Pressing Heavy Rain Q's answered (no spoilers)

[Zipp]

Okj, here's some pressing questions answered for everyone:

1) It's not Indigo Prophecy. The game does not lose it's oomph anywhere along the way and, if anything, leaves you wanting a sequel (but emotionally satisfied with this story).

2) Not everyone will like this game. If you're looking for objectives and constant action, don't look here. If you're interested in story and tasks ranging from the anger behind killing a man or the delicateness of rocking a baby to sleep, then this is more your emotional outlet. For those who are into this kind of interactive experience, Heavy Rain is the BEST role playing experience out there.

3) It's going to be difficult to play a game after this that asks for emotional involvement from the player. Heavy Rain's emotions are so human and realistic and not forced that going from this to anime-influenced FFXIII I'm worried will be a bit like going from beer to whiskey, and not in a good way.

4) Animation is incredible. Over 30,000 unique animations in the game lend it the feeling that every scene is different and that the characters are reacting in real time to what's happening on-screen.

5) The choices are not just gaming choices. You feel drawn in to every scene that you have to decide something.

You will probably see these points talked about more in an upcoming review of the game.

[Vivi22]

3) It's going to be difficult to play a game after this that asks for emotional involvement from the player. Heavy Rain's emotions are so human and realistic and not forced that going from this to anime-influenced FFXIII I'm worried will be a bit like going from beer to whiskey, and not in a good way.

I agree with everything you said, but I wanted to emphasize this point especially. No game has ever reached me on multiple emotional levels as this game did. I typically find that most games don't get anything but the most minor of genuine emotional responses from me, but any other story based game has its work cut out for it in that respect. I'm not sure I'll ever play another game that gets to you the way Heavy Rain did for me.

[Zutnunzor]

I would love to buy this game but 60$ is too much right now. The demo was very satisfying, especially the fight scene, it was incredibly frantic start to finish. Also between this, Bad Company 2, God of War 3, and White Knight Chronicles, I won't be anywhere near this game for awhile. Time to avoid the spoilers!

[Zipp]

I would love to buy this game but 60$ is too much right now. The demo was very satisfying, especially the fight scene, it was incredibly frantic start to finish. Also between this, Bad Company 2, God of War 3, and White Knight Chronicles, I won't be anywhere near this game for awhile. Time to avoid the spoilers!

I can't tell you how much this game deserves to be played. But if you do have to wait... YEAH MAKE SURE YOU DONT READ ANYTHING ABOUT THE GAME. One spoiler can ruin the whole thing.

[bustatunez]

Just finished my first playthrough of the game. Spoilers will absolutely *ruin* the experience so I won't bother saying anything about the content at all.

All I have to say though is that this game is probably more emotionally gripping and painful than any game or film I've ever played/seen. Every night after playing for a few hours, I needed several minutes of like "decompression" time just to digest all the things I'd just done. In a way it almost tells me something about myself.... some good, some not-so-good. It's pretty insane that a game could do have such an impact.

That said, it's definitely not for everyone. You'll have to play in French to get acceptable VO, as the English recordings are terrible. Also the walking controls are frustrating and they really should consider patching that, there's just no advantage to doing it the way they do here. I'm sure there's some who'll miss out on the game entirely because of those two things, which is a real shame because like it or not this game really is something very different and very special in the history of game development.

More fundamentally, you have to be willing to be a part of the story and develop strong ties to the characters. It's not like other games where if your character gets hurt then there's hitpoints, respwans, checkpoints etc.; if you die you just *die* and the story keeps going, which makes things absolutely terrifying in some instances. Part of this is in how the game intentionally lets you do mundane everyday tasks, and interact with the scenes in ways that are completely inconsequential (eg. leaning against a wall during a conversation) but give a window into the character's personality via their animations.

[The Pezman]

Can you rent PS3s? If so, this'll be at the top of my "to do" list.

[Zipp]

Just finished my first playthrough of the game. Spoilers will absolutely *ruin* the experience so I won't bother saying anything about the content at all.

All I have to say though is that this game is probably more emotionally gripping and painful than any game or film I've ever played/seen. Every night after playing for a few hours, I needed several minutes of like "decompression" time just to digest all the things I'd just done. In a way it almost tells me something about myself.... some good, some not-so-good. It's pretty insane that a game could do have such an impact.

