Heavy Rain (PS3)

It's been a long time since I've wrote a review for anything but this game is one of a kind and deserves a lot of praise, Ive actually played this games twice not because it's a great game but because it has multiple endings and has good replay value,so you get your moneys worth. The story is about a murder called 'The Origami Killer' he leaves origami on his victims and i can't really say anything else as this is a spoiler free review. The music in this game is beautiful and really fits the game, 'painful memories' is the most amazing music I've heard. The Graphics are really good especially water effects, the graphics are probably on par with uncharted 2, facial models are all excellent and very realistic and the voice acting is quite good. Game play is really fun, it is like quick time events but but not really, you have to play it to know what i mean, there are multiple options and based on the options you choose it changes how the game ends. There has never been a game like this before, if you want to buy a good ps3 game this is one of best and will be for a long time, well until 'Beyond: Two Souls'... maybe...

One of my fellow reviewers has hit the nail on the head with his description, it is a "marmite game", you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I love it although I recognise that it won't be to everyone's taste!I was fortunate enough to stumble across this game's spiritual predecessor, a great game called Farenheit. The stories are in no way linked but the "interactive film" approach used in Heavy Rain was first tried in Farenheit and later nearly perfected for the second game. I say nearly because it's not perfect but more on that in a minute. The playing style won't be to everyone's taste as some may find it too slow and mundane.The game follows the same basic outline as Farenheit in that there are multiple playable characters all working to find the Origami killer but all with different motives. This can sometimes cause the characters to conflict which adds a nice touch considering each one's goal is the same. For ease of reading, I'll split the remainder of this review into pros and cons:Pros1. The story is brilliant, it is a lot darker than your usual game, dealing with very adult themes like loss, betrayal, mental instability and desperation.2. The individual characters are by no means carbon copies of eachother, each one has a different personality and skill set which really affects what they do and how they do it.3. You control literally every movement of the character, ranging from brushing your teeth to escaping a submerged car or fighting off a lunatic with an electric saw. This realism is fantastic, getting you really involved in the game.4. The graphics are really stunning, easily the most "real" character rendering I've seen in a game.5. The story is not set to one path, many of what seem to be minor decisions during the point in the game can have major effects on the plot, sometimes even resulting in the death of a mahjor character.6. If one of the characters does die, it's not game over and you can't go back to undo a missed prompt, the story continues and the plot changes accordingly.7. The intuitive controls really connect you with the character, you feel the excitement when you have to pound a button as quickly as possible to fight off a maniac or the tension when you have to carefully press buttons with the right speed and force to avoid electrified wiresCons1. The controls can sometimes be a bit fiddly, mainly when you have to line up a character quite precisely in order to flip a switch. Each character's turning circle is very big so just trying to reposition can be a bit frustrating.2. Choosing dialogue is not as easy as it could be. You usually have four options corresponding with the face buttons but these options circle your head. While visually this is good as it makes it look like thoughts rather than just options. However as they circle, the text can be hard to see so if you have to make a quick decision, this can be a hinderance.3. The quicktime events can sometimes be a little too difficult, requiring very quick reflexes in order not to miss them. That being said, the harder sections are usually when you're fighting for your life so this adds to the tension.Overall, a fantastic game if you like the more real kind of experience. If you just want outright action with lots of guns, this won't be the game for you. For those of you who like the deeper game that explores much more adult themes, give this a go. I would also heavily recommend Farenheit especially because you can probably get it very cheap these days!

