Heavy Rain: SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING (only slight... live dangerously)

I know it's been a while since it was released, but I just finished playing Heavy Rain. The number of questions this game raises in terms of ethics, immersion, genre and appropriate content is insane.

Let's start with ethics: this game actually made me think before I killed someone!!! I remember playing GTA2 at the age of 10 and delighting in a kill frenzy involving a flamethrower and some pedestrians. I used to park vehicles in a row so they would blow up in a chain! I must have (virtually) killed more people than Stalin in my time, but I have never given it a second thought until I played Heavy Rain. When the game presented me with a scenario that potentially endagered my partner- detective partner... behave yourself- I couldn't decide what to do and ended up being unable to move. This was incredible because I didn't care for either guy, it was just the thought of taking a random human life that stopped me. How many times has that happened in your videogaming life?

Immersion is unlike any other game. I will admit that the opening of the game doesn't really help with immersion because it feels so wierd, but perhaps that is necessary to estabish controls before the good stuff begins and immersion is essential. I literally panicked like mad when I had to try to save my son... after I had made a difficult choice my head fell into my hands and I second guessed myself. When I found out who the killer was I was so angry and upset. Basically immersion like no other!

Genre is a strange one in this game. Is it an action/adventure? Is it a really long QTE (Quick Time Event)? Is it a detective game? Is it even a game? It could be described as more film than game, but then again don't be fooled into dropping the joypad and sitting back- that got me punched in the face by a drug dealer. It's not going to satisfy people who just have a pure and simple bloodlust, but then again its not going to be like anything that you've played before, so the only way to know is by playing. There's a demo on the PSN store for free (but it doesn't do it justice).





The final point I want to mention is the content issue. There was a bit of media fuss over the nudity and violence in the game, because it's quite real. Yes the lady gets naked and yes you see her chesticles, but if any one of you reading this seriously got anything from seeing that then please leave a comment so I can berate you accordingly. The way that nudity was used in the game was quite mature, I thought. Madison needs to be established as an attractive, but troubled woman and by stripping away the layers (excuse the pun) and showing her at her most vulnerable in her first scene, we get past that and can get to know her better- or so David Cage argues anyway. I didn't get that from the shower scene, I just felt uncomfortable, pervy and curious about the morals of the designer who created Madison's nipples. Fun fact: although we never got to see it all, Ethan Mars was fully developed and intact... probably for the best that we didn't see it.



Overall, an amazing game. I stayed up all night playing it and finished it in one sitting 9pm-8am. It is the only time I've ever stayed up all night without realising it and the only time I don't regret doing it. Everyone should play this game- if you don't own a PS3, find someone who does and play it!

DannyDarko