Anyone who preordered get a code yet? I just preordered at Gamestop and the dude looked to see if there was a code to give me but there wasn't...should those be showing up in stores at this point?

I asked the clerk at Gamestop about this and he said I would get the code when I picked up the game.

This messed up my original plan to use my Bestbuy giftcard to buy the game and not miss out on the pre-order bonus by preordering from Gamestop getting the card, then canceling.

Lucky for me Bestbuy updated their page and now shows online pre-orders will get the code in an email after release date.

I asked the clerk at Gamestop about this and he said I would get the code when I picked up the game.

This messed up my original plan to use my Bestbuy giftcard to buy the game and not miss out on the pre-order bonus by preordering from Gamestop getting the card, then canceling.

Lucky for me Bestbuy updated their page and now shows online pre-orders will get the code in an email after release date.

What is the code for? I must have missed this.

Jetpacks.

What is the code for? I must have missed this.

A free "extra chapter" of DLC...I think it is a "prequel" chapter of one of the characters....

Like many PS exclusives, the replay value isn't quite as high as something like a sports game, MW, etc... but the experience is usually some of the best available. Games like MGS, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, the ICO team, GOW, to name a few, all have pretty linear storylines and objectives while providing an outstanding experience. Other than a couple extra playthroughs, there's not always replay value there like an online FPS or sports game (multi-platform, i.e. appeal to the masses game). But, these are the games I end up loving the most. They're unique and often revolutionary.

This is not true for all PS exclusives, obviously. I'm just stating that sometimes the best gaming experiences don't have to have 100 hours of replay value to be worth it. It's these types of games that make me a PS3 owner.

Like many PS exclusives, the replay value isn't quite as high as something like a sports game, MW, etc... but the experience is usually some of the best available. Games like MGS, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, the ICO team, GOW, to name a few, all have pretty linear storylines and objectives while providing an outstanding experience. Other than a couple extra playthroughs, there's not always replay value there like an online FPS or sports game (multi-platform, i.e. appeal to the masses game). But, these are the games I end up loving the most. They're unique and often revolutionary.

This is not true for all PS exclusives, obviously. I'm just stating that sometimes the best gaming experiences don't have to have 100 hours of replay value to be worth it. It's these types of games that make me a PS3 owner.

That could be said with either system though. I love both of my systems, but get more playtime out of the 360. 360 has BioShock, Fable, Crackdown, and Dead Rising just to name a few off of the top of my head. None of those were primarily multi-player games or had a lot of replay value, but all brought something unique to the table.

Bioshock is on PS3 too.

I'm just stating how I feel regarding Playstation...not just on PS3, but many PS exclusives over the years. They are often geared more towards the mature or hardcore gamer and not made to simply have commercial success and appeal to everyone.

I'm also not one to dog the 360. I only own a PS3 b/c that is my favorite system and my wife wouldn't be too happy if I had another system that I spent even more time playing! :)

I have one option, so I go with Playstation and these types of games are what I love about the system.

+1 and I have an Xbox 360, but I do love the PS3 for games like uncharted 1&2, MGS, and now Heavy Rain, truly an adult players game.

You mean Demon's Souls isn't geared toward the masses? :)


I'm just stating how I feel regarding Playstation...not just on PS3, but many PS exclusives over the years. They are often geared more towards the mature or hardcore gamer and not made to simply have commercial success and appeal to everyone.

Like many PS exclusives, the replay value isn't quite as high as something like a sports game, MW, etc... but the experience is usually some of the best available. Games like MGS, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, the ICO team, GOW, to name a few, all have pretty linear storylines and objectives while providing an outstanding experience. Other than a couple extra playthroughs, there's not always replay value there like an online FPS or sports game (multi-platform, i.e. appeal to the masses game). But, these are the games I end up loving the most. They're unique and often revolutionary.

I feel similarly; I like games with storylines, and am less interested in the type of replayability that online multiplayer offers. I will definitely get Heavy Rain, but I'm a bit disappointed because I had hopes that it would be a game with multiple possible storylines. For example, in the same way that some games let you use either stealth or brute force to achieve a specific goal, it'd be cool if a game offered different story paths to reach its conclusion. Of course this would be a difficult game to write, but when they said that Heavy Rain had a 2000 page script, that's what I was hoping for.

So... where's this demo? Didn't see it on the PSN store.

I feel similarly; I like games with storylines, and am less interested in the type of replayability that online multiplayer offers. I will definitely get Heavy Rain, but I'm a bit disappointed because I had hopes that it would be a game with multiple possible storylines. For example, in the same way that some games let you use either stealth or brute force to achieve a specific goal, it'd be cool if a game offered different story paths to reach its conclusion. Of course this would be a difficult game to write, but when they said that Heavy Rain had a 2000 page script, that's what I was hoping for.

There is over 20 different endings. Mostly based on the 2nd half of the game. What you do can change the game like if you "die". Demo doesn't show much. Great graphics. Even if you play the apartments scene and pick different things it will change the scene. Not every line of course.

It's explained at 4:23

http://www.giantbomb.com/heavy-rain/61-21304/how-many-endings-do-you-think-heavy-rain-will-have/35-256501/

It really has 20+ endings?! If that's true, that's way more than I expected.

That's difficulty of making story game because there can only be so much variation before the story starts to not make sense.This was my big disappointment after playing the demo tonight. For most of the actions, you have no choice. You simply have to do them. You can't "choose" not to do them. After playing through Mass Effect 2 (where your choices do lead to many different branching storyline threads), it's disappointing to see that Heavy Rain doesn't do similarly.

According to all the pre-release marketing over the past year, Heavy Rain is supposed to be all about branching storylines and choices. But I see none of that in the demo, and the reviews seem to say the same thing. It sounds like a handful of decisions do lead to some branches (especially late in the game), but it's a real shame that all the little things you do (or don't do) don't seem to make any difference in the storyline.

It sounds like a handful of decisions do lead to some branches (especially late in the game), but it's a real shame that all the little things you do (or don't do) don't seem to make any difference in the storyline.

Thats the problem with infinite combinations. There's going to be points where drastic changes happen, points where little changes happen, and a majority of points where actions cause no change.

I really don’t see how you can get around this with modern videogame development, as you’d need to spent way too much time on the game. They at least have 20 different endings, which is far more than most games.

Does ME2 have 20 different endings? Does playing it different really cause wildly different plots to be acted out? Not knocking the game, but I doubt it’s as truly dynamic as you say it is. I haven’t found a truly dynamic story game yet... they just don't exist.

Untill we have very advanced AI, and the story becomes based on that AI and interaction, we won't see what we all want. Where's my damn holodeck?

This was my big disappointment after playing the demo tonight. For most of the actions, you have no choice. You simply have to do them. You can't "choose" not to do them. After playing through Mass Effect 2 (where your choices do lead to many different branching storyline threads), it's disappointing to see that Heavy Rain doesn't do similarly

I would not worry yet. It is still way to early to know how tour actions in the demo will effect the gameplay. Where you able to trick the prostitute into giving you information? Did you hand her a tissue when she started cryin? This may change if she calls you in the future.

At the crime scene, did you speak to the lead detective before checking the body or did you piss him off by investigating his crime scene without identifying yourself? Did you locate the tire tracks next to the highway? Could be a vital piece of information needed for solving the case.

Like I said, I feel it is a little to early to tell the results of our actions.

I remain skeptical, particularly after playing the demo.

Although the art direction is excellent, gameplay not so much. I don't think it's a compelling interactive experience to use an asthma inhaler or open a car door. Interactivity should be used as a story-telling technique, not as make-work. "Heavy Rain" seems to waste it on trivialities.

This was my big disappointment after playing the demo tonight. For most of the actions, you have no choice. You simply have to do them. You can't "choose" not to do them. After playing through Mass Effect 2 (where your choices do lead to many different branching storyline threads), it's disappointing to see that Heavy Rain doesn't do similarly.



So you are comparing a demo to a full game?

Like many PS exclusives, the replay value isn't quite as high as something like a sports game, MW, etc... but the experience is usually some of the best available. Games like MGS, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, the ICO team, GOW, to name a few, all have pretty linear storylines and objectives while providing an outstanding experience. Other than a couple extra playthroughs, there's not always replay value there like an online FPS or sports game (multi-platform, i.e. appeal to the masses game). But, these are the games I end up loving the most. They're unique and often revolutionary.

This is not true for all PS exclusives, obviously. I'm just stating that sometimes the best gaming experiences don't have to have 100 hours of replay value to be worth it. It's these types of games that make me a PS3 owner.
but Sony really has a lot of online exclusive games for the PS3. Warhawk, Resistance, SOCOM, MAG, KZ2. And all with dedicated servers and clan support. I chose the PS3 because of Blu-ray playback, but as it turns out, us PS3 owners have a huge list of online shooter to choose from! And we don't have to pay to play.;) Just saying....;)

So you are comparing a demo to a full game?

I'm going to wait for a while when the game is out to see to see how many real variations to play through the game and the length. A few dialog options change here and here isn't that interesting to replay if already completed the game once. What I'm interested is big changes in the story based on the choices made thoughout the game. What would be good is the killer or motive changes based on the choices made in the game like a puzzle that always change each time you replay the game but I don't know if Heavy Rain story is capable to do it. Reason is it adds replay value than only to see different dialog choices and even some of the characters die, the killer and motive remain the same. When the game comes out, we'll know from those who have completed it.

I know this is a demo. But regardless, most of the actions you do have only one possible outcome and solution. Multiple times I kept trying to do things like not open a car door, or find a way through the police barricade rather than go politely under the tape. Etc. Hell, QD wouldn't even have to change the story; just give us an alternate way to accomplish the same thing.

I know that certain actions do have multiple possible outcomes, but they seem surprisingly few and far between. And those still wouldn't change the fact that most of the time you don't have a choice at all. The game's central selling point has been it's focus on choice and alternate paths; why wouldn't you show that off in a demo? According to most reviews, the things that affect how the story ends only happen toward the end of the game.

Don't get me wrong, though, I definitely want to play through the whole game. It's an interesting idea, and a rare approach to game design. If for no other reason, I'll play it just because it's unique. Admittedly, I was skeptical already (because I was so let down by Indigo Prophecy), so take my continued skepticism with a grain of salt.

I really don’t see how you can get around this with modern videogame development, as you’d need to spent way too much time on the game. They at least have 20 different endings, which is far more than most games.Have you played much Dragon Age yet? :D

What would be good is the killer or motive changes based on the choices made in the game like a puzzle that always change each time you replay the game but I don't know if Heavy Rain story is capable to do it. Reason is it adds replay value than only to see different dialog choices and even some of the characters die, the killer and motive remain the same.

On this matter I strongly disagree. The player's choices should not affect the identity of the killer or his motives. For example, nothing the police could have done would have changed who the Green River Killer was, or what his motives were; their actions might have changed when he struck and thus who his victims were, and of course they determined when or if they caught him, but that's all.

On this matter I strongly disagree. The player's choices should not affect the identity of the killer or his motives. For example, nothing the police could have done would have changed who the Green River Killer was, or what his motives were; their actions might have changed when he struck and thus who his victims were, and of course they determined when or if they caught him, but that's all.

That was one thing I like from the interactive movie, Point of View because the killer changes based on the player's choices. Even how the main character ended changed based on the player's choices.

This can be done by changing the types of clues the player can solve each time replaying the game. Since the Green River killer is unknown, changes in clues and solution can change the killer and motive.

Here's the GameTrailers review for Heavy Rain:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-heavy-rain/61847

I'm going to wait for a while when the game is out . . . . What I'm interested is big changes in the story based on the choices made . . . What would be good is the killer or motive changes based on the choices made in the game like a puzzle that always change each time you replay the game. Reason is it adds replay value than only to see different dialog choices and even some of the characters die, the killer and motive remain the same. When the game comes out, we'll know from those who have completed it.

That's a cool way to look at it. If we get anything close to that I will be vary happy and surprised.

The demo has locked up on me twice now in a grand fashion. The first time was in the tutorial and the last time was at the end of the investigation scene...the sound started looping and the PS3 locked up tight. I went on to play Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for about an hour after rebooting so I dont know what the deal is.

As far as I can get in the demo makes this look like a weekend rental for me...

I enjoyed the demo and will certainly look to pick this one up. I think the game is really unique compared to a lot of what is out there. Beyond that it is visually stunning.

Played the demo last night. Didn't have any lockup issues. It was pretty much what I expected having played Indigo Prophecy on the PS2, though it looked better than I'd imagined. The voice acting was pretty limp, though.

I'll definitely pick the game up, but the key thing for me will be how significant the story branching is. Indigo Prophecy let you go down somewhat different roads, but you'd always come back to the same choke points later in the game, albeit with some superficial differences. I'm really encouraged by what I've read about main characters being able to die and be removed from the game, but we'll have to see where they take it.

One other thing was the FBI agent's sci-fi crime scene rig -- that was a little jarring, and made me worry a bit given the direction the last game went toward the end. Hopefully they'll keep this one more anchored in reality.

- Jer

I remain skeptical, particularly after playing the demo.

Although the art direction is excellent, gameplay not so much. I don't think it's a compelling interactive experience to use an asthma inhaler or open a car door. Interactivity should be used as a story-telling technique, not as make-work. "Heavy Rain" seems to waste it on trivialities.

exactly how I felt. too many trivial nonsense things. I might rent it, thats it.

exactly how I felt. too many trivial nonsense things. I might rent it, thats it.

same, can't see myself buying it. It's going to need a very strong story otherwise the mundane interaction is going to really drag the game down I think.

Played the demo last night and was really impressed with it. It's definitely not for everyone, but it seems like something I'm going to enjoy a lot.

Is it me or did I just play the new "Shenmue" sp? :p Actually the game does look great and will probably be picking it up. It does remind me alot of Shenmue.

Unique, but boring. I hope a lot of people buy it so that they keep taking chances like this, but I won't be one of them.

Unique, but boring. I hope a lot of people buy it so that they keep taking chances like this, but I won't be one of them.

I'll be one of them :)...I'm so burnt out on FPS and games like Bayonetta I'm to the point where I'm afraid I'll develop A.D.D. at age 36...I'm ready for a game that runs at a different pace...

I thought Heavy rain was a neat tech demo, but not a very fun game. Heavily scripted and complex button pushes "just in time". Interesting and movie like, but if I want a movie I will watch one.

if I want a movie I will watch one.This is what my wife said when I showed her the demo.

