Heavy Rain the Origami Killer Spoiler

10 /10

When it rains - it pours

Or something like that. The game at hand here is quite unique, although the one responsible for the game is known to make games as intriguing as the one right here. The inciting incident here is quite ... harrowing to say the least! It really gives you the chills. And it drives the story and the characters forward ... it also has ... well I'd advice not to read too much about the story, because the way it evolves and the twists and turns ... you have to experience them! Truly great game to say the least.

In Fahrenheit you only played one character and this is the first game you jump back and forth, changing the perspective you have and bringing quite the unique flavor into the game too. If you like story driven games, you will love this. Most of the things are QTE events and decisions you have to make .. which is not something everyone loves ... but those who do ... they'll more than cherish this.

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9 /10

Cloudy with a chance of - JASON!

'Heavy Rain (2010)' is an 'interactive movie' crime-thriller in the vein of 'The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)' and 'Se7en (1995)', which tells the story of four characters who are connected to the Origami Killer in varying different ways. Ethan, the story's primary protagonist, is a grieving father whose son is kidnapped by the killer before he's forced to undergo a series of gruelling challenges in order to get the chance to save him. Madison is an insomniac journalist who stumbles upon Ethan at a motel and decides to help him however she can. Norman is an FBI agent who must work with the local police department, and battle his drug addiction, to find the killer before he claims his latest victim. Scott is a private eye on the trail of the killer who works together with the mother of a recent victim and aims to give her the closure she deserves. What's interesting about the story is that your playable characters can die without the story coming to a halt. This is just one of the ways in which the narrative changes in accordance with your choices, and it actually makes the game's copious amount of quick-time events rather suspenseful. The choices aren't always as obvious as just 'A or B' and they're nicely integrated with the gameplay. It's impressive how much and how seamlessly the plot can change, actually. Of course, it always follows the same basic path but that's to be expected. The narrative would've been compelling even if it didn't adjust to your style of play. The piece's biggest flaw is its awkward gameplay, which revolves almost entirely around using the right thumb-stick to 'mimic' the action your character is doing. The problem is that you have to be very specific with your movements and the prompts don't always correspond to on-screen action as much as you'd expect them to. This leads to some clunky moments which reduce immersion, especially when your character struggles to do something simple like putting a plate away. The story is entertaining enough to mitigate these issues, though. Its final twist is a little cheap, primarily because it 'cheats' things we've seen in prior segments, but everything comes together nicely regardless. It's a fantastic, suspenseful experience that you typically feel in direct control of. 9/10

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9 /10

A unique game with great settings, atmosphere and narative

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Heavy Rain" (2010) is an experience that every PS owner most play. As the one who played second title from there creators ("Beyond - Two Souls"), i found "Rain" much more involving and superbly narrated.

"Heavy Rain" reminded me constantly of a great movie "Se7en" with its settings and atmosphere. Plot was also intriguing and very well told - it isn't highly original at the end, but the way it is presented in a video game is marvelous. Characters were also superbly written and acted.

Overall, while "Heavy Rain" is probably a game not for everyone, it is very well made and is a unique experience. Must play for those who enjoy adventure games based on a story and narration rather then game play.

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10 /10

An extraordinary game

Before it's release in March 2010 there was already a massive amount of buzz to the release of Heavy Rain, impressing at video games conferences, including E3 when it's film rights in 2006. This was a game that promised a truly interactive experience.

In an unnamed Eastern American city, the Origami Killer is stalking the streets. His modus operandi

is to kidnap young boys in the autumn and place them in a well until their drown from rain water: so they usually have about 3 to 6 days to live. In 2011 he continues and the games focuses on 4 characters. Ethan Mars (Pascal Langdale) is an architect whom oldest son died and lives a depressed live. He is distant to his younger son Shaun. But when Shaun is kidnapped by the Origami Killer Ethan has to go through a series of Saw like trials set up by the Killer for clues to his son's whereabouts. Norman Jayden (Leon Ockenden) is an FBI profiler sent to help the police with their investigation. He has to find clues and suspects as he battles against his police partners and his own drug addiction. Madison Paige (Judi Beecher) is a journalist who suffers from insomnia. She befriends Ethan and conducts her own investigation to help him, using her contacts and journalistic instincts. Finally there is Scott Selby (Sam Douglas), a private detective who has been asked by the victims' families to investigate the case. He asks the parents of the victims questions and suspects the son of a powerful millionaire. He is also befriended by the mother of one of the victims, Lauren Winter (Aurélie Bancilhon), who forces herself on Scott as a partner. They all race against time to save Shaun Mars and find the killer.

The big selling point of Heavy Rain is that the player makes their own way throughout the game, with every decision he/she makes will have an influence on the outcome. If a character dies in the game their stay dead, there are no extra lives. This is a game where you have to conduct actions for the investigation, sometimes, you it won't let you move forward until you do a certain task, but also miss things that could have consequences afterwards. The other part of the gameplay are real time action scenes where you would need to do the right command in the middle of say a fight or a chase scene. If it goes wrong then you character may die. The gameplay was very similar to Shenmue, one of the best games that was made for the Dreamcast; but there is more threat in Heavy Rain and some of the interesting aspects are hearing the characters' thoughts and taking a conservation in a different direction. The game also has multiple endings, depending what happens to the characters, on whether they live, are arrested or pick up enough clues. It a good reason to play the game many times over.

