360 Gamer POV on Heavy Rain

Finally the PS3 has an exclusive that can actually rival the competition. At least that is what it seems from playing the demo for Heavy Rain the other day. I have never played a game like this and really all I can say is that I was hooked and left wanting more. I am not going to go in to much detail because I think Brian T. did a good job at doing that, but I just wanted to briefly touch on my feelings about what is to come.

Being a person who heavily favors the 360 over the PS3, I found the controls to be a little difficult. Not so much as to how they were set up, but since a lot of the game is controlled by timed button pushing, it becomes a little difficult if you do not have the layout of the controller memorized. So I found myself hitting the wrong button from time to time but it was never a devastating problem. It is a little weird with some of the other button combinations but after a couple of tries it was fairly easy to pick up on.

I played through the Detective Shelby scenario 2 times and both times were different. Each time it started and ended the same; it was the content in the middle that was different. The first time I played through I angered the hooker and she would not talk to me about her son. It wasn’t because I was trying to anger her; it was just my inability to push the correct button. The second time through I again pissed her off but was able to lay a guilt trip on her at the last second, which got her to talk. I am pretty sure that if I played through a third time I can make her talk without any anger or any form of guilt, therefore giving one single scenario three possible forms of gameplay. Not to mention that once you get her to talk you begin to ask different questions depending on which button you push. If this were to follow suite with the first half of the scene, then you are looking at up to 6 different ways to play one particular scene, hypothetically of course.

This seems to make the replay of value of this game very high. Talking with Brian T. he said that in order to get the full experience it is recommended by Quantic Dream to play through the game a few times due to the changing content depending on how the game is played and because of alternate endings. The big question for me is; is it a buyer or renter? Well I can say that I am going to rent it through Gamefly first and give it some good playing time. If I absolutely need to have it I will eventually buy it, but I think that playing through it a few times will be more than enough to satisfy me. Later on I most likely will pick it up when the price is down to $20 or $30.

From a heavy 360 gamer this is definitely a game to play even though it is exclusive to the PS3. It may be difficult to pick up on the controls at first, but once you do I think that there will be no disappointment. After almost losing my PS3 I think it is time that I blow the dust off of it and give it the fair shake it deserves. Besides Heavy Rain, I know that I am getting Super Street Fighter IV (solely to kick Brian T.’s ass) and Final Fantasy XIII for the PS3 (only because the PS3 version is in 1080p and the 360 version is in 720p) this year. So at least I will have 3 games for the console compared to the many that I own for the 360. Comment and let us know what you all thought of the demo.

-Brian R.

Heavy Rain Demo Review

Heavy Rain has easily been one of the most anticipated games for the PS3 since it's debut showing at E3 in 2006. With it's release just 11 days away, Sony has finally released a demo to the general public on PSN. I just finished playing it, and I'm eager to write about it.First of all, this game is not going to appeal to a lot of people once they have a chance to sit down and play it. The game is essentially a playable movie where you control the most minute actions of whatever character you are playing as (there are four playable characters). Most games have you running and shooting things or flipping switches to advance the story and gameplay, but Heavy Rain instead has you do minor tasks like retrieve items from your pocket, knock on doors, and simply talk to people. It sounds silly, but the game does a good job at utilizing the controller to make you feel like somewhat of a puppeteer. Control can be especially disorienting at first since you have to hold R2 to walk while you guide yourself with the left analog stick. By the end of the demo I'd gotten a pretty solid grip on the controls, but I could still feel that they were going to take some getting used to...they're unique to say the least.

If you played Indigo Prophecy (PS2, XBOX), then you already have a good idea what this game is about. In fact, Heavy Rain already appears to almost be a sort of "re-imagining" of Indigo Prophecy. Besides the obvious gameplay and story/tone/theme similarities, there are smaller comparisons to be made like the measuring of rain (Heavy Rain) vs. snow (Indigo Prophecy) throughout the story. Those who played through Indigo Prophecy know that Quantic Dream dropped the ball with the second half, and it would appear as though they're trying to get it right this time around. And so far, I'd say they've succeeded. The entire point of this game is to get you wrapped up in an intense and completely bizarre story that consists of multiple entwining character paths. Don't bother trying to get an idea of what's going on from the trailers, this is a story so involved that playing through the two sequences available in the demo will still leave you with no real idea of what's happening. That's not a bad thing though, as things are interesting enough to keep you frantically curious as to what is going to happen next. Heavy Rain is a game that once you start, you're going to have no choice but to finish.

