Heavy Rain was initially released in 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and is an interactive drama action adventure developed by Quantic Dream. Later on in 2016 it was remastered for the PlayStation 4. Many years have passed and its highly probable that many players have played this game, its unfortunate I did not get my hands on it in its time but I guess its for the good as now I can enjoy it in remastered visuals on PlayStation 5 (PS4 remastered visuals). There's not the best words to evangelize how good this game is but a few that come to mind are captivating, intriguing, thrilling to say the least. Lets find out just how exceptional the David Cage title is by briefly touching on three aspects which are graphics, gameplay and story .
First impressions are great giving you the impressions of an illustrious aesthetic from not only a classic PlayStation title but one that's generational defining and Legendary. The menu is essentially a theme of what's embedded in the story. It may seem as a normal title page but there is an if I should say Steganography right at the beginning of the game on the menu and that you will understand as you play the game. The menu is presentable, very easy and straightforward to navigate. If memory serves me well at the time I would read from gaming magazines that this title pushed the PS3 to its visual best. Yes it was the days of gaming magazines :) . It is amazing that when they remastered this game there was still a lot of potential that wasn't utilized due to most probable PS3 system limitations. A testament to this is how the game looks as a remaster, it looks very modern. I played this on the PS5 and it was just smooth rock-solid in every way with a gorgeous classical look.
Graphics:
By now you know I divulge from the critical aspects of the story so as to not spoil it for you the reader If you haven't played this yet. The visuals are really high end and don't look dated for the most part. There will be obvious projections of an older game primarily being derived from your personal experience of playing most modern games (e.g playing Detroit Become Human and coming back to this) but still even in todays terms Its something that doesn't distract you from gaming but rather you might be led to think that It is just a last generation PS4 game.
Faces are well defined, definite attempts and good capturing on neck bones and features, eyeballs, skin texture the list goes on but need I say that Its some of those features which make you appreciate the realism a game provides. Its some of the unsung features which actually even influence gamer buying decisions. For example if you as I always say are a fidelity enthusiast you are easily distracted by poor graphics just by looking at the screen as opposed to someone who cares most for performance or how fun the game is i.e gameplay. So I look at some of these features just to gauge how much effort that went into character modeling and clearly with this game an exceptional effort was made. Games will never and should never be real as it will break that virtual fictional world we enjoy but looking good for me is not an option. To conclude the visuals are really fantastic they really tapped into that unexplored potential and gave the game a new lease of life.
Gameplay
Interactive drama games are governed by button prompts to influence the gameplay and if its not a thing for you then the entire experience wont be for you. I think the gameplay is even more interactive than any other Quantic dream I have ever played. Heavy Rain does not make anything obvious you have to use your gutfeel and always be on alert. It even challenges your emotional decision making in any situation the game pits you in. Trust me there is a tone of tense moments and thrilling set pieces which even took me by surprise. So it is straightforward and not button nor analogue stick breaking at all.
One thing I read about that some people disliked about the gameplay back in its hey day release is the constant use of the R2 button to walk so if you have a PS5 controller I would definitely say be gentle. To me it wasn't a big ask but it can be confusing for a first time player as any movement in modern gaming is prominently governed by analogue sticks.
Story
Its obvious that I will be vague here but you have four characters you will be controlling with different lives but are equally influenced by the mystery Origami killer. It keeps you wanting to find out, its well written and is obviously the spine of the entire game. Safe to say for me its the second best video game story I have ever played after my favorite game the Witcher 3. Heavy Rain story is timeless and memorable. Everything makes sense. Every encounter adds to the piece of the puzzle. Decisions you make define the shape of the story so you have to have your concentration cap on at all times. A story is the soul of the game and even when decades pass it calls for remakes from the huge demands of audiences it would have created. I think from most Sony Computer Entertainment studio games I have played this take the first spot from a story perspective. You have to play it its exceptional.
Heavy Rain did not just make the future of Quantic dream bright but it helped define what PlayStation is all about. Its a timeless game with fantastic graphics and gameplay to add on I understand Red Dead Redemption took GOTY in 2010 but I think this game deserved it. Interactive drama games are very unique and I am thankful to studios like Quantic Dreams who continue to excel in this segment. It is moneys worth and times worth go for it if you haven't.
Cheers!
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