The other excellent element is the story, which could have worked as a film. It is dark, violence, but mostly has a good combo of down-to-earth realism to more over-the-top elements you would expert in a computer game, e.g. the electric maze. The tone is much like a film noir, with dark complex characters with interesting backstories, particularly Ethan's. Many cut-scenes in games annoy some people, but in this game they are important and it adds to the cinematic nature of the game. There is a great voice acting in the game. Langdale is the best as the emotional depressed but driven man who feels the guilt of loosing both his sons. Hopefully his live-action acting is just as good.

But there isn't complete freedom that is promised. There are still scenes that you are forced to go through and there is not much change in the outcome of some events. If the game was able to combine Shenmue's fights, Heavy Rain's multiple ending and storyline and the Sandbox environment of the Grand Theft Auto and other Rockstar games then you would have the perfect game: besides the Football Manager and Total War series.

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9 /10

Gloomy investigations

Heavy Rain is an intercative drama and action-adventure game that was originally released on Playstation 3 back in 2010 but was remastered and released on Playstation 4 in 2016. It is also available as a bundle with Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit: Become Human. The video game was critically acclaimed and New Line Cinema even purchased the rights to make a movie based upon the video game even though a specific project hasn't materialized so far.

The game focuses on a gloomy atmosphere centered on a twisted story with numerous different outcomes that guarantees that players feel like revisiting this game. A serial killer known as the Origami killer kidnaps young boys, keeps them in secret locations, drowns them and dumps their bodies with an origami figure placed on their chests.

There are four playable characters whose actions intertwine.

Ethan Mars is a family father who lost one of his sons in a tragic accident and fell into a coma. He awoke six months later but suffers from occasional disorientation and memory loss, wandering off at night for unfathomable reasons. Tragedy strikes again when his second son is kidnapped in a park. Ethan Mars doesn't want to lose another son and does everything he can to find his son before he gets killed. The serial killer contacts him and asks him to undergo a series of more and more twisted challenges to save his child.

Madison Paige is a journalist suffering from insomnia and strange visions who occasionally moves to a run-down motel where she seems to be able to sleep much better than at home. She meets Ethan Mars at the motel, realizes that he seems to feel tormented and offers her help for mysterious reasons. When she learns more about him, she decides to investigate herself in order to help him save his son and uncover the identity of the Origami killer.

Norman Jayden is a FBI profiler who is sent from Washington D.C. to support local police force to identify and arrest the Origami killer. The profiler uses a sophisticated evidence detecting system called Added Reality Interface but his unusual methods clash with his conservative partner lieutenant Carter Blake. Norma Jayden also suffers from a severe drug addiction that cause hallucinations, headaches and nosebleeds. He soon fails to distinguish fantasy from reality.

Scott Shelby is a former police officer who was let go under mysterious circumstances. He has become a lonesome private investigator who got hired by the families of the serial killer's victims. He tries to understand the serial killer's modus operandi and soon uncovers clues police officers had overlooked. He focuses his attention on an attention-seeking playboy and son of a wealthy businessman who tries to bribe and later on menace Scott Shelby. He reluctantly pairs up with the mother of one of the victims, a prostitute named Lauren Winter, who is emotionally unstable but motivated to find her son's murderer by any means necessary.

While the story, characters and atmosphere are the game's strongest points, its weakness remains the game play. The four characters are played from a third-person perspective but the camera angles are sometimes difficult to adjust. The game also focuses on numerous quick time events that need perfect precision and timing. This can become frustrating for occasional or less experienced players.

Still, this clever game is very immersive and almost works like a detailed film noir that requests the player's participation. This sinister thriller is much better than numerous actual movies and television series. The story, characters and atmosphere are this game's greatest assets while the game play could have been more diversified and fluid. In the end, this intellectual video game is highly recommendable and has aged particularly well.

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10 /10

Best PS3 game of 2010, hands down.

When 10 years from now someone looks back at the past decade in gaming, one ps3 game stands out...Heavy Rain. A choose-your-own adventure type of game, this film-noir interactive drama centers around the Origami Killer, who spies on kids and leaves an origami on their trail. You play the role of various characters. It's not easy or hard. It's how you play the game. The game will end quickly if all of the main characters die if you choose different paths. The graphics are pretty good, the sound excellent (minor audio glitches), and the controls are really excellent. Trophies are also good as you can get plenty of them to level up your trophy profile. Definitely worth getting it for $60. Highly recommended.

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10 /10

An incredible game that became one of my favorites!

Warning: Spoilers

'Heavy Rain' is a drama game that turns around the death of many young boys, with ages between 8 to 13 years old, that were murdered by a killer known as the ' origami killer', that always let an origami in the hand of the victim and an orchid in his chest. Another trait of the killer, is that all boys are found drowned.

Ethan Mars, our leading man, is in search of his son Shawn, that is probably a victim of the origami killer. Besides him, we also play with the private detective Scott Shelby, the journalist Madison Paige and Norman Jayden (my personally favorite character!), a FBI agent.

