Review: Heavy Rain

Developer(s) 
Quantic Dream

Publisher(s)          
Sony Computer Entertainment

Engine          
Havok

Platform          
PlayStation 3

Release date          
February 2010

Genre(s)         
 Interactive drama

Mode(s)          
Single-player

Rating(s)          
BBFC: 15
ESRB: M
OFLC: MA15+
PEGI: 18


In today’s world, there are a lot of basic game releases going on and at some point it gets a little tiring overtime to see releases with familiar gameplays weather its FPS, RPG, JRPG, SPORTS or such.

But this game I will talk about dose not fall on usual gameplay releases. And I’m talking about Heavy Rain.

A few weeks ago, I invested a huge amount of hours just to finish off this game. Before buying this game, I had two main reasons why I picked it up, 1st it was about the “nude” controversy that restricted it to launch officially here in this country and 2nd I just want to know who’s the killer. Yet getting there will give you a lot of time to devote with all the explorations around you.

In the game, you interact with your surroundings and lead you to a different scenario. You will also control four main characters with their separate scenarios and they are as follows:

Norman Jayden: An FBI agent who’s in search for the Origami killer trying to connect the dots while he uses an advanced virtual technology device called ARI as his main tool (and a pretty neat tool too) while suffering a drug addiction just to keep him focused on his work.

Scott Shelby: A retired cop who is now a private investigator hired by the parents of the victims to hunt down the Origami Killer. To add that the old timer has Asthma so he uses an inhaler.

Ethan Mars: A simple parent who lost his elder son from a traumatic accident 2 years prior to the game and currently he is searching for his second son who’s kidnapped by the Origami Killer. Mysteriously, he suffers a mental problem after the traumatic incident with his lost son that leads him to blackout and wake up in an unknown place.

Madison Paige: A photojournalist who got herself involved with Ethan Mars’s problem and conducted her own investigation to search his son. She also has trouble sleeping and ends up crashing into motels.

The first few hours of the game was so darn slow and walking controls felt a bit clunky, though I understand why at some silly situations you have to execute them. Like brushing your teeth or play with Ethan’s kids just to get the hang of the controls are just some simple in game examples. At some point it gives a critical situation where you have to make a fast decision to react on the commands just to stir the plot’s outcome and that’s where the game will determine on what type of ending you will get. It’s pretty fun to make different decisions though at some point at the end, it will give you almost the same results on who’s the killer.

Presentation:
It’s a pretty familiar experience which is close to where I describe as a Movie. Not too fast phased as Modern Warfare 2 or too boring and long dialogue of Assassin’s Creed. Among one of the most vital aspects were the voice acting, I can say that this game has one of the best voice acting I have seen however, some acting did not sounded as it should for noticeable regional accent that dose not represent the character’s profile. Executing actions and given environments really helps to relate.
Score: 9.5/10

Graphics: 
Even though some character expression may look a bit awkward, they serve a good purpose and forgivable to the point of not noticing them.
“It has one of the best looking graphics out there.” Facial expressions are close to real as well as water effects and for those who’s looking forward to the human skin well all I can say is it’s close to real. 
Score: 10/10

Gameplay:
 It is a very uncommon gameplay experience for me. It’s incredibly slow at first but will make you want to know what will happen next as you progress further to the story. Although some unwanted commands will make you ask why they included them in the first place or the clunky walk commands. But they are minor issues that won’t distract you from not playing it till the end.
Score: 8.5/10

Overall: 
Heavy Rain doesn’t come easy when we talk about similar releases out there. It’s a winner for its own genre and for those who waited for it to come. They must be happy by now.
Overtime, I understood why others really appreciate this game but in the end I’m down to say it’s not really my cup of tea. And I can say it’s a one time game for me even though there were several multiple endings in there.  

Score: 9/10

Pro(s) 

One of the best voice acting executions out there
Superb graphics
Good music + great environmental graphics + great voice acting = excellent execution.
Multiple endings

Con(s) 
Slow start
Multiple endings (I didn’t have the luxury play it again when most of the games will slow you down)
Clunky walk controls
Some characters accent didn’t fit to the voice actors
At some point it feels more like a movie than a game

~Mookie-Mookie~