That said, it's definitely not for everyone. You'll have to play in French to get acceptable VO, as the English recordings are terrible. Also the walking controls are frustrating and they really should consider patching that, there's just no advantage to doing it the way they do here. I'm sure there's some who'll miss out on the game entirely because of those two things, which is a real shame because like it or not this game really is something very different and very special in the history of game development.

More fundamentally, you have to be willing to be a part of the story and develop strong ties to the characters. It's not like other games where if your character gets hurt then there's hitpoints, respwans, checkpoints etc.; if you die you just *die* and the story keeps going, which makes things absolutely terrifying in some instances. Part of this is in how the game intentionally lets you do mundane everyday tasks, and interact with the scenes in ways that are completely inconsequential (eg. leaning against a wall during a conversation) but give a window into the character's personality via their animations.

Whoa, they have a French language option?! Did I miss this?! I LOVE French voice acting.

[Brandon Strader]

Do they catch Jigsaw in the end, or did they leave it open for Saw 7?

[Zipp]

Do they catch Jigsaw in the end, or did they leave it open for Saw 7?

It's actually more gruesome than Saw because you're attached to the characters emotionally.

[Zutnunzor]

Just finished my first playthrough of the game. Spoilers will absolutely *ruin* the experience so I won't bother saying anything about the content at all.

All I have to say though is that this game is probably more emotionally gripping and painful than any game or film I've ever played/seen. Every night after playing for a few hours, I needed several minutes of like "decompression" time just to digest all the things I'd just done. In a way it almost tells me something about myself.... some good, some not-so-good. It's pretty insane that a game could do have such an impact.

That said, it's definitely not for everyone. You'll have to play in French to get acceptable VO, as the English recordings are terrible. Also the walking controls are frustrating and they really should consider patching that, there's just no advantage to doing it the way they do here. I'm sure there's some who'll miss out on the game entirely because of those two things, which is a real shame because like it or not this game really is something very different and very special in the history of game development.

More fundamentally, you have to be willing to be a part of the story and develop strong ties to the characters. It's not like other games where if your character gets hurt then there's hitpoints, respwans, checkpoints etc.; if you die you just *die* and the story keeps going, which makes things absolutely terrifying in some instances. Part of this is in how the game intentionally lets you do mundane everyday tasks, and interact with the scenes in ways that are completely inconsequential (eg. leaning against a wall during a conversation) but give a window into the character's personality via their animations.

Would I be missing out playing the english option? I don't mind reading subtitles... but I don't know a single word of french. I feel like it would be more immersive playing it the language I know best. Also I thought the detective, Scott Shelby's voice acting was pretty good, although Norman Jayden reminded me of Colin Farrel sometimes.

[Vivi22]

Would I be missing out playing the english option? I don't mind reading subtitles... but I don't know a single word of french. I feel like it would be more immersive playing it the language I know best. Also I thought the detective, Scott Shelby's voice acting was pretty good, although Norman Jayden reminded me of Colin Farrel sometimes.

I liked much of the voice acting. Some of the performances can be a bit awkward at times, but it's still up there as some of the best I've seen in a game a lot of the time.

But maybe my opinion is a little jaded because I vividly remember the days of the "Jill Sandwich" and think the voice acting in most games even now isn't that great.

[Brandon Strader]

It's actually more gruesome than Saw because you're attached to the characters emotionally.

I don't know about that, the screenshots I've seen of the characters freak me out in a type of "mannequin with doll eyes" kind of way, really creepy character designs. Then again, I'll have to save my final judgement for when I get to actually play the game.

[Gollgagh]

ps characters don't have to look good to have people to attach emotions to them

see: FFVII

[Brandon Strader]

ps characters don't have to look good to have people to attach emotions to them

see: FFVII

That's true, and FF7's characters did look like Mannequins, but they didn't look like nearly photo-realistic mannequins. It was cartoony.

[Alexis]

Would I be missing out playing the english option? I don't mind reading subtitles... but I don't know a single word of french. I feel like it would be more immersive playing it the language I know best. Also I thought the detective, Scott Shelby's voice acting was pretty good, although Norman Jayden reminded me of Colin Farrel sometimes.

If you aren't comfortable playing it in French, play in English your first play through. Switch on the French the second time around once you know the overall story and are familiar with the characters. It really is a lot better in French.

[Strike911]

I don't know about that, the screenshots I've seen of the characters freak me out in a type of "mannequin with doll eyes" kind of way, really creepy character designs. Then again, I'll have to save my final judgement for when I get to actually play the game.

