Even losing one of the four playable protagonists to death doesn’t result in a “game over.” The story simply carries on to its’ conclusion, sans that character. I’ve played through the game three times, each time being a radically different experience than before. If you choose to say a certain thing, or pull the trigger, you are forced to live with that option, and the story molds itself to that decision very naturally.
There is no “game over” or “fail” state in Heavy Rain. From there, the story does not let up with high intensity moments that actually force players to make difficult decisions, and live with them for the duration of the game. Things only compound when further tragedy strikes, as Shaun Mars is taken by the Origami Killer in a wonderfully tense moment. Trying to cheer up Shaun, get him to talk, or play, or even smile connected with me on an emotional level I don’t think I’ve ever really experienced. This scene is possibly one of the saddest things I’ve ever experienced in a game. His marriage is strained, and the once happy and energetic Shaun is withdrawn into himself, sullen, foot shuffling and monotone, barely saying a word to his father when questioned about his day. While rain is the main motif of the game, the gloomy skies and constant downpour are a perfect reflection of what is going on in Ethan’s world. We pick up 2 years later, and Ethan Mars is picking up his young son Shaun from school on a dreary, rainy day. And this opening prologue is easily the “worst” section in the game. I won’t go into too much detail, because so much of this story is about the emotional connection between characters, but tragedy hits the Mars family, and as a solitary red balloon floats upward into the sky, I was genuinely saddened by the events, wishing there was a way to take it all back. The beauty of this opening sequence doesn’t really hit home until the Mars family heads to the mall. Just a 30-something father of 2 drinking some orange juice and playing with his kids. There are no explosions, no gunfire, no barely dressed, buxom women. As opening game fodder, it’s not very glamorous. Players help him brush his teeth, shower, get dressed, even take a piss.
The game is very slow to start, with the player controlling architect Ethan Mars as he wakes up on his son Jason’s 10th birthday and goes about his day to day. It’s easy to write off Heavy Rain in it’s early moments. Does Director David Cage, and his team at Quantic Dream pull off their ambitions? Read on to find out. I got my answer soon enough, when they finally revealed that the game would be an intense “interactive drama,” revolving around 4 characters and how their lives are affected by the Origami Killer, who has been kidnapping and murdering young boys. It was nonetheless impressive, but I couldn’t help but wonder what the title would be about. It wasn’t a perfect game, but it had such wonderful potential in what it was trying to achieve, after the credit’s rolled, I couldn’t wait to see what developer, Quantic Dream, had in store next.įast-forward another year, and they lifted the curtain on Heavy Rain, which at the time was nothing more than a “Casting Call” demo showcasing their attempts to capture a wide array of emotional extremes in a digital character. I remember playing Indigo Prophecy back in 2005 and being amazed by it’s unique blend of cinematic story-telling, high tension scenarios, quick time events, and compelling narrative.
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