Heavy Rain is a game that looks very similar to a movie, where the player decide which actions the characters are going to make, changing the course of the story and also the ending. In this game, you are also allowed to play with all the protagonists of the story. 'Heavy Rain' has beautiful graphics and the feeling you have is that you are watching a Blu Ray movie; The actors that were casted are identical to the characters (specially the actor who plays Shelby, Sam Douglas) too!

I love games that gives us, players, liberty to control the actions of the characters. But don't think this game is only based in doing decisions: the player needs to be astute and some practice to not commit errors in the commands, not to mention that you need to pay attention in the story to not miss details and get compromised.

I recommend this game for anyone who wants to play an incredible and totally different game! If you have a PS3, don't let this game scape your hands!

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10 /10

An ambitious, thrilling and interesting video-game, "Heavy Rain" twists the format around by becoming more of an interactive-movie than a full-fledged game- and it is amazing!

I really don't know whether to review David Cage's 2010 PS3 release "Heavy Rain" as I would a video game, or as I would a film. The game is a unique exercise and experiment that further blurs the thin lines between the mediums of games and films. (A line that has been continuously blurred over the past 10 years, as many video games deliver compelling plots and intriguing characters that are beyond the processed, sanitized crud that Hollywood spoon-feeds the public... There have been games with Hitchcockian levels of suspense and storytelling lately.) Indeed, the game is, more or less, an interactive movie. You spend about a third of the game watching scenes go by as you would a film, taking control of the characters at points to interact with others, explore areas, and looking for clues. It is very much like one of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books you'd read as a child (your choices affect the outcome of the story, with dozens of different endings), although this is a very mature, adult tale of love and sacrifice.

Pascal Langdale provides the voice (and motion capture) for out main character Ethan Mars, a man who lost one of his two sons in a tragic accident that also put him in a coma for a period of time. When his only other son is kidnapped by the infamous "Origami Killer" (so-called because he leaves an Origami figure in the hands of his victims), and he gets a box of clues beckoning him to a series of demented tests in order to save his son, he must go on a treacherous journey to get his son back.

The player also controls three other characters at times, including Scott Shelby (Sam Douglass), a private investigator hired by families of the victims of the killer. Maddison Paige (Jacqui Ainsley), a beautiful young journalist whom meets Ethan and tries to assist him. And Norman Jayden (Leon Ockenden), an FBI agent whom is brought in to help with the investigation, who hides a severe drug addiction from everyone else.

These four characters all have compelling story lines in their own rights, and together, they form a marvelous cast for our story, which is essentially a mystery/suspense tale of Ethan trying to get his son back, and the others all trying to find the identity of the killer. The plot is loaded with cunning twists and turns (including a climactic twist near the end that I didn't see coming and pulled the rug out from under me), and as said before, is the sort of classic, Hitchcock story that movies just don't give us anymore.

I will now break down the game by it's various aspects...

Graphics... 8 out of 10 The character models for our four main characters are stunning and quite lifelike. Environments are generally brilliantly realized, and secondary characters also look convincing. This is a gorgeous, life-like game. It does lose a few points for two reasons- 1) some scenes with vaster scopes do look clunky (large crowds in the game look cartoony and unrealistic, and some textures pop in and out), and 2) the design of the game isn't very convincing. This game is supposed to take place in the US, but you can tell it was made by Europeans- it isn't realistically designed at times.

Sound... 10 out of 10 Normand Corbeil's orchestral score for this game is incredible. One of the finest scores in gaming history, in my opinion, and one of those rare scores in games that feels like it would fit into a Hollywood film. It is very emotional, tragic, and suspenseful. In addition, the voice acting on everyone's part is perfect. Everything clicks in the sound department.

Controls... 9 out of 10 The controls are difficult to master (having to hold "R2" to walk feels... wrong), and are very simplistic. To be honest, you could probably play this game with one hand at times. As this is more of an "interactive movie", there isn't much button mashing or anything like that- this is a game where you will occasionally need to hit a few buttons, or use some quick reflexes. But once you get past the eccentricities of the control scheme, you will find it works darn-near perfectly! (With the exception of a few moments where you are suddenly required to press and hold about seven different buttons at once, which are frustrating as heck!)

Story... 10 out of 10. As I said above, it is a strong mystery/suspense tale. A serial killer known as the "Origami Killer" has been kidnapping young boys and drowning them in rainwater over the course of several days. Ethan Mars, the father of his latest kidnapping victim has only a few days to save his son.

Overall... 10 out of 10.

This is a unique game. It certainly isn't for everyone (I know more than one person who adores it, and I also know more than one person who loathes it), and it feels like an enormous experiment, albeit an incredible one. I love this game. And I highly recommend it!

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9 /10

Genius storytelling!

While some of the voice-acting in this game isn't the greatest, literally every other aspect of the game is. I hadn't seen suspense cultivated in a game so effortlessly since Silent Hill 2... and that's saying A LOT. Anyone who loves gritty storytelling deserves to experience this game firsthand. Do yourself a favor and track it down -- you won't be the same afterwards!

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3 /10

Heavy Rain

The music is incredible, and the idea of your choices evolving into branching timelines and endings is certainly interesting. But the voice acting is robotic, the characters are bland as cardboard, the gameplay is awkward (the game sometimes requires voluntary input to have someone get off the couch or brush his teeth), and the visuals are hideous. And Jason's death makes no sense; Ethan took the hit, and somehow Jason was the one who died??