She didn't see the point in pushing buttons just to watch a story happen. I had to agree. It doesn't ever feel like you're playing as the characters. It feels more like you're working a projector to make sure the "movie" keeps going.

I played the demo last night. They went with quick time events again?!?!? WTF! I HATE QTE's! Indigo Prophecy could have been 10 times better except for the QTE's. God of War used QTE's too and almost ruined it for me! At least God of War II greatly reduced QTE's or atleast made them easier. I will not be purchasing Heavy Rain solely because of QTE's.

ugh this game demo was turrible

I fell asleep in the middle of it.

this game isn't even a rental for me, if i want a "good story" i'll go read a book

i thought it was impressive, presentation was very good audio/video is outstanding. controls will take a bit to get used to and it really does play out like a movie. what the end product turns out to be remains to be seen, but i am interested.

i thought it was impressive, presentation was very good audio/video is outstanding. controls will take a bit to get used to and it really does play out like a movie. what the end product turns out to be remains to be seen, but i am interested.

I agree, although I though there'd be much more interaction. The demo wasn't a holy crap this is good moment, but I did find myself intrigued and kept at it to get to the end.

It seems that while there's not much choice in how to go about simple things and actions; there's a ton in how you go about finding clues and doing main story things. There's a lot in the demo that you could easily not do, or not get to by focusing on something else.

The impressions on this page are more in line as to how most people will respond to the game. It leads me to question why the generally favorable reviews....Sony is pushing this one hard....maybe the two go together. Though the PS3 has few exclusives, trying to position something like this as a triple A game simply because they need to may blow up in their face.

Time will tell.

It leads me to question why the generally favorable reviews...Reviewers are suckers for story. If a game has a reasonably good story (for a game), you can count on it having good scores.

I can't think of a game that reviewers said had a really good story but ended up with a low metacritic score. Anyone?

Just cancelled my pre-order. The reviews I read made it clear its not what I wanted. Characters cant die until 3/4 way through the game? Story seems to linear. The only thing that changes is a sentence or two of dialogue. Like in the demo in the fight if you get almost all the buttons right but fail on one or two near the end, the guy ends up beating the character down, she thanks you and you leave. If you failed on every button, you say the same damn lines, she thanks you and you leave. If you get them all right, you beat the guy, a few lines change, she thanks you and you leave. So, I go through all that for a sentence or two to change? Nothing big happens for failing every button press?

I'll play it someday, but its not a day one purchase for me anymore. Im sure this will have plenty of used copies out there shortly.

Heavy Rain - amazing graphics, slow ass gameplay, intriguing story.

In short: I was literally rushing to finish the demo. It was too effing slow.

ugh this game demo was turrible

I fell asleep in the middle of it.

this game isn't even a rental for me, if i want a "good story" i'll go read a book

So you don't want a story to be told, you just want to blow S!*T up. Nothing wrong with that but aren't you sick of the same ol' stuff. I personally loved it and it's so refreshing to play something so different. I wish more game studios would think outside the box!!!

So you don't want a story to be told, you just want to blow S!*T up. Nothing wrong with that but aren't you sick of the same ol' stuff. I personally loved it and it's so refreshing to play something so different. I wish more game studios would think outside the box!!!Nothing wrong with game designers telling good stories, but storytelling isn't what games are best at. Even games with the best stories still pale in comparison to good books and movies IMO.

So when a game is essentially all story, it's hard to see the point. "Choice" seems to serve a very small role in the game. Performing the various screen actions is about as much fun as turning a page or pushing play. I'm interested enough to give it a shot (as a rental), but I'm even more skeptical now after playing the demo than I was before.

I was intrigued in this game for a long time. PLaying the demo was a good chance of telling if I'd like it or not. I'll probably pick it up later when I'll have more time tho.

So you don't want a story to be told, you just want to blow S!*T up. Nothing wrong with that but aren't you sick of the same ol' stuff. I personally loved it and it's so refreshing to play something so different. I wish more game studios would think outside the box!!!

I refuse to buy games for $60 that don't have replayability for me. I broke that rule by buying Darksiders this january and I'm kicking myself. I only buy open world single player games (like Infamous, fallout 3, burnout paradise) or multiplayer games like Demons souls, R2, KZ2, LBP, Battlefield, etc. or sports games which have a lot of replayability .

I play these single player games like MGS4 and Bioshock or Uncharted, go through the campaign once and the story is usually lame and I never play it again. flame away.

And yes, I do enjoy blowing things up, but thats not the only thing. I play games to have fun. Pushing buttons and watching a wanna be movie with bad acting is zero fun to me. props to them for trying something new but it was so stupid and uninteresting to me I'm going to pass.

Definite rental. Cant imagine dropping $60 for this though.

Sounded good for awhile from what I read, then after playing the demo and reading even deeper, I decided to cancel my pre-order today. Might rent it first and decide from there once it's cheaper on Ebay. Too many good games like MLB 10, Battlefield, and Bioshock 2.

How do I get rid of the X Ridge icon when I play as Fox Mulder? I went up that hill to the freeway but it didn't get rid of it. Ridge? What ridge? Take me to the ridge! Have you seen the ridge? Where's that confounded ridge!?

The demo was OK. However, I see this only as a rental. It got pretty boring. The same stupid repetition with no real reward. I'm serious, this game has a chance of being a huge PIA because you have to push a button for everything small and insignificant. I can see this game frustrating the piss out of me.

The same stupid repetition with no real reward. I'm serious, this game has a chance of being a huge PIA because you have to push a button for everything small and insignificant. I can see this game frustrating the piss out of me.

anyone else see the irony of this and his board name? :p

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks this game sounds really boring. It's great that devs are trying to innovate and not just throw one more FPS into the pile, but brushing my teeth and going to the mall are my reality. I don't envision fun as playing a virtual version of that reality.

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks this game sounds really boring. It's great that devs are trying to innovate and not just throw one more FPS into the pile, but brushing my teeth and going to the mall are my reality. I don't envision fun as playing a virtual version of that reality.

Yeah...there's no story or excitement in Heavy Rain...just 9-12 hours of brushing teeth and going to the mall :rolleyes:...personally I'm more looking forward to MLB the Show 10 but between that and Heavy Rain I will be good for a long time while the rest of the world moves on to the next FPS...

anyone else see the irony of this and his board name? :p

Hahahahah, that is funny!!!. Musick you crack me up bro.

Is there a trophy list for this game yet. Less then a week away and there is nothing on the web

I'm wondering if they will all be hidden trophies as to not give away the plot?

Is there a trophy list for this game yet. Less then a week away and there is nothing on the web

I'm wondering if they will all be hidden trophies as to not give away the plot?

I think all but about 5 trophies are secret. They are also not going to have trophy notifications pop up while in the middle of a scene I think.

But I know one of the trophies that isn't a secret is to get ALL endings... that seems insane if there are over 20 lol.

anyone else see the irony of this and his board name? :p

My name comes from actually playing the guitar, and not some stupid game. I HATE Guitar Hero the game. I play the real thing!

I never knew about GH the game when I picked my name. Look when I first registered. Before the release date of the game.

So, what you are saying is that you worship and adore the game Guitar Hero. Gotcha.

Should have trademarked that name.

Hi, I'm looking for some Guitar Hero tips + strategies. Any experts on here

Not me. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I finally gave this demo a go. Great visuals, nice sound, cool story but it's not my kind of game. Never played Indigo Prophecy and the only other game that's similar that I played was Shenmue 3 on XBOX1, where I played for 3 hours straight only to never turn it back on ever again :o

This one though, I might want to play through it once

I really enjoyed the Heavy Rain demo. Very stylized with great graphics. I might have to check this one out.....

And the Guitar Hero sidebar in this thread is hilarious.

My name comes from actually playing the guitar, and not some stupid game. I HATE Guitar Hero the game. I play the real thing!

I never knew about GH the game when I picked my name. Look when I first registered. Before the release date of the game.

http://desmayer.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wpid-Randy-Marsh-Guitar-Hero-3-256x256.png

I kid, I kid. It was just too easy! :)

I hate you people.

I am always getting here late and missing the good stuff. :(

I am always getting here late and missing the good stuff. :(

Well, duh! You're in Hawaii! You're several hours behind the rest of us.

I got no excuse... I'm in NC now and too lazy to update my profile. FWIW... you will always be my Guitar Hero. ;)

On topic... I liked the demo and was all ready to buy it pre-ordered on Amazon but I cancelled too. I still haven't played Demon's Souls or AC II - which can be had fairly cheap used. So I guess I can wait a few months more to play Heavy Rain.

I will, however, be buying GTAIV DLC, Red Dead, and The Last Guardian on day one. Those are now my only must-haves for 2010.

I think I'll wait for this one used? It might be interesting but $60 bucks is a lot for this I think? I just don't see the replay value when I watch/play the demo?

I got mine pre-ordered from Amazon for $52. I liked the demo and I'm a sucker when it comes to new games. :o

^^^I got mine on pre-order too. I'll support the developers of quality, unique efforts like this, especially when the overall story sounds so interesting. They don't get money for used purchases, so I'll reward them with my $$$. Other titles, like FF XIII, I'll save money on by buying used.

I finally gave this demo a go. Great visuals, nice sound, cool story but it's not my kind of game. Never played Indigo Prophecy and the only other game that's similar that I played was Shenmue 3 on XBOX1, where I played for 3 hours straight only to never turn it back on ever again :o

This one though, I might want to play through it once

You my friend are either:

A) Thoroughly full of sh*t

or

B) The most envied person on the face of planet Earth


I, like many others, would give both of my testicles for a legit, working copy of Shenmue 3. No testicles for you if you meant Shenmue 2...

:p ;)

^^^I got mine on pre-order too. I'll support the developers of quality, unique efforts like this, especially when the overall story sounds so interesting. They don't get money for used purchases, so I'll reward them with my $$$. Other titles, like FF XIII, I'll save money on by buying used.

I pre-ordered FF XIII and The Show too. :o

this would have made a better movie than a game. Demo kinda reminds me of Dark city, I'd like to know what happens but not for 60bux. Its like a glorified Sega CD game.

this would have made a better movie than a game. Demo kinda reminds me of Dark city, I'd like to know what happens but not for 60bux. Its like a glorified Sega CD game.

Heavy Rain is just a $60 movie that gives the "viewer" some control during the "cutscenes" which is the entire game. If it's made as a movie, it wouldn't be that special since the type of story in Heavy Rain is taken from many murder, mystery and detective movies.

I liked the first one and im sure id like this one. its one of them relaxed controls games that your wife can enjoy with you ha ha.

Whoa... a 10/10 perfect rating from Planet Xbox360: (http://www.planetxbox360.com/article_9714/360_Fanboy_Heavy_Rain_is_the_Reason_to_Buy_a_PS3/2)

360 Fanboy: Heavy Rain is the Reason to Buy a PS3
by Eric Bush

Considering I am an openly Xbox 360 fanboy it’s hard to admit that one of my most anticipated games of 2010 comes from a studio that develops exclusively for Sony’s Playstation 3, Qunatic Dream. Their first next-gen game goes by the name Heavy Rain, and it hits stores early next week. The reason it caught my attention to such a higher degree than the Call of Dutys and Halos of the world is because it’s completely different than anything available on the Xbox 360 these days (that will change once Alan Wake releases later this year). Every now and then a game comes along that creates an emotional experience in me that forces me to let people know about it, this experience happened multiple times as I played the near-perfect Heavy Rain. There were moments throughout my 10+ hour first playthrough that shocked me, scared me, and reached down into the depths of my soul and touched me emotionally. Heavy Rain was literally one of the most enjoyable and entertaining video games I have ever played, and that’s hard for me to say considering it’s console of choice. Video games these days have a tendency to be so unrealistic that only a small group of players have any chance at connecting with what is unfolding on screen. Sound off on whether or not you agree with this editorial in our official forums by clicking here.

Mass Effect 2 from BioWare took this concept to a whole new level, and with it scoring the very first perfect 10 that PlanetXbox360 has ever awarded. Still games like ME2 are far and few between, and it just happens that the latest unique title to be released is a Playstation 3 exclusive. The tagline: "How Far Are You Willing to Go to Save Someone You Love" is the perfect description of the difficult choices you as the player have to make in Heavy Rain. I’m writing this article not to try to get Xbox 360 owners to sell off all their games and hardware to run out and snatch up a PS3; I just want to introduce you all to a game that should not be overlooked and if there is any reason out there to own both an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3 Heavy Rain is it. From the moment I booted up the adventure title I knew that Quantic Dream had succeeded on everything they have been touting the game to be, over the last couple years. The presentation is beautiful and easily up there with any other big-time gaming franchise that you can think of in this generation. The gameplay is instantly comparable to one of my favorite adventure games of all-time: Shenmue and Shenmue 2 (original Xbox). It was a sad day when the guys behind those games revealed they would be stopping development and ironically it’s taken nearly ten years for something comparable to hit store shelves. Let me continue by saying that if you’re looking for the latest Gears of War or Uncharted game this is not it, you will spend a lot of time playing with your virtual family, shaving your virtual face, and even using the bathroom.

However boring this may sound it’s these gameplay elements that take Heavy Rain into that new level of virtual entertainment, and make it a must-play for adult gamers everywhere. The game feels very similar to a cross between your favorite cop movie and an amazing episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, with a little soap opera thrown in for good measure. I spent time shaving (literally moving the Sixaxis back and forth as it vibrated), pushing my virtual child on the swing set, looking for clues as an FBI agent, taking a shower as a beautiful (yes shes fully naked) woman, and fighting off tons of bad guys before my time with Heavy Rain sadly came to an end. There is some free movement but most of the gameplay takes place via on-screen cues and some of the most engrossing QTEs (quick time events) ever to make it into a video game. Some of the characters (five total) are better acted and more engrossing than others but as a whole the game’s story really soars in the awesome department (the Origami killer is an amazing storyline). Choices (both actions and dialogue) that the gamer makes directly impact the storyline and what end up happening next in Heavy Rain. If you mess-up and your character dies (you don’t play as one throughout, kind of like chapters) it’s game over for that specific character, there are no reloads or checkpoints. This sense of meaningful failure added a whole new aspect of gaming that I haven’t seen on anything else in my gaming career. Graphically the game is a joy to look at, especially in high-definition, this is one of those titles that you will want your friends to see - it looks that good/realistic.

