"Don't cry, it's not THAT bad..."

We’ve all heeded the meteorologists’ reports and stocked up on bread and water, and it’s finally here; Heavy Rain has reached PS3 owners. With its promise of a new gaming experience and unique, mature presentation for storytelling, developers Quantic Dream hope to deliver something never really seen before. But does it have us crying buckets or is it a complete washout?

First things first, Heavy Rain is a game, but not in the sense we’re all used to hearing. It is more of an interactive film, but it definitely has gaming moments, told through quick time events (QTE) and context-sensitive button presses. There really is nothing else to the game beyond that. No online, no co-op, nothing. Instead, you’re treated to a “whodunnit” story that engrosses four characters with zero connections to one other, but by the end of the tale, have become closer than they ever imagined.

Story:

Like any typical detective story, there are twists, red herrings, and clues right there from the start, but you never pick up on them until the big reveal. Also, like most stories like this, you need (and want) the pay off to be good, and I feel the payoff here was satisfying. Perhaps not the best motive, but I was content by the time the credits were rolling. Obviously, I won’t spoil the outcome here, but I'm sure others will be as thrilled as I was by the time they’ve completed it as well.

Over the years , I've become a fan of the "whodunnit" stories of Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code, Deception Point), and unfortunately, they have set a standard for these types of stories, and Heavy Rain didn't really reach that height.
It's not a "bad" story, but it's by no means the best story in gaming; but it is entertaining for the full 8-10 hours of game play provided.

The only flaw I found in the story was (unless I just missed it completely) were how some characters knew where to be. I don’t recall scenes of certain people getting information, yet they knew exactly where to be and at what time. What could have been done was for Quantic Dream to fill in the blanks a bit better. What that would have accomplished would have not only fleshed out the plot, but added some gameplay time; very curious omission in my opinion.

Gameplay:

This is the major component of this title: gameplay. Does it exist? Yes... and no. Yes, there are moments where you're “playing the game” but it’s nowhere as deep as a Mass Effect or Uncharted. It’s more of a point and click title, but rather than just clicking and you watch your character waddle to the object, you also walk them there yourself.

Just to help paint a mental picture for those who (still) may be having trouble wrapping your mind around it, a typical scene consists of your character in a set piece with multiple interaction spots around them: be it windows, cabinets, computers, etc. Essentially what will happen is that as you progress through a level/set piece, you will then be “rewarded” with a QTE to progress the story and develop the plot or characters.

This really is about the gist of the gameplay, but damn, most of the QTE moments are some of the most intense gaming segments I have ever experienced. I was literally on the edge of my seat for some of these segments. The segments where your life is on the line and the QTE are coming at you seem like an eternity, one after another, incredible. I’m really curious to see how God of War III can compete and what it can bring to the QTE table!

Naturally, one would be hesitant of a game devoid of any real exploration and that consists of context sensitive button presses and QTE, but Heavy Rain varies it just enough that it never gets dull or repetitive.

Presentation (Graphics and Sound):

These two categories are probably where the game loses most of its important points. Let me preface the bad with the good (and the not-so-ugly): the graphics for Heavy Rain are gorgeous. The locales are incredibly detailed, the animations are solid, and the characters look good… until they speak.

The lip-syncing and facial animations are off. The faces looks beautiful in the loading screens but when they’re in motion, they look awful. It really can take you out of the conversations sometimes. Other than that, the animations and graphics are superb.

My biggest complaint with the game is the voice-overs. Why, why, WHY did they get Europeans to record American accents?! I advise gamers play it in French with subtitles to avoid having to hear some of the laughable terms and phrases used. I’m sorry, maybe I’m wrong but “been” has ALWAYS been pronounced “bin or Ben” not “bean.” I’m not sure if this is the European pronunciation (from Ben: not unless you're posh as hell), but it was weird hearing it pronounced this way, and the grammar Nazi in me was raging. I’m not counting points off for that: I’m mainly bringing it as a heads up for future players. You may laugh unexpectedly and inadvertently during some scenes due to cultural and pronunciation issues.

However, whoever voiced Norman Jayden, or “Nah-man” Jayden, should never be allowed to do a Boston/New York hybrid accent ever again. This is easily one of the best cases of over-acting and I’ve ever heard. He tried so hard to nail the role, it’s comical. No matter the scene or circumstance, I found myself laughing at him and his ridiculous accent. He just could never believably nail it. It really was a big blunder, what with him being a key character and whatnot. I’m curious if anyone Quantic Dream bothered to pick up on his horrendous accent. The same could be said for Ethan Mars’s actor, but his wasn’t as grating.

On the other hand, Scott Shelby and Madison Paige’s voice actors were top notch, no complaints from me there. There were also a few spelling errors and whatnot for the subtitles. “Gee” was misspelled as “Jee,” and I'm not sure how that happened, but other issues were a result of cultural differences, like “colour.”

It’s unfortunate that these weren’t addressed before the final release, but then again, you can play it in French with subtitles, so it’s not all bad. But I doubt many American gamers will go that route, so they’ll be greeted with a half-assed attempt. The main redeeming quality with the audio is the soundtrack. The music for the game is exceptional, haunting, and really ups the QTE sequences with harsh strings and chilling piano keys throughout. They really help set the scene and ratchet up the intensity during most of the QTE sequences. Really well done. I;m also curious why US gamers didn't get the OST with reserve like the UK territories did, hmm...

Final Thoughts:

While Quanatic Dream had an ambitious goal from the get-go, I think they’ve delivered on some of their promises but allowed others to just fall flat. The story is intriguing and the twist is enjoyable, but the acting and translation issues were quite a bother. Please Quantic Dream, either set your next game in Europe or get American actors for your actors!

I believe this was a good attempt, and if they can keep it up and continue to develop their storytelling skills and push the QTE gameplay style further, I’ll no doubt be anxious for their next title. If you like “whodunnit” adventures and books, look no further than Heavy Rain for a good experience. But be warned, other than repeat play sessions, there’s not much else here.

Final Score: 7

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