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7 /10

Fierce game play overshadows loopholes in plot and mundane moments

Warning: Spoilers

Heavy Rain is perhaps one of the most exciting games I have played. It is a atypical roller-coaster of a game that provides some of the best action and intensive moments that one can rejoice. Its atypical because I have never seen more character control in a PS3 game that influences the entire plot than this one. There are action-packed adrenaline boosting sequences like the Mad Doctor one, the Save Shaun sequence, the reverse-driven car sequence etc that simply accentuate the progress in gaming world that has been made possible due to advancement in technology.

As a fan of Sims game, I have always been in favor of a game that gives players liberty to control the thoughts and actions of a character. In the previous GTA games, one could not do much to the storyline because the player had no choice. However, in GTA4, the progressive nature made it possible to influence the plot-line. Still, it did not give the amount of liberty that this game has provided.

In terms of presentation, the game-play is polished and pristine. The graphics are superlative for such a game. I could forgive the somewhat expressionless crowd and uncontrollable characters as the focus in this game is on the main ones. However, if a Rockstar had made this game, it would've unconditionally ensured that every single character was given certain life and importance. Yet, the presentation is chic and slick.

The beginning of the game gives an insight into the lives of the principle character, Ethan. His two sons, Shaun and Jason and his wife live a happy and peaceful life in their huge bungalow. The very first scene introduces the gamer to an exquisite method of game-play, in which each and every button has different uses. However, I advice beginners and novice game-players to browse the manual as I too was having a bit of confusion regarding the buttons at first, especially when I had to help Ethan's wife to carry the grocery bags and got confused regarding the buttons.

The game-play never concedes to repetition and continually shifts from one scenario to another. I took time in saving Norman and he died. The game didn't wait for me to save him. But the game does give us time during sticky situations and it is up to us to decide the fate of the characters. A brusque intro is given for each character and in a few moments, the player is immersed into a fascinating world that is profoundly satisfying and emotionally draining. Your throat gets all heavy at times and this is the first time this has happened to me.

There are a few plot-holes however in the game. The ending at times seems a bit implausible especially since one is given so much control into the killer's mind. In a "Murder of Roger Ackroyd"esquire manner, the killer turns out to be one of the main characters who is a part narrator too. Since the player is given extreme control of him throughout the game including an insight into his thoughts, I found certain discrepancies in his thoughts and actions. It also happens with other players as at times, I make them think something else and respond in the opposite manner and it happens. Like when Norman has the choice to kill or subjugate on the suspects, he thinks for the former choice but implements the latter.

The control system is a bit wonky too. I especially was a bit annoyed when I did press the button or push the analog stick in the directed manner and yet didn't manage to get it right. Its because at times, one tends to continue his previous action for a longer time and when he does react to the next action, his previous action his taken into consideration. For example, I was told to press X button and in a trifle moment later, I was told to press triangle button but the game considered my X at that time and I got it wrong when I pressed triangle button. However, this can be forgiven due to the vast nature of the game. You can play it deftly or unskillfully, both yield different results. I was a bit apprehensive about the maneuvering though, because the prospect of pressing L2 and then controlling seemed a bit redundant.

The graphics are brilliant and the facial details and intricacies are commendable. The nudity doesn't seem too vulgar like the GTA games. The breasts of Madison are neatly detailed and don't make her look like a "night-slave" at all. It all seems so cinematic it would've qualified for a movie. There are some hiccups though, especially in the camera angles as it kept me moving in circles when I had to keep shifting the angles. Also, my save file got effaced completely once and this hasn't happened in the other games at all.

The game-play is fantastic, as I have mentioned on numerous occasions. The game-play may dull down at times, especially during the beginning and in the middle but this happens if one plays the game multiple times. That brings me to another fault of this game. The re-playability value is less, one the player has done the game. I kept experimenting with the endings by altering the final stages rather than playing the entire game again. I still am not very keen to play this game from square one.

The sound is brilliant at times and terse at others. "JASON!!!" is memorable but the slip-up in accents and delivery may be a bit of a putt-off. The background sound nails it perfectly though. The action could never be so exciting and chilling if it weren't for the sound.

Presentation: 9/10 Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Game-play: 7.5/10 Re-playability: 6/10 Overall: 7/10

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9 /10

Heavy consequences!

What a very good movie and have some strong moments. The investigation of the murder was very interesting and we want to know the killer until the end. It was a very good experience with some very interesting characters. The revelation at the end let us speechless and make the whole game make us seen antoher perspective that we didnt think about. Very clever video game and very good narrative that keep us engage. And the choices can have strong consequences. And the different ending can make us wanted to see all the end possible. And they have a lot !. An unforgettable video game for sure.

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4 /10

Engaging thriller, but controls are vexatious...

dfle3 28 September 2011

I'm giving this game 4.5/10. My low score mainly reflects the system for interacting with the game...I hated it. If you are okay with that kind of system, then I suppose that this game could easily score 8/10 or more. Specific issues addressed below.

Console:

Playstation 3

Genre:

Cinematic thriller/3rd person/role playing game.

Setting:

A major American city...suburbs, industrial areas, seedy hotels etc.

