Heavy Rain Review (PS3)

Heavy Rain is a third-person crime drama/thriller game by Quantic Dream, a French game developer that is most well-known for the game Indigo Prophecy. Heavy Rain is a film noir story that centers around four different playable characters: a father who must stop at nothing to save his son, an obsessive FBI profiler with a narcotics addiction, an alcoholic P.I., and an investigative journalist. The one thing they have in common is the interactions they have with the Origami Killer, who abducts and kills young boys by leaving them to drown in the rising rainwater that occurs during the spring - hence, "heavy rain". Throughout the storyline, one can see how the lives and motivations of these characters intersect. The story is compelling for the most part, with difficult decisions at every turn – prompting you to consider what director David Cage asserts is the most important part of the experience: “how far you’re willing to go to save someone you love”.

That being said, the game was a highly satisfying experience in ways other than the complex and dramatic storyline. The graphics, for example, are literally the best I've seen in a game to date, and they work seamlessly and without lag on the PS3 (Playstation 3), the platform on which the game is exclusively executed. The high quality of these graphics makes the game not only seem more realistic but immerses the player much more deeply into the dark atmosphere and drama of the game. The acting is so well done that you can truly empathize with the struggles of each character, and really experience their raw and anguished emotions. While the story can certainly be “heavy”, it is worth playing for the same reason we go to see dramatic films – and Heavy Rain is up to par with the best of them.

The controls for this game are heavily oriented around action sequences, which is a fairly commonly-used gameplay style in games of late. However, no game has ever incorporated them as greatly as this game, in which the success or failure of these sequences determines the outcome of said sequence. For example, there is a sequence in which the FBI profiler is chasing a suspect through a supermarket, and your ability to react to it will determine whether or not you apprehend said suspect. The game has no active save system per se, but instead autosaves on the aftermath of these sequences, meaning that the consequences of your actions are permanent – and characters can even die as a result. The story ends where you let it – so if all four characters die, the game concludes by presenting your achievements up to that point.

Heavy Rain forces you to make difficult choices that will determine whether or not you can save your loved one from the clutches of the Origami Killer, and how the lives of the protagonists will play out during the length of the story. The fact that the action sequences are timed makes the player feel the adrenaline and the stress that these circumstances would evoke. While the controls can be a little complicated and are not the easiest to get used to for most people, there is a difficulty setting that allows players of different proficiencies to enjoy the game. PS3 trophies are also enabled for this game, so there is an incentive to go back and try to get different outcomes in the story.

The bottom line: The combination of stunning graphics, gripping story, and believable characters, make Heavy Rain a great addition to any gamer's repertoire. There will be DLC (downloaded content) available for this game in the form of episodes; the first one already released is The Taxidermist.

Verdict: 9/10