Heavy Rain Cover Art
What’s the weather like outside? Well, if you live anywhere on the west coast of the US, you might say rain, heavy rain infact. That’s nice and all, but this isn’t a weather report. This, my friends, is the Whargarbl TV review for HEAVY RAIN.
For this particular game, Brian and I decided to go with a co-review. For a game that can have around 20 different endings, chances are that each of us would have at least a few different outcomes from the past few days, so this definitely worked to our advantage. After we both finished the game the first time, we found out just how different our experiences were. But don’t worry, we won’t spoil any of the fun for you. Read on for our full review.
If you haven’t already heard about HEAVY RAIN, here’s the background to the story, which can be found at the official site for the game. If you don’t want to know even the slightest thing about the game before playing, skip on to the next section now. The game has 4 main characters that you take control over during various parts of the game, each with an interesting background. Ethan Mars was once a happy family man until a tragic accident killed one of his two sons and left Ethan in the hospital. Two years later and Ethan’s only remaining son may have become the next target of the Origami Killer. Madison Page is a photographer that lives alone in the city and suffers from insomnia. Scott Shelby runs his own private investagator business. He once was a police officer for 20 years and was hired by the families of previous victims of the Origami killer. Norman Jayden is an FBI agent that was sent in to the city to aid the local police force in the case of the Origami Killer. As these four stories come together, everyone is racing against the clock to stop the Origami Killer before its too late.
What are your thoughts on the story in HEAVY RAIN?
BRIAN: Heavy Rain is a solid realistic game with a lot of plot twists; It is a game that does not stick with one solid story line and will leave the player to make different choices as the story goes along. Heavy Rain is a dramatic game that focuses on the kidnapping of Shaun Mars by the (in)famous “Origami Killer” and how each of the 4 characters are involved in this sadistic plot.
RAJA: Heavy Rain’s strongest point is that the game feels more like a movie than a game with cinematic elements. The story is reminiscent of a film noir, but crossed with the story telling techniques used in an episode of 24, which gives Heavy Rain a summmer blockbuster level of quality for most of the game, but this will vary depending on the choices made during the course of the game. Each of the various choices made or missed feel like they have a ripple effect, causing new twists and turns, and adding to the suspense in the game.
Ethan Mars in a busy shopping mall
RAJA: Why did Heavy Rain feel like a movie more so than a video game? Well, for starters, the characters were believable, not just story wise, but also graphically. From the high level of detail in each of the characters faces, to the realistic environments that draw you in, to the cutscenes and animations, Heavy Rain is a beautiful game. And as beautiful as Heavy Rain is, like most other games, it has it’s faults. For me, there were the odd moments of poor animations or textures randomly changing from low detail to high detail. Oh, the water and the rain drops were pretty to look at.
BRIAN: Throughout Heavy Rain, the characters came off as lifelike. I felt like the characters were actually there and dealing with their situations. All of the backgrounds were beautifully detailed and gave the appearance of a real-world environment. Personally I didn’t have any problems with any of the animations.
What about the sounds and music in HEAVY RAIN?
BRIAN: The music score I felt attached to and thought the dramatic music flowed perfectly along with the gameplay; I really felt immersed within the game. The sound effects were believable and actually sounded like the real thing. Ex. rain, opening doors, gun shots, and footsteps.
RAJA: The music for Heavy Rain really added to the cinematic experience the game has. The soundtrack made those cool action sequences feel epic without going over the top. Also, the ambient sounds in the game really made the various locations come alive, from the low rumblings of a passing train, to the pitter patter of the constant rain outside. The only gripes I have as far as sound comes from the voice acting. In short, certain characters sounded very inconsistent, and this is extremely noticeable in certain sections when the same thing is said over and over in an unrealistic tone of voice.
The thoughts of Norman Jayden circle above his head
How about the controls in HEAVY RAIN? Does the layout work? Are the characters responsive?
RAJA: The controls in Heavy Rain are a double edged sword; they work well for the game, but at times they just don’t work at all. If you’re used to being able to independently control the camera no matter the orientation of your character, I have sad news. You can’t do that in this game. At times, that’s perfectly fine, but when you walk around in circles because of the preset camera angles, then we have a problem. Aside from my love-hate relationship with the camera, the controls worked perfectly for me. Having to make split-second decisions during frantic action sequences when the button appears was extremely satisfying when it was all over.
BRIAN: To me, the controls were uncomfortable at first but was able to adjust. There are times when you have to hold down more than 1 button to do a particular action (ex.climbing/running etc.). There are other times when you have to make quick decisions and have to push a button or shake the control real fast to get out of a situation and that can be awkward from the beginning to moderate gamer.
Any last thoughts on the game?
BRIAN: I had fun playing Heavy Rain. The action/fighting sequences were intense and defintately kept me on my toes. My only two gripes I have with this game were the controls and those could have used some minor adjustments. I also thought the text at times were difficult to read (ex. main menu) but I was playin this game on a non-hd/non-lcd screen so that could’ve been why. The only other issue I have is that I wish the decisions that came up during the dialogue would last a little longer; they disappeared too quick. Everything else about the game was great. Heavy Rain was definately worth my time and am glad I picked up a copy.
RAJA: I agree with you Brian on the action and the controls, they really take some getting used to. There’s definitely one thing I don’t like in this game that wasn’t said yet. If you want to get all of the trophies in this game, you’re going to have to replay the game. A lot. More than 3 or 4 times. Have fun getting the platinum!
Scott Shelby in an interesting place
RAJA: Do you like a thick plot? How about a good action movie? Do you like suspense? Well, then HEAVY RAIN is the game for you, end of story. If you don’t have a PS3, just add this one to the list of games to try out at a friends house, or just grab some popcorn and watch someone else play. This game will probably define the term “interactive movie” for a while, and in a good way. Heavy Rain is probably the most story driven game I’ve ever played, and definitely Game of the Year material.
BRIAN: If you like playing mystery/dramatic type games and don’t mind listening to dialogue in between then this is the game for you. If you’re a parent that buys rated M games for your little 10 year old kid, I do NOT recommend it for this one. I say this due to the controls for this game…if your little kid gets easily frustrated with video games, it’s not for them. This is a game that’s REALLY ment for adults. Other than that, have fun playing Heavy Rain.
And that sums up our co-review for HEAVY RAIN. Hope you all have the chance to experience it by playing or by watching the events unfold. Remember, many more games will drop this March, so check back often for more game reviews.
source: heavyrainps3.com
