A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

I was spurred on to play Heavy Rain because of some reviews that said it was a new kind of game that really just needed to be experienced. "Interactive Drama" was thrown around a few times, I believe. Let me back up a bit though. I played, and found a lot to like, with the developer's previous outing Indigo Prophecy. What you're asked to do in the two is similar. Walk around and find clues, then participate in quick time events while your character does things behind your button presses. Indigo Prophecy had the same problem with this that God of War does, I ended up focusing completely on what buttons I need to press next that I barely register what's happening in the "background" which is the entire story. Thankfully Heavy Rain makes the button prompts and controller gestures much less intrusive and it leads to a much more enjoyable experience.

This game deals with some dark, heavy stuff. Sure there's the mundane, everyday actions that people have complained about having to walk your character through, like shaving or making dinner. But you also encounter suicide, depression, serial killers, drugs, etc. I felt like I was watching a decent movie that I might have seen before but couldn't quite remember how everything ended up. Several characters are very well fleshed out and feel as real as any in a movie. The private eye, Scott Shelby, was my favorite. He's noble and a bit worn down by all his years.

There are some minor technical issues that attempt to get in the way of my enjoyment of the game, like the too close camera and wonky walking controls in tight spaces. But the overall feel of the game is fantastic. It's depressing sometimes, but it mostly feels real and alive. The story is very linear but you're given a few points where you can make it deviate a little. It doesn't seem to be enough to make me want to play through it again, but I'm about 3/4 of the way through. We'll see how I feel after I finish.