As the title would suggest the developers created some of the most realistic looking rain ever seen in a video game and the overall realistic feel that HR has helps the increase the in-game drama. For the past couple days since I started my first play-through of Heavy Rain I have not been able to put the Playstation 3 exclusive down, it reminded me so much of a well-written novel, in so many different ways. Thankfully Xbox 360 owners have Alan Wake to look forward to in a few months but until then if you have an opportunity or know of somewhere to borrow a PS3 Heavy Rain is a game you must play. I cannot recommend the title more, especially for those gamers who are into legal dramas and crime-scene television shows. Thankfully for me it’s also a game that can be played multiple times and multiple different ways, as I have a feeling my next time through Heavy Rain will be totally different, yet just as enjoyable, as the first. I can only hope Alan Wake has what it takes to do what Quantic Dream did for me with Heavy Rain, only then will all gamers be able to experience something so memorable in gaming form. Simply put Heavy Rain is the single best Playstation 3 game that I have played to date and had this been an official review it would be tying Mass Effect 2 for the highest PlanetXbox360.com score - a perfect 10 out of 10.

Whoa a 70 from Destructoid!

Quantic Dream would have you believe that Heavy Rain is not a videogame. The studio has long-standing fantasies of being in the film industry, to the point where its last game, Fahrenheit, completely masqueraded as a movie. Director David Cage even put himself in the game, sitting in a director's chair in the middle of a "movie studio." Arrogant, perhaps, but you have to admire the team's conviction.

Heavy Rain takes what Fahrenheit started one step further, producing what Quantic Dream calls an "interactive movie." Of course, most gamers will realize that what Quantic Dream has done isn't all that new. This PlayStation 3 exclusive is more of a game than it would like you to believe, evoking memories of old point-and-click adventure games, albeit with a little more Hollywood flair.

That said, Heavy Rain should certainly be complimented on its achievements. It's not often a videogame can claim to be a psychological thriller, and the team has succeeded in bringing an underutilized narrative genre to videogames. Heavy Rain does a lot of interesting things, but interesting does not automatically mean good.

To find out if Quantic Dream's ambition paid off, read on as we review Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain tells its story from the perspective of four characters, all linked in their bid to track down the Origami Killer, a serial child-murderer who drowns young boys and places an origami figure on their bodies. The main protagonist is Ethan Mars, an architect who had already lost one son in a car accident, only to potentially lose a second to the killer. The hunt for Ethan's son draws in private detective Scott Shelby, FBI agent Norman Jayden, and insomniac photographer Madison Paige. Each character has their own unique adventure as they individually investigate the Origami Killer case, and each one will have a potentially unique story depending on the choices the player makes throughout the game.

Heavy Rain starts out quite dull indeed. Whereas Fahrenheit instantly gripped players by starting with a brutal murder and forcing players to hurriedly clean up the crime scene, Heavy Rain begins with perhaps the dullest and most boring game intro I've ever experienced. Players wake up, get out of bed, shake the SIXAXIS to brush their teeth, and do all manner of mundane things. Unfortunately, this will become a common thread that runs throughout the entirety of the game. During the course of Heavy Rain's story, players will perform such thrilling tasks as shaving, putting on lipstick, and slowly dressing wounds. If that sounds thrilling, then you lead a very boring life. Let me tell you right now that it is not thrilling.

Fortunately, however, the game's many boring moments are offset by some of the most intense and sometimes terrifying sequences ever found in a game. Although the game's action sequences are all quick-time events, they actually succeed in drawing players into the game. Think of it like Guitar Hero, but if the music was replaced with an epic fight scene or chase sequence. Tightly-scripted, fast-paced and always accompanied by a lingering sense of dread, these action scenes have provided me with some of the most nail-biting moments I've ever experienced.



Of course, these scenes are fantastic until you learn one thing -- very rarely does your input matter. If Heavy Rain does one thing amazingly well, it's create an illusion of urgency, and a feeling that your choices matter to the game. Sadly, however, that's what the vast majority of them are -- illusions and feelings. You are made to believe that any one of your four characters could die at any moment, but that's not true. There are many sections that, no matter how hard you try and fail them, will always be completed successfully. Ethan, for example, must undergo a number of "trials" in order to save his son. They are dangerous and life-threatening and on the first play, you might believe Ethan is in danger. He is not. He cannot fail many of these sections. In fact, most of the time, you can simply put your controller on the floor and the game will play itself for you. In that regard, Quantic Dream most certainly created a movie experience.

That's about as close to a "movie experience" as Heavy Rain gets, though. You see, if Heavy Rain really was a movie, critics would tear it apart. The narrative, like the game, starts off incredibly slowly, gets very interesting toward the middle, and then becomes the worst shambles of deus ex machina and incredibly stupid plot twists that you could hope to find. Without spoiling the plot, it's hard to tell you exactly why the story is so terrible, but let me simply say that Quantic Dream tried too hard to be clever with the narrative's unchangeable elements and overshot by a mile.



The game's main conclusion, whch all gamers will experience, plays a certain trick that is at once inanely predictable and utterly bemusing. The closing chapter of the game is full of so many plot holes, disregarded story elements, and failed attempts to shock for the mere sake of shocking, that any player with a brain would be rightly angered by the smug and frankly inept conclusion. Depending on the choices players make in the game, it can be even worse. You might have characters make references to things in the ending that they never actually experienced during your personal play-through, which seems to indicate that Quantic Dream never bothered to tie up certain narrative loose ends. This is easy to believe when you realize that certain revelations and red herrings in the plot are never resolved -- they are simply discarded once they become inconvenient.

This is before we even go into the characters. Two-dimensional and accompanied by mediocre-at-best voice acting, the Heavy Rain cast is impossible to empathize with. The relationship between Ethan and Madison, for example, is so rushed and forced that it feels as if a child devised their interactions. About the only compelling character is Jayden, whose addiction to the fictional drug Triptocaine makes him a rather conflicted and interesting protagonist, especially in the scenes where players have to try and resist his addictive urges.

In a rather desperate attempt to come up with as many Origami Killer suspects as possible, Heavy Rain also introduces us to about five different psychopaths in the space of a few hours. From doctors that want to perform surgery on people while they're still awake, to club owners who get off on forcing women to strip at gunpoint, the game is full of so many ludicrously over-the-top characters that it becomes simply laughable. It's the sheer volume of ridiculous situations and unbelievable characters that make the game so hard to get behind. If it could have limited itself to just one or two overtly maladjusted comic-book villains, it might not have been so bad, but it seems that ever other chapter has yet another crazed sociopath ready to hold up a sign that says "I MIGHT BE THE KILLER OMG."



It's sad because, from a conceptual standpoint, Heavy Rain does a lot of things right. The sections with Ethan's trials are brilliant from a narrative perspective, and the very fact that Quantic Dream even attempts a serial killer story in a videogame is worthy of respect. The game is very good at presenting tense moments, intriguing choices and a sense that whatever you do, it will have an outcome on the game's conclusion. Of course, many of these choices aren't really choices at all, but that's not to undermine the moments where decisions really do have long-standing consequences. Characters can die before the game's closing chapters, and a player's going to have to think long and hard if they intend to keep everybody alive for as long as possible.

If anything, Heavy Rain deserves to be played simply to see the potential of games in this style. In the hands of better writers and the throats of better voice actors, a game like Heavy Rain could be absolutely amazing. This particular game is good in many ways, and is truly a trailblazer, but it falls short of its own ambitions, possibly because it thought it was so clever that it didn't try harder. The game's plot is awful in many ways, yet it still made me wrack my brains over who the Origami Killer might be. The gameplay is more smoke-and-mirrors than life-or-death, yet it still shook my nerves and provided me with some fast-paced excitement that I won't soon forget. For the memorable experience and the sincere attempts to be interesting, Heavy Rain deserves praise. The fact that the ending is so stupid doesn't take away from the fun I had, but likewise, the fun I had doesn't make up for the dull and frustrating moments where I was moving the right analog stick incredibly slowly so that my character could apply mascara without jabbing herself in the eye.



Quantic Dream also chose style over practicality, representing all its QTE button prompts with stylized white windows that are sometimes hard to differentiate. During tense moments, the game will have all the button prompts shake in order to make the player feel that they are under pressure. However, there is a prompt that pulses in order to indicate that players need to rapidly tap a button. During intense QTE sections, it can be hard to tell straight away whether the game wants you to hold a button down or tap it rapidly, due to the fact that all the icons are trembling. Perhaps this is what the developers wanted, but it's frustrating to experience regardless.

The camera doesn't help things either. Some button prompts end up hidden off-camera, or behind other objects. The game made them appear in dynamic areas, but the camera doesn't recognize that, and sometimes it's hard to interact with an object because the prompts to do so are not placed clearly enough for the player to see.

As well as the QTEs, Heavy Rain also has players perform certain tasks by holding down certain buttons while pressing new ones. At first, this starts simply. Hold X, then keep X held while pressing Triangle, now keep Triangle and X held while pushing R1. However, as the game continues, one can end up playing Twister with their fingers as they struggle to keep the buttons held while accessing new ones. It sounds like it would be painful and annoying, but it's surprisingly challenging and rewarding.

The game certainly looks very good, which is something it does have going for it. The characters are incredibly detailed, and the environments are varied and remarkable in their normalcy. The constant rain effects create a drab atmosphere that is actually quite appealing in its bleakness. However, the great visuals are offset by rather stiff and awkward animations and a tendency for the game to shudder at odd moments and skip frames when transitioning the occasional camera angle. The voice acting, as we've already determined, is atrocious for the most part, but the music, at least, goes some way toward making up for that. Morbid and beautiful, the game's score is one of the highlights.



Heavy Rain wishes to be compared to movies, but it is very lucky to be a videogame, a medium where a poor narrative is more readily forgiven. When compared to movies, Heavy Rain not only falls short, but is almost embarrassingly sub-par. Hell, compared to some of the leading narratives in videogames, Heavy Rain is below expectations. Less demanding players may be tricked into thinking the game is telling a brilliant story simply because it's not telling the kind of story that gamers are used to seeing, but make no mistake: its naive conclusions and impossibly weak characters would get Heavy Rain laughed out of any serious film festival.

For its ambition and the genuinely exciting moments it provides, Heavy Rain is a good game. It had enough tools to be something truly spectacular, but its developers were unfortunately not up to the task. PS3 owners should definitely play it, and many will hail it as a classic, but anybody with an eye for a good story and a desire to not have their time wasted will be exasperated by the many slow chapters and the poor writing. Everybody should be able to have fun with it, and that is the most important part. It's just that the fun is accompanied by a sour aftertaste.

Ultimately, Heavy Rain is an experiment that both succeeded and failed, when it could easily have been a total success if the brains behind it weren't trying so hard to be smart, and cared more about providing a sensible plot as opposed to a shocking one. As a game, Heavy Rain is pretty good for the most part. Heavy Rain is just damn lucky it isn't the movie that it wishes so badly to be.

Score: 7.0 -- Good (7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.)

So, basically, if you buy into the story and go with it, you'll enjoy what unfolds. If you set out to find flaws, or the notion that "your actions don't really matter," you will not like it.

When I played the demo, I made a point to talk to every cop, ask every question, drink every cup of coffee, etc. I also like reaction time QTEs. So, I think I'll enjoy slow pace of the game as something different. I have $70 in credit at Amazon, so it's a no brainer for me.

What I've discovered is that there are so many more XBox360 games available used, I can buy the new PS3 games like Heavy Rain, and go for the used copies of Mass Effect 2, etc. :D

Well, right now 37 of the 50 reviews posted at Metacritic for this game are at 9/10 or above, with almost all the rest being an 8+ rating. Overall, it looks to be a enjoyable experience for such a niche, unique title. Here are snippets from the overwhelming majority of them:

100 - Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

We're enjoying it immensely... It is a game like none other. [Mar 2010, p.66]

100 - Boomtown (http://ps2.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=19202)

I have never played anything so momentous or revolutionary as Heavy Rain. In the coming years I expect the game's influence to be felt throughout the industry in terms of gameplay, storytelling and interactivity. This is a game that deserves all the plaudits it can get. So please go out and buy Heavy Rain and reward those that have made such a groundbreaking videogame event.

100 - GamePro (http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/213908/heavy-rain/)

An emotionally engaging thrill-ride from start to finish, Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain is a superbly crafted interactive experience, told expertly through it's stunning visuals and believable characters.

100 - Total Video Games (http://www.totalvideogames.com/Heavy-Rain/review-14979.html)

Heavy Rain is a rare experience that can be enjoyed by a watching audience and not just the person with the control pad. It's also one that you'll certainly want to play through at least one more time just to see what you missed and perhaps reach a better outcome.

100 - Gamervision (http://gamervision.com/users/00_19/articles/heavy_rain_playstation_3)

Quantic Dream puts forth some truly incredible ideas and concepts as to what a game can be, but they’ll stay ideas and concepts until gamers are willing to accept that they deserve more than another GTA or Call of Duty clone. Heavy Rain is without a doubt one of the most impressive games of the last five years, and it shouldn’t be missed by anyone

100 - Gaming Nexus (http://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/Heavy-Rain/Item2545.aspx)

Everybody can breathe a sigh of relief, because Heavy Rain was definitely worth the long wait. This is an intriguing murder mystery that will have you guessing all the way to the end. Best of all, the narrative is one of the strongest I've seen in years.

100 - Planet XBox 360 (http://www.planetxbox360.com/article_9714/360_Fanboy_Heavy_Rain_is_the_Reason_to_Buy_a_PS3/2)

Every now and then a game comes along that creates an emotional experience in me that forces me to let people know about it; this experience happened multiple times as I played the near-perfect Heavy Rain.

97 -Everyeye.it (http://www.everyeye.it/ps3/articoli/heavy-rain_recensione_10982)

Heavy Rain is not a perfect game, maybe it's not a videogame at all. It's an involving experience that no one has created before and that will remain in videogamers' hearts forever.

95 -PSX Extreme (http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-reviews/341.html)

Heavy Rain isn’t just a masterpiece; it’s an ingenious step in the right direction...This may very well be the most “human” game ever made, and an absolute triumph for the industry. Take from that what you will.

95 - Game Informer (http://gameinformer.com/games/heavy_rain/b/ps3/archive/2010/02/10/review.aspx)

It's barely a game in the popular sense of the word, but Quantic Dream's masterpiece makes groundbreaking strides in storytelling and character development, demonstrating that interactive entertainment still has a deep well of untapped potential. [Issue#203, p.91]

95 - WonderwallWeb (http://www.wonderwallweb.com/article/967/heavy-rain/)

Heavy Rain is a beautiful, wonderfully presented title and while there will be those who decide to pass it by, those who don't are in for a real treat.

