Heavy Rain

[Reaperman]

the demo for Heavy Rain hit PSN last night, and I was totally blown away. I know it's one big quicktime event, but I really like how they use them to actually bring players into the game rather than just annoy us. This is how 'interactive movies' should have played. And here I thought all those trailers were cutscenes strung together--nope, that's the game. I'm not sure it will be a 'first day' purchase for me, but it'll be pretty close. Anybody else looking forward to this?

 

on a side note, it's nice to see a video game that places even a little value on human life.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atKjye5dAgY

Edited February 12, 2010 by Reaperman

[roland p]

I should have bought a PS3...

[AtariLeaf]

Graphics look amazing but it seems like all you do is the press the buttons as their icons appear on screen. Doesn't seem very interactive if that's all it is.

[DaytonaUSA]

Graphics look amazing but it seems like all you do is the press the buttons as their icons appear on screen. Doesn't seem very interactive if that's all it is.

 

It's less about the "action" and more about the decisions you make in the game. Every decision changes the outcome and you have to make them very quickly sometimes. I'm very excited for the game. It's nice to see a title like this.. it's refreshing.

[moycon]

Graphics look amazing but it seems like all you do is the press the buttons as their icons appear on screen.

 

Dragons Lair of the year 2010.

 

I'm keeping my eye on this one because the graphics look outstanding (Kinda like Dragons Lair in the early 80's), although I have to admit, these types of games usually wind up annoying me very quickly. Also I'm not convinced it is refreshing. In my opinion there are many games that incorporate this type game play. (Tomb Raider, Ninja Blade, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, etc...) and it's usually the worst part of the game for me. I can't wait to get past those parts of the game so a whole game made up of only that type of game play doesn't sound terribly appealing.

 

Still..There are some elements about this one that seem to make it more tolerable than most. Like not immediately losing/dying and having to start over if you make a wrong button push. (although it wouldn't surprise me if there aren't places in the game like this) It is a interesting title, as long as the game flows smoothly, and you don't wind up replaying scenes over and over, it could be outstanding but I personally wouldn't pay full price for it unless maybe it gets outrageously awesome reviews. I'd be too afraid I would dislike the game play. Probably will pick it up when it's < $30.

[+remowilliams]

I just heard of this game the other day, and am pretty excited about picking it up for the PS3. Quantic Dream made Omikron: The Nomad Soul (which totally floored me back in the day) and also Indigo Prophecy which I enjoyed a whole lot.

[Red 5]

IGN gave it a 9.0

[moycon]

IGN gave it a 9.0

 

Wasn't aware there were already reviews for this game. Just watched the IGN video review and they addressed my concerns with the control and game play.(apparently my concerns were shared by many) The review states this is NOT one big quick time event. You cannot die by making a wrong choice. You wont replay scenes over and over!!

All great news to me. I may be getting this title sooner than I thought.

[Reaperman]

there are also hefty amounts of time where you have substantial control over your character to 'adventure around'. looking at things while interviewing people, digging around for evidence. In that way it feels a bit like the quieter parts of the older resident evil games--exept when it comes time for the action to happen, then Heavy Rain's off to the quicktime model. And these quicktime sequences do branch an awful lot. I really got beaten up in my first try at the demo fight (skipped the tutorial) but somehow I won.

 

I was worried about heavy rain too, but the demo really does its job well. I've been through it a couple times already.

[Red 5]

IGN gave it a 9.0

 

Just watched the video review and they addressed my concerns with the control and game play.(apparently my concerns were shared by many) The review states this is NOT one big quick time event. You cannot die by making a wrong choice. You wont replay scenes over and over!!

All great news to me. I may be getting this title sooner than I thought.

 

I agree, but I am still finishing Mass Effect 2, have Bioshock 2 on the pile to start next and then Alien v. Predator scares me with it's potential. With any luck Alien v. Predator will get crappy reviews and I can get right to Heavy Rain.

 

Of course, I have to fly through that because then we have Final Fantasy XIII and God of War III. Finish those in time for Splinter Cell and Read Dead Redemption in April.... whew... I'm already exhausted thinking about it.

 

Hopefully after that there will be some kind of lull and I can go back and finally play games I skipped like Dragon Age Origins and Uncharted 2.

 

What happened to the winter / spring "off season"? I guess I can't complain, but damn, this is pretty crazy, no?

[+remowilliams]

I agree, but I am still finishing Mass Effect 2, have Bioshock 2 on the pile to start next and then Alien v. Predator scares me with it's potential.

Slacker!

