Heavy Rain - Light info appears and two vague screenshots.

[The Riddler]

i'll dl the demo tomorrow.

i so hope i don't enjoy it so i won't have to buy it. i'm planning on getting enough games as is...

 

[Havok83]

got a 5 out of 5 from gamepro, most positive review ive read so far
http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/213908/heavy-rain/

oh yeah I loved what they had to say

To say that Heavy Rain is a fantastic gaming experience implies that the game itself is being weighed against its contemporaries, which is pretty much impossible. No game I've ever played has so profoundly moved me and caused me to think of the medium in a new light. There's art here, but I wouldn't call it an "artistic" game. There are horrific situations, but I would never call it a survival-horror game. There is a very cinematic quality to the game, but even here, I wouldn't call it an "interactive movie."

Put simply, Heavy Rain is a gaming experience that took huge risks in design, narrative, and game mechanics, and executed on its ideas to masterful effect. You will care, in the end, about the decisions you made to shape the fates of your characters, and wonder long after it's over if you made the right choices. Most of all, I hope that it will send a shockwave through the media industry as a whole and prove that video games can in many ways be the best medium to convey a story, and are more than capable of stirring up infinitely complex emotions; namely, love.
PROS: Superbly crafted story; believable characters; expertly evokes an emotional response from the player.
CONS: Some may not be willing to accept the breaking of traditional gaming concepts.

 

[terry78]

I can see it becoming a cult hit, but a lot of the regular gaming types are not gonna have the patience. They're the ones that skip the cutscenes in games and what not.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I can see people not being open-minded at all about it, because of how un-traditonal it is. It'll get alot of venom from some places of the gaming community.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I think it'll go more the way of a good indie or foreign film route as opposed to a cult hit. I think it potentially can be successful, just not blockbuster level successful, much like IP.

 

[Superhero 101]

when will the demo be available?

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

I think it'll go more the way of a good indie or foreign film route as opposed to a cult hit. I think it potentially can be successful, just not blockbuster level successful, much like IP.

Agreed. I think there's a large sector of gamers that are really wanting something innovative, and in an industry where very much of what we see is derived from other stuff.

I'm downloading the demo right now...but man, is it taking forever. I've been downloading it for like 3 hours now and it's only at 15%.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I'm downloading the demo right now...but man, is it taking forever. I've been downloading it for like 3 hours now and it's only at 15%.

Yea, mine took forever, but then again, everything through the PSN takes much longer than it should, for me anyway.


I think the game is super intriguing. I mean you just dont see titles like this very often. I plan on picking up the full game at some point but i do have one major gripe about it and dont flame me too hard, but honestly, i dont think the game looks good enough to pull off what it needs to in order to be successful(ie engaging the player the way it should). Being that the game is billed as an interactive experience, i just dont get it. Im very aware that im watching animated characters. I just dont think they move in a way that they should in order to be believable. Now im not saying the game looks bad, i just dont think it looks good enough in motion to engage me in this thrilling narrative considering thats about all i have, is the narrative. Im going to play through it for the story alone, but if more titles like this are to come out, they need to take a step forward with the character animation.

 

[StrainedEyes]

I downloaded the demo. It took 3 Domination games of MW2 on my 360 to fully download and install. My internet was unusually fast. I'm going to try it out later tonight.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Got some time with the demo, in short I am intrigued and the QTEs aren't that annoying, but I wasn't wowed. I appreciate how meaty the demo is, though.

First off, walking is atrocious. It is super frustrating trying to get any precise direction and the changing camera angles don't help. I have no idea why they decided that was best, when I basically am using the analog stick like I normally would in order to have any control. Trying to get the PI to sit on the bed next to the prostitute, having to fight to get the exact angle so I could do the action needed was extremely annoying.

The character model, animations and voice of the PI are all solid... Everyone else not so much. Almost all of the voice acting is not so great, it sounds like people reading lines, most of the actors doing so in some vague non-accent. I've always thought the FBI agent was the worst looking of the main characters, still do, he just doesn't look like a real person... To counter that I really think the PI looks fantastic, he feels like he has weight to him and he has a lot of character in his face.