94 - Multiplayer.it (http://multiplayer.it/recensioni/74516-heavy-rain-come-lacrime-nella-pioggia.html)

It's really difficult to judge Heavy Rain. The new David Cage masterpiece is something to love or to hate without any compromise. But this duality is something typical for the excellence: Heavy Rain is strongly emotional and represents a new way to think about videogames. A way where the plot and the quality of narrative become more influential than the gameplay.

93 - Vandal Online (http://www.vandal.net/analisis/ps3/heavy-rain/5719)

Regardless if you like it, it's a must try experience for every videogame fan.

92 - Cheat Code Central (http://www.cheatcc.com/ps3/rev/heavyrainreview.html)

Believe me; you will care enough about these characters to want to see just how things play out differently each time. Heavy Rain potentially marks the beginning of something new in the industry and I hope the rain continues to fall.

92 - GamingXP (http://gamingxp.com/bericht-3379-ps3-heavy_rain.htm)

For many people Heavy Rain won’t be more than a progression of quick-time-events, but for me this game has everything a great game needs. The thrilling story, the beautiful graphics and the innovative controls will let you play on and on, till you just can’t look any longer into your TV.

91 - 1UP (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3177883&p=37)

One of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a videogame.

91 - Games Master UK

An incredibly original and compelling thriller that's unlike anything else out there. [Mar 2010, p.64]

91 - 9Lives (http://ps3.9lives.be/games/heavy-rain/reviews)

Heavy Rain isn’t just a game. It’s the next step in commitment, a wonderful experience for whoever is open to it. Some moves are a bit heavy and there are some technical errors, but the perfect marriage of story, gameplay, sound and a proper use of quick time events make this a unique, unforgettable adventure that will make lots of games pale in comparison, considering its involvement. Heavy Rain makes you choose between some heart-breaking options, but to the question "should I buy this game?" the answer is simple: Yes.

91 - GamingTrend (http://www.gamingtrend.com/Reviews/review/review.php?ReviewID=1377)

It’s film noir, it’s drama, but most accurately it is unique. I’ve played literally thousands of games on every platform under the sun, but Heavy Rain really connected with me.

90 - TotalPlayStation (http://totalplaystation.com/ps3/heavy-rain/reviews/8716)

Flawed, yes, but far closer to perfection than I ever would have thought given earlier peeks at the game, Heavy Rain is a monumental accomplishment. It takes familiar situations, bits of gameplay and tones, and melds them into something... unique.

90 - GameSpy (http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/quantic-dream-project/1068858p1.html)

If you can buy into the idea that the ending you get is your ending, and that your characters are really your characters, then you just might find yourself feeling moved by a videogame.

90 - Eurogamer Spain (http://www.eurogamer.es/articles/heavy-rain-analisis)

Heavy Rain is disturbing, immersive, has a great script and can be played by everyone, regardless of his experience with videogames. You really should be buying it right now.

90 - 3DJuegos (http://www.3djuegos.com/index.php?zona=juegos-analisis&id_juego=1440&juego=heavy-rain)

Quantic Dream again brings its unique vision of videogames with Heavy Rain, its latest gem. Maybe it’s not a perfect game, but if you want a deep and engaging history and believable and touching characters this is your game. It’s an incredibly original videogame.


90 - AceGamez (http://acegamez.com/022010/reviews/ps3-reviews/heavy-rain-ps3-review.html)

Enter Heavy Rain with an open mind and no expectations and it will grab your attention from start to finish. Although its sentiment will fail to hit home with everyone, this is a game that should be experienced by anyone with a love for gaming.

90 - GameZone (http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r29963.htm)

There are some flaws, but taken as a package Heavy Rain is a remarkable achievement in gaming that creates an interactive experience that goes beyond the pages of a good novel or film noir. This is a game that needs to be experienced.

90 - Cynamite (http://www.cynamite.de/ps3/reviews/aktuelle/heavy_rain_im_test_deutschlands_erste_online_review_von_heav y_rain/84115/heavy_rain_im_test_deutschlands_erste_online_review_von_heav y_rain.html)

Heavy Rain is thoroughly unusual. Rarely before, a game has been as emotionally haunting as this one. Furthermore, the replay value is very high, because of the different endings.

90 - SpazioGames (http://www.spaziogames.it/recensioni_videogiochi/console_playstation_ps3/10087/heavy-rain.aspx)

Everyone who calls himself a videogamer should try the Heavy Rain experience. Such a fresh and innovative point of view on home entertainment could give birth to an entire new genre. Technically superb, provided with a good story and an interesting control system, Quantic Dream's new title is really a twist in the videogaming culture. Still, some minor issues and a limited interactivity do not allow to praise it with full marks.

90 - Eurogamer Italy (http://www.eurogamer.it/articles/heavy-rain-recensione_2)

Beyond its unconventional and somewhat unconvincing gameplay, Heavy Rain is one of those few products able to assure a real videogame experience, taking gamers though a journey they’ll hardly forget. Quantic Dream has definitely pushed forth the standards of the whole adventure games genre.


90 - Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/heavy-rain-review)

It may also be the only game you play this year where pulling the trigger makes you really feel something, and I can think of no greater compliment.

90 - Play.tm (http://play.tm/review/28936/heavy-rain/)

Those of you willing to concede a degree of control, and embrace the game world, its characters, its ambience, will find that Heavy Rain is a slice of entertainment that stays with you between plays and compels you forward. It isn't perfect, but there's no questioning the gripping endeavour here. Meanwhile outside, in the night, the rain keeps falling, and time is of the essence get to it.

90 - IGN (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1067755p1.html)

A hell of an experience. Its controversial control scheme actually works really well in allowing the fantastic story to dictate how events play out, and many of the game's scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat. It starts slow and the presentation isn't perfect, but the character development, dialog and story twists will hook you like few games can.

90 - Eurogamer Portugal (http://www.eurogamer.pt/articles/heavy-rain-analise)

Heavy Rain is not the revolution that the videogame industry is waiting for, but it will probably be part of videogame history, as an important step in the growth of the industry, as a piece of entertainment.

90 - Playstation Official Magazine UK

Put gaming conventions aside, go in with no expectations other than this is something new and massively good-looking, and you'll be rewarded with a unique experience that lurches between genius and madness, manages to be genuinely emotional, and that you'll be bursting to talk about with your friends. [Feb 2010]

90 - Kikizo (http://videogamesdaily.com/reviews/201002/heavy-rain-review/)

Heavy Rain isn’t a film, or even a game trying to be a film. It’s proof of just how compellingly a game can use film, of how gripping a warmed-over scenario or humdrum script can become in the hands of a skilled design team. It filches ideas from cinema, doubtless – what big budget character-driven release doesn’t? – but it’s because it’s a game, in the final analysis, that it’s marvelous.

90 - VideoGamer (http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/heavy_rain/review.html)

For those of you who can open your minds to the possibility of something genuinely new, this is mana from heaven. Heavy Rain is one of the most exciting things to happen to video games for a long, long time. It's not a threat to the old way of doing things, but it does hint at the possiblity of a whole new genre.

90 - NZGamer (http://nzgamer.com/ps3/reviews/1043/heavy-rain.html)

Watching a robbery go down with detached movie-convention-predictability and suddenly realising you have to intervene can freeze you up like Paul Henry spotting a mustache on a lady. It adds the third dimension that makes this game a game. In any case, it's an entertaining variation on screaming, "Don't go in there!" at a flickering screen in the dark.

90 - PS3bloggen.se (http://www.ps3bloggen.se/spel/recension-heavy-rain)

Heavy Rain manages to create an atmosphere unlike any other, and many of its scenes are more thrilling and engaging than anything else I've ever played. Despite the slightly clunky controls and some parts of the story not meshing properly, Quantic Dream have created a game that breaks the norm. By being normal.

90 - IGN UK (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1068165p1.html)

Heavy Rain’s undoubtedly a sophisticated, fearless and often remarkable piece of entertainment. As a game it's not always successful but, as an experience, it's absolutely unforgettable.

Well, right now 37 of the 50 reviews posted at Metacritic for this game are at 9/10 or above, with almost all the rest being an 8+ rating. Overall, it looks to be a enjoyable experience for such a niche, unique title. Here are snippets from the overwhelming majority of them:Considering that only a handful of those sites are reputable/recognizable, that's not that meaningful (and that's also why the average is below 90 despite there being "37 of 50" sites scoring above a 90). Look like opinions are pretty divided--among the reputable/recognizable sites, at least. Last time that happened was with the first Assassin's Creed. Sounds like a case of rentalitis to me.

Considering that only a handful of those sites are reputable/recognizable, that's not that meaningful (and that's also why the average is below 90 despite there being "37 of 50" sites scoring above a 90). Look like opinions are pretty divided--among the reputable/recognizable sites, at least. Last time that happened was with the first Assassin's Creed. Sounds like a case of rentalitis to me.

Yeah, this will probably be a rental to me. I doubt I would play through it more than one. Plus there are too many games I wanna play coming out soon. MLB 2010, FFXIII, BFBC2, and a couple others.

Plus I still havent finished BioShock 2 or got to try out Mass Effect 2 or MAG.

Look like opinions are pretty divided--among the reputable/recognizable sites, at least. Last time that happened was with the first Assassin's Creed. Sounds like a case of rentalitis to me.

Currently 5/50 have scores under 80/100 on Metacritic. I'm not sure anyone would define "split" as 90:10.

Hell, 37/50 (74%) are over 90/100.

After the GTA IV inflated scores debacle, no review site can claim the title of being "reputable" any more than the next.

The unique, positive praise Heavy Rain is getting from most is unlike what you see for the vast majority of sequels, lazy ports and genre rehashes that come out month after month. It's being seen as one of the best, non-generic releases this generation. If it interests you you'll get it. If not, you won't. C'est la vie.

LOL!! Just wanted to say thanks to you guys for making me laugh tonight!!!! :) :) :)

anyone else see the irony of this and his board name? :p

My name comes from actually playing the guitar, and not some stupid game. I HATE Guitar Hero the game. I play the real thing!

I never knew about GH the game when I picked my name. Look when I first registered. Before the release date of the game.

Should have trademarked that name.

Hi, I'm looking for some Guitar Hero tips + strategies. Any experts on here

I hate you people.

Hell, 37/50 (74%) are over 90/100.But thanks to the magic of Metacritic, that adds up to an 88. :D

Man I'm so torn on this game...I have it preordered but I've been going back and forth in my head as to whether I should cancel and wait it out a bit...

But thanks to the magic of Metacritic, that adds up to an 88. :D

I must be missing something, that is the mean, so? If they knew statistics they would use the median, in this case is probably 90.

I must be missing something, that is the mean, so? If they knew statistics they would use the median, in this case is probably 90.
It's a weighted average based on the perceived quality and reliability of the source publications. See their explanation here (http://www.metacritic.com/about/scoring.shtml).

- Jer

I must be missing something, that is the mean, so? If they knew statistics they would use the median, in this case is probably 90.Definitely not a mean or a median. If it were, then based on all the numbers pointed out above (75% of scores above a 90), then the mean would be somewhere in the low 90s (and the median would be 90). It's weighted based on a "magic formula" that Metacritic doesn't fully disclose. I think it's based solely on readership numbers of the respective publications--that is, if a site gets above a certain number of regular hits, then Metacritic adds much more weight to their score.

It's their way of being able to include nearly all game review sites (which makes Metacritic appear "comprehensive"), while still really only averaging the scores of a handful of sites. So, no, it's absolutely not a simple "average."

I'd much rather see something like Rotten Tomatoes method applied to review scores: a simple "yes" or "no" averaged equally over all publications' reviews (which would include those like Joystiq and Kotaku who don't assign a numeric score). The problem is that so many game review sites think every game is "so awesome" and "genre defining" that it wouldn't work as well as it does for RT. They'd have to stop inflating their grades so much (which isn't going to happen anytime soon).

Definitely not a mean or a median. If it were, then based on all the numbers pointed out above (75% of scores above a 90), then the mean would be somewhere in the low 90s (and the median would be 90). It's weighted based on a "magic formula" that Metacritic doesn't fully disclose. I think it's based solely on readership numbers of the respective publications--that is, if a site gets above a certain number of regular hits, then Metacritic adds much more weight to their score.

It's their way of being able to include nearly all game review sites (which makes Metacritic appear "comprehensive"), while still really only averaging the scores of a handful of sites. So, no, it's absolutely not a simple "average."

I'd much rather see something like Rotten Tomatoes method applied to review scores: a simple "yes" or "no" averaged equally over all publications' reviews (which would include those like Joystiq and Kotaku who don't assign a numeric score). The problem is that so many game review sites think every game is "so awesome" and "genre defining" that it wouldn't work as well as it does for RT. They'd have to stop inflating their grades so much (which isn't going to happen anytime soon).

I forgot, it is their secret formula (weighted mean). I always disliked their BS, they also use some scores and ignore others. I always like gamerankings.com, until it was killed off (it's a shell of it's former self).

I can now see this game as being one of the most analyzed games of all time. Naturally, that depends of the number of various outcomes.

I've tried the demo's various choices, but of course, I can't see what any differences there are with them. Therefor, I cannot wait to try the game.

I turned in BioShock 2 for this game (GameFly), since I completed the main single player campaign already. Didn't have much reason to play through it again. Whatever I wanted to do with it, I did it by playing a few stored game saves saved at certain levels and maps.

It'll be fascinating to see what happens when this game ends up in gamers' hands (instead of just critics'). It'll either go down in gaming history as an infamous moment in design or as an interesting detour--or both.

On a related note, I just finished up Mass Effect 2, and that definitely set the bar for the relationship between choices and consequences in a game. For me, Mass Effect 2 will be the measure of Heavy Rain's success or failure.

I would bet it's more entertaining to watch than play, considering you don't have to keep unpausing the movie by pressing buttons.

I would bet it's more entertaining to watch than play, considering you don't have to keep unpausing the movie by pressing buttons.

More entertaining to watch but more intense to play...

I would bet it's more entertaining to watch than play, considering you don't have to keep unpausing the movie by pressing buttons.

Ya, that's the same way Uncharted 2 was. It was so stupid, if I didn't press anything, the movie would just pause itself and I'd be stuck staring at Drake's back just chillin'. It was so unrealistic, cause in reality, he should be running or looking for something.

I got the game 2 days ago, Finished it after 7 hours and 30 mins. And i can say it's absolutely the most impressive game i have played to date.

