50 Games in 2012 – #14 Heavy Rain (PS3) (Completed May 6th)
Your in control but not really. That is the weird balance of Heavy Rains cinematic story. Whether you've played the game or haven't you probably already know a bit about Heavy Rain. Move your left analog to brush your teeth, motion like your turning a nob to open a door. That is what I thought of Heavy Rain before playing and yes it does work like that. What I didn't know was how I'd actually enjoy a game that looked like a quick time parade and how I'd get emotionally involved in the stories outline. You win David Cage; you did something out of the ordinary in a video games and it worked.
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As I said this game won me over with it's story. Not right away but over time Heavy Rain weaves a tale based on your actions that intertwines the lives of many for your viewing and playing pleasure. In Heavy Rain you control 4 different characters who are all attached by one person the Origami Killer; a child murderer who drowns victims in rain water. Ethan Mars son is the next victim and through the 4 of these characters you go through the paces to stop the killer. Each of these characters play an interesting role and were acted well – some hokey accents.
The story works and the quick time events do as well but the key to why Heavy Rain was a memorable game was it's progression. Simply put there is no game over screen. Failure is acceptable and just leads you down another path to the final end of the story. Knowing that any character could die made me become instinctive in my actions and really weigh my options when I knew death was looming. Games can provide suspense but there is no better way of creating suspense when you know that if you die that's it. Credit to myself I handled the pressure terribly and in my experience saw two characters kick the can. Was I angry that I screwed up? Yes but I also understood what my actions meant and it gave the whole game more weight then I thought it could hold.
Whether your a fan or RPG's, Shooters or Action games there is something to see in Heavy Rain. It's hard to explain what that something is but Heavy Rain works on so many levels that it's a game I've recommended to many. Heavy Rain holds it flaws but it's worth playing through them to take in a game that is largely different then what the norm is in today's video game industry.
Game Summary:
Date Finished: 5/6 | Heavy Rain (PS3)
Pros: Completely unique game that tugged the heart strings and got me immersed and involved.
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Cons: Could of benefited from better tech and voice acting.
Conclusion: Heavy Rain works on varying levels creating a unique gaming experience that you'll want to finish.
[9/10]
{Previous Entry #13: http://bitmob.com/articles/50-games-in-2012-13-rage-ps3}