Story:

Ethan Mars is an architect who has suffered tragedy in his life. His latest is the loss of his son, feared to be a victim of a serial killer known as "The origami killer". This serial killer allows a window of opportunity for the parents to save their child...at a cost many sane people would baulk at. You play Ethan Mars, as well as three other characters at various times in the story...F.B.I. profiler Norman Jayden, private investigator Scott Shelby and, finally, Madison Paige, a news photographer.

Graphics:

Excellent...cinematic in quality...the load screens are particularly photo-realistic.

Sound:

Excellent. Voice acting is superior to previous generation console acting, I'd say.

Good about the game:

Whilst not a very lengthy game, it plays like a movie...where you direct the action on the screen. Generally the game plays like a very good Hollywood thriller...if it wasn't for my issues with the controller, I'd say that the movie of this would be better than the game.

The "chapter" system looks excellent...you can revisit certain parts of the story to try and get elusive trophies on offer or change the outcome of the story. I'm not even sure if there is a 'story' as such here...perhaps there are, and you need to complete other chapters in order to keep or change events in later chapters. This system is better than what Mass Effect 2 had...there were a lot of things I would have liked to have changed in that game, but it can be too tedious to go to an earlier save and replay the entire game again from that point on.

Misjudgements in the game:

The big one...

Random button control of interaction in the world of the game. I suppose that you'd call it "quick time" (haven't really plaed this form of game before, so I can't say how typical it is of the genre). The controls are a constant reminder that you are playing a game and prevent you from becoming immersed in the world. They get in the way. Often times you are required to press and hold three buttons in sequence and maybe tap the final one...which can be tricky...you can die if you don't do it exactly 'right'...and there's not enough leeway as to what qualifies as 'right' in the game...e.g. waving your controller in the air often resulted in me not performing 'correctly' the action I was trying to do, which is annoying.

Also vexatious is the seeming requirement to have a third arm with five fingers in order to do these quick time events...they're not intuitive at all and just frustrate the immersion the game deserves. I'd often reload the scene to try and get the desired outcome. To get the most out of this game, you need to have internalised the controller set-up and can perform often convoluted finger configurations in order to perform certain actions.

Not all ways of moving around in the world are signalled on the screen either. I had trouble moving around in the way the game intended for a sequence in a tunnel. I had to look up the solution to this problem of mine online, where others had had the same issue as me, but, unfortunately, I also saw a spoiler for who the Origami Killer was in the solution thread.

Another annoyance was the role playing elements of the game...you see floating certain conversation options or whatnot and since they move around and then disappear quickly sometimes, you can't always make informed decisions...why move the text around like that? Why have it so small? Since the game doesn't really pause for your choices, control can be taken away from you. I found the system in Mass Effect 2 far superior...you have literally all the time in the world to think of a response to someone. And I found that game no less cinematic in feel...it had that great sequence for Garrus' loyalty mission, which felt like you were watching a movie, even though the game waited for your responses to conversation options.

A less fundamental problem for the game is just the sheer banality of some of the tasks the game has you use the controller for...from using a toilet to scrambling an egg...I'm not joking here...you actually Have to do these things!

The game can be buggy at times...one time, for an investigation by the F.B.I. profiler, I got the profiler to walk to another place...which he did...it's just that the camera would not follow him! In other words you were just staring at the same spot as before, even though your character wasn't there...I had to reload a few times...and maybe it even required a reboot of my PS3 to get the game working properly again.

General observations:

"Heavy rain" is a good idea for a game and the story is fine and well told. It's just that playing the game can be immensely frustrating and vexatious. And that all comes down to the quick time system utilised. It's like controlling the story by playing twister with your fingers. Could have been a very good game with a more intuitive control system.

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8 /10

Ambitious 'thriller' has to be admired for its vision

I use the word 'thriller' as normally one doesn't associate that word with a video game, rather a movie or TV show. But the lines between interactive and passive entertainment have been blurring for some considerable time now, and Heavy Rain is the latest evolution of this.

From the same director and software house who brought us the 'infamous' Fahrenheit, notorious for its 'Simon Says' style of interaction, Heavy Rain shares this same basic game mechanic of following on screen prompts to engage particular actions. If you're near a chair, pressing the instruction cue, such as the right stick up, will see the character interacting with the chair, possibly by sitting, maybe by leaning on it.

And this simple yet extremely effective way is the model for the whole game. There is no 'forward back left and right with jump punch' type of control, instead movement is facilitated by R2 acting as a pseudo 'accelerator' and the left stick guiding the player - it's clunky, and at times obstructive, but it just about does the job.

As for the actual plot, because let's face it, that's the point of the game, to be a story, Heavy Rain follows the pursuit, by 4 main characters, of a notorious serial killer called the Origami Killer who is kidnapping and drowning young children. Suffice to say our heroes become embroiled in his latest kidnap and it becomes a race against time and rain (that will become clear later).

The ultimate question we have to ask ourselves, as to whether we like this game or not, is what we expect of it.

Is it the evolution and revolution of gaming that it promised to be? Probably not - it is let down by some mechanical failures, plot holes wide enough to fit the Titanic through, and a fair number of event/dialogue contextual gaps which make little sense at the time.

