My hands-on time with Heavy Rain

[quote name='Maklershed']Why don't you just tell us about it. That's what the huge text block is for. Copy and paste if need be.[/QUOTE]

Because he wants the pageviews.
 
Copied and pasted so no one has to click on the link.
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(Note: Due to Heavy Rain's story driven appeal, plot developments have been withheld, with the exception of one example to only illustrate the title's decision-based gameplay. This example and other aspects that could be argued as spoilers have been concealed in white text. This text can be revealed by highlighting the same white area.)
The opportunity to check out the first scenes of Heavy Rain two months before its release was a no-brainer here at Examiner. As one of the most highly anticipated games of 2010, Heavy Rain looks to provide a welcome break from all the adrenaline fueled first person shooters and fast-paced action titles with an experience that is not only cinematic but also feels heavily inspired by classic PC adventure games.

The preview build we received treated us to enough chapters that we managed to try out all four playable characters, each somehow related to the unsolved serial murders by "The Origami Killer". The paternal and tormented Ethan Mars appears as the emotional linchpin of the story. FBI agent Norman Jayden is the eyes and ears of the formal police procedurals in the murder investigation (with at least one hi-tech toy in tow). Private investigator Scott Shelby, with his portly, middle aged mannerisms is the game's most technically impressive character so far. You can tell why he has been featured in many Heavy Rain tech demos this year (we also got to play the much viewed corner store level). Whoever decided on the size of this preview build clearly knew how to tease us writers as the fourth character, journalist Madison Paige only appears in one chapter and in her skivvies SPOILER [and even in her birthday suit depending on where she goes in her apartment].
Despite that each chapter is both cinematic and limited to a particular area, Heavy Rain does allow the player free movement within that scene. Progressing through that chapter involves exploring the environment and talking to other characters, which usually results in an interactive cutscene. Should the player get stumped, pressing L2 allows the user to hear the character's thoughts and what he should probably do next.

By the end of the first chapter, the player will get an idea on the unabashed excessiveness of the game's seemingly menial tasks. Yet for many, there will be an unexpected joy in discovering what the character can do in their present setting. In this preview, we managed to SPOILER [brush teeth, shave, shower, fetch snacks from a cupboard, juggle, lay out plates, drink OJ from the carton, shut off TVs, heat food and drinks in microwaves, wait patiently for microwaves to finish heating, make coffee, put on seatbelts (or not), adjust rear view mirrors, leaf through magazines, urinate, flush (or not), shoot a basketball, check homework, play with a kid on a seesaw (and other playground attractions), and even help out a guy with his necktie]. Before we knew it, many of us were picturing button commands in our heads when we were going about our real life routines. It was as if developer Quantic Dream figured out how to virally market Heavy Rain in the realm of everyday minutiae.

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Much has been made of the game's multiple outcomes both with each chapter and the game overall. So after multiple playthroughs, it was not surprising that each Examiner had a different experience. For example, SPOILER [one particularly touching sequence involved Ethan and one of his sons, Sean. At least one player chose to shut off the TV early, in the middle of Sean's favorite show no less. As this was a school night, a fight between the two started, resulting in Sean storming off to this room. Other players let Sean watch TV until he fell asleep. What followed was a poignant sequence of Ethan carrying a sleeping Sean up to his room]. There were actually a handful of players who found themselves compelled to replay an episode as opposed to continuing with the story just so they could see the scene's other outcomes. A given chapter can have dozens of button-triggered dialogue responses that determine how a scene will play out. Adding to Heavy Rain's realism is the fact that even if a player tried to steer the story towards the most positive outcome, sometimes having the best intentions does not necessarily lead to a happy result, much like real life. Story developments are also decided by how well (or poorly) the player follows through with the Quick Time Event prompts. These commands involve everything from standard button commands to analog stick movements to shaking or jolting the controller in a specific direction.
For the Quantic Dream fans who have played Indigo Prophecy inside and out, this hearty sample of Heavy Rain gives the impression that David Cage's writing and directorial style has matured considerably. Unlike Indigo, Heavy Rain does not start out with hyper edited cutaways to disturbing visuals. With longer, sustained camera shots, Cage seems more confident in simply letting the present events carry the story. SPOILER [He also wisely sets the tone of the opening scenes in a bright, idyllic setting (unintentionally drawing comparisons to PlayStation 3's Home) which manage to accentuate a deliberate contrast against the dark, sometimes depressing presentation of the game after the opening credits].

If Heavy Rain's prologue can give an idea for the total length of the game, the full version should be quite robust. Even during a speed run, we found it would still take almost 20 minutes before reaching the opening credits. Speaking of which, the visually impressive credits continue the popular trend of aligning names and titles along various angles in the background (eg. Panic Room, Fringe), pioneered by Saul Bass in Hitchcock's North By Northwest.
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Since this build only featured the game's first 11 chapters, there was not an opportunity to see how our actions affected the story as a whole. Yet we definitely saw hints on where some of those branching points would be, such as choosing to (or not to) save a supporting character when they're getting beaten up or letting someone die altogether.

David Cage and Quantic Dream have made no apologies for using the term "game" sparingly, opting instead to call Heavy Rain an interactive film as much as Indigo Prophecy was. If our multiple playthroughs of this preview build is a reliable indicator, the full version should be treated like a film, which is not a bad thing.

Heavy Rain is not a multiplayer title in the popular sense, but it did end up becoming the unintended social centerpiece at a recent dinner party where even inexperienced gamers were engrossed with Cage's story, the facial realism, and the David Fincher-esque presentation of the game's darker scenes. While many of these dinner guests (some non-gamers) took turns taking control, many were more than happy to just watch. Sony could easily make a sequel to their Uncharted 2 "movie" ad with Heavy Rain. Many of you who already have this on preorder might want to consider inviting friends over during the first playthrough for a "movie night". If you have a strong interest in the behavioral sciences, you might even find yourself handing off your controller to your significant other/guest to see what choices they would make.
Heavy Rain is scheduled for release at the end of February exclusively on the PlayStation 3.
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ive been waiting for a game like this for years now. its got those sims qualities about it but without the annoying repetitiveness and lack of story to it. though youll probably be limited in some ways to what you can do it seems like you can do damn near anything within reason.
 
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