Heavy Rain - Light info appears and two vague screenshots.

[KALEL114]

He means neogaf.com.
It's a forum dedicated to gamers. Not sure about reliable since, well it is a forum and anyone could post on there. However, I haven't seen the post he is referring to.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Oh, it's a web forum? Well, I guess that would probably be a flip up then

 

[Danalys]

i think the guy who said that did this pixel junk shooter review. http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/11/30/review-pixeljunk-shooter/

 

[Tron Bonne]

Well I searched that site and is this maybe what you were talking about?

Of more interest to our readers, perhaps, is that Heavy Rain has been locked down for February 8th, 2010 in the land of the rising sun. Given that we’re assuming there’s going to be a Western release of the game before it lands in Japan, and previous versions have already gone out to the press, we’re banking on a January release for the ambitious story-focused title.

 

[Superhero 101]

I don't know if this is new But here is Heavy Rain Storyline Preview
http://g4tv.com/videos/43150/Heavy-Rain-Storyline-Preview/

 

[Tron Bonne]

More February date rumors are dropping from retailers:

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/euro-retailers-point-to-feb-26-release-for-heavy-rain/

European retailers have updated their pages for Heavy Rain, predicting the game will fall on European store shelves on February 26. For those of you keeping score at home, Famitsu said the game is releasing to Japan in February as well, lending some credibility to the proposed February 26 release in Europe.

We contacted SCEE -- who gave us the cold shoulder -- but we also sent word to SCEA, who said: "We haven't announced a release date for North America ... but stay tuned as we will have a release date soon."

Source - GAME
Source - Gamestation
Source - Play.com

 

[Tron Bonne]

Some news sites have gotten a special preview disc, including the first couple of chapters of the game:

http://kotaku.com/5425776/heavy-rain-impressions-an-ambitious-sorrow

In its opening chapters, Heavy Rain is a quiet downer, a rare — for a video game — persistently sad experience. That makes the unusual PlayStation 3 exclusive one of the most interesting titles of early 2010. Over the weekend I played the first several chapters of Heavy Rain using a preview disc supplied by Sony Computer Entertainment of America. It was my first at-home trial of one of the major early 2010 games, a hands-on test of whether ambitious French game development studio Quantic Dream can meet its high goals of high-definition interactive fiction, last seen by players in the studio's 2005 PS2 game Indigo Prophecy (Farenheit in its native Europe).
Or let's call the Heavy Rain genre not interactive fiction but something else, a different name signalledby one of the early rewards unlocked for starting the game is a Trophy that states: "Thank you for supporting interactive drama."
Interactive drama. It's not quite a classic video game, at least not in what it asks the player to do, how it shows the action of its scenes and how it marks progress. Having experienced Hevy Rain's first several chapters I've not repeated many actions the way you might repeat Kratos' combat moves 25 times in the game's first 30 seconds. In those Heavy Rain chapters I seldom saw my controllable character from behind, as you would any number of heroes of Final Fantasy or Dead Rising. And I never scored points, lost lives, collected items or so many other things that we do when we play games.
I searched for clues about a serial murderer, the Origami Killer. I also washed dishes, turned on light switches, smooth-talked a convenience store stick-up man and took a shower. Concerning that last one, I took a shower both as one of the game's male characters and later as one of the game's female characters, and didn't just get to control the shower — I got to control the drying off.
Heavy Rain is bound to perplex some gamers. Its description will agitate a certain kind of macho gamer who is already angry about the alleged watering down of gaming by so-called casual and party game experiences.
But Heavy Rain may even test the tolerance of those who want to believe in development studio Quantic Dream's zeal to develop genuinely mature games. This, Heavy Rain, is a slow trickle of interactivity within a deluge of dark tones. This game is sad and slowly paced. It is melancholy and as sunless as the weather pattern from which it gets its name. Those who will enjoy it will be those who can stave off impatience.