Also, the two women I've seen from this game have very masculine facial features and I'm not a fan. They look like girls that most guy artists draw when they are younger, when they start branching out from male superheroes and try to draw women, they always look off. I'm perfectly fine with them not being super model/over sexed video game stereotypes, but they just look odd.

I enjoyed the PI section of the demo, it was intriguing and fun to play, and the fact that you can skip the entire fight, or end the scene without getting any answers from her, are all very cool.

The FBI investigation section left a lot to be desired, it was just boring to me. Highlight the ground, walk to the icons, listen to him talk to himself about what he'd found, and follow the obvious linear clue path until he decided he'd seen enough. And his future glasses that could tell him everything he needed to know about random things in the environment, was silly.

So, I don't know, it's late and I'm tired, but the demo just didn't convince me that I could overlook my issues with the game in order to get into the story (which doesn't really seem that unique to me, despite the branching paths). I have no qualms about picking this game up and playing through it all, but there are plenty of games that I've missed and that are coming out that I want to pick up, and this demo did nothing to bump Heavy Rain higher on that list.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I think the game is super intriguing. I mean you just dont see titles like this very often. I plan on picking up the full game at some point but i do have one major gripe about it and dont flame me too hard, but honestly, i dont think the game looks good enough to pull off what it needs to in order to be successful(ie engaging the player the way it should). Being that the game is billed as an interactive experience, i just dont get it. Im very aware that im watching animated characters. I just dont think they move in a way that they should in order to be believable. Now im not saying the game looks bad, i just dont think it looks good enough in motion to engage me in this thrilling narrative considering thats about all i have, is the narrative. Im going to play through it for the story alone, but if more titles like this are to come out, they need to take a step forward with the character animation.

I get what you're saying, but I kind of find this point a little weird. Of course you're going to be aware you're watching animated characters; console graphics aren't that good that they are no longer distinguishable from human flesh and blood. About the only level of CG that is there is maybe Avatar (and even then I think most people can pick out things to make themselves aware they are watching CG). I mean the only way you'd be able to somehow skip over that fact is if they ditched the game idea and made a live action movie/mini-series from the story.

Anyway, with that being said, I agree to an extent. The animations are kind of weak and stiff at times. Though I didn't think it was all that bad. Kind of something I noticed, but then kind of shrugged off as I went on

 

[War Party]

Really enjoyed the demo. Love the controls, and unlike the previous poster, I didn't have trouble directing my character at all. And the little fight sequence was a blast to play with the button commands. A lot of fun. Graphics are solid and probably could be better, but the graphics aren't the reason I want to play the game. Voice acting is serviceable and could be better but it's good enough. I can see myself really enjoying it and getting caught up in the story. I wanted to play more but unfortunately the demo had to end. I will probably have a tough time putting this down.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I get what you're saying, but I kind of find this point a little weird. Of course you're going to be aware you're watching animated characters; console graphics aren't that good that they are no longer distinguishable from human flesh and blood. About the only level of CG that is there is maybe Avatar (and even then I think most people can pick out things to make themselves aware they are watching CG). I mean the only way you'd be able to somehow skip over that fact is if they ditched the game idea and made a live action movie/mini-series from the story.

Anyway, with that being said, I agree to an extent. The animations are kind of weak and stiff at times. Though I didn't think it was all that bad. Kind of something I noticed, but then kind of shrugged off as I went on

Yea, and i might have worded that oddly. I mean i didnt feel the same way when i played Uncharted tho. I never even thought that i was playing a game, i just kinda got sucked into the game. With what i played of Heavy Rain, i was too aware that this is a game. I know that might sound odd, but i guess is what im really trying to get to, is i dont think the game looks as good as some have made it out to be.