 

It's been an awesome time lately as a gamer, finished Mass Effect 2, Assasin's Creed 2, 80% of Dragon Age Origins and am now having an awesome time with Bioshock 2.

[moycon]

I was worried about heavy rain too, but the demo really does its job well. I've been through it a couple times already.

 

The thing that sucks it we will be moving soon and I currently have my PS3 hooked up to a small non HDTV. I may have to move it to try out the demo. If it's as great as you say I hope the title does very well and they continue to use the engine in other games.

 

The game is currently in my Amazon Gold box at about $7 off. Unfortunately I too have a HUGE to play queue, Ugh decisions, decisions.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

I am definitely interested in it, especially having read the reviews.

My only concern is they say this interactive movie is roughly 8 hours long .... and then what comes when you've finished it? The reviews say replaying the game leads to different outcomes, but only in the late portions, so I am wondering if I should just rent it, have a great time with it, and then return it.

 

If anyone plays Heavy Rain, please let me know if it has any decent replay value. I want to buy it but given the format of the game I am thinking it really only needs to be rented.

[moycon]

My only concern is they say this interactive movie is roughly 8 hours long .... and then what comes when you've finished it?

 

Wow, great point.

I played the demo (well actually I watched my GF play it) and the game is indeed incredible looking. She told me we needed to for sure get this one.

[xg4bx]

one thing that nobody ever mentions is that the controls also seem to be pressure sensitive, like in the beginning of the demo you control how fast he opens the car door.

 

i plan on going through this game as many times as possible. i will intentionally let characters die just to see how the story turns out. i believe the producer of the game has talked about having downloadable "episodes" later on. if those could be integrated into the main storyline and outcomes, then theres potentially limitless replay value.

[cimerians]

I'm going to buy this.

[HammR25]

I think it's a cool concept because it seems to give a person lots of control of the investigating, whatnot but the controls were driving me nuts in the demo and I don't have the patience for the game. I'm not into murder mysteries.

[moycon]

one thing that nobody ever mentions is that the controls

 

They are analog controls.

I agree, if used correctly, they add immensely to the game play.

[liveinabin]

I really hated the demo on the first play. I just spent the whole time wondering why I was needed. I felt like I was watching CSI while playing Simon.

Still, it was worth another evaluation. On the second pass I was impressed how my different interactions with the girl produced a different outcome. Quite well done.

 

What I can't escape, though, is the feeling that this is another game that's trying to be a movie. Given that, there's only so good that it can be. Games have their own visual style, their own identity and, I think, it's kinda disrespectful to the medium to assume that it needs to leech wholesale from another.

 

Still, the graphics are very slick and I'm sure it'll have some decent writing. Not sure about the magic detective glasses though.

Edited February 14, 2010 by liveinabin

[Jess Ragan]

IGN gave it a 9.0

 

Big deal. They gave Grand Theft Clunky a nine too. "It's still got lots of issues that affect the gameplay, but who cares when we're getting payola from Rockstar? NINE!!!"

 

I don't trust them, and I don't trust anyone who gives Heavy Rain a high rating too after calling it "barely a game." Isn't that what's important about a video game? You know, being a video game? I'm not happy when I take home a video game and discover that it's a movie with the faintest amount of interaction. Call it a movie, or a tech demo, but don't call it a game because you do your readers a huge disservice. Then again, that's probably been the IGN slogan since its acquisition by News Corp. "IGN: Doing our readers a huge disservice since 2003!"

[DaytonaUSA]

IGN gave it a 9.0

 

Big deal. They gave Grand Theft Clunky a nine too. "It's still got lots of issues that affect the gameplay, but who cares when we're getting payola from Rockstar? NINE!!!"

 

I don't trust them, and I don't trust anyone who gives Heavy Rain a high rating too after calling it "barely a game." Isn't that what's important about a video game? You know, being a video game? I'm not happy when I take home a video game and discover that it's a movie with the faintest amount of interaction. Call it a movie, or a tech demo, but don't call it a game because you do your readers a huge disservice. Then again, that's probably been the IGN slogan since its acquisition by News Corp. "IGN: Doing our readers a huge disservice since 2003!"

 

 

I haven't played the demo yet, only comment on what I've seen of Heavy Rain....it could go either way, and I wouldn't discredit it as being bad before really biting into it. Just because you don't have direct control over your character doesn't mean the minisecond decisions you need to make don't count as being a game.

 

I will say this though, IGN's reviews are so predictable it's nauseating. They never take risks with their scores, and always play to popular belief of how well the game should do, even if it sucks. Mario, GTA, Halo, and Zelda constantly get better scores just because of the series name, while other games I feel are much more original or fun get average scores because they don't have the same following. I've weened off going to IGN for my reviews. I usually stick to Joystiq and Metacritic for an overall idea.

