Heavy Rain

Reviewed by Jason Venter (February 17, 2010)

Most of the scenes make good sense and do a nice job of either building tension or adding depth to the characters, but there are instances where something will happen and it feels like the developers are just pandering to my testosterone. Example: characters Ethan Mars and the ever-so-sexy Madison Paige are sitting on the floor in a seedy hotel room. Ethan tells Madison that the only thing he cares about right now is finding his son. Madison responds by leaning in for a passionate kiss. The moment is supposed to be dramatic, I assume, but the timing is so ridiculously absurd that I can't help but think that it was included simply so the player has another chance to admire Madison's svelte physique as the distraught Ethan experiences carnal pleasure.

Reviewed by marter (March 21, 2010)

A term that some may use to describe Heavy Rain is "Interactive Drama". In fact, that is a term that the Developers have used, and have even included that phrase in one of the unlockable trophies included in the game. Heavy Rain really does embody this expression, as it truly does blur the line between film and game.

Reviewed by Nightmare (July 06, 2010)

It was destined for debate the moment it hit shelves—or perhaps even prior. A game that isn’t a game at all, described by its own designers as “an interactive drama” where the player takes complete control, even over the most menial of tasks like drinking orange juice or shaving. Some may see it as brilliant, others may call it foolish but I don’t think any can argue that Heavy Rain was one of a kind.

Reviewed by Suskie (March 31, 2010)

It almost seems unfair to criticize Heavy Rain for not being a legitimate game since, to its credit, it never claims otherwise. Quantic Dream have been pushing it as an “interactive drama” since day one, and a trophy you earn early on during the story even labels it as such. As a well-documented traducer of the adventure genre as a whole, it’s a little weird that I even bothered to play Heavy Rain in the first place, considering that my biggest complaints about the title (namely, t...

Reviewed by zippdementia (March 04, 2010)

Since Heavy Rain’s release it has received numerous accolades from reviewers. Yet still I encounter gamers who are wary of the title. Some of this wariness no doubt comes from the calamity that was Quantic Dream’s last release, Indigo Prophecy, which had the unfortunate distinction of being a sloppy and unfinished product. Others came away from Heavy Rain’s demo unable to deal with its admittedly odd system of movement, claiming that the controls would surely ruin the ent...