The game begins, in an exception, in sunshine. The player controls Ethan Mars, taking the happily married father of two boys through some basic morning routines. That's the tutorial, teaching the player that a hold of a PlayStation 3 controller's shoulder button will walk Ethan forward, twists of the left control stick will turn him, but that most meaningful action will be generated by presses and pushes of the right stick and face buttons. Getting up from bed is a push of the right stick up. Opening a door might be a slide to the side. Shaving, washing your face and brushing your teeth is a combination of button taps and motion-triggered controller shakes. Any available action is signaled by the presence of a floating controller prompt, making the gameplay largely one of walking, searching for the next prompt that signals an available action. A hold of another shoulder button often generates a swirl of words around Ethan, representing his thoughts or topics of conversation, once he is around other people. This helps the player as a hint system.
This first Ethan chapter is your tutorial, the first gaming tutorial I've ever played consisting entirely of actions possible in the real world. In other words, Heavy Rain begins in an un-fantastic way, taking the aforementioned risk of lulling its players to disinterest. But the developers maintain that their quiet moments and quotidian options are character-building moments, mood-setters that make later actions more impactful. Sure enough, when one of Ethan's sons goes missing in a mall in the next chapter, it feels like it matters. And it's hard to say if it would have felt so relevant had the game not enabled the player to have Ethan horse around with his sons in the backyard one scene earlier.
About that backyard scene. There's a triumph there in the presentation of a challenging option. Once his wife and kids had returned from the store, I had made Ethan go outside to the backyard with the boys. The two sons vied for their father's attention and the game asked the player to choose: Who do you play with first? Who do you gleefully swing around like a propellor first, among these two cheerful boys jumping up and begging you to pick them? It's the simplest and seemingly least-perilous question posed in this or any other PlayStation 3 game. There's no stakes of life or death. But the feeling does seep in that something else is at stake: How the boys feel and how the one who won't be chosen first will lreact. Games seldom evoke such subtle and empathetic reactions. Heavy Rain doing it there, strikes the right note.
The game unfolds in chapters. Soon, Ethan's life is ruined, with death having struck the family and Ethan resigned to live by himself, struggling to maintain being a decent father while suffering mysterious blackouts. At this point the game's skies get dark.
Each chapter is established with some text that doesn't just name the day but notes the amount of rainfall. Sunshine is gone as the player becomes vexed with simpler things, like figuring out whether to force a child to do his homework or what to make for a dinner — and the domestic despair of not being able to find any as it gets later and later.
The player gets control of new characters in new chapters, taking command of an overweight, middle-aged private detective who visits a prostitute to speak to her about her son, a victim of the Origami Killer. The player controls Madison Page, in a nighttime scene played intermittently with Page in her underwear or, when she's showering, nude. The sequence might seem pandering and overly sexualized until those themes are twisted and made all the more disturbing when men seem to break into her apartment to attack her. She, with the player in control, can fight them off, as Heavy Rain prompts the player to input series of button presses and control stick swings to choreograph the fight (Bad timing in this game might result in a missed punch or, in a less threatening moment, a dropping of the grocery bag you were supposed to be taking from your wife).
A fourth character, Norman Jaden, is an FBI profiler who seeks clues to the identity of the Origami Killer with the help of some advanced glasses and glove that allow the player to produce a clue-highlighting circle of light. Jaden's sequences, using that clue-finding mechanic, are the most classically game-like in Heavy Rain.

Quantic Dream has promised a malleable story and one with consequences. Those claims were hard to test in the incomplete build I have of the game. I recognized options for how Ethan could interact with one of his sons, but I didn't see consequences yet about how that would affect their interactions later in the game. I had the private detective, Scott Shelby, play out the convenience store stick-up scene in two very different ways (honestly, I was trying to get him killed the second time), yet each scenario ended the chapter in the exact same way. It feels like there are choices, but it's hard to recognize if and how they matter. That they will is supposed to be one of the draws. After all, the game's executive producer, Quantic Dream CEO Guilaume de Fondaumiere told me recently in New York that any one of the four characters I played can die — and die early. The game has approximately 20 endings. So there is variation, just, for better or worse, nothing that is obvious about it in the early going.
Another more worrisome detail is the quality of the voice-acting, which sounds as if accents are being suppressed and characters are talking in isolation, conversation being stitched together rather than occurring in person. There is time for that to be improved.
It's hard to convey just how much of a sad experience Heavy Rain is without giving away some of the plot. It might suffice to say that it seems that almost every major character in this preview build has experienced a death of someone close to them. That sadness weighs on their moods, is worn on their faces and matches the relatively slow movement and quiet activities of this game — or interactive drama.
What was building by the time my preview build reached its end was a decent mystery about who this killer was but also a deeper interest, in me, as to how these four main characters would wind up. I want to know what happens next, what I can make them do and where their emotional journeys will land them. These are not the impulses I typically have about game characters. There is no ultimate weapon to seek, not level to conquer, no stat to raise. I didn't mind the quiet actions, though the brushing of teeth, washing of hands, turning on and off of light switches was a little more than I expected.
I finished the preview the least interested in playing Ethan the father, in terms of the game mechanics available to this sad and broken man. The other characters were more dynamic and physically fun to play. But I find myself drawn to the emotion of Ethan's story the most and I do desire to know what happens next. I'm interested in feelings and drama. So far, that change of pace is a welcome one.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I know, triple post here, but here's another article about the first few chapters:

While Heavy Rain attempts to welcome both serious and more casual players, it's clear that many will find the unique controls and the story's slow burn a bit too jarring, unconventional, and even boring. Sony has already released so much (arguably too much) footage of Quantic Dream's adventure, and chances are that you've already passed judgment on the title. Perhaps more than any other game before it, Heavy Rain hopes that you want to like the experience. Why? It is -- at its core -- a role-playing game.