But inasmuch as these irritate, Quantic Dreams have to be applauded for trying. And trying really hard. Yes, the story and plot would have benefited from being proof read by professionals, but anyone looking that deep for flaws is missing the point - the game tries to do something quite different, quite radical, and involving of the player in ways not seen before by other games.

Heavy Rain does not hit the mark in everything it does, but it comes close overall, and is a worthy attempt at doing something dramatic and different in a gaming market which is in danger of becoming sterile.

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1 /10

Joke

Hahaha wtf is this? White dad simulator? It's like these people are robots or something. Whoever made this is an alien.. And girl the endings..looool. So bad.

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9 /10

A candidate for best screenplay EVER written.

Warning: Spoilers

If you've been baptized by the thunderstorm of Bioshock 2, God of War 3 and crazy big-time titles like that, let's face it, you will probably fall asleep at the prologue of Heavy Rain. However, if you give it a quiet, thought-filled afternoon, you will be awed! One of the half-truths about Heavy Rain is what IGN had said, that it's by far the most touching VR-performance showcase. Well, I'd say the game requires your investment of emotions on certain characters. Luckily, it's not too demanding to do that. Once you develop a certain feeling for certain characters, you will continue to feel for them until the end of the story. The character models, shading effects and sharp textures can be really convincing, while the motion capture effects mixed with voice acting are literally shouting.What really made the experience shine is the various tasks you will do rather than the QTEs you will perform. From cooking eggs to feeding a baby, from crawling through electrified wires to cutting off some part of your body, be warned that you might take it for real. However, what finally drove me to write this review, is the writing.

Want to catch the Oragami killer? Maybe you need some self-examinations first. The trailer slogan "how far would you go to save someone you love" is not exactly the psychological trick the game's gonna play on you. Relax, I won't spoil your fun of getting jumped. That's because the writers are really careful that you will take the bait anyway. Our reasons and logics are not perfect, but they are actually strong enough to catch the Oragami killer before the game reveals him(her) to you. Keep that in mind, and accept the truth that we like to hear the lies, especially those comforting ones. This is no striking truth, yet the game gives this revelation and convinced me that I am not as logical and rational as I think.

The fact is, you will find a lot of Dejavu moments in Heavy Rain, from Silence of the Lambs to Saw, you will smile a lot and even LOL. However, all of them are paid off in a friendly way. Just like Silence of the Lambs, the game can be very educating if interpreted right. As the time flows, you get to know the everyday lives of different people. Their colors of life are all different, yet they need to face different problems and choices. If you are mature and ethical enough, you will lead the story to its most satisfying ending. Yet, if you over-personalize some choices and by some chance, happen to have bipolar disorder, you will find yourself in the psychopath's suit in the end. Having a hero's complex can be really unhealthy, so does getting manipulated easily. Those are also the game's messages to me.

Though, the game is not perfect. The visuals are not all that sharp as you will find some PS2-standard sequences. Also, in some supposedly-exciting QTE sequences the frame rates can be annoying. I can still exemplify a lot, like the unbalanced pacing, unbalanced emotional involvement, etc. But, compared to the final result of this mind-blowing story, all of the problems cannot hide the fact that this is literally a love letter to the writers guild. Heavy rain dropped some megatons with its raindrops after all.

9/10. Liked it a lot. Recommended to movie-lovers.

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8 /10

Like nothing you've seen for a gaming system before

Heavy Rain will be a game that will divide people. Some will dislike it, feeling that it is too linear and that there is too little gameplay. Others will enjoy it for its fantastic and deep story. But, you can't deny that Heavy Rain is something new and possibly game changing. I'm on the side of those who finds this game to be fantastic with an unforgettable experience.

In the game, you play as four characters each investigating the Origami Killer, someone who has been taking young boys and drowning them. In this case, you are trying to find the whereabouts of Ethan Mars young son, Ethan Mars being one of the playable characters.

Heavy Rain once again proves that gaming can be just as good as any film out there. It is an emotional roller coaster. Despite a plodding beginning of mundane tasks, you can't help but smile at the happiness of a man playing with his children. And it weighs heavily on your soul when you have to choose between killing a man for the sake of your own child's life or letting him live because he has children of his own. These kinds of emotional peaks and valleys are at the heart of Heavy Rain, and the added factor that any of your playable characters can bite it at given points makes the game even more thoughtful. More so than any other game, you want these characters to live. And with a total of 22 different endings, anything is possible. The game also keeps itself grounded in reality. Unlike Quantic Dreams previous effort, the critically acclaimed Indigo Prophecy, or Farenheit for the European crowd, there are no aliens, cyborgs, or strange cultists. This is all about real characters facing real issues, all things we can relate to. And that may be it's strongest suit.

Where Heavy Rain lacks, obviously, is gameplay. The actually gameplay here is typically down to a few button presses or pulls of the joystick. There are times when you have free reign over the characters movement, but each area is set up like a scene in a film, so as to what you can actually do is limited. However, you do have to be careful while in these environments. Make a wrong choice, or overlook something, and the consequences could be heavy. Anyone looking for a huge amount of involvement may find themselves disappointed. This is definitely not GTA. But, to me, the game is still very much worth it. It generally takes a 60 hour rpg to reach this kind of emotional and character depth, but the game just goes to show that attaining the kind of character depth and dramatic emotions in a game that should be there isn't all that hard to achieve. It's very much possible, and that makes Heavy Rain worth playing for anyone who can. The story is also great, with some moments that will be unforgettable.

