Heavy Rain completely blew me away the first time I played it in 2010, delivering an interactive and cinematic experience that I didn’t think was possible through the medium. I’m convinced it both popularized and revolutionized interactive drama/adventure games, paving the way for an entire genre of incredible stories that followed it.
Beyond its influence, the game itself is incredible. The music is gorgeous, the grey and rainy urban ambience is beautifully melancholic, the mechanics that allowed you to interact with the environment/your character in ways the gaming world had never seen before were incredibly impressive, and the story was both original and immersive. Every action you took felt like it had a genuine impact on the way the story unfolded, and I was amazed with the sheer amount of directions the story could take.
Your characters never felt (and rarely were) inherently safe, making Ethan’s trials, Scott and Norman’s hands on investigations, and Madison’s eccentric outings all the more tense. The quicktime events consistently keep you on the edge of your seat with the way the action scenes are tightly choreographed, and a lot of the choices you’re asked to make are difficult and thought provoking.
Look, the game certainly has its fair share of flaws. A lot of the written dialogue and voice acting is very campy, the story occasionally makes some silly choices, and the game hasn’t aged very well, especially in terms of its “realistic” graphics that were cutting edge at the time, but not so much anymore… but the experience Heavy Rain created upon its release was like no other, and I love it to death.
Is It Worth Playing ?
Absolutely.