Heavy Rain

One Sentence Review:
“One hell of an interactive movie”

Overall score:
9.0 out of 10

Overview:

The game is basically an interactive movie, where you guide the character through events by pressing different buttons or a combination of buttons in order to progress in the story line.

The game starts off with Ethan Mars, a loving husband and father of two boys. On the birthday of his eldest son Jason, Ethan loses track of him in a busy mall. He finds his son outside in the middle of the street, seconds away from being hit by an oncoming car. Ethan jumps in an attempt to save him, but Jason is killed, and Ethan falls into a coma for six months. Two years later, Ethan suffers from depression. He and his wife had separated, and his remaining son, Shaun, is distant toward him.

Ethan also suffers from blackouts, in which he finds himself waking up in a street corner with an origami figure in his hand. One day, while at the park with his son Shaun, Ethan has a blackout, and wakes up to discover his son is missing.

Shaun’s dissapearance is linked to the Origami Killer, who is known for abducting young boys between the ages of 9 and 13 and drowning them in rainwater. Their bodies are found in the wastelands, with an orchid on their chest and a origami figure in their hand. With only a few days until the rain level rises, Ethan has to find and rescue his son before he is killed.

You also take the role of three other characters who’s stories also interwine with Ethan and the Origami Killer:

Scott Shelby: A private detective investigating the origami murders.
Madison Paige: A journalist suffering from insomnia who crosses paths with Ethan Mars.
Norman Jayden: An FBI agent addicted to Triptocaine, who is also investigating the origami murders.

Fun Factor:

You have the power to alter the outcome of each senario in multipule ways. It all depends on what you say and what you chose to do. Of course, this game will have you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens next.

Difficulty:

There is no difficulty in the game. The thing I like about this game is that there is no fail, there is no Game Over. No matter what choices you make, whether it’s right or wrong, the story continues, and its characters move on.

Replayability:

Very high. Like I said earlier, you have the power to alter the outcome of every senario in multiple ways. So it’s always fun to replay the game and make different choices to see what happens.

Sound:
8 out of 10. Overall sound effects are great, but sometimes its hard to hear what the characters say, especially for Jayden.

Graphics:

10 out of 10. Awesome. Amazing graphics. This is the only game I’ve seen so far where the characters and the surroundings look so real.

Controls:

8 out of 10. It very easy to move the character around to interact. During cut-scenes, which is like 90% of the game, you have to press certain buttons or a combination of buttons depending on the situation you’re in. Usually it’s X, O, triangle and square, or moving the joystick in different directions… but some combinations are hard getting used to, especially when you’re given a certain amount of time to do it. It’s sometimes hard to see what the character is thinking, especially when they are jittery and nervous, so you’ll often find yourself pressing the wrong button.

Conclusion:

A very original and innovative game. A must have, or to at least experience for any PS3 owner.

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