It's slightly more engaging when you're doing something exciting, such as escaping from a burning building. Have you ever wanted to waggle an analogue stick (or swipe a mouse) from side to side to make a man dry himself off after a shower? Then you'll love Heavy Rain, which is absolutely heaving with this kind of pointless interaction. (Image credit: Future) (opens in new tab) But most of the time you're watching a procession of cutscenes, deciding how they play out (with varying levels of interactivity) via a series of timed, reaction-based button prompts. Occasionally you can wander around freely, and the environments are beautifully detailed. That means a lot of button-tapping and stick-waggling, whether it's one character shaking a carton of orange juice before taking a swig or another swinging a fist in a punch-up. What exactly is Heavy Rain? Well, it's an adventure game of sorts, with a heavy focus on Shenmue-style QTEs. This has a certain offbeat charm, but all too often makes lines that are supposed to be deadly serious come across as funny, which sits uncomfortably with the bleak story of a child-murdering serial killer.īut I'm getting ahead of myself. The game is set in America, but very few of the cast is American, making the already peculiar dialogue sound even more uncanny. And while Heavy Rain does have a great premise, and is dripping with a dark, occasionally beguiling atmosphere, the script is more akin to a Tommy Wiseau first draft. If you don't mind a slower-paced adventure and enjoy a deep and dark narrative tale, mature players will find themselves emotionally drawn and intrigued by Heavy Rain.This sounds pretty intriguing and evocative, right? Like some lost David Fincher film. Some sequences, such as fighting scenes, are timed, so players will have to press the button combinations correctly and in a timely manner to avoid consequences. These cues have an effect based on what's happening at that moment, making the gameplay extremely unique compared to other games in its genre. The controls, which take some getting used to, are all contextual, meaning you'll need to press buttons or move the analog sticks in a given direction based on onscreen cues. You might even be surprised to find yourself starting the game over again immediately to see what you might've missed. At these higher resolutions, it feels like you're interacting with, and even creating a suspenseful movie, one that will keep you engaged until the credits roll, and you discover there were other paths and choices you could've made along the way. It's also something that's been visually improved upon to drive the impact of each decision home, first on the PS4, and now on the PC, where the game plays out in stunning 4K. This is a neat concept that plays out well. It could be as subtle as Ethan's son getting in trouble at school because you didn't make him do his homework the night before to one of the four protagonists dying as a result of your actions (and you must carry on with the game without that character's input). Featuring graphics that border on photorealism, not only is Heavy Rain extremely well-written, but all of your decisions can alter the story in unexpected ways. This mature adventure is an extraordinary adventure that moves players through a wide range of emotions, from shock and surprise to anger and fear, often in a span of seconds. Will they be able to stop the Origami Killer in time? Show more There are also some action sequences where players will need quick reflexes to react to dangerous situations for each character. Players will explore their environments, interacting with objects and making decisions that have consequences and effects in later chapters of the game. Everyone's connection to the Origami Killer, who leaves a folded paper swan in his victim's hands, is revealed after a few hours of play. At various points in the game you'll play as Ethan, a distraught father who blames himself for the accidental death of his son outside of a shopping mall Norman, a FBI profiler who uses high-tech "augmented reality" glasses to analyze evidence at crime scenes Scott, a weathered middle-aged cop turned private eye and Madison, a photographer who suffers from insomnia. This cinematic tale focuses on a mysterious serial killer who preys on young children, and the four main protagonists, all of whom you control, who work to stop the murderer in his tracks. HEAVY RAIN is a psychological thriller that delivers a dark and disturbing adventure for mature players.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |