Heavy Rain is the only game to capture my attention so far in 2010. I spent countless hours playing shooter after action adventure in 2009 and I don’t think I can stomach another minute of them. What I want is something that will draw me in on an emotional level, other games have done a good job of this, but there will always be a disconnect when you begin shooting “bad guys.”
A lot has been made of just what pigeonhole we can put these games by Quantic Dream in. With Heavy Rain coming under criticism for being a procession of quick-time-event scenes, leading Director David Cage to defend this aspect of the game and state there are other elements not yet shown and in late 2009 Cage stated Heavy Rain is not really a videogame at all.
We play games in our everyday lives without even realising it. In much the same way that we may wonder how it is that catch is a “game,” Heavy Rain will challenge our perception of what a videogame is. If Heavy Rain follows in a similar style to Indigo Prophecy then there is a genre I feel comfortable placing it in.
The genre is that of the Adventure. In these games you assume the role of the protagonist, you solve puzzles and you follow a story. This is how Indigo Prophecy works. Like Tomb Raider bringing the Platformer genre into 3D, Quantic Dream does the same for the Adventure genre.
Having finished the game, I think Quantic Dream delivered on what I’d hoped for. An experience unlike anything I’d played before (even Indigo Prophecy.) By the end of the game, my characters had clearly changed, their motivations and attitudes in much the same way you’d expect from a good film or novel. It is an experience not to be missed, but one easily misunderstood as this weeks Vice Weekly proves.
First up is Madison Paige in The Taxidermist. I think this will act as a continuation to Madison’s story as it played out for me because my ending hinted at a new challenger to Madison. What will be interesting about the DLC is if it begins based on your decisions in the full game. So whereas this Chronicle will be fitting to how my game played out, it may not be so for others, in which case it may play as though it took place before the events of the full game.
The game subtly hints at Scott Shelby leaving the police force and becoming a private detective unceremoniously. A prequel showing us how this happened would be much appreciated. I got the impression it involved his partner’s death, if an overarching conspiracy is unveiled involving members of the police force, like Blake – this would make for an intriguing addition to the Heavy Rain universe.
Norman Jaydem’s addiction to the fictional drug triptocaine needs to be explained. Is there a dark secret that lead him to begin using it? Again, you can play Jaydem as a tough guy or straight laced and it would be interesting if the reason for his using triptocaine is based upon how you played Jaydem in the main game. Not that the main game allows you to play the characters black or white, exactly!
Finally we have Ethan Mars, my hero. The only thing I’d like to know more about is why he dreamed of dead bodies in water and why he made origami figures with no recollection. Of course much of this was a plot device to mislead the audience, red herrings, etc. But I’d like a down to earth, sensible explanation. From the game itself, Ethan had a deep routed fear of losing his other son and the character he associated as taking him away was the Origami Killer, what with him being all over the news. I’d just like it all wrapped up in a neat little package.
Whatever the DLC will entail, I can’t wait to enjoy more of this unique gaming experience. Do you agree with my classification of Heavy Rain, please leave your thoughts below.
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image compiled by A Broke Gamer, sources:
http://chadzilla.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e1a8753ef01156eb12385970c-popup
http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=9889.0
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