new concept ) however at times these choices are so disregarded you do get the sense that you are being pushed and along throughout the game which detracts from the overall your freedom and your choice experience.
Another set back to the game, and this is actually a Huge complaint is the stuttering, freezing and audio lapsing in the game, not everyone will experience this, depending on your console, but this is effectively enough to ruin an otherwise decent game, so before purchase my advice would be to make sure your console will be free of loading, frame rate problems prior to purchasing. It is a shame that this occurs and it has a big enough freeze rate that warrants a total shut down of the PS3. thereby losing any progress you may have had.
The reply ability in the game is very low, i cant imagine too many people playing this 9hr game after they complete it, trying different choices and seeing the sequence of events is not enough to lure me into another 9hr game play, along with the freezing frustration and the lack of real freedom in a game, if they managed to cross this game with an open world the game itself would probably be the best ever, however as it is this game falls flat.
The general atmosphere is fantastic, the gloomy places, the foreboding weather, the plain and sheer depressing state of several characters lives add to an overall sense of grit.
So overall this game is an average game, above average at best, losing points for freezing, frame rate, mundane and slow game play and being forced through the game and finally very low replay value.
On the plus side the atmosphere, concept, storyline and general depth of feeling is rewarding, its just a pity that there are also rather a large amount of downsides to this game that it fails to reach the greatness level the developers so desperately tried to achieve.
Rent this game first. |
Good graphics but gameplay UTTERLY ROTS.
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| Review Date: March 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Robert J. Buck, Boston MA |
| I am a big PS3 fan, so please, no flames. To be honest I chucked this game across the room in utter frustration. I hate the game. The graphics are what was anticipated, but there is not a whole lot of game play, and the controls for this game TOTALLY SUCK. I mean, if I could bat the creators over the skull, I would. The controls are horrific. If I say horrific, I mean, like it's worse than Dora the Explorer, or Barbie kids games (if you've tried running these you know what I mean, crud). This was an utter waste of money. I feel like IGN and others played it up just to boost its sales rather than rate it honestly. This STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Game is a Misnomer
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| Review Date: March 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: RMarkB, San Diego, CA |
It is not so much a game as it is a movie in which you make some relatively minor decisions about which direction the game will go. Rather than deciding which character needs to go where, and then doing that, the game pretty much makes the decison for you, and then you do some minor stuff once the game takes you there. That may be unfair, because I am only about 1/3 through, and maybe after I have played the entire game 2 or 3 times it will be clearer just how significant some decisions were. But right now, it is a big disappointment. Wish I'd bought Dante's Inferno instead.
The graphics are great, and the video is very smooth, at least on my system.
P.S. Why do I get the feeling that the glowing reviews of this game come primarily from Sony Executives? ;) |
Unlike Anything I've Played Before
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| Review Date: March 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. Pelletter, |
Sony does it again. This is a gimpse into the future of gaming. I have never felt so emotionally involved in a video game before. This is a must play for any serious gamer. Turn the lights down.
Sony's exclusive library shatters the 360. (uncharted, mlb the show, god of war, heavy rain)
A superior publisher on a superior machine. |
Uncharted territory, way beyond anything you've experienced(!) before
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| Review Date: March 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dr, Ecuador |
| One very important recommendation: If you're going to play this game more than once (and you should because it's like nothing you've played before -love it or hate it, but it truly is like nothing you've played before!) DO NOT WATCH THE BEGINNING OF THE CREDITS after you've finished the first time, you may find some spoilers... such as scenes of the game you didn't see while playing for the first time. |
Meeeehhhh....
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| Review Date: March 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: The Reviewer II, So. California |
This isn't really a game so much as an interactive movie, and it really isn't all that interactive. In theory, you are controlling what is going on, but most sequences are pre-determined and you are just mashing buttons away. I tested this theory out in a few fight sequences and the outcome was the same whether I mashed the buttons or not.
There are a few key decisions you can make which will change the "movie" which plays out as you hit buttons. However, most of the time you are not making decisions, but just hitting buttons to push the game along to the next scene.
If you're a fan of the old school adventure games of the 1980's and 1990's, this one isn't nearly as sophisticated as any of those. Again, it is just a lot of pretty graphics which plays out as you mash buttons, with few key decisions which do effect how the graphical movie plays out.
I guess the game is okay, but it just isn't that fun. I don't understand all the rave reviews on here. |
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