Heavy Rain

firefly2003

A serial killer is on the loose, and it's up to you to stop him. Or not. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter, because you're playing Heavy Rain.

Or perhaps it's playing you.

Releasing Tuesday for the Playstation 3, Sony's experimental endeavor turns the very concept of what constitutes a video game on its head. How? By eschewing the frenetic, action-packed style that dominates headlines and sales charts in favor of what might best be described as an emo choose-your-own-adventure.

Heavy Rain

She's only happy when it rains.

Created by developer Quantic Dream (whose quirky track record includes David Bowie pet project Omikron and cult hit Indigo Prophecy), Heavy Rain has more in common with classic film noir than it does with Sony's own award-winning Uncharted 2. In a business ruled by play-it-safe sequels, that makes Heavy Rain one of the riskiest games of the year.

Rather than guide a hero through a story, you take control of the story itself. Players experience the plot through the eyes of four different characters while tracking down the elusive Origami Killer, but the goal isn't to stop the bad guy, save the day and win the game: it's all about connecting with the characters, feeling the impact of their emotional crises, and watching it all unfold based on your decisions.

Sound heady? That's sort of the point of Heavy Rain, and critics are soaking it up. Boasting a healthy 89 on metacritic.com, Sony's dark, risky tale might have a happy ending after all.

At the very least, it will be an emotional one. Anthony Gallegos from GameSpy (4.5/5) dubbed it "the most intense emotional experience I've had with a controller in my hand," a thought echoed by 1UP's David Ellis (A-), who claims it's "one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a videogame." I'm betting they both cry at weddings.

But they're not alone in their love. Joe Juba from leading print mag Game Informer (9.5/10) calls is a "masterpiece" that "makes groundbreaking strides in storytelling and character development, demonstrating that interactive entertainment still has a deep well of untapped potential." Chris Roper from IGN (9/10) gets more to the point by calling it "a hell of an experience" that's "not to be missed."

It isn’t always sunny in Heavy Rain, however. Some have questioned whether or not the game's actually, you know, fun, including MTV. "As much as I want to applaud the freedom the player is given in Heavy Rain, I can't seem to escape the fact that it's not very fun," writes reviewer Russ Frushtick. The Daily Telegraph's Tom Hoggins (8/10) gripes about the game's confusing control scheme and unimpressive dialogue, which he claims "falls distressingly short." Still, he concedes that "Heavy Rain is a game anyone with even the vaguest interest in its intentions should experience for themselves."

Just make sure you have some tissues handy.

 

Original Linky videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/critics-clear-skies-for-risk-taking-heavy-rain/1389687

johnmatthais

I pre-ordered! Tuesday! I can't wait! =D