Review: 'Heavy Rain'

They say that patience is a virtue; in Heavy Rain, it's a necessity. No, really.

Released On: Playstation 3

Many will find the opening to Quantic Dream’s latest offering intolerably slow, and I’ll admit that they have a point; smacking slightly of over-indulgence on the side of the developers and dragging on for a little bit too long, the first slice plays out more like a bubble-wrap version of the Sims than the heart-racing thriller it claims to be. Only here, you can’t set anything on fire.

However, take a closer look and you’ll see that this games’ genius isn’t necessarily in the heart-racing tenor of it’s gun fights or the flexibility of its’ car chases; instead, Heavy Rain’s trump card lies in a completely engrossing, truly heart-breaking and utterly relatable portrayal of shattered families, crippling guilt, blinding revenge and an absolute loneliness that will suck you in and hold you to ransom until the final credit has rolled. Believe me, the end result is truly breath-taking - this title is more emotionally involving, poignant and touching than almost any you’ll have come across before.
My point? Keep at it. It gets better.

You see, it isn’t a ‘game’ in the traditional sense of the word - Heavy Rain looks, feels and operates like a movie. The ambience, the action, the script; all pulled unapologetically from the silver screen. This allows for a wonderfully classy experience that is as captivating and pulse-racing as any crime flick, and - like those aforementioned thrillers - it’s positively dripping with atmosphere. In fact, it’s so enthralling that there’s not even a chance of you being evicted from the sofa when soap/footie-o’clock rolls around, largely because your other half will be glued to the screen and on the edge of their seat too.

This is largely thanks to some very good acting lurking under the hood; the digital performances can put most game casts to shame, and are as genuinely enjoyable as they are talented. Yes, yes, if you’re of an American persuasion than you may spot a few dud accents here and there but most of the performances on show have been given more compassion and spunk than many TV shows I’d care to mention. Add the fact that every twitch, smile or swagger is brilliantly motion-captured and it’s very hard not to be impressed by an incredibly cohesive and original package that can lift you higher or drop you lower than any game you’ve ever played before.
Though that’s assuming you can get your head around the control system, of course.

Centring on motion-sensing, point-and-click style exploration and an utter orgy of quick-time events (forcing you to press, twist, flick, hammer or hold the correct combination of buttons at the right moment), it’s definitely an acquired taste. But hold on; although it may seem a little silly and trite at first it’ll soon fall into place as the pace picks up, transforming into an instinctive, deeply satisfying and challenging experience the further you go.

And ‘challenging’ it certainly is; even though the difficulty curve is just about right, Heavy Rain is alarmingly bereft of any checkpoint system or game-over screen, meaning - in a nutshell - that any death or failure is permanent. This can understandably make one a tad hot under the collar, but the fact that you feel so utterly mortal is as invigorating as it is terrifying; it also has the wonderful side-affect of incredibly rewarding immersion rarely seen in a generation dominated by the first-person shooter. This easily elevates Heavy Rain’s nail biting moments high above the action and thriller ilk it is quite clearly putting a middle finger to, and although this’ll never be enough for some (Modern Warfare 2, anyone?), it allows for an intensely gorgeous cinematic experience that would be almost impossible to achieve any other way. It is most definitely worth the admission fee - well, when it works properly, anyway.

First on the hit-list - and arguably most frustrating - are the on screen prompts; they can be incredibly confusing and hard to decipher in the heat of the moment and will often cost you rather more than you bargained for (usually a flat head), simply because you won’t have any idea of what you’re being asked to do. Should you twist, tap or hold? By the time you’ve decided your character will be dead and your foot will be through the screen.

Coming in a close, irritating second are a number of the challenges themselves, as they can be a wee bit too fiddly for their own good (especially when it doesn’t matter); take shaving, for instance - actually, don’t, as I’ll simply get angry. It’s safe to say regardless that the whole thing is screaming out for a polish, and although it certainly doesn’t ruin the experience it’s still incredibly annoying. If you’re new to the Playstation handset then I would definitely advise caution here and go for one of the easier settings; sure, hard mode is arguably the most fun, but it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

Fortunately, Heavy Rains’ phenomenal story more than makes up for this; based around the frantic search for a macabre serial killer and the trials of the immensely likeable hunters, the scripting and sheer imagination of this title are top level. While nothing exclusively unique, it has been written in a genuinely touching and sincere way that will more than leave its’ mark long after you’ve finished up. OK, I’ll admit that the level design is chokingly linear and the stages can be a little on the claustrophobic side, but the choices therein give you an immense freedom that is blissfully liberating; the blurb’s claim that the “smallest decisions can change everything” will ring startlingly true as there are so many different endings that your head may just explode due to the sheer complexity of it all. These moral nuances - coming thick and fast a few hours in and potentially changing the entire tale - are simply superb, making for an incredibly unique and personalised yarn that will have you agonising more often than the cast of Eastenders. How far would you go to save the day? It’s a lot tougher to call then you’d think, especially because of the tight rapport you’ll have built with your characters by this stage.

Sadly, Quantic Dream were evidently so busy with these multiple plotlines flying all over the place that they rather forgot to fix a number of loopholes in the script, though; loopholes that are unfortunately large enough to fall through. It’s oddly out of place from a team that clearly believe ‘God is in the detail’, and sours the entire experience somewhat. Hooks and twists are ignored or dropped, loose ends are frequently left untied... it’s something akin to a fuzzy hug and a knee to the groin at the same time. Why the blatant slip-up, Quantic?

Luckily, these issues (as painful as they may be), pale when taking the game as a whole; there’s always a silver lining to every dark cloud in Heavy Rain - if you’ll excuse the pun - and it’s always easy to find something else that sets it all aright. If you have a little patience when things are looking grim then this Playstation exclusive will ensure that you're richly rewarded once the storm has passed.

The Bottom Line

Let’s be clear; if you’re fortunate enough to be blessed with a short attention span, a hatred of ‘talky’ games or a love of all things online then you’ll probably find Heavy Rain to be as big a turn-off as Patrick Moore. For the rest of us, this breath of fresh air is one of the most invigorating titles to hit the Playstation 3 - no, make that any console - in a very long time. Quantic’s effort really is deserving of your praise and attention, and it's just sad that it didn't quite reach the dizzying heights it should have because of a few, simple kinks. It’s the sort of game that reaches for the stars, and lands in Paris instead; damn pretty, but not quite what you were after. Nevertheless, if you go with the right expectations then Heavy Rain is an absolutely must-have title.

Rating: 86%
(Brilliant)