The story is really good, the characters are well done, the soundtrac is amazing, the VA are right in place & choices are many!!

One play through is not enough to give this game the justice it deserve. Once you finish it the first time I'm sure you would wanna go back and play all over again.

the VA are right in placeThis is where you lose me.

From the demo alone, I can tell just how terrible the voice acting is. The hooker and the FBI agent both have non-native accents that are horribly distracting. They don't seem to understand the basic cadences and natural rhythms of the English language. It makes the phrasing sound consistently "off." The PI character sounds fine, though, but according to reviews he's the only voice actor who speaks English natively.

Heavy Rain might end up being a fun game (or maybe even a great one), but it won't be because of the voice acting.

This is where you lose me.

From the demo alone, I can tell just how terrible the voice acting is. The hooker and the FBI agent both have non-native accents that are horribly distracting. They don't seem to understand the basic cadences and natural rhythms of the English language. It makes the phrasing sound consistently "off." The PI character sounds fine, though, but according to reviews he's the only voice actor who speaks English natively.

Heavy Rain might end up being a fun game (or maybe even a great one), but it won't be because of the voice acting.

Let em guess--you'll be renting. I find it amusing that you now have 19 posts in a thread you have no intention of buying, and counting. I predict you make it to 25 before the game comes out. And, you know--you rent it. :D

This is where you lose me.

From the demo alone, I can tell just how terrible the voice acting is. The hooker and the FBI agent both have non-native accents that are horribly distracting. They don't seem to understand the basic cadences and natural rhythms of the English language. It makes the phrasing sound consistently "off." The PI character sounds fine, though, but according to reviews he's the only voice actor who speaks English natively.

Heavy Rain might end up being a fun game (or maybe even a great one), but it won't be because of the voice acting.

It's a matter of opinions I guess. I see it differently and that is that.

Fun game wouldn't describe how Good and different Heavy Rain Is, and how much different it is then all the other games I've Played.

Let em guess--you'll be renting. I find it amusing that you now have 19 posts in a thread you have no intention of buying, and counting. I predict you make it to 25 before the game comes out. And, you know--you rent it. :D

Amazing, ain't it? I try not to troll game threads I have little interest in (i.e. MAG, Dante's Inferno). At most perhaps a comment or two, but I pretty much just ignore them.

Ya, that's the same way Uncharted 2 was. It was so stupid, if I didn't press anything, the movie would just pause itself and I'd be stuck staring at Drake's back just chillin'. It was so unrealistic, cause in reality, he should be running or looking for something.

LOL, I see what you did there.

Considering that only a handful of those sites are reputable/recognizable, that's not that meaningful (and that's also why the average is below 90 despite there being "37 of 50" sites scoring above a 90). Look like opinions are pretty divided--among the reputable/recognizable sites, at least. Last time that happened was with the first Assassin's Creed. Sounds like a case of rentalitis to me.

Funny you mention that.

I tend to take the less known sites opinions over the main streams any day because of the payola crap they participate in. Less likely to happen with the smaller sites.

Thing about the demo was it obviously was at a very early part of the game, dealing with introductions and figuring out how to control and use the character. It was damn slow. Sounds like both the story and the gameplay pick up after it, which isn't surprising.

As for the voice actors, I didn't notice anything wrong with them, The third guy in act 2 seemed a tad off, but the others were great. If the hookers voice acting was a problem in your book, looks like you have a problem with 99% of domestic releases.

Many games are still battling Resident Evil syndrome. Hell Fallout3 is epic and an awesome game and has some ****** voice acting [Playing it now]

Let em guess--you'll be renting. I find it amusing that you now have 19 posts in a thread you have no intention of buying, and counting. I predict you make it to 25 before the game comes out. And, you know--you rent it. :DI'll definitely be renting (as I've probably said in about 17 or those 19 posts you counted). I'm just as interested as anyone else in the game.

Amazing, ain't it? I try not to troll game threads I have little interest in (i.e. MAG, Dante's Inferno). At most perhaps a comment or two, but I pretty much just ignore them.I wouldn't keep posting if I weren't interested. Most of you all know how contrarian I am by now. I like to think of myself more as the "grumpy old man" than the "grumpy old troll." Half the time I go into a game like this with low expectations (and post about why I have low expectations), I end up being pleasantly surprised: KZ2, Shift, Demon's Souls, etc. If it actually annoys you all, I'll gladly stop.

Hell Fallout3 is epic and an awesome game and has some ****** voice acting [Playing it now]
:confused: The voice acting in Fallout 3 is top notch.

:confused: The voice acting in Fallout 3 is top notch.

Some, not all. Dad and a few others are top notch.

But most of the other NCP's, something seems off to me. But I don't think the format helps either.

If the voice acting is getting on anyones nerves try playing the demo in French.
Spanish, French, Japanese, and I believe German are all avalible in the demo.

Those reviews are pushing me towards bucking up for this title.

I've played thru the demo twice now and absolutely love the style.

Prior to playing the demo for this "game", I was super hyped for Heavy Rain. I would have easily considered it one of my 5 most wanted games of the year, along with The Last Guardian, L.A. Noire, Halo Reach and such. But, after playing the demo, it's hard for me to consider this to actually be a "game".

I would say that it's more of a "slightly" interactive movie, which doesn't mean that it's bad or anything, but I sure as heck ain't gonna pay 65 bucks for a "slightly" interactive movie, with below average voice acting. (as for my $65 comment, everybody seems to forget about sales tax....) I think this would be a very intriguing piece of entertainment software, for the right price. Like $24.99 or $19.99. Yeah, I know it must have cost QD a ton of cashola to make this game, but if they priced it at $24.99 or $29.99, and marketed it as more of an interactive movie than a game, maybe they could get enough sales to basically cover their development costs, and it would allow them to work on another one and continue to hone their craft..

It's too bad, because I was definitely hoping to champion this game, and get evangelistic about it. I thought this was going to be the type of game that all of us should buy for full price whether it was our type of game or not, just for the sake of the future of this industry, and so we could get a bit more variety than just space marines and soldiers. But after "playing" the demo, I find it hard to go that route. You basically, hit a few buttons, and move the thumbsticks in various directions just to continue watching the movie. Nowhere near enough "game" as far as I can tell. The disappointing thing about this, is that for anybody that played the Sherlock Holmes game on Sega CD, why couldn't they have done something more like that. In terms of basically you're investigating and interrogating people, trying to get to the bottom of the murder mystery? They could still keep the game very much like it is right now, but add some more hands on investigating. Kinda like that Blade Runner adverture game on the PC back in the day. Or the Sherlock Holmes games. That would have been kinda cool.

I still want to check the full title out at some point, but I just think the pricing is completely off the mark for what amounts to a slightly interactive movie. I can go to Fry's and buy a brand new Blu Ray movie for like $19.99 or $14.99, and I can go to Red Box and rent a movie for 99 cents. I can go to the movie theaters and see a movie for $11 or whatever. I'm not quite understanding why this slightly interactive one costs about 6 times as much?

Again, I still think this project is pretty cool (I'm not going to call it a game), and I do want to experience the final product at a certain point, I just think the pricing is way out of wack.

GameFly shipped the game out today. Turns out it's not a $59.99 game on there, it's actually retailing for $49.99 and I have the option to keep it for $47.49... just thought I'd share that.

Yup...I wouldn't feel good about paying $60-65 either but since I know I'll put it on craigslist after I'll probably end up paying $15-25 for it in the end...no biggie to me...

I also just got Heavy Rain shipped from Gamefly. Sweet.

This is what I was hoping would happen. Definitely see myself having fun with it through the first play through, but not sure about the longevity afterwards.

Mine shipped from Amazon FedEX 1-day delivery. Nice of them to offer that service to me for free.:D

Remember folks as you pick this up, take it easy on the spoilers!

Remember folks as you pick this up, take it easy on the spoilers!

+1

I might just stop checking this thread until I play the game!

If you have the game pre ordered with gamestop call and see if they are doing a midnight release tonight. I just called and found out they are doing a midnight release at my local gamestop here in San Diego.

NeoGaf thread are rife with spoilers already and people are getting banned for it. I think we should set up a "no spoilers" rule here. Learn how to use spoilers tags people!

You cannot die in this game and there's no "game over," correct? I'm trying to understand how the difficulty level then comes into play here? Is it just related to how fast you'll have to mash the buttons in crunch time?

You cannot die in this game and there's no "game over," correct? I'm trying to understand how the difficulty level then comes into play here? Is it just related to how fast you'll have to mash the buttons in crunch time?


The characters can die, at least later in the game. If all characters die you will get a different ending, not sure if that is considered a traditional game over. As far as how the difficulty comes into play, it probably is just the button combinations for the qte's.

I played the demo when it released and I was really impressed. Something tells me that I should wait a week before buying it though because I have a feeling it's one of those great games that some people just won't enjoy and it will be a trade in at Gamestop or FS on Craigslist.

I'm so tempted to pick it up though.

Got to love metacritic, they added some 40/100 no-name review and the score went from 89 to 87. This is why the mean (weighted or not) is bad for skewed distributions.

It's actually an 88.

Well I know I am not the oragomi killer. Can't fold paper to save my life.

Most enjoyable game install I have ever had. I am serious.

; )

Mine shipped from Amazon FedEX 1-day delivery. Nice of them to offer that service to me for free.:D

+1 With the lower prices and free release day delivery (with Amazon Prime), it is hard to beat Amazon on these new releases.

Is it 50 or 60 bucks at places like gamestop and best buy?

Got to love metacritic, they added some 40/100 no-name review and the score went from 89 to 87. This is why the mean (weighted or not) is bad for skewed distributions.It was an 88 last week; it's still an 88 this week. I see no change.

Picked it up, playing it now. About 2 hours into it.... I love it! :D:D:D

Emotional and immediately involving. Slightly quirky controls that work well at times and suck at others. Outstanding graphics. Extraordinarily intriguing storyline.

If you liked Indigo Prophecy (even with its ridiculous last half) you are going to crap your pants for this. :p

I am actually going to restart this game for my wife when I get home. I think she will love the story and it can be an interactive "movie" for the both of us to enjoy.

A LARGE WORD OF ADVICE- I recommend playing the game with french Audio and English subtitles. This game has an entirely French crew and while the voice acting in English is mostly ok, it borders on distractingly hokey\poor at times. The French sounds more natural and if you dont mind subtitles has exponentially increased my personal involvement and enjoyment of the dialogue itself.

Do you not get tired of read the subtitles? If the French voice acting is that much better, I wouldn't be opposed to playing it that way. Does it sync with their lips in French, or only English?

Do you not get tired of read the subtitles? If the French voice acting is that much better, I wouldn't be opposed to playing it that way. Does it sync with their lips in French, or only English?

I dont get tired of reading them, but Ive seen enough foreign\anime that its kind of routine. It looks like it synchs with French or English depending on what you choose, but I could be wrong. If the synch is off, I may reconsider, but Ive run into at least 3 situations now where Ive thought that bad English voice acting actually reduced the impact of some scenes.

All personal preference. You may think Im completely full of it once you play. :o

A LARGE WORD OF ADVICE- I recommend playing the game with french Audio and English subtitles. This game has an entirely French crew and while the voice acting in English is mostly ok, it borders on distractingly hokey\poor at times. The French sounds more natural and if you dont mind subtitles has exponentially increased my personal involvement and enjoyment of the dialogue itself.This sounds like a great solution. Wasn't sure if it was possible. Do you know if it's (mostly) the same voice cast as the "English" version? It might even add something to the strange ambiance of the game to have them speaking French.

This sounds like a great solution. Wasn't sure if it was possible. Do you know if it's (mostly) the same voice cast as the "English" version? It might even add something to the strange ambiance of the game to have them speaking French.

It appears to be the same (although the instruction book is lacking a cast list), since they sound like they're trying to suppress their French accents while speaking English. This is the biggest problem Ive had since listening to dialogue since Id rather someone have a full blown accent than try to act like they dont. Having them speak French definitely does add to the ambiance for me. I really am going to start again with French audio\English subtitles for that reason as well.

It appears to be the same (although the instruction book is lacking a cast list), since they sound like they're trying to suppress their French accents while speaking English. This is the biggest problem Ive had since listening to dialogue since Id rather someone have a full blown accent than try to act like they dont. Having them speak French definitely does add to the ambiance for me. I really am going to start again with French audio\English subtitles for that reason as well.In the demo, it seemed like they were somewhat trying to explain the French accent of the hooker. She had French-looking knick-knacks around her room, so I thought they might be trying to suggest she's originally from France (but judging by responses to the game, that's not true). I'd much rather have these voice actors speaking French since I was also put off by their accents, so your solution sounds like a good one to me.

Anyone notice trouble with audio in the full game? In the first part of the story I had random occasional loss of audio for several seconds...

This sounds like a great solution. Wasn't sure if it was possible. Do you know if it's (mostly) the same voice cast as the "English" version? It might even add something to the strange ambiance of the game to have them speaking French.


Will reading the subtitles not get in the way of being able to see the decision bubbles and action items while the subtitles are going simultaneously. I don't think everything just stops while the dialogue is going does it?

Will reading the subtitles not get in the way of being able to see the decision bubbles and action items while the subtitles are going simultaneously. I don't think everything just stops while the dialogue is going does it?

I havent noticed an issue, so I will say no. The subtitles are low in the screen while the action prompts tend to hang near the characters, actions, objects, etc.

If it is an issue, i will repost as I play more.

I havent noticed an issue, so I will say no. The subtitles are low in the screen while the action prompts tend to hang near the characters, actions, objects, etc.

If it is an issue, i will repost as I play more.

I may not have made myself clear. Not a problem with subtitles covering the actions, but with seeing the actions at the same time as subtitles. Seems you could miss a lot of the plot that way.

If you have problems with the English accents, make believe it's taking place in Montreal.

If you have problems with the English accents, make believe it's taking place in Montreal.We could also pretend it's actually a story about French people pretending to be American.

The "origami killer" is actually a renegade linguist who's part of a cult that's out to make French accents the norm when speaking English. In order to carry out his evil plan, he has to plant French-accented suspects throughout the city. The whole city grows paranoid as they start hearing more and more people around them speaking with an accent. Many citizens adopt the accent for fear they'll be outed as native speakers. He kills children who dare to disguise their accents when speaking. He records their voices for future reference in his secret training camps. It's up to Scott Shelby as the sole American in the game to bring the killer to justice and restore proper speech to the nation.

We could also pretend it's actually a story about French people pretending to be American.