Of course the graphics are worth mentioning and yes, they are fantastic. You're not going to forget you're playing a video game, but the character models are very detailed. I must admit though, they're not as mind-blowing as I would have expected. The textures and character models are unbelievably detailed, but I honestly feel that facial movements, and hell most "movement" in the game, could have used a bit more work if they're really wanted to impress. I think that a more realistic physics engine would have complimented the realistic graphics better. Just a minor gripe, but those hoping that Heavy Rain would be a visual revolution for gaming are no doubt going to be a little let down. The rest of the production work is top-notch with a wonderfully subtle soundtrack and universally solid voice-work.

The demo lets you play as the grizzled, broken-down, asthma-inflicted detective Curt Shelby and drug-addicted FBI agent Norman Jayden as they pursue two completely separate paths while tracking a serial killer known as "The Origami Killer". Both characters offered very different experiences. Shelby's scenario has an action sequence that plays out very similarly to the action sequences from Indigo Prophecy. Fights mostly consist of attacking, blocking, and counterattacking via timed button presses and analog stick movements. It's definitely interesting and you can tell that the aim was for you to feel like you're "acting out" many of the actions through various controller uses. Jayden's scenario focused on the use of his special glasses and glove which give him the Terminator-style ability to analyze people and environmental objects while combing a murder scene for clues. For example, you can analyze DNA on an object and have full visual access to that person's "file" within the FBI's database. I actually enjoyed the investigating and exploring quite a bit, though pressing R1 constantly to scan the environment for clues will no doubt eventually get tiresome.

Unfortunately, the demo is fairly short, so that's about all there is to write about. If you can get into the controls, you'll get into Heavy Rain. Even if you don't get into the controls, you'll probably still be sucked in by the story and interesting cast of characters. This game is another definite try before you buy, so I recommend checking out the demo for yourself if you have the chance. I'm curious to hear what other people think about it, especially those who didn't know what to expect from Quantic Dream. As for me, I love story-driven games so this is a must-buy on the 23rd.

-Brian T.

first blood

Alright people, I've got some random game-related thoughts. I'm having trouble thinking of a blog because I can't seem to focus on one particular topic right now. I just got the new Game Informer in the mail and I'm inclined to write about the random shit I'm reading about. First of all, the new layout fucking sucks. I hate it. It reminds me so much of a 90's game magazine, but not in a nostalgic way - in an outdated way. For example, the reviews sections reminds me of if you stuffed EGM and Gamepro's review sections in a blender and pressed LAME. I'm not a fan. But whatever...I'll get used to it and I'm sure I'll be fine with it in no time.

I keep getting more and more pumped on Heavy Rain. I enjoyed the hell out of most of Indigo Prophecy and have a lot of faith in Quantic Dream. It would seem that Sony has quite a bit of stake in this title and the long devolpment time leads me to believe that there will be a lot riding on it. I'm sure Sony is doing everything in their power to ensure that Quantic Dream are able to make the game they are promising us with these trailers. I really hope that this game doesn't do what Indigo Prophecy did and ruin an amazing story and fantastic character development by becoming completely retarded when you hit around the 80% mark in the game. It really seemed like Indigo Prophecy was rushed toward the end and it just completely fell apart. Hopefully with Sony's money backing this, this team can create a mind-blowingly unique gaming and storytelling experience with Heavy Rain. I've got my fingers crossed.

All of the Metal Gear content on the PSP is really making me wish I had one. After all, it was in fact MGS 4 that pushed me over the edge to finally get a PS3. Speaking of the PSP, what is with all the awesome PSP shit in the Playstation Store? I was browsing through the PSP demos and decided to take a look at all of the content available for Sony's underrated/overrated handheld. The awesome Capcom support alone blows my mind. Powerstone 1 and 2. Darkstalkers. Street Fighter. Mega Man. Capcom Classics Collections. That's just off the top of my head. I really, really, really (emphasis on really) like the idea of being able to own a portable gaming system where I never have to step foot into a store and I can still get awesome games and demos on a constant basis. From my house. In my room. In my bed. I definitely need to get a PSP this holiday season...maybe I'll get lucky and snag a Black Friday deal.

Holy Shit. Black Friday is 3 and a half weeks away. Hopefully all of the ads start to leak this week and I can start planning my holiday game shopping accordingly. I went shopping early on Black Friday for the first time last year and saved so much money getting stuff for other people that I was able to guiltlessly snag some awesome video game deals for myself as well.

Anyway, the last random thing that's on my mind is...when the fuck are we going to get a new Rambo game stateside? After the success of last year's Rambo, and the official announcement of Rambo V, now is the perfect time. I'd love to see a first-person shooter where you get to play as Rambo very much in the style of Call of Duty. I'd also love to see a 3rd person shooter ala Gears of War. Imagine Rambo getting the Gears of War treatment by Epic...awesome. Hell, even if it was like MGS3: Snake Eater, that would be sweet. What kind of a Rambo game would you like to see? Comment or tweet back.

-Brian T