Heavy rain is the spiritual successor to Quantic Dreams 2005 interactive thriller epic Fahrenheit: A game that kicked stale gaming convention square in the pants with it's intense movie atmosphere, deeply moving drama and it's distinctive yet intuitive control system. So hoping to take the fledgling interactive drama genre to all new levels of depth and emotional intensity (not to mention prevalence on the market - fingers crossed) have Quantic Dreams raised the bar or have they left future games like Farenhiet and Shenmue floating in the bowl? Well here's a handy point by point list of the good and the bad of Heavy Rain (hopefully it'll aid anyone out there who's a bit unsure about picking up a copy of this unique title).THE GOOD BITS:* - Deep multidimensional characters that, for most part, grip you from the get go - which is definitely a good thing considering the character driven nature of the entire affair.* - Not only are the characters extremely well defined through the writing but also graphically - the detail on every characters face is so good that the loading screens are extreme, extreme close ups of the character you are about to play. Every beard hair, every wrinkle, every tiny mole and imperfection is stunningly rendered. Magic.* - Not only is everything in the above point as true as can be but also the sets (seems to be more fitting than levels) where each characters trials and tribulations take place are beautifully designed and meticulously rendered. The team behind this (and the outstanding lockable concept art) are at the top of their game - in fact I don't think I've seen a game that comes close to the graphical superiority of this title.* - The controls are as interesting and well thought out as in Fahrenheit, action feels intense yet the same actions can be used to do something as gentle as disinfecting a tender wound or even changing a babies nappy. Well mapped and perfectly implemented.* - Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. Lighting, weather, sound and animation; all of these things have been used to awesome effect. Every scene I have played thus far has oozed dark beauty and inspired a total sense of immersion. You even get to build you own little piece of creepy origami while the game is installing! Also wait till you get to use the detectives virtual head set to change your surroundings....wow.* - The story is very well written and feels like a collaboration between the writers of Se7en and Hitchcock! There are a few minor issues here which will be mentioned below but rest assured these points are minor and you will not be treated like a fool.* - Everyone will no doubt have their favourite character - mine's Madison, the young lady photographer, and, no, not just because you get to see her in her birthday suite but because she's got style, flare, issues and a cool attitude. In fact let me make a point here: A lot of sites are speculating that the only female character is just eye candy - let me just say this is not so: you get to see both sexes in various states of undress, it's just the simple fact that women are a lot better to look at - sorry it's the truth - both men and women get naked in here but hairy bums just don't win out. Madison is a strong character with just as many issues and reasons to be a major part of the proceedings - go sister!* - The branching choices are in full swing, if a character dies the game carries on without them and plays out around their memory .Everything matters and nothing is cut and dry. When this game says your choices matter they really do it's not just a cheap advertising ploy or a bunch of black and white scenarios. I already can't wait to play it out again in different ways - the only problem is my attachment to the characters and in my first play through I tried to aid them as much as possible and be as moral as I am in my real life - still, as in my real life, I made mistakes...perhaps I'll rectify these next time through, we'll see.* - The soundtrack is subtle and effective and goes with the rest of the goodness like a satisfying, rich, gravy.THE NOT SO GOOD BITS:* - This is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, if you're a total action freak there are definite dry points throughout. If you're not into games as art much of this will definitely not appeal - I don't want to put anyone off or undermine anyone's intelligence - mostly because I want people to appreciate this and proliferate the genre - but it will definitely not appeal across the board. Sorry.* - Not every character will be to everyone's taste but you will definitely have your favourite amongst them without a doubt and for anyone that gets hooked this will be a minor issue.* - Sometimes walking about can be a pain in neck - this is not a game breaker but it has that early resident evil feel (slightly) and can get a little antsy at times.* - There are a few small stumbles in the story - I don't want to ruin any part of it but there are a few small bits that don't quite gel that leave you thinking `would you really do that,' even with all the choices on offer there seems to be an absence of what anyone would realistically do at times. Again this is a very, very minor occurrence but it is there and needs to be mentioned.* - Some of the side characters are a little dense, heavy handed and O.T.T. but they pass by quickly and, again, are in the minority. Plus they add spice.* - Some people think movies and games should remain as far apart as arm hair and a naked flame and to those people I say: remain as far away from this as arm hair and fire.CONCLUSION:This is gonna be a short one: I've heard reviewers up and down the web calling Heavy Rain things like Mesmerizing, Stunning, Emotional, Deep, Intriguing, controversial and a hell of an experience - well I can't top any of that and will just say: it is all of these things. Buy it, enjoy it and be blown away.