When people find out I've been playing Heavy Rain, the first question that generally pops up is, "Is it anything but a series of Quick-Time Events?" The problem with that question is that it inherently assumes that a QTE necessitates a lack of player control. While it's true that the majority of player input is done via on-screen indicators, to simply call them quick-time events is a bit derogatory, ignoring the innovations that developer Quantic Dream has made. Not all actions require players to press buttons as quickly as they see them. In fact, most of the commands involve a very deliberate pace: you may need to move the analog stick slowly, or hold down two buttons while transitioning to a third. Some inputs use the PS3's built-in motion controls, while others will use a combination of various inputs. There are many ways of interfacing with the controller, with each QTE trying to simulate its corresponding, real-world action.

However, variety is not Heavy Rain's greatest innovation. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the game to explain is its integration of inaction. You are oftengiven the opportunity to do nothing -- and counter to your intuition, that can be the most satisfying option to pursue.

Early in the game, you're forced to take care of a rather uncooperative child. (We're skimping on details, simply to avoid spoilers.) You're given the option to do a number of things, but I chose the action that seemed to make the most sense to me: spend time with the kid, sitting down on the couch and watching TV with him. There were no buttons to mash in order to continue watching the TV, nor were there any clear indicators that I was "winning" or "losing." Time continued to pass, and I felt like I had gotten closer to my estranged virtual son.
The idea of doing nothing in a video game might sound terribly unexciting, and I'm not suggesting everyone should follow my example. Instead, this single scene should serve as an example of why you'll want to absorb yourself in the fiction. There were a number of other options to pursue in that scene: play basketball, cook food, or even ignore the child altogether. Should you assume the role of these characters as you would in real life, and perhaps not "in a game," Heavy Rain will be thoroughly captivating.

Even in just the first full chapter of the game, Heavy Rain delivers a number of genuinely memorable moments. "Hassan's Shop," which Joystiq writer Griffin so elegantly laid out, is one of those nerve-wracking scenes. While Griffin experienced a number of different possibilities for that single scene -- sneaking up behind the burglar and knocking him out, getting caught and shot in the shoulder, or engaging in verbal negotiations -- he probably didn't see the most gruesome result of them all. Once again, inaction is a valid choice and, in this instance, ends in the brutal murder of the shop owner. "I should've done something," Detective Shelby says when he sees the stiff body lying on the floor, the puddle of blood expanding. Like Hassan's Shop, many of the other scenes in Heavy Rain will make you stop and think: "Wow, I've never seen this in a game before." It's exhilarating to play something that feels like a next step in the evolution of the medium.

As innovative as Heavy Rain is, there are a number of caveats that even the most accepting will find hard to ignore. The controls will undoubtedly be a point of contention. You have to hold R2 in order to walk around the environment, evoking memories of the classic tank-styled Resident Evil controls. It's actually far more intuitive than Capcom's horror game, though. Unlike in Resident Evil, controls are not relative to the player, but to the camera. You'll move your character as in any other third-person action game. Only difference? You'll have to hold down the R2 button. It's a rather small change, and we're still somewhat surprised Quantic Dream deemed it necessary. Holding R2 without using the analog stick enables an automatic path-finding routine for your character -- but we think most will wish they could simply explore the environment in a more traditional way.

The slow introduction will also undoubtedly frustrate some. While Indigo Prophecy started with a bang, Heavy Rain starts with a ... shower. Yes, the first three scenes serve as the tutorial for the game and set up the events to come. However, the impatient among you will be bored long before the game's first (optional) action sequence, which occurs well over an hour into the story.

Most disappointing of all, though, is the voice acting. For a game that's all about motion capture, realistic graphics, and earnest storytelling, it's surprising to encounter such lackluster performances. Sony raised the bar with Uncharted 2, and Heavy Rain represents a noticeable step down. The main character, Ethan Mars, sadly lacks a dramatic presence and his delivery is oftentimes stiff and unbelievable. How is it possible that the casting found an actor worse than the one used for Indigo Prophecy? (ProTip: Don't like the English voice acting? You can switch to any of the 9 other vocal tracks!)