The "origami killer" is actually a renegade linguist who's part of a cult that's out to make French accents the norm when speaking English. In order to carry out his evil plan, he has to plant French-accented suspects throughout the city. The whole city grows paranoid as they start hearing more and more people around them speaking with an accent. Many citizens adopt the accent for fear they'll be outed as native speakers. He kills children who dare to disguise their accents when speaking. He records their voices for future reference in his secret training camps. It's up to Scott Shelby as the sole American in the game to bring the killer to justice and restore proper speech to the nation.

Now THAT'S a plot. I might as well not even play the game now. No way it can top that.

Dude! Spoilers!

I suggest people report posts that contain spoilers. Mods clean it up in the movie forums so I guess they'll do it here if enough of us complain about the inconsiderates out there.

I suggest people report posts that contain spoilers. Mods clean it up in the movie forums so I guess they'll do it here if enough of us complain about the inconsiderates out there.

There's mods here?

:confused:

I did a search of the thread and didn't see this ... but if you pre-order the game and received the code for - The Taxidermist. Unfortunately you won't be able to download it until MARCH 4. :rolleyes: So no need to freak out like I did. :) They didn't have any information about this on the email. I actually had to call SONY. Wish I would have known though in advance. Oh well! Just don't lose the email or the code because it won't be replaced if lost or deleted. About to go play the game now.

Have fun everyone!

Wow, this "game" is awesome. A nice change of pace to the normal button masher/shooter.

And holy crap, the simultaneous button presses get out of control as you progress in the game. There are points in the game where I actually used my nose to press one of the buttons, lol.

There have been no spoilers yet, just jokes. A friend picked this up and says the game is amazing. I wasn't impressed with the demo, but then again I didn't enjoy Fallout 3 until I took the time to appreciate it, so it may be the same case with Heavy Rain.

I suggest people report posts that contain spoilers. Mods clean it up in the movie forums so I guess they'll do it here if enough of us complain about the inconsiderates out there.:D:D If that counts as spoilers, then there's more wrong with this game than I thought!

Picked it up last night and played until the point when you switch to the private investigator character. like it a lot so far. it pulls you in quickly. can't wait to get back to it. mw2 disc is finally going to see some time in its case.

i'm playing with english and no subtitles. i find nothing wrong with the accents.

Is the only way to get the prequel episode through pre-ordering? I picked it up yesterday through a non-preorder. In the menu there is an option that says 'downloaded content' and includes the Taxidermist episode. Of course it's not out until the 4th, but it brings me to the store and seems as if I would be able to download without a code.

As far as the 'game', it definitely starts off slow, but it's understandable since it's all about character development. Until I finish it and decide whether I'll play through it again, I can't say it's worth the 60 and change yet, but I will say anyone that likes a good drama/serial killer mystery needs to at least rent this game (my girlfriend actually left the room because she now wants to play through it - total rarity). It's amazing. For me, the only game that can compare in storytelling/Hollywood style production is Uncharted 2.

Never before have my emotions been so divided over a video game. I find myself loving some aspects of Heavy Rain and completely respecting the game, and then the next moment questioning some design decisions. Some scenes have left me smiling without even realizing until the event was over. Heck, in one particular scene I found myself leaning back in my chair contemplating my own future in relation to the events that just had transpired. No seriously! But certainly there have been moments where I was left holding my controller thinking "Hey wait a second, I want to be more involved here!"

When I played the game at E3 last year I thought it was an interesting concept but, frankly, didn’t find it very much fun to play. Then I played the demo about a week ago which took place in a completely different section of the game and I found it much more engaging. The funny thing is, now that I'm playing the full release, I'm feeling a mixture of those two experiences.

First I want to start out saying that I love Quantric Dreams ambitious with this title. The adventure genre--one that I love--sure does need a good shot in the arm, and despite some of the issues I might have with the game I mostly find it's overall experience exciting and compelling. It's a huge step in the right direction and, overall, a fun game. I always find myself looking forward to finding out what's around the corner.

I think most of us can agree that--its spirit--it's a game that harkens back to the older point & click adventure games. They've brilliantly crafted an experience for the (sadly) shrinking genre by luring you in with its contemporary interface. Gone are the points and the click click clicks and now we have gestures or Quick Time Events (QTEs).

The atmosphere in most sections--with a combination of Silence of The Lambs inspired scores and stunning David Fincher emboldened visuals---is frankly stunning. I find myself walking around starting at the…well items that I can't interact with unfortunately. But it all does its part in immediately drawing you in to its compelling narrative. A story that (for me so far) is chopped up into 4 different stories running parallel, a la Pulp fiction style, where I suspect will collide in some fashion.

But I do have an issue, that was immediately apparent to me within the first 10 minutes of the game, that consistently bothers me--interaction. Yes the game has it, and uses a mostly interesting mechanic to do so, but I want to do more than hear 5 thoughts floating around in my head. I want to do more than interact 3 things in a room. In addition, I want to look and examine much more in the environment. These people I'm controlling do have interesting thoughts, feelings and opinions on things--I want to hear what they have to say, even if it's "It's just a old brown shirt my brother use to wear". It allows me to get closer to them. Know them. Establish more of a relationship. By not allowing the player to examine his surroundings beyond a few of those predetermined thoughts or actions it forces the experience to feel more contrived.

Even some of my first adventure games--like the Kings Quest series--seemingly allowed us to examine about the same amount of items in the environment. Why does it bother me? Frankly, I think it makes some of this "reality" that Heavy Rain is trying to establish feel like plastic. For a game that devotes an incredible amount of its resources into its detail (graphics, narrative and dialog) it just boggles my mind that we're left with a beautifully crafted world that (seemly) 75% is off limits.

I don’t think I'm even 50% of the way through the game so my feelings could still go either way. These are just my thoughts and I have a feeling they're not going to be popular.

Thanks for the insight, warcrow. I've been eagerly waiting to hear any and everyone's thoughts on this game. I was going to wait and buy a used copy or just borrow/rent it, but I'm so convinced I'm going to enjoy the experience that I broke down and bought it on my lunch break today. Having 2 Best Buy credit cards makes it easy to convince yourself. Can't wait to get home and fire it up!

Now the game has officially out for a day. Does the game have enough contents to worth buying it at $60? After the first playthough, is there enough different contents worth while in the game for a second playthough?

I'm hoping there's more than about 8 hours of real contents in the game other than just to see other little differences on each playthough before getting the game.

Now the game has officially out for a day. Does the game have enough contents to worth buying it at $60? After the first playthough, is there enough different contents worth while in the game for a second playthough?

I'm hoping there's more than about 8 hours of real contents in the game other than just to see other little differences on each playthough before getting the game.

That's what I'm worried about.

Silent Hill back in the day had 7 different endings, but it really was just 3 endings where lines were cut in a few variations. If they pulled that crap, then it really isn't worth it to me.

If they're vastly different outcomes to a great story, then we're talking.

All I can say is I just did something very stupid, and I'm very curious to see how it pans out.

I'm amazed by this game. I already know it's well worth the $60 for me.

Metacritic score of 87 primarily because Sony needs a high profile exclusive - but look at the average user score, 5.8. I still feel strongly that most people won't be satisfied with this style of play.

Metacritic score of 87 primarily because Sony needs a high profile exclusive - but look at the average user score, 5.8. I still feel strongly that most people won't be satisfied with this style of play.

Oh, what utter ********. Sony is paying for a high metacritic score now? Give me a break. :rolleyes:


I bet the "average user" who is scoring it low has either not played the game at all, or, at best, only played the demo.

Funny--looking at your setup picture, I notice there is one particular gaming system that I don't see that might have lent a bit more weight to your opinion of what "most people" will be satisfied when it comes to this game...Go back to the XBox forum.

So I got the game and have been playing for the past 4 hours. I have to say that while it's interesting I don't know if I'd really consider it a game.

In some ways it reminds me of those old LucasArts adventure games. you don't really do much playing...

I'm enjoying the story and I appreciate the original approach I just don't see this being very popular way of gaming going forward.

I'm about 2 or 3 hours into it so far and I'm really liking it. Very relaxing and interesting most of the time, and then intense at other moments. I wish characters had the ability to run or jog a little bit, but I can understand why they don't let you. The graphics are amazing, audio is really good and the voice acting isn't bad either. There are some quirky deliveries occasionally, but for the most part the voices are good for a video game...or should I say interactive drama?

I'd love to see these concepts incorporated into an action/adventure game...best of both worlds could make for a great game. I imagine this will probably jumpstart some developers to try something along those lines. Really makes you feel more immersed in the experience when you're forced to complete basic actions that are normally overlooked or ignored. (some can be kinda silly though) The controls are laid out pretty good to coincide with the motions your character is doing. Nice to play something that feels new and different from most everything else I've ever played.

*Alright, back to the game!

Sony is paying for a high metacritic score now?
I never implied any such thing. Reviewers are well aware of the landscape - if one system gets a few high profile AAA titles exclusives in a row, you need something on the other side to balance it. Thus, they review something hyped like this a little higher than they normally would. Nothing major, but if they look back on this game a year or two from now, they'll question their own scores.

As for my systems, I have almost everything since the Atari 7800. I have an 80gig slim PS3, that photo is nearly a year old and I just haven't taken a new one. Only kids are fanboys - you aren't a kid are you?

Metacritic score of 87 primarily because Sony needs a high profile exclusive - but look at the average user score, 5.8. I still feel strongly that most people won't be satisfied with this style of play.

Dumbest thing I've ever read. The game has been out a day and magically it has more user votes than games out for months or a year and that have sold millions of copies and yet there isn't one comment. I wonder why that would be :rolleyes:

sooo... i'm hooked. I am about 3 and 1/2 hours into the game. Won't say where I am, but I've played all characters now, some more than once. While the gameplay drag a little, the story has completely drawn me in. I made one stupid decision(even though I got a trophy for it) and I'm resisting the urge to reload any saves and try it again until I've finished my first playthrough. This game has a captivating story and really draws you into the characters (at least the main character) even with the little quirks. Oh, and the walking with R2 sucks. I don't even like racing games that make me hold down a trigger button. Have to apply waay to much pressure.

Glad I got it through gamefly though. Don't see myself going back much after the story is done once. I kind of like the idea of it being a unique experience that you can share your different stories with friends.

SO played a little more and I think I'm pretty far in...There's a about 2.3 inches of rain on the ground.

Regardless, the game really reminds me of the Blade Runner game that Westwood Studios put out for the PC back in the 90s. I loved that game. This game really seems to nail the same tone and just feels very similar in play. Anyone else ever play that game?

I have an 80gig slim PS3

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/graphics/w32.hoots.1.gif

I'm so hooked. Got about 5 hours in today and I don't want to stop. Wish I could call in sick to work tomorrow and just play it all day.

I never implied any such thing. Reviewers are well aware of the landscape - if one system gets a few high profile AAA titles exclusives in a row, you need something on the other side to balance it. Thus, they review something hyped like this a little higher than they normally would. Nothing major, but if they look back on this game a year or two from now, they'll question their own scores.I doubt anyone would agree with your analysis.

You are right in one small sense. Hype is very real and without a doubt affects scores. If it didn't, publishers wouldn't continue to spend an exorbitant amount of money every year to treat reviewers like industry gods with press events, free drinks, shwag, etc., etc. Reviewers claim that they're unaffected by those things, but if they were, publishers wouldn't keep dumping so much money on them. That's one reason why I really appreciate and respect it when sites refuse to accept publisher gifts, perks, trips, and other free stuff.

But the idea that reviewers are trying to "balance" the two consoles is ludicrous.

i agree as well. it plays very much like blade runner on the pc. a game i loved. it gives me the same kind of feeling.

so far i dont like the QTE stuff much. except for the fights. however the tone of story and music and atmosphere is amazing. you really want to know what is coming next.

I never implied any such thing. Reviewers are well aware of the landscape - if one system gets a few high profile AAA titles exclusives in a row, you need something on the other side to balance it. Thus, they review something hyped like this a little higher than they normally would. Nothing major, but if they look back on this game a year or two from now, they'll question their own scores.

Um..wow. After that, I'm thinking your pointing to the user scores as proof of anything is more naive than disingenuous.


As for my systems, I have almost everything since the Atari 7800. I have an 80gig slim PS3, that photo is nearly a year old and I just haven't taken a new one. Only kids are fanboys - you aren't a kid are you?

Then, maybe you should update your year old picture since you deem it important enough to post a link to it in your signature. And, please explain where you got an 80gb slim. Must be limited edition.

No fanboy here (I bought a 360 for exclusives when I saw a good price)--I just know a stupid comment when I see it.


I'm about 4 hours into the game, and it's very interesting and enjoyable so far. My wife sat and watched for about an hour--which is something she never does. The game certainly harkens back to games like Sam and Max, and any other point and click adventures. But, there was a reason those games were enjoyable.

Story is great... but its not a game. Think this would have made a better movie than a game. 60dollars is just too much to ask for. After playing the demo, I wanna find out what happens but not at full price. This reminds me of the old sega cd games in all the wrong ways. Metal Gear is a perfect example of how to make a cinematic game with actually game play.

I'm so hooked. Got about 5 hours in today and I don't want to stop. Wish I could call in sick to work tomorrow and just play it all day.

Same here. I'm trying to think of an excuse to get out of here.

This has to be the most unique experience I've had with a 'game'. I've never felt any kind of emotion beyond some general laughter when playing a game - this has changed that. The first couple hours were slow, but it's completely understandable as you progress - it helped me make a connection with the charaters where it seems like I'm feeling what they'd be feeling from some of the decisions I make (good, bad, and stupid).

There have been quite a few parts where I've said to myself I want to go back and play through this differently. Considering there are very few single player games that I play more then once, this is worth it for me. My girlfriend wants to play it (LBP and Pinball is about the only thing she's played), I want to play it again, and I know months from now I'll be dusting it off to go through another time.

The game certainly has some faults (as Warcrow pointed out), but in terms of storytelling, it is top notch. Everyone should at least experience this through a rental.

I never implied any such thing. Reviewers are well aware of the landscape - if one system gets a few high profile AAA titles exclusives in a row, you need something on the other side to balance it. Thus, they review something hyped like this a little higher than they normally would. Nothing major, but if they look back on this game a year or two from now, they'll question their own scores.

As for my systems, I have almost everything since the Atari 7800. I have an 80gig slim PS3, that photo is nearly a year old and I just haven't taken a new one. Only kids are fanboys - you aren't a kid are you?


