Given how the novelty has worn out a bit of its welcome, making choices and seeing their consequences doesn’t stick now as much as it did then. This sort of game storytelling was more refreshing in 2010 before there were 20 Telltale games and other games (like Until Dawn) doing something in the same vein.
The choice-laden storytelling, however, isn’t as impressive now as it was then. And that effort, despite its sometimes shaky execution, is admirable. All-around, it’s Cage’s strongest story to date and one that is still entertaining in 2019 even if there are some overly cheesy scenes and weak dialogue by a bunch of C-actors doing their best. By focusing on a human conflict and the connection a father has with their child, it is not brought down by poorly handling complex themes like Detroit was. It’s not exactly And Then There Were None as far as mysteries go, but Heavy Rain is still better than most attempts at telling a serious narrative in gaming. Despite how comical the game can unintentionally be at times, which isn’t helped by how bizarrely some of the voice actors speak English, it’s hard to not be intrigued by Cage’s mystery. So, that means you’ll press “1” to call out “Jason!” in the game’s infamous opening section that has been immortalized as a meme despite its serious nature. The quick-time event sections use the “WASD” keys that the player already uses to move, and conversation is handled by the top row of numbers. Other than that one caveat, Heavy Rain has transitioned quite nicely to personal computers. It doesn’t make the player feel more connected to their in-game avatar, it just makes them feel like a bit of a dork while they are trying to enjoy this deathly serious story. Rather than simply using your thumb to move an analog stick, you’re using your entire arm to perform the task. For example, if you want Mars to enjoy some orange juice (it’s part of a balanced breakfast, after all) then you have to awkwardly shake your mouse back and forth in a comical nature. However, the mouse and keyboard is not the best way to experience Heavy Rain due to how goofy it can be at times to perform the desired mouse movements. It’s a bit strange at first, but it definitely gives Heavy Rain its own identity from a gameplay perspective and it’s been used in both Detroit: Become Human and Beyond: Two Souls since then. So the player will have to walk near it and then make a right quarter-circle motion upward with their mouse to do something simple like open up a cabinet door. While players have control of the character’s movement, all of their actions are done through quick-time events and mouse movements. It’s this opening section where players are introduced to the game’s unique control scheme as well. It’s a small slice of normalcy in a game that barely has that and it juxtaposes nicely with the traumatic and dramatic scenes that follow.
It’s a relaxed atmosphere, and the house is filled with distractions to interact with as there are radio-controlled cars to be played with, plates to be set, and much more to do. Rather than going through Saw-style tests and looking for clues, the game opens with Mars preparing a birthday party for his youngest son, Jason. Mars’ life wasn’t always so dramatic and that’s why Heavy Rain‘s opening moments are still quite effective. However, hope is not totally lost as the killer asks him to perform a number of challenges in order to prove he’s worthy of being a father. The case winds up being most personal for Ethan Mars, the latest father to have their son taken from them by the deranged abductor. The narrative-focused game features four separate protagonists that are attempting to track down the mysterious Origami Killer, a person that abducts small boys and then forces them to drown from accumulation of rain.
Heavy rain review ps3#
And while its roots are still based in its awkward PS3 days, it’s still quite an engrossing yet flawed experience. Now for the first time ever, the David Cage directed title can be played on a non-Sony platform since the French studio are beginning to release its back catalog on the Epic Games Store. The mature-rated title was an acquired taste due to its unorthodox control scheme, which has come to define the developer’s future titles, but it delivered an enjoyable mystery for players to solve. Nearly 10 years ago, Quantic Dream released their psychological thriller HEAVY RAIN on PlayStation 3.
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