Heavy Rain (PS3)

[Cyros]

Game is going to be awesome.

[Misfit]

The lighting in this game is incredible.

[Burns11]

So far, game is definitely looking like it's going to live up to my expectations, I can't wait.

[Flawless]

GC 2009: Hands-on with Heavy Rain

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As I expected, the experience is everything an adventure gamer could want. But again, that's not going to be everyone. In the interest of providing extreme emotional conveyance and creation of atmosphere, a degree of control has been taken away from the player. Heavy Rain feels more like a "choose your own adventure game," which will certainly rub some people the wrong way. But for a gamer like me that cherishes a good story, regardless of how it's told, I totally ate it up. During the new section of the demo, players fill the rain-splattered boots of Detective Shelby, as he enters a quiet convenience store run by a man named Hassan. The scene opens with some amazing camera work as Hassan takes inventory of his shop peacefully, with no trace of your character. No HUD distracts from the sublime set pieces either, as there is no health, score or energy meter to keep track of. The only indication of actual gameplay comes when a small white directional queue appears unobtrusively by the door. Follow it, and Detective Shelby will stroll into the shop.

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The intrigue really begins when Shelby approaches the counter and questions Hassan about his late son, Reza. Apparently, Hassan lost his son to the Origami Killer and now another little boy is in danger. Shelby starts asking questions but doesn't get much in the way of answers. In these dialogue scenes, thoughts/actions will literally float around your character's head and you can select them with the face buttons. For example, one of the first options in the conversation was noted with the word "Sympathize," which put me on the right track for winning over Hassan's favor. Unfortunately, the conversation didn't go well and Hassan refused to help Shelby with the case. Before leaving, Shelby asked if the shop had inhalers and Hassan directs him. This is when I ran into my first (and only) problem with Heavy Rain: the walking mechanics. Instead of using the left analog stick to walk, you use it to orient your character's head. Once you're looking in the right direction, you pull the R2 trigger to move your character forward in that direction. This system is well-suited for the constant camera changes that are used to accentuate Heavy Rain's atmosphere, but it can be really confusing at first. After a few moments I already had my bearings, but I'm sure new players will be thrown off. When in the back of the store, a young man enters the shop and suddenly puts Hassan at gunpoint. Players must carefully make their way up the isles and attempt to get the drop on the gunmen, if they wish to save Hassan (which I did). There are obviously a lot of choices you can make here, but I did my best sneaking and almost disarmed the gunmen. An icon appeared over his character for me to jerk the Sixaxis controller but I didn't quite catch it in time. The burglar turned sharply and held Shelby up. While holding down the L1 and R1 triggers to hold your hands up in the air, the rest of the demo becomes a dialogue tree that you must work through to talk the gunmen down. I managed to do so after some very careful dialogue navigation, as the rotating thoughts blur and spin faster as the character's mind becomes more stressed. What impressed me most about this short demo was how nervous I was during the negotiation. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that several European game journalists were gathered around watching me and our video producer Nick Scarpino was filming my actions, but the pressure was certainly on. I sincerely wanted Shelby to get out of that situation alive, which I think is due in part to the fantastic writing. Heavy Rain is an extremely promising title and my hands-on time with it only further solidifies my faith in Quantic Dream. I can't wait to see more.

New Screens

[Flawless]

[Altimus]

Very impressive.

I like how the prompt controls pop up on the screen.

Damn, that was pretty intense! And the graphics are stunning!

Good stuff.

[Burns11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Altimus

Very impressive. I like how the prompt controls pop up on the screen.

Yes, HUGE improvement over the way they did Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy. The simon looking thing they used for that game took you (or at least me) completely out of the action on the screen.