 

[Fading]

I thought this game looked pretty, but wouldn't be something I'd enjoy enough to buy. The demo changed that tho. I expected the entire game to be QTE's, or something similar to Psychic Detective for PS1. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of control, and varied ways they did QTE's. The story also gave off a nice, gritty detective story atmosphere. Personally I thought the detective story was more compelling than the FBI one same as some of you said. I also thought the graphics were great, but not as great as I had imagined (Uncharted 2 has seriously ****ed with my mind when it comes to graphics, both this and AC II looked great but I kept subconsciously comparing them to UC 2). The cut scenes did look gorgeous tho.

I'd say my main gripes are worries about too many minor QTE's taking me out of the game (like using that inhaler inbetween every change in scenery), and the FBI high tech tracking being slightly too long. I mean I enjoy the clue finding aspect of mystery and detective stories, but I felt my attention drifting after awhile.

Overall tho I think this is a buy for me now, tho probably not day 1, the demo sold me. Seems you guys had varying opinions too, but the common consensus seems to be positive.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The demo was cool. Can't wait to play the full game. I fumbled my way through Shelby's fight and got punched twice, hit with some blunt object I don't remember, and stabbed twice with the broken bottle, but I still beat that f***er! Jayden's section was actually more fun than I was expecting.

The voice-acting is definitely the weakest link here, though. It's not so much that the acting is terrible, either, it's just that you can clearly tell the vast majority of these people are trying desperately to hide accents. Seriously, they couldn't have gotten more native English speakers besides the dude who plays Shelby? For a game as dialogue-intensive as HR, it seems like a bit of an oversight. But it didn't detract from the rest of the experience too much, so whatever.

 

[The Squirrel]

I really liked Jayden's part. I think his story would by my favorite to play.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I really liked Jayden's part. I think his story would by my favorite to play.

Yea same here. Iv been wanting a game where you play as an FBI agent/detective trying to solve a crime. I didnt really have this game in mind, but it looks like itll suit my needs until LA Noire releases.

Also, can you choose which story to play or do they all weave in and out throughout the entirety of the game?

 

[Havok83]

Yea same here. Iv been wanting a game where you play as an FBI agent/detective trying to solve a crime. I didnt really have this game in mind, but it looks like itll suit my needs until LA Noire releases.

Also, can you choose which story to play or do they all weave in and out throughout the entirety of the game?

I beleive its all woven and intertwined together

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It's 4 different characters' takes on the same story, basically. The main narrative is the hunt for the Origami Killer, but each of the 4 characters approaches it a different way: Ethan's son has been kidnapped by the Killer, Madison wants to cover the story (and I think she may have lost someone to the Killer, but I don't remember), Shelby's been hired by some families of the Killer's victims to find the Killer, and Jayden is working as an FBI agent on the latest case involving the Killer.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I was kind of hoping they would be through different time periods or something, I thought that would have been interesting. I'm sure it'll be fine, but I was attached to that theory cause I thought's it was cool

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It may be. I know we get to play some of Ethan's life from before [blackout]his first child dies[/blackout]. Maybe we'll get similar segments of the other characters' earlier lives or earlier stuff with the Origami Killer. But I think the majority of the game will take place in a relatively similar "present" for all of them. Sort of like a game version of Crash, where the seemingly disparate stories ultimately weave together.

 

[Soapy]

I played the demo and as expected I really enjoyed it. I agree that the voice acting leaves much to be desired, but it didn't detract from the experience too much. I'll definately be picking it up, but not at launch. I doubt this game will sell very well, so I'll hold back for a while and watch the prices.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I paid off my pre-order yesterday. I don't think it'll sell particularly well either, which is why I want to buy it on release day. There are far too few new ideas in gaming as interesting as what Quantic Dream is attempting with Heavy Rain, so I want to support it to the best of my ability. Hopefully it'll at least scrape by with enough sales either to get other developers interested in exploring the ideas it puts forth or for QD to get another game in the same vein approved.

 

[Soapy]

They won't abandon their style if Heavy Rain flops. They're working on a sequel to Omikron if I'm not mistaken.

 

[MoPlaYa]

im gonna d/l the demo in a few mins