Heavy Rain is a video game unlike any other. The Playstation 3 exclusive was released to heavy acclaim and sales, selling 500,000 in its first week. It is not a traditional video game in today’s current marketplace.  The highest selling games these days are first person shooters. Even though the average gamer is 30 there is not much maturity in video game storytelling. Killing and murdering people for enjoyment is as far as it goes.  If you look on the shelves it’s shooter, sports game, racing game and music game. Not much goes outside these video game staples. Heavy Rain changes all that.  It is a deep emotional journey that draws you in and poses tough life choices.

Nothing is black or white in this game. Each decision you make alters the way the story unfolds.  You are not given time, so you often rely on a gut emotional reaction. You will regret decisions you make, just like life.

The central story follows Ethan Mars whose son has been kidnapped by the Origami killer.  Ethan along with a private detective, FBI agent and reporter  have only a few days to find him before he is killed. I think the most important aspect of Heavy Rain, is that it makes you think. It is just as strong in the high tension action scenes as well as the small moments.  You get to go outside and play with your son at the beginning of the game.  This emotional connection is important.

You’re playing with your son in the backyard, suddenly you’re in a mall and he goes missing. You go running through the mall, bumping into people, panicking, looking for him. I was completely immersed in this experience. This is the opening 20 minutes of the game. This is the kind of storytelling in a game I’ve been waiting years for. It really is something completely different and I love it.

Picking up your son from school, getting him dinner, doing homework, and playing in the schoolyard is given just as much importance as a street fight with a suspect.  If your son is already upset with you, do you leave it that way or resolve it? These are the kinds of decision you are constantly making as the game progresses.

Heavy Rain is born out of classic adventure games.  There are pieces of gameplay where you will need to uncover clues, remember moments and details within the game, and analyse evidence. A game like this has not been a huge commercial success since the 1990′s.

The “quick-time-event” gameplay which has been heavily derided by those who haven’t played the game works very well. The actions on the screen correlate to the button combination and controller movement.  The game has made the absolute most out of the sixaxis.  Imagine swinging the controller widely as you hurtle down the wrong side of a freeway. Or using simple slow movements to help calm a crying baby.

The dialogue options work extremely well. One word descriptions hover around the characters head. You can also hear characters thoughts at any time. When a player is particularly stressed the options begin to shake and blur.  You don’t have a lot of time to decide. This is what ramps up the tension and the emotional impact of what is unfolding.  There are thousands of variations that can be made to the story based on what you decide to do.

The graphics are astonishing. The constant rain looks great on a HD TV screen. The characters faces are fantastic. The sets, which are many and varied, all look great. From a club, to a driving range, to a mansion and an Electric Factory. The 5 years of work it took to produce this game is evident on the screen.

The story is paramount. The characters are well drawn out. The game starts off slowly but moves at a steady pace between sets and characters.  The noir feel of the game works perfectly. Once you get past the first act you will be hooked.  I’m not one to rush through games, or put in serious 3-4 hour gaming sessions but for this game I did.  I rarely finish games but I raced through Heavy Rain in just 4 days. It also left a lasting impression. Some people have quickly replayed the game to get different endings.  I would rather just let the decisions I made sit with me.  Everyone who plays this game will have a different experience.  The story told to them will be one that they directed. The choices they made ultimately will decide who survives, the ending that results and the path of each character.  Will players make decisions that they believe are true to the characters or true to themselves?  I think ultimately you want Ethan to find his son, what will you do as his character to achieve that? These questions will linger, the answers are not easy. The emotional journey is something rarely seen in this medium.  I have a feeling its impact will be felt long after its release. Quantic Dream have now set the standard for what can be done with storytelling and creating an engaging video game experience.