When discussing the evolution of video games as artistic entertainment, commentators and pontificators alike have asked a simple question: "Can a game make you cry?" Let's get this out of the way first: Heavy Rain will most likely not make you cry. It does, however, provide one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a videogame.
If you've been following coverage of Quantic Dream's latest title you know that Heavy Rain focuses on four protagonists as they fight to track down and capture a serial murderer known as the Origami Killer. But what stands out from this simple premise is the unapologetically adult story. I don't mean adult in the sense of gratuitous sex and violence or even in the game's mature rating. Rather, it's adult in the way that it doesn't talk down to its audience. Heavy Rain encourages you to empathize with its characters, and in so doing allows you to experience a more satisfying and genuine role-playing game than what we typically consider an RPG. It also puts you in adult situations that, on paper, seem ridiculous, but you'll find yourself standing in awe at doing something as pedestrian as changing a baby's diaper.
Click the image above to check out all Heavy Rain screens.
You interact with the world through a non-traditional control scheme: Holding down R2 lets you walk around the environments and the Left analog stick changes directions. At best, this process is cumbersome and by far the weakest part of the experience. It's never out and out bad, but I was never completely comfortable doing it either. When trying to maneuver around a desk or chair I'd often find my character pacing back and forth because there seemed to be a small amount of input lag when changing directions.
The other part of the control scheme lies in your interaction with the environment. This is accomplished by following on-screen prompts to press face buttons, performing motions with the Right analog stick, and sometimes using Sixaxis control movements. Again, it might seem clunky on paper, but it's elegant in execution. If you have the opportunity, I would absolutely implore you to play this game with a DualShock 3 controller; I don't think any game has used the rumble feature this effectively since the original Metal Gear Solid.
The motions and button presses don't always directly correlate to the motions of your character, rather they approximate the feeling of those actions. In one instance I had to struggle to get my character up a muddy hillside. By holding a series of buttons down in a finger-twisting series of motions, I actually felt like I didn't have a firm foothold -- it's little things like this that help further your immersion into the world.
But a game that prides itself on its story is only as good as its writing and actors. The quality and detail of Heavy Rain's sets are truly spectacular -- whether it's a faded wallpaper pattern or dilapidated apartment, this is a world that feels lived-in and genuine. The characters have a similar gritty realness, but occasionally veer into uncanny valley territory due to some inelegant animations. Regardless, the game conveys a subtlety of emotion that very few games have ever succeeded at.
Despite their occasionally wooden appearance, I genuinely came to care for the protagonists. I liked these people and wanted them to complete the task before them. Before going in I knew that any and all of them could potentially die, which adds a stressful layer to an already tension-filled story. There were moments in Heavy Rain where I found my heart rate rising -- not because of a cheap, momentary fright caused by something like a dog jumping through a window in Resident Evil, but because of a sustained level of tension that would leave my hands shaking. Heavy Rain portrays pain, suffering, and death with a stark frankness that doesn't elevate horror as something to be entertained by. Instead, you're regularly put in positions where you must choose between two equally horrific outcomes.
Click the image above to check out all Heavy Rain screens.
Talking to others who've played through Heavy Rain, I don't think I'm overstating it when I say that no two people will have the exact same experience. And I would encourage you to not cheat yourself on your first time through the story. When you first boot up the game you're taken directly to the opening rather than the main menu; avoid the Chapter Select screen and keep your experience more organic.
Though shorter than other epic, multi-disc titles, there's more than enough content in Heavy Rain to warrant a purchase. At the end of my first playthrough I was left utterly satisfied with the conclusion of the story and wanting more titles of this caliber. Heavy Rain may not appeal to every twitch-shooter fan out there, but if you believe games can evolve beyond Pac-Man and Mario then I suggest supporting the amazing work Quantic Dream has done.
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