Ehh, I don't think that's it with this game. Reviewers either love it or hate it. It is something totaly different by console standards. Looking at Meta critic, and factoring in their wieghting, looks about right right.

Seems like they gave this one a fair review most places, rather then trying to compare it to other games in different genres, or just gloss over it and give it a 10 like GTA.

Story is great... but its not a game.

Yes, it is a game. Hell, call it a banana and I'd still be enjoying "playing/acting/eating it with my eyes and ears."

Apart from a slightly wonky camera at times and strange non-accents, I think it's successful. And, FWIW, the weird accents add a level of other-worldliness* to the game for me.

*which goes along well with the FBI VR system, kids carrying boomerangs, and 10 year olds wanting balloons from a scary clown.

Yes, it is a game. Hell, call it a banana and I'd still be enjoying "playing/acting/eating it with my eyes and ears."

Apart from a slightly wonky camera at times and strange non-accents, I think it's successful. And, FWIW, the weird accents add a level of other-worldliness* to the game for me.

*which goes along well with the FBI VR system, kids carrying boomerangs, and 10 year olds wanting balloons from a scary clown.

I really want that fbi vr system. I would never get any work done. Kind of wish it had some games that were actually kind of playable. Although since everything seems to kind of follow a time schedule there wouldn't be a lot of time to play around.

Is anyone having problems with this game freezing? 5 seconds into the game when it prompted me to complete the very first action it froze. Another hour into the game when i arrive at the crime scene (the scene in the demo), i go to scan the area & it freezes again. The audio is still going but i cant move or do anything. I cant even hit the home button to get back tot he xmb. Only a hard restart will work.

Could this be a problem with my PS3? I noticed in a couple other games it did it as well. Its a new slim model i picked up after my 80 gig YLOD'ed. Should i be worried? The discs are clean & i take care of the system. It's getting to the point where it's annoying. I was hoping it was just a glitch that others have experienced with the game...or maybe a problem with the latest firmware? maybe then they just have to do an update to fix?

Metacritic score of 87 primarily because Sony needs a high profile exclusive

Sony needs a high profile exclusive? What year are you living in...2007?

Oh, what utter ********. Sony is paying for a high metacritic score now? Give me a break. :rolleyes:

WTF...you don't love us anymore? I figured maybe you went to Amsterdam and never made it back to the US or something. Then I come to AVS and find this? What utter ********.

Only kids are fanboys - you aren't a kid are you?

I think you're kidding yourself if you think only kids are fanboys (pun intended). A Fanboy is basically anybody that makes ignorant and insulated claims attacking or in defense of a particular brand or entity that isn't substantiated by anything other than blind faith.

Story is great... but its not a game.

I forgot, there is only one, narrow definition of what constitutes a "game." Especially in this generation of gaming.

Brandon

Is anyone having problems with this game freezing? 5 seconds into the game when it prompted me to complete the very first action it froze. Another hour into the game when i arrive at the crime scene (the scene in the demo), i go to scan the area & it freezes again. The audio is still going but i cant move or do anything. I cant even hit the home button to get back tot he xmb. Only a hard restart will work.

Could this be a problem with my PS3? I noticed in a couple other games it did it as well. Its a new slim model i picked up after my 80 gig YLOD'ed. Should i be worried? The discs are clean & i take care of the system. It's getting to the point where it's annoying. I was hoping it was just a glitch that others have experienced with the game...or maybe a problem with the latest firmware? maybe then they just have to do an update to fix?

I had this happen one time as well at the introduction to Jaden mission. Exackly like you discribed. I have an 80Gb fat playstation 3 with the Heavy Rain patch installed.

This is most definality a game. The convience store scene should convince anyone of that. I think one of the great things about this game that has not been mentioned is the save system. Because it saves so often you can play the game in little chunks. After becomming a father six months ago I have had trouble playing videogames. It is easy to play a 15 min scene in this game and get back to work.
The real problem is that I am left aching to play because I am enjoying the experence so much.

I had this happen one time as well at the introduction to Jaden mission. Exackly like you discribed. I have an 80Gb fat playstation 3 with the Heavy Rain patch installed.

I also had it happen while trying to leave the crime scene investigation. I paused the game while the car was driving away to answer a phone call. When I unpaused, screen went black and all I could hear was rainfall. I just had to exit to the dashboard though.

I said it already but Im really loving this game.

I think there are enough gamers out there who appreciate not constantly having every games goal be to shoot someone in the face. Trust me, I love shooting people in the face... Just not for every game :p

This is emotional\storyline\adventure gaming at its finest with some of the best graphics I have seen on a console. The controls may be simple and wonky and there may not be a lot of replay value, but I thoroughly appreciate and support this sort of game on any platform. Im engrossed in the story and very curious as to what comes next.

Its like Blade Runner, Seven and Minority Report had sex and produced an interactive movie! ;)

I think there are enough gamers out there who appreciate not constantly having every games goal be to shoot someone in the face. Trust me, I love shooting people in the face... Just not for every game :p

Or you can shoot someone in the face by accident, and be rewarded with a 'Blunder' trophy. :eek:


As far as freezes, I've encountered a couple. Once my speakers popped and everything went black, and two other times it was a normal freeze with the audio still going in the background. As someone said above, the save system is so frequent that it only cost me getting up from my seat to reset my PS3. I'm on a 120GB Slim.

Is anyone having problems with this game freezing?It's happening to lots of people. Sony's supposedly aware of the problem and QD is working on a fix. Since many folks have had their save files corrupted as a result (from resetting their consoles), Sony's been reminding people to give the console a couple of minutes before you reset so you run less risk of screwing up your save file.

Here's a link to the ongoing forum discussion and Sony rep responses:
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=heavyrain&thread.id=3968&page=6

I hope they get it fixed soon. corrupted game saves are no fun.

Does anyone know what it means when u finish a chapter & it says "you have unlocked a new bonus" at the bottom left of the screen. where & what are the bonuses?

The bonuses I have received have just been some concept art. Nothing exciting really. I've gotten like 5 sweet new trophies already too.

Funny thing of note, when I first played as the f-b-i agent and put the special glasses on everytime he went to inspect a piece of evidence i thought he was saying "Harry Common". I was really confused as to who the hell this "Harry Common" was. I finally decided that he couldn't be saying "Harry Common" so I turned the subtitles on and learned he was saying "ARI Comment" --made much more sense...but, I still think Harry Common might be the origami killer...

The bonuses I have received have just been some concept art. Nothing exciting really. I've gotten like 5 sweet new trophies already too.

Funny thing of note, when I first played as the f-b-i agent and put the special glasses on everytime he went to inspect a piece of evidence i thought he was saying "Harry Common". I was really confused as to who the hell this "Harry Common" was. I finally decided that he couldn't be saying "Harry Common" so I turned the subtitles on and learned he was saying "ARI Comment" --made much more sense...but, I still think Harry Common might be the origami killer...

Ha. When I played the demo, I thought he was saying, "Very common." I kept thinking "blood on a fence and train track is very common? Where the heck is this guy from? Detroit?"

Ha. When I played the demo, I thought he was saying, "Very common." I kept thinking "blood on a fence and train track is very common? Where the heck is this guy from? Detroit?"

That is exactly what I though. Even though I knew that didn't make sense at all, I couldn't figure out what else it could be.

PS: I would give my right testicle for an ARI. I definitely wouldn't be sitting in this cubicle right now. Time to change the scenery.

I also had it happen while trying to leave the crime scene investigation. I paused the game while the car was driving away to answer a phone call. When I unpaused, screen went black and all I could hear was rainfall. I just had to exit to the dashboard though.

This is where it happened to me in the demo too. I tried the demo again and it happened to me at the end of the alley scene where you have to pull out the inhaler. That's a lot of crashes for a demo and now to hear it's still happening in the retail version, after a hefty patch, I'm turned away from paying anywhere near full price for this game...buggy SINGLE PLATFORM console games are 100% unacceptable. Sorry :(

Oh, what utter ********. Sony is paying for a high metacritic score now? Give me a break. :rolleyes:


I bet the "average user" who is scoring it low has either not played the game at all, or, at best, only played the demo.



this...

not to mention some losers will just go to highly anticipated games and sabotage the score for no other reason than to be douchbags.

that said, i fully stand by my user rating of 2.5 for alan wake.

this...


that said, i fully stand by my user rating of 2.5 for alan wake.

http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/see-what-you-did-there.jpg

Funny thing of note, when I first played as the f-b-i agent and put the special glasses on everytime he went to inspect a piece of evidence i thought he was saying "Harry Common". I was really confused as to who the hell this "Harry Common" was. I finally decided that he couldn't be saying "Harry Common" so I turned the subtitles on and learned he was saying "ARI Comment" --made much more sense...but, I still think Harry Common might be the origami killer...Totally what I thought when I was playing the demo. I thought it was something like "Harry Corman." I assumed it was some suspect's name and would make more sense in the full game. :D

I forgot, there is only one, narrow definition of what constitutes a "game." Especially in this generation of gaming.

Brandon

if you want to pay 60 dollars for a glorified sega cd/3do/cdi choose your own adventure game then... yes.

if you want to pay 60 dollars for a glorified sega cd/3do/cdi choose your own adventure game then... yes.

If you want to keep making yourself look foolish, by all means, keep posting.

Brandon

I hope they get it fixed soon. corrupted game saves are no fun.

Does anyone know what it means when u finish a chapter & it says "you have unlocked a new bonus" at the bottom left of the screen. where & what are the bonuses?

Sony has acknowledged that the game is freezing up for some but they don't know the real cause.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-12218-Video-Game-Examiner~y2010m2d25-Sony-addresses-Heavy-Rain-problems

This is one of the main reasons today not to buy any new games for the first few weeks unless you accept the bugs are part of the game experience.

That is the price of the gaming experience today if you can't wait.

If you want to keep making yourself look foolish, by all means, keep posting.

Brandon

Consider the source.

if you want to pay 60 dollars for a glorified sega cd/3do/cdi choose your own adventure game then... yes.

Sega cd was so ahead of it's time! I'm glad it's come back in the form of heavy and I welcome it with open arms. If your going to insult game consoles insult n64, but anyone in their right mind knows that sega cd was the most revolutionary console for games we've ever had and this generation of games has it alone to thank for it's successes.
I can't wait to fire up my 5.1 surround in dts and enjoy the ride. If you can't enjoy this games, I feel bad for your expectations. But this is the future of games and we should sit back and enjoy the ride.
All my best,
Kevin

I had problems understanding the FBI agent, too. I thought his name was "Armin Jayden" and was shocked and disappointed to see it was "Norman." I kept calling him "Armin Hammer" and that fun got ruined when I realized what his real first name was.

Finished this morning. Great game! I really enjoyed it. However, it doesn't have much replay for me, because knowing who the killer is. But, there's something wrong with that, though.

Did anybody noticed what was 'incorrect' about the killer's profile...

WARNING! Severe Spoilers!

His age. Scotty and Johnny were twins, were they not? Johnny's grave said he was born in 1967 and died in 1977. OK, when Scott is killed, they said he was 48 years old in the news cast, and he looked about that old. Actually, he looked older than that, but I guess he didn't age well. The year was 2011, according to ARI comments from agent Norman. 1967 to 2011 means Scott was 44, and not 48. Scott did NOT look 44 to me. Mistake or did I miss something?

I'm have trouble consistently shaking my controller up and down to satisfy the game. I can't figure out how to do it correctly, so I'm never able to accurately complete that action. Any tips?

Shaking left to right is fine, but up and down seems completely hit or miss.

I know it's not my controller because I have two PS3 controllers and tried them both.

Any help?

Finished this morning. Great game! I really enjoyed it. However, it doesn't have much replay for me, because knowing who the killer is.Even the lead designer David Cage said in interviews that he hopes people only play it through once. He thinks that by playing it multiple times you ruin the narrative effect by making it a much more mechanical exercise (trying out all the permutations instead of just "playing the ball where it lies," so to speak). Strange thing to say if you're the guy who's most responsible for selling your game to consumers. It may not help sell the game to me, but at least it shows he's got the balls to stand behind his vision. I would like people to play it once … because that’s life. Life you can only play once … I would like people to have this experience that way [...] [T]he right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it’s going to be your story. It’s going to be unique to you. It’s really the story you decided to write … I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it.http://www.destructoid.com/heavy-rain-has-no-replay-value-but-that-s-a-good-thing--146940.phtml

I'm have trouble consistently shaking my controller up and down to satisfy the game.:eek:

What have we become?! We're little more than tools to satisfy the perverse needs of our games!

I got a call from my 18 year old nephew last night telling me he was dying to shom me a new game he just bought that's "nothing like he's ever played before." I immediately asked him if it was "Heavy Rain" and he said "yes".

He came to my house today and popped it in. He sat quietly as I played the first few scenes, not saying anything until each scene was over to point out things he did differently and the different reactions he got. (For instance, in my playthrough, when I put the son to bed, he sent me off to find his teddy bear. In my nephew's playthrough, the son was upset at the dad)

I am now debating picking the game up for myself. I know I could wait for my nephew to finish and borrow the game from him, but I'm eager to finish my "story" while it's fresh in my head.

Personally, I am "wowed" by this game. (and yes, it is a game). It may not be for everyone, but I welcome innovation and risks. Sure, I enjoy a FPS as much as the next guy, but so many of today's games are unoriginal and derivative - games like "Heavy Rain" are a breath of fresh air.

Nice. They don't even buy us dinner first.

:eek:

What have we become?! We're little more than tools to satisfy the perverse needs of our games!

His age. Scotty and Johnny were twins, were they not? Johnny's grave said he was born in 1967 and died in 1977. OK, when Scott is killed, they said he was 48 years old in the news cast, and he looked about that old. Actually, he looked older than that, but I guess he didn't age well. The year was 2011, according to ARI comments from agent Norman. 1967 to 2011 means Scott was 44, and not 48. Scott did NOT look 44 to me. Mistake or did I miss something?I just assume that:The news report got their facts wrong- makes life easier for me.;)

I doubt anyone would agree with your analysis.
I'm not going to spend time going back and forth with those who disagree - history will be the real judge. Let's revisit this in a year or two and we'll see if the experience of this game has fallen out of favor. I predict it will.

But the idea that reviewers are trying to "balance" the two consoles is ludicrous.
Ludicrous like a fox. Balance means more competition and more competition means better games, better promotions, and a better overall situation for the gamer. Nobody wants a lop-sided console war except for fanboys.

And, please explain where you got an 80gb slim. Must be limited edition.


