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The Importance Of Staying Dry

by sweep

So Heavy Rain , huh? That game looks, if nothing else, like it was designed to be revolutionary. It's a title that begs to be discussed and, for that very reason, i'm not going to talk about it . Take that, society! Naw, i'm just kidding. There seems to be a train of thought that if a game utilizes a new approach to age-old problems it's quality transcends that of traditional gaming. Vinny aske...

So Heavy Rain, huh?

 That game looks, if nothing else, like it was designed to be revolutionary. It's a title that begs to be discussed and, for that very reason, i'm not going to talk about it. Take that, society!
 
Naw, i'm just kidding.
 
There seems to be a train of thought that if a game utilizes a new approach to age-old problems it's quality transcends that of traditional gaming. Vinny asked in the bombcast "Is the game important?" implying that Heavy Rain could potentially be a prototype for an entire generation of novelty game based... novels. "Importance" carries a weight that could dictate the future of videogame design. Some games are, straight up, industry changing. Uncharted 2, for delivering a perfect balance of action and narrative, for example. It's importance is immediately apparent, reflected in the hordes of Nathan Drake clones that now plague these once green hills. Nolan North is looking down upon us from his golden throne atop his golden tower and laughing.

 Look at my big shiny face. LOOK AT IT!!!!
 I like Heavy Rain. I played a chunk and I watched a chunk and I like the directions it chooses to pursue. I'm doubtful if it has changed the future of the games industry. I especially doubt that other developers, having played Heavy Rain, are now frantically redesigning their titles mid-cycle. Whilst the people I have spoken to about Heavy Rain admit to enjoying it, they also conclusively admit to not wanting to play another Heavy Rain game for quite some time, as though the execution of the game has them exhausted. As a vacation from button mashing Heavy Rain seems to function fantastically, but it's commitment to satisfy on a more primal gaming level seems lacking. 
 
 

IN OTHER NEWS:

  •   Bad Company 2 gets released this Friday here in the UK. I'm kinda bummed I have to wait, especially seeing as I bought it from the same Steam service as everyone else. Whatever, I'm still stoked.
  • Final Fantasy 13 is so under the radar it's unbelievable. That game comes out in a week and there is almost zero Internet buzz. Consequently I'm not really excited for it at all. I'm going to wait for some reviews before purchase, but the battle system looks fucking awesome and already has me fairly sold.
 
Thanks For Reading
Love Sweep