So, if you can play it, at the very least rent Heavy Rain. It's a worthwhile experience, and one you won't soon forget.

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5 /10

I prefer this one over Detroit become human

Many complaints about some misled characters and underdeveloped plot, but I had fun playing it and the story was heart beating.

Ethan lost his 2nd son when he ran off in th street and a car hit him. Ethan try to make connection with his other son Shaun but Shaun gets kidnap by a serial killer known as Origami Killer, who live an origami behind as a clue to Ethan and some horrible trials Ethan must commit to save his son.

The gameplay was difficult and too many quicktime events, but I play it for the story and the story is taken me by heart.

And I like the characters, Ethan is tormented father who wants to save his son, Jayden a FBI agent who stop at nothing to find the killer but has a drug problem, Scott the private detective who is hired by the families but has asthma problems, and Madison the love interest and that's it but I'm not complaining because she is gorgeous, and it's funny that everyone complains that she has a naked shower scene but nobody say a word that Ethan has a naked shower scene, feminists are weird people.

I give this interactive movie game 5/10.

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9 /10

Unexpected greatness

Dark crime driven story with plot twists emotional moments and nice interactive gameplay, it was maybe the first time I see such an interactive game turns to be a triple A especially the graphics was great as a 2010 PS3 game.

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9 /10

Warning! Not for the faint Hearted..

I just got this game today (14/08/2015) after seeing a lot of stuff about its atmosphere... So I will keep the Synopsis short...

You play as Ethan, a man suffering from grief at the loss of his son who ends up caught in the twisted plot of a serial killer.

The game is made up of a lot of QTE (Quick Time Events) which normally I would HATE... but here they work BRILLIANTLY and only add to the already serious atmosphere.

Without spoiling twists that I know are to come, or give too much away - There is a reason I said that this game is not for wusses...

... The first few minutes of Gameplay just playing the prologue (And Interactive Tutorial) BROKE MY BLOODY HEART! Hey, I am not going to beat about the bush... THIS GAME MADE ME CRY!!!

Its a masterstroke of game-play, immersive with an excellent storyline... I have barely begun but already I know I will be shedding more tears before the end.

The game has received critical acclaim and even been nominated for and WON no less tan 4 Awards including several BAFTA's. While they are not as treasured as the US Oscars, I am pretty damn sure that if the Oscars held a Gaming Category - This would have been sure of a place.

The game has been such a hit worldwide that there are now plans for a Hollywood Movie (Dear God they better not screw it up!) and if the story is stuck to from the game with the right casting, Its going to be a runaway success!

Seriously... Even if you HATE QTE as I do... This game will change your mind - Give it a try!

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10 /10

One the first major contenders for 2010's best game

It might leave you baffled, elated or just plain determined not to like it because you aren't blowing up people every five seconds. Yep Heavy Rain will (as expected) not be for everyone, which should be mentioned now as this game isn't for the young or inpatient. But it is everything that was hoped for and oh, so much more.

We play as four characters who are all centered around one particular lunatic who has a hobby of killing people in rain water - hence the title. Ethan Mars, is the character who seems to have the most obvious and complex problems and has to undergo some serious exertion throughout the game to the point where you think what else can they throw at him?! But obviously this is a spoiler-free review so I won't ruin the experience he can choose to take or not. The other playable characters include Scott Shelby a street hardened private detective who surprise, surprise is looking for the killer; Norman Jayden (FBI this one) also investigates the killer, mostly with his superspecs that could make Sherlock Holmes jealous. Madison Paige is our last individual who suffers crippling insomnia and finds solace by sleeping in motels, she finds herself drawn to investigating the killer.

The story is in a word: phenomenal, truly addictive gaming (take that Call Of Duty) as long as your willing to be submerged by it's complexity. But the best thing that really astounds is the huge amount of choice and the sometimes fatal repercussions it can have, it makes the game feel a lot less linear and really does ask 'How far are you willing to go to save someone you love'. Graphically it also exceeds - just take a peak at the loading screen if you are doubtful, I only found the odd hiccup while playing such as the audio occasionly stopping or the love scenes which could have been pulled off by Quantic Dream if the people didn't look like they were trying to suck the air around each other's mouths rather than kissing.

It sometimes feels hard to believe that you can be playing a game that is hugely refreshing and enjoyable despite some of the extreme lengths you have to take. The introduction and end are both oddly satisfying, it uses a cinematic start and knockout finish (no matter which one) with beautiful cut-scene's throughout. Heavy Rain is easily one of Playstation's best exclusive and a style that will hopefully inspire many more to follow its lead. To David Cage I say 'Bravo' on this masterpiece and greatly anticipate the DLC.

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Heavy Rain Review

Pros:

• Great story & characters
• Challenging choices
• Pretty good graphics
• Great plot twists
• Great music

Cons:

• Slow start to story
• Some story plot-holes
• Few bugs and glitches

Verdict: Another Quantic Dream game that conducts a great story with sympathetic protagonist that keeps you glued to the game. Thou with a slow start may push people away, the game delivers soon after.

8.5/10

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10 /10

A game of the year and the a top game for this decade!