When I first started playing I also had that criticism, but as you play the game for like 10-15 minutes you start to really get drawn in. At hour 3 or so I distinctly remember saying to myself, "wow" upon seeing a few characters interact with each other. It's not photo realism, nor is it destroying the uncanny valley, but it's a pretty hefty achievement imo. The game looks great, especially in motion.

I just finished the game, no spoilers here, but this game is ALL story and a few of the final reveals at the end of the story really pay off. It's the kind of story you can go back and watch through different eyes after learning the story. Pretty cool. It took me a an hour or two (maybe 3) to really get into the game, at first I had to get used to doing mundane tasks which bored me at first, but after a while I realized that the game is allowing the player to peer into the lives of the characters, and after adjusting to the gameplay style the game was very compelling for me. The character's are just living their lies: at times it's quiet and at times it's stressful and action packed.

The game definitely has its faults, it's not perfect, but this is one of the few games I've played this generation that I feel has genuinely moved the medium forward a few pegs in terms of storytelling and emotional attachment. Unfortunately, I'm not one of the people that cried during the game, though I've heard a few people have. The game is moving, and some of the scenes are heart wrenching enough to make you feel for the characters as if they were actual people.

It's not the most revolutionary game ever, but it is a breath of fresh air, and on a technical level has achieved something special that will surely be included as important and influential games of this generation.

This game is ALL story, that's its strongpoint. Gameplay, not so much. If you're planning on playing this game, avoid spoilers like the plague, because the game can't be nearly as compelling as it was for me if you know what's going to happen. I'd almost suggest just staying away from forum posts, articles, and threads of any kind so that you can appreciate the story as it is given to you.

If you're looking for something different play this game. I don't know that I would call it fun, per se, merely because it's so deep and sad at all times, but it is damn compelling.

[Zipp]

That's true, and FF7's characters did look like Mannequins, but they didn't look like nearly photo-realistic mannequins. It was cartoony.

How did me saying that you get emotionally attached to the characters SOMEHOW get interpreted as me saying it was because they look real? Heavy Rain brings you into its character's heads because it's damn well planned out and decently written. The good graphics are just a bonus.

[Gollgagh]

brandon has a graphics fixation

[Ashamee]

I finished my first playthrough about an hour ago, and I was so very impressed with the entirety of it. Never have I gotten so emotionally involved in a game until now, nor have I been left quite on the edge of my seat, out of breath, and cringing until now either. I will admit, I didn't expect much of it at first. Nekofrog and I got the demo early, and he played it and wasn't impressed with the controls, or the English voice acting. He managed to complain so much and reinforce the point over and over that he was NOT going to be buying this game. After playing the demo myself, though, I was rather intrigued. I went against his wishes and bought it anyway, and boy am I glad I did.

Visually, it's stunning. The details are amazing. The controls, while annoying at first, get easier with time. Tasks in and of themselves, while mundane, are still fun. You feel like you're living as these people, and it makes it all the more satisfying. I will admit, I wasn't a fan of the English voice acting (Lauren, especially) and I played most of it in French. Madison's English voice actor was superb, however.

I'll admit, I teared up and cried at the beginning AND at the end, and I only really do that during movies. I plan to buy the DLC. Anyone else plan to also?

[BardicKnowledge]

Am I the only person who enjoyed the English voice acting? While the French is better for sure, the English is still better than most games -- I think we just notice the flaws more because the plot is such a big part (all) of the game. There is one minor character who really stood out as over the top in English, but that's not a big deal to me.

[Zipp]

Alright, I finally got my review up for the game:

http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/8719/Heavy-Rain.html

I suggest reading this review afterward:

http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/8694/Heavy-Rain.html

Together, those reviews should give you a really well-rounded idea of what Heavy Rain is about.

[Ashamee]

So I played the first chapter of the DLC this afternoon, and it seriously was terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat, frantically swearing under my breath. No matter how many times I replayed it, it was still just as scary. I recommend it only if you enjoy getting the shit scared out of you. The only downside is that it's a bit short, and I'm not sure if the $4.99 they're going to charge for it is entirely justified, but it's great otherwise.

[Alexis]

Is the DLC not showing up in the playstation store for anyone else? I've tried going to it through the game, on my own, and doing a search for heavy rain and there's no DLC.

What the fudge.

[Alexis]

PRESS X TO JASON THE GAME:

http://www.heavy.com/post/press-x-to-jason-the-game-4539