THERE was a moment very early in Heavy Rain where I began to wonder if the game’s creators had conjured up some kind of bizarre fatherhood simulation and forgotten to include the actual game.
However, over the following 10 hours of playing Heavy Rain, what emerged was one of the finest and most unique gaming experiences available.
There’s no doubt that it’s is unlike any other game on the market. It is an adventure game, but it’s far more focussed on telling a story and eliciting emotion from the game-player, than how many ways you can hit someone with a baseball bat.
The result is a thoroughly engrossing experience that’s somehow a cross between the classic films Silence of the Lambs and Seven.
You take control of four characters as they attempt to unravel the mystery of the Origami killer, who has been kidnapping children and drowning them in rain water.
The actual gameplay is a mixture between exploration, conversation and investigation, with a series of quick time events taking care of any fights, car chases, or mayhem that ensues.
The game changes drastically depending on the decisions you take and after discussing its conclusion with two colleagues who also played their way through, it was apparent that we had all experienced a vastly different story.
As such, there’s no way to ‘fail’ Heavy Rain, if a character dies the story just continues without them. However, even their survival doesn't guarantee a set outcome.
During the rigorous process of reviewing Heavy Rain I took it to show to a friend. When I arrived he had two lady visitors.
When we put the game on both ladies were pretty unimpressed with what was going on – after all it starts with a fairly mundane day in the life of central character Ethan, who’s helping his wife get ready for their child’s birthday party.
However, as the idyllic family scene closed and the game moved onto its second (far more harrowing scene), the mood drastically changed.
With Ethan placed into a situation every parent dreads, both ladies became thoroughly engrossed, imploring my friend to do something to prevent disaster striking.
I’m being deliberately vague with the details because the story is key to the experience and I wouldn’t want to spoil it – but suffice it to say, there’s something in it that will cause everyone to feel panic, elation and even fear.
What’s important is that the game starts slowly, and unless you put the time in you’re going to be left wondering what on earth is going on.
However, if you stick with it, you’ll find a thrilling slice of adventure that could well change the way people look at games in the future.