Heavy Rain isn't your ordinary game, it's an intense, inter-active experience that guides you into four character's worlds. You have Ethan Cole, father of two, an architect who's living his American dream. You have Agent Jayden, an FBI investigator sent to investigate the latest killing of the Origami Killer. You have Madison Page, a journalist who disguises herself as a photographer to whomever she meets, all she wants is a little inside story on a victim's father about the Origami killer, and finally you have Scott Shelby, my favourite character. A private detective for hire who's out to get leads on the Origami killer and gets closer to the truth. I won't spoil it for you, because it had me by surprise, BIG TIME.

The story shifts around chapters and events with each of the four characters to balance it out. We each get a Point Of View of how the Origami killer has or is affecting their lives. Each chapter has a very depressing tone to it, it rains nearly every single time, and the skies are cloudy, always. The game takes place in the fall season, so it's no wonder why everything is depressing, but according to the investigation, that's when the Origami killer strikes. The Origami killer takes children between ages 8 and 10 every fall, and puts them under a grated pipe with a lock. He kills them by letting the rainwater fall on them till they suffocate. That's all I will tell you for now, the rest is up to you to find out.

Writer and Game Director of Heavy Rain, David Cage writes a phenomenal story that you'd expect to see it win Oscars and Golden Globes. He manages to make you a part of the story, to draw you in. His inter-active drama is about hitting the buttons at the right time, you miss one or two, it's game over for your character, but that doesn't mean your game ends, your story will pick up on to the next 3 available characters and so on. The game is rumoured to have up to 20 different endings, which means; depending on what you do in each chapter and event to your characters or the way you interact with the other non-playable characters in the game; it WILL effect your ending.

This game screams re-playability. Sometimes you wish you hadn't made a choice in one event and you want to go back, well, you can always restart from that chapter and it will erase all your progress that you are currently on, or play the game naturally to see one of the many endings this game presents you with. This game will revolutionize the gaming industry forever and it should. It should inspire other game developers to make you have a more thorough choice and consequence system. Some RPG's do that, but are they nearly as detailed as Heavy Rain? I think not. This game will win a few awards and will be nominated for game of the year 2010. It will win in the male and female voice acting department, because all the actors behind the mo-cap suit are under-rated actors. Especially Agent Jayden, I love his east coast accent, it makes him sound legit, he even looks the part too even though his mo-cap actor is fully European.

So, if you haven't purchased this game, then you're missing out on the game of the year and the game of the decade on a top 10 list. This remarkable game gets my 10/10 for originality, no movie can do this, because it would have to have many different versions of it. Harold and Kumar 2 has an inter-active feature similar to Heavy Rain if you rent the blu-ray, but nowhere near the depth of detail of Heavy Rain. But it does use the same concept, except without pressing timed buttons, just selecting what they will do next. It gets 10/10 for voice acting; some of the best voice acting I've seen so far in a video game, it's so believable as if they were real people. Like I said, Agent Jayden is an under-rated actor as well as the man behind Scott Shelby. Hopefully this game has shun a spotlight for them to act in Hollywood because they truly are gifted individuals. 10/10 for the concept. It plays like no other game has played before. You're taken in to the story and characters, the choices you make will affect the next set of events and ending. The button timers are also a plus to the events and actions your character is doing at the moment, whether it's life or DEATH.

Finally, the game gets a 10/10 for a masterpiece of a story. Even though you can change fates and endings, the background plot that connects everything is phenomenal! The game lets you discover who the Origami killer is on his own, and even if you can't figure it out, its revelation is nuts, it hits you real hard because you wouldn't believe that, that kinda person is the Origami killer. Like I said, I won't spoil, you MUST find this out on your own. It took me by surprise big time. The story makes you like the Origami killer before the character is revealed to be that killer, then when you find out. BAM! Big surprise, your face will literally change, your eyes will widen in awe and you'll say "holy sh*t, I can't believe I never saw this". But the important question this game/story asks us is: How far are you willing to go to protect the one you love? This game will makes you answer that, but also, think about it in real life. If something happened to the one you loved dearest, how far would you go to protect them?

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9 /10

SHAAAAAAUUUUUUUNNNN!!!!

Hilarious memes aside, Heavy Rain is quite brilliant, it truly shows that gaming can tackle more serious subject matter involving dark subject matter such as child death, sexuality, murder, in a (mostly) tactful and artful way. Some of the plot points are left unresolved (cut from the game late in development as I understand it) and some of the voice acting is of questionable quality, but with Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream shows that games can be more than mindless shooting affairs.

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10 /10

Amazing!!!!!!!

I was so bored for so long. I wanted a good game, and I got one in Heavy Rain. This game is truly amazing, everything about it is amazing. It's written very well, it's story is astonishing, The graphics are revolutionary, just everything about it is amazing, the technical innovation, the music, everything. I don't know how this hasn't been rated as high as it was, it deserves a lot of praise. I bought a ps3 instead of a ps4 for this game, and I am beyond glad, because if it wasn't for this game, I wouldn't have gotten a ps3. I played The Last Of Us before this game, and that game too was amazing, but in my opinion, this is my favorite game. This is without any doubt, the best game I've ever played. Thank you David Cage, best video game director ever.

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Heavy Rain the Origami Killer Spoiler

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606610/reviews

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