My mistake, 120gig. There's so many models out there between 360 and ps3 I lose track.

Nice. They don't even buy us dinner first. I feel so used. :o

I'm not going to spend time going back and forth with those who disagree - history will be the real judge. Let's revisit this in a year or two and we'll see if the experience of this game has fallen out of favor. I predict it will.You'll be hard-pressed to find a reviewer who thinks they'd grade a game differently if they could go back in time. It's tantamount to them admitting they suck at their job. Doesn't often happen (even privately).

Ludicrous like a fox. Balance means more competition and more competition means better games, better promotions, and a better overall situation for the gamer. Nobody wants a lop-sided console war except for fanboys.This is pure insanity. The idea that reviewers purposely weigh one console's exclusives more heavily than another because they need to "balance" the two systems' overall scores is insane. You clearly have no idea how the review industry works. Hell, all you need to do is look at the features that Gamasutra has done over the past couple of years showing the disparity in console exclusive scores between the three main consoles. Or you could calculate it yourself using that fancy Metacritic do-dad.

I'm not going to spend time going back and forth with those who disagree - history will be the real judge. Let's revisit this in a year or two and we'll see if the experience of this game has fallen out of favor. I predict it will.

Wait, so if people aren't playing the game a year from now, that means all of the reviews are invalidated? Or are you suggesting all of the reviewers would want to change their reviews in hindsight? That's a nice prediction to make...ones that can't be disproven even if untrue are always an easy way to appear to have "gone out on a limb."

Anyhow, you're being way too transparent about your unhappiness with the reviews being more positive than you expected. It shines through you.

Ludicrous like a fox. Balance means more competition and more competition means better games, better promotions, and a better overall situation for the gamer. Nobody wants a lop-sided console war except for fanboys.

Now you're just making yourself sound like a tin-foil hat wearing conspiracy-theorist. Let's assume you're right that even a insignificant minority are purposely overrating the game in order to boost the ratings of a PS3 exclusive for a moment. You do realize that there are 70+ critic reviews on Metacritic, right? And an overwhelming majority of those appear to be 90 and above. The idea that a significant amount of those people not only overrated the game intentionally, but all conspired to do it in order to throw a gratuitous bone to Sony is nearly a ridiculous proposition. Strike that, it is ridiculous. The type of coordination that would take in and of itself would not be worth it.

Seriously, let it go. The game is better than you thought it would be to a lot of people. You're still free to dislike it. Just stop trying to rationalize why everybody else will eventually dislike it after they've been randomly enlightened a year from now.

Brandon

Finished the game for my first time early this morning at around 4am! What an incredible experience.

I'm not going to spend time going back and forth with those who disagree - history will be the real judge. Let's revisit this in a year or two and we'll see if the experience of this game has fallen out of favor. I predict it will.


Says the guy responding to posts from those who disagree...


Ludicrous like a fox. Balance means more competition and more competition means better games, better promotions, and a better overall situation for the gamer. Nobody wants a lop-sided console war except for fanboys.

You obviously have no intention of playing the game. So, why are you still here? Go play a game that you actually enjoy and leave this thread. Or, is this the game you are playing for attention?

My mistake, 120gig. There's so many models out there between 360 and ps3 I lose track.

There are a lot of different SKUs, but you only bought one. Toshiba makes a lot of different sized HDTVs, but I'm never going to "lose track" and tell you I bought a 46". Thanks for the confirmation that you're just a troll.

You obviously have no intention of playing the game. So, why are you still here? Go play a game that you actually enjoy and leave this thread. Or, is this the game you are playing for attention?

Even the lead designer David Cage said in interviews that he hopes people only play it through once. He thinks that by playing it multiple times you ruin the narrative effect by making it a much more mechanical exercise (trying out all the permutations instead of just "playing the ball where it lies," so to speak). Strange thing to say if you're the guy who's most responsible for selling your game to consumers. It may not help sell the game to me, but at least it shows he's got the balls to stand behind his vision. http://www.destructoid.com/heavy-rain-has-no-replay-value-but-that-s-a-good-thing--146940.phtml

Interesting that the game designer said he hopes people only play through once, yet puts a gold trophy for 'see all endings'.

Any ideas how many endings there are?

Has anyone beaten it twice, does the identity of the killer change at all. I beat it with all four main characters still alive...when Jaden is attacked by the killer in the blue lagoon, he didn't look big and heavy. Seems like they leave a lot open to change, maybe ethan does black out and is the killer if certain characters end up dying.

I'm not going to spend time going back and forth with those who disagree - history will be the real judge. Let's revisit this in a year or two and we'll see if the experience of this game has fallen out of favor. I predict it will....

Oh, look... Its Video-Game Nostradamus :rolleyes:

You could say the same thing about any game... and maybe you're right. But what good does it do? I guess I dont get the relevance of that viewpoint when people on the thread are genuinely enjoying the game. Seems like you're just trying to Heavy Rain on everyones parade... <ba-dum-bum>... Hi-Yooooooo :p:D

Interesting that the game designer said he hopes people only play through once, yet puts a gold trophy for 'see all endings'.

Any ideas how many endings there are?

Has anyone beaten it twice, does the identity of the killer change at all. I beat it with all four main characters still alive...when Jaden is attacked by the killer in the blue lagoon, he didn't look big and heavy. Seems like they leave a lot open to change, maybe ethan does black out and is the killer if certain characters end up dying.

About your spoiler, I agree...

I never thought Scott could be the killer, because he's too old! I thought it was Blake, the cop. No way I thought it was the PI. The killer, according to his age from his twin brother Johnny, he should be 44 years old. Scott didn't look that young to me! He looked 52-56 at least!

I'm waiting to play the game a second and final time. I want to see what I need to do to unlock the rest of the trophies. I'm going to play the game for the purpose of doing just that. I don't care about the story, since I know what I know.

I want to get the one gold trophy that requires you to let everyone die. LOL!

That would be clean Sott's and Lauren prints, kill her, kill Norman, Madison, Kramer, Hassan, Ethan and Shaun. It's the 'Perfect Crime' trophy.

Interesting that the game designer said he hopes people only play through once, yet puts a gold trophy for 'see all endings'.I noticed that, too. Just goes to show that a lead designer's ideal isn't always what makes it into the final product (for all kinds of reasons).

I noticed that, too. Just goes to show that a lead designer's ideal isn't always what makes it into the final product (for all kinds of reasons).

I guess that's why he's the lead designer, and not the sole designer.

I

Any ideas how many endings there are?




I've heard that there are 23.

Why are all these posts reviews of gaming journalism and presupposition of what the journalists intent was? Jeesh, lets just talk about the game.

Finished the game. Overall I'd say it started out strong but took a strong turn towards mediocrity. I found the gameplay exciting at first but then just lame and tedious about halfway in.

I'm glad a played the game and there's some exciting ideas here as far as gaming is concerned. I do believe that Quantic Dream is going to have to add a little more meat to their future games to draw me in.

If you're on the fence as far as a purchase goes I would put this on the top of your rent list. It is the perfect rental. I should have done the same but was pretty impulsive on this purchase. I really don't see myself going back to replay this as I feel that the endings will just be slight variations here or there.

Someone made a comment earlier that this is the future of gaming. I really hope that this is not the future of gaming or we are in for some boring interactive experiences. There just needs to be more player involvement to flesh a title like this out.

I've been waiting for someone who has played the game to comment on whether it was censored for distribution in the US. Does it look like this (http://www.jeuxvideo.com/extraits-videos-jeux/0000/00004460/heavy-rain-une-douche-et-au-lit.htm)?

I'm not basing my decision on whether to rent a copy based on whether it's been censored or not. I expect to pick it up some time soon regardless. I'm just curious about what's considered acceptable content in the US versus Europe.

I've been waiting for someone who has played the game to comment on whether it was censored for distribution in the US. Does it look like this (http://www.jeuxvideo.com/extraits-videos-jeux/0000/00004460/heavy-rain-une-douche-et-au-lit.htm)?

I'm not basing my decision on whether to rent a copy based on whether it's been censored or not. I expect to pick it up some time soon regardless. I'm just curious about what's considered acceptable content in the US versus Europe.

The US version isn't censored. I played through and can confirm that the shower scene is in there.

Why are all these posts reviews of gaming journalism and presupposition of what the journalists intent was? Jeesh, lets just talk about the game.Agreed. To that end, some off topic posts have been removed and users banned from further participation in this thread.

I just played the demo, and switched to some of the other languages for fun. Do the lips also sync with the other languages? I couldn't really tell, but they kind of did, kind of didn't. And would something like that be programmed automatically from a voicetrack, or do they have to motion capture and sync every alternate language as well? That would seem like a lot of work. The only other game I've played that bothered to make the mouth movements believable for another language was MGS4.

So far, so good. I've had the game freeze on me twice, but after a quick reboot, I haven't suffered any save game corruption. I'm already thinking of what I could do differently on a second playthrough, and I think I'm only about 3/4 of the way through* the first playthrough.




*Based on the rainfall amount

So far, so good. I've had the game freeze on me twice, but after a quick reboot, I haven't suffered any save game corruption. I'm already thinking of what I could do differently on a second playthrough, and I think I'm only about 3/4 of the way through* the first playthrough.




*Based on the rainfall amount

The only problem I have had is the studder walk and objects like vehicles with a studder movement. I think they mentioned a new patch in the works for these issues. I am just going to wait for that to continue.

I didn't notice anything like that. I just finished the game (my estimate was off, apparently :D ), and apart from the two freezes, and the occasional 1 second drop in sound, I didn't have any real issues. Certainly nothing that affected gameplay, or immersion.

I hope the patch works for people who are having more dramatic problems. I've read of some people who can't even get to the game because of freezing.

I think my earlier post was accidentally deleted along with the flamebait...

Finished the game. Overall I'd say it started out strong but took a strong turn towards mediocrity. I found the gameplay exciting at first but then just lame and tedious about halfway in.
I also finished it for the first time recently, but I actually felt the opposite -- I thought it started off slowly, but steadily built up the tension and excitement, and paid off really well in the end.

If you're on the fence as far as a purchase goes I would put this on the top of your rent list. It is the perfect rental.
I can see the argument for this, but I think it depends on your interests and gaming habits. If you're not the kind of person who replays a good game on a higher difficulty after you beat it the first time, or if you didn't enjoy Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid, then I think a rental makes sense.

Personally, I know I'm going to play all the way through it at least one more time, and I've already played through a bunch of different scenarios hunting for trophies, and that's led me down some completely different paths with some really cool moments. I also like to support unusual games in general, so I'm very happy with my purchase.

- Jer

Just had my first glitch with game saves...I'm probably 2/3 through the game and now when I try to continue from where I left off I just get a black screen...what am I supposed to do? Start over and hope it doesn't happen again? If I pick the chapter closest to where I was does that mess up my storyline somehow?

Somthing good came out of the outage because now Heavy Rain plays without the studdering I was having before. No issues at all now. Weird I only noticed after my wife yelled out "ooohhh they showing tits"

I can't help but wonder if the folks who are calling this boring are playing on the lower difficulty settings.

The opening dragged a bit to me, but it's picked up the pace, and it's quite engaging.

I forgot, there is only one, narrow definition of what constitutes a "game." Especially in this generation of gaming.

Brandon

yes because a game requires skill. Not just pushing whatever button that comes up on the screen.

yes because a game requires skill. Not just pushing whatever button that comes up on the screen.

Simon was a game, right?

http://www.granneman.com/images/miltonBradleySimon.jpg

And that was a few generations ago....

yes because a game requires skill. Not just pushing whatever button that comes up on the screen.
Other games require exactly the same thing, only you have to memorize the particular button you need to press. Take Street Fighter as an example. You are prompted to hit the buttons by the intermediate steps of the animation. The only difference is that the timing window is even smaller and that you have to memorize the appropriate button combination.

Every video game involves pressing buttons or moving analog sticks in response to stimuli.

Simon was a game, right?

And that was a few generations ago....

You don't think simon requires skill?

Other games require exactly the same thing, only you have to memorize the particular button you need to press. Take Street Fighter as an example. You are prompted to hit the buttons by the intermediate steps of the animation. The only difference is that the timing window is even smaller and that you have to memorize the appropriate button combination.

Every video game involves pressing buttons or moving analog sticks in response to stimuli.

are you really comparing a game that requires strategy like SF to heavy rain?

Heavy rain is fine and dandy for what it is... just don't call it a game. Its a choose your adventure movie.

It's a decision-making game with actions that result with different outcomes depending on your responsiveness and thought process. Would you view Dragon's Lair as more of a game than this? I wouldn't, as Dragon's Lair was just based on reaction but no real decision making. This has both.

Did anyone else lose trophies after the meltdown. I lost a bunch and had to start my 2nd playthrough again.

You don't think simon requires skill?



are you really comparing a game that requires strategy like SF to heavy rain?

Heavy rain is fine and dandy for what it is... just don't call it a game. Its a choose your adventure movie.
Yes, I am. All video games have the same controls. Sometimes the buttons are mapped to different things, and sometimes timing is different, but they're the same.

You don't think simon requires skill?



are you really comparing a game that requires strategy like SF to heavy rain?

Heavy rain is fine and dandy for what it is... just don't call it a game. Its a choose your adventure movie.

YSR! just like the PS3 being labeled a game machine. :rolleyes:

Meanwhile...it is every bit as much a BD player and PC.

I know Curling and CHess aren't really sports either, so some say. :rolleyes:

I thought it was a bit slow at first as well, but it has picked up. The ambient sounds and some of the graphics freak me out and give me chills like it is a movie that takes me out of the moment and then I realize I am still involved when screen prompts start again.

You don't think simon requires skill?Since when were "skill" and "strategy" required for a game to be considered a game? Most games these days only require time to complete them, not skill.

I'm not saying that's a good thing (or a bad thing); but it's true. However, the implication of your argument would be that harder games are more "game-like" than other games. That's rather silly.

Youtube has a very interesting Heavy Rain series of videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjNsqPxO2Ws

I played through the sequence and its kind of a shame HR was not an interactive video like this.

I cannot figure out this promo code deal. I entered the code and it says "invalid or expired code" so I contact Sony and they tell me it will be available on the 4th of March. I tried the code again...same message. Weird thing is; when I start the game on the menu under "downloaded content" the prologue content is there. When I click on it it takes me to the PS store where there is....nothing?

Does anyone know the deal with this?

Anyone? Am I missing something that is glaringly obvious? Did everyone else get their codes to work?