Heavy Rain – The Origami Killer raises the bar

I spent the last two weekends at a friends house enjoying one of the most amazing video games I have ever had the pleasure of playing.

No, scratch that, you don’t play this game,  you experience an entirely engrossing experience that often led me to forget that these characters were not real.

I am not one to be easily swayed by the hype surrounding anything,  evident when I happened to think Alice in Wonderland was rather, “wonder less” while everyone else was ripping out their hair for it. That being said, Quantic Dream has created a ground breaking piece of art with Heavy Rain.  Once in a while, you come across something that changes the genre in which it arrives and in this case, Heavy Rain is more art than it is video game. Before I go on, watch the video below and judge for yourself if you are even going to be interested in the following review. Keeping in mind that this is a video game, I dare you not to be moved by this performance.

With an entirely unique system of play, you cycle through four main characters, each a piece in a larger puzzle that intersects reactively according to the choices you make during the story. The game starts with the main character, Ethan Mars, a young father of two,  husband, architect and overall unexpected sex symbol.  When you begin the game it starts out painfully slow for the first 20-30 minutes, which can be slightly irksome for the more ADD prone amongst us. However, after a few minutes you realize the necessity behind the slow introduction as the game dynamics are unlike anything you have seen or played before. The entire game is built on a system of active decision making, allowing you to choose several different options during each encounter, never knowing the outcome of those choices. Whether you choose to take a shower or play with your children, these actions or inactions will have an impact on the unfolding of the story.  To add an even further level of complexity and urgency to your choices, Heavy Rain forces you to consider each and every choice you make, often times in an incredibly short amount of time, we are talking seconds here people. The full impact of these choices is further exaggerated by the inability to save your game or restart a particular event or area.

Heavy Rain's Ethan Mars

That is right, once you start the game you must play through entirely. There are no muligans in this business and that alone can be incredibly frustrating, but rewarding.

I will not go into too many details about the story or plot, as some of you have yet to play the game, but what I will tell you will provide you with enough information to spark your interests. (Assuming you have good  taste. which I assume you do considering you are reading my blog.)

As the game progresses Ethan Mars loses his eldest son in a tragic car accident and regresses into a deep depression, while the life around him falls apart. It is during this time that a serial killer, known as “The Origami Killer”, resurfaces and begins to terrorize your world. Known for his particular theatrics, the Origami Killer leaves clues and origami figures for the parents of the abducted children, forcing them to engage in a race to beat the clock and save their children before they are drowned by the oncoming  heavy seasonal rainfall. Hence the title of the game.

As the game progresses you are introduced to three other playable characters, all who play an integral role in the solving of the killers riddles. At any point you can be killed while playing these characters and without the ability to restart, it makes your choices far more stressful, making even simple decisions leaving you panicked.  These characters are all unknowingly intertwined and connected to Ethan Mars and the search for the Origami Killer. Madison Paige is a photo journalist who hopes to break the story and solve the crime herself. Suffering from insomnia, she often checks herself into motels as they are the only place she can experience a comfortable nights sleep. It is during one of these nights that she comes in contact with Mars and ends up playing a pivotal role in his survival and overall success, depending on your choices.

Heavy Rain's Madison Paige

Looking at these stills of actual  in game footage, you can see just how detailed and beautiful the graphics are. The mood of the game, lighting and environment are precisely crafted to invoke a different emotion depending on your progress in the story. The music is also equally brilliant and aids the player in forgetting that they are playing a game and not watching a well written drama.  The music is so well designed and crafted that you can almost hear the intent behind its placement in particular areas and events.  Check out the video below for a sample of the main theme, which I find to be both moving and  haunting.

Later on you are introduced to Norman Jayden, who I happen to have a major digital man crush on. I say man crush because I am so masculine that most people think I am straight and I don’t want to throw off my readers. Norman is an FBI agent who has been assigned to the Origami Killer case.  He has an adorable Boston accent and an even more endearing drug addiction. On top of both of those wonderful traits, he carries around with him the single most amazing piece of technology I have ever seen.  The item in question? He uses a pair of glasses that are built around a computer that is able to interact with his environment in real time, allowing him to read DNA samples, finger prints and anything else that could be considered useful at a crime scene. All of this data is then connected to the FBI central data base and displayed in an augmented realty virtual layover.  Norman is a vital character in Heavy Rain as he serves as one of the major devices for evidence collection, allowing you to unveil the identity of the Origami Killer… granted you make the correct choices of course.

Heavy Rain's Norman Jayden

I have also included a video demonstrating the wonders of the A.R.I system. What I would give if this thing were real.

The last major character in Heavy Rain is Scott Shelby, a private investigator working on behalf of the victims of the Origami Killer. Shelby is trying to piece together evidence to lead him to the whereabouts of the killers latest victim, hoping to save him in time and bring the killer to Justice. A retired police officer, Shelby understands the corrupt underbelly of the city and spends most of his time in less than desirable situations, looking for anything that will lead him to the killer.

Heavy Rain's Scott Shelby

Heavy Rain left me so immersed that I actually found myself feeling for these characters and their plight. I was anxious and upset when something would affect them for the worst. The stunning environmental design, coupled with such a beautiful soundtrack was almost overwhelming at times. As lame as this may sound, I related to these characters and felt for them and their journey. At times they felt real.  I am going to include a video that demonstrates some of the game play, to further illustrate the game dynamics and story development.

Overall, Heavy Rain is an intense experience that will leave you questioning the boundaries that a video game can be contained in as well as the emotions they can invoke. Aside from a few mechanic issues with the button placement, Heavy Rain is just as about flawless as they come. All in all, I would recommend this game to anyone that wants to try something new and reward themselves with an exciting emotional ride. I would not recommend this game for anyone with anxiety issues or fat fingers, as I often found it hard to hit the correct buttons when I was expected to make quick decisions. However, if you can cut back on the Cheetos or use some sort of dialing wand, you should be fine.

Pros: Heavy Rain is a beautiful game, pushing the envelope of character development and game dynamics. The music is far above most of its competitors and the characters and graphics are well developed and immersive.

Cons: Some of the controls can be frustrating as they require awkward finger posistion, which can cause muscle strain in certain situations. The onscreen notifications also tend to overlap their visual cues with other actions, making it hard to tell if you are supposed to tap a button rapidly or hold it down.

Heavy Rain: 5 out of 5