[moycon]

I will say this though, IGN's reviews are so predictable it's nauseating. They never take risks with their scores

 

I would agree with this, which is why I value the AA boards so much.

I might not always agree with someones assessment of a game (I feel like some people that post here don't really have a clue about games regardless how many posts they make), but in most cases I respect AA members opinion because I know in most cases they have have the experience to make a valid call on a game.

 

We've all played the demo, I get the feeling most of us came away very impressed. I think the demo was only the tip of the iceberg!

[DaytonaUSA]

I just played the demo. The quicktime events don't feel tacked on like GoW or Star Wars Unleashed, but there to make it so you can play the scene. I'm assuming the "choices" are going to be very important in what I've read of the game, and the parts I actually controlled the character involved me well enough to consider this a game. Honestly, the voice work, control system, and graphics were amazing as it all set the atmosphere quite well. I could use a better camera as I walk, but other than that I had no complaints.

 

As good as it was, I don't know if this is a day one purchase. While it's good, it's not the typical genre I usually buy, so I'd be hesitant to spend so much money on what will be a risk for my tastes. But I do plan on getting the game eventually, as the demo has my interest piqued.

[xg4bx]

"I will say this though, IGN's reviews are so predictable it's nauseating. They never take risks with their scores, and always play to popular belief of how well the game should do, even if it sucks. Mario, GTA, Halo, and Zelda constantly get better scores just because of the series name, while other games I feel are much more original or fun get average scores because they don't have the same following. I've weened off going to IGN for my reviews. I usually stick to Joystiq and Metacritic for an overall idea. "

 

i completely agree. i'm sorry but no "journalist" with any sense of perspective or gaming experience can possibly justify giving things like halo and modern warfare damn near perfect scores. yet they'll absolutely punish most games that try something new or can't afford to be as polished as the big titles. they spent an entire review savaging darksiders (GREAT game, if you like adventure games its a must play) for how "unoriginal" it is, meanwhile a few weeks prior shit like modern warfare 2 gets a complete pass (depite its broken online play) and a 9.5 to boot. double standards much?

 

thats why i totally ignore review scores. i'm 32 and i think i'm the best judge of which games i want to play. it says boatloads when i already know that no reviewer will have the balls to give the upcoming halo game less than a 9.5. i shouldn't be able to set my watch by review score predictability.i think that happens because reviewers, like most people unfortunately, are intellectually lazy. its easy to review a big name shooter because you know exactly what to expect. i'm genuinely surprised by the reviews this game is getting, i figured it would have scored low because the game challenges you to reflect on concepts like what a game is and the blending of games and cinema. it makes you think and these paid intern reviewers usually hate that.

 

i would rather have a game thats a flawed 6 or 7 that at least tries something new than a safe,predictable, unoriginal 9.

[xg4bx]

"I will say this though, IGN's reviews are so predictable it's nauseating. They never take risks with their scores, and always play to popular belief of how well the game should do, even if it sucks. Mario, GTA, Halo, and Zelda constantly get better scores just because of the series name, while other games I feel are much more original or fun get average scores because they don't have the same following. I've weened off going to IGN for my reviews. I usually stick to Joystiq and Metacritic for an overall idea. "

 

i completely agree. i'm sorry but no "journalist" with any sense of perspective or gaming experience can possibly justify giving things like halo and modern warfare damn near perfect scores. yet they'll absolutely punish most games that try something new or can't afford to be as polished as the big titles. they spent an entire review savaging darksiders (GREAT game, if you like adventure games its a must play) for how "unoriginal" it is, meanwhile a few weeks prior shit like modern warfare 2 gets a complete pass (depite its broken online play) and a 9.5 to boot. double standards much?

 

thats why i totally ignore review scores. i'm 32 and i think i'm the best judge of which games i want to play. it says boatloads when i already know that no reviewer will have the balls to give the upcoming halo game less than a 9.5. i shouldn't be able to set my watch by review score predictability.i think that happens because reviewers, like most people unfortunately, are intellectually lazy. its easy to review a big name shooter because you know exactly what to expect. i'm genuinely surprised by the reviews this game is getting, i figured it would have scored low because the game challenges you to reflect on concepts like what a game is and the blending of games and cinema. it makes you think and these paid intern reviewers usually hate that.

 

i would rather have a game thats a flawed 6 or 7 that at least tries something new than a safe,predictable, unoriginal 9.