Heavy Rain

The upcoming game Heavy Rain (by Quantic Dream) is on everyone's radar as the next big thing in terms of video game.

Many people are intrigued by the story driven element of the game, where you control different character's fates, and therefore change the story each time. When one character dies, you switch to the other one. Life goes on. It seems like each run is different from the other! This of course should be viewed carefully, we have not seen a game that truly is different each time you play it, even though people claimed it before.


Another thing that is really amazing is the graphics. The studio hired hundreds of people, and using motion capture technology, recreated crowds that are used in the game. They also did something very innovative where they use their technology not only to simulate real life body movements, but also faces! The emotions are really captured as we can see at the E3 gameplay demo. When they are angry, when they cry, it really looks like the most advanced graphical representation of real human beings, and that is not overstating it.

From what you can read, the game looks too good to be true, so where is the snag? That would be the actual gameplay.
Because the game is story centered, with a third person view, this is not about picking up weapons or hiding a la Gears of Wars. The developpers decided to implement QTEs (quick time events), where, in the mist of the tension, you have to push certain buttons to do certain actions. From what we have seen in other games, this is interesting at certain times, when you least expect it. But throughout the whole game?



No worries, because from what we can see from videos, the QTEs look more like ever changing interactive controls, depending on the situation. You won't be just smashing the triangle button. It's more like you will have to move the stick to the right, and press one or more button to be able to do something. And if you do it too hard or too slow, you might fail and have to look for something else. The actions look diverse and not limited to "press triangle 5 times". We would still have to try it to really appreciate it, but I have confidence in Quantic Dream's ability to make a great game. (Anyone remembers Fahrenheit ? Very innovative).

So, in conclusion, this is a title to look forward too. Very innovative, the story looks really good (different characters who lost someone they loved, a serial killer called the Origami Killer, drama at its best!), and the graphics are awesome.