Despite those issues, we believe that if you're hungry for mature video game storytelling, you'll be very interested in partaking in Quantic Dream's narrative experiment.

 

[Electro UK]

Not so positive huh? Seems like a game that's really gonna split people down the middle.

 

[KALEL114]

Heavy Rain will have delayed trophy announcements.

In the interest of establishing a mood and not having it ruined by a Trophy alert, the developers of 2010 PlayStation 3 game Heavy Rain have been authorized by Sony to do something new.
Heavy Rain will have Trophies. But you won't be told that you earned them until the breaks between the game's chapters.
Quantic Dream co-CEO Guilaume de Fondaumiere told Kotaku in New York that the game's Trophy alerts will operate on a delay. That gets the team around the problem of having the little Trophy alert message and accompanying chime interrupt scenes of tense crime-scene investigation or a father's quiet struggle to get his son to talk to him after a bad day at school. The game will maintain its mood during the important parts by rewarding the gamer with alerts during transitional scenes.
Since their inception, Achievements on the Xbox 360 and the similar service of Trophies on the PlayStation 3 have been widely popular among gamers. But the alerts that signify the winning of an Achievement or Trophy can and do get in the way of subtitle text or otherwise distract players. And while an option to turn the alerts is one solution to this issue that some gamers use, having the Trophies rewarded after the fact is another method that permits a notice of accomplishment without killing a carefully constructed mood.
Heavy Rain ships in early 2010 on the PlayStation 3.

http://kotaku.com/5426839/heavy-rain-to-introduce-delayed-trophies-solve-common-achievement-problem

 

[Tron Bonne]

Not so positive huh? Seems like a game that's really gonna split people down the middle.

Well, it wasn't completely positive, but it didn't seem like either of them seemed particularly negative, either. Though, you're right, this game will probably polarize critics and players a lot, but I would be surprised if it didn't.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, I'm still looking forward to it, at least. The only thing that really worries me in those previews is the bad voice-acting. I hope it's not that bad.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure with nine different voice tracks there has to be one I can change it to that's decent if it ends up sucking that bad. At least, I hope so

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Wouldn't all the other voice tracks be in different languages? I only understand English, myself.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, but you could turn on subtitles.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

And mute the dialogue? That seems kind of lame. Especially for a story that's supposed to be built so heavily on emotion.

 

[Tron Bonne]

No, you could still keep the audio on. Have you ever watched a foreign movie/show that was subtitled and kept the audio on?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, but most of the emotion in the dialogue is lost on me in that scenario.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, people do tend to connect more that way, but I watch a lot of foreign stuff and a lot of the times the English dubs are so horrible or out of synch that I pretty much have to switch to watching subbed.

 

[Superhero 101]

I hope this game doesn't turn out to be like Haze.

 

[Havok83]

I hope this game doesn't turn out to be like Haze.

oh gawd, Haze shouldnt even be mentioned in the same breath as this

 

[eternalinferno]

i think he means in the sense of it turning out to be a huge disapointment, as haze was, I'm surprised that it seems the voice acting is not up to par considering how emotionally and story driven this game is

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Eh, I'm not worried. Haze kind of always looked like crap to me. I imagine this game would have too if it were in danger of genuinely being a huge disappointment.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Unless the story ends up blowing the big blow I don't think this will really be a disappointment. Despite some of the more negative stuff, it seems all the previews agree that it's good at doing what it's setting out to do; create an interactive novel/cinema experience in the vein of older PC adventure titles.

 

[Tron Bonne]

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/heavy-rain-chronicles-dlc-collectors-edition-announced/

Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain just got heavier, both in content and in physical package size. Sony has detailed the first of the DLC releases that we confirmed earlier this week, called Heavy Rain Chronicles. The first DLC episode is an expanded version of the "bonus" taxidermist scene shown in 2008 and will be available "after the launch of Heavy Rain early next year" for an unannounced price. More downloadable episodes will be revealed later.

Sony Europe has also announced a Collector's Edition of the game (for Europe), which will include access to the expanded Taxidermist episode day-and-date with the retail release. The limited-edition box will include the DLC episode, along with a downloadable soundtrack and XMB theme, plus a cool "rain-effect" slipcase (pictured above). Sony didn't note a date for the Collector's Edition, so we'll just stick to our best guess: February 26.

While there's no announcement about a Collector's Edition for North America, according to PlayStation Blog, if you pre-order the standard edition, you will gain early access to the first "Chronicle" (or DLC episode). As in Europe, the DLC will be available for non-pre-orderers at an unspecified post-launch date, though the North American episodes have been priced at $4.99 each.