Reviewed by Editor-in-chief, Tim Clark, it was his opening sentence that easily confirmed to me that this was another overtly ambitious title that wasn’t going to fall anywhere short of the high expectation surrounding it; “Having played and replayed Heavy Rain, I’m convinced it’s one of the freshest, most exciting, and even important games on PS3 so far,” before going on to state that “[he is]also convinced that a lot of people are going to hate it. Or simply be baffled by the fact that you spend quite a bit of time sitting around being sad.”
There is also plenty of praise for the control scheme, in which “Every action you perform in the game requires a corresponding button press, stick movement, or Sixaxis shake, from a simple tap of up [on the control stick] to swig juice from the fridge, to a sudden jerk down on the pad to kick a door in, or carefully rotating the right stick to apply a bandage.”
Such use continus to diversify as the controls actively represent the difficulty of what the character is trying to achieve; “If it’s something phyiscally demanding – say, trying to clamber up a muddy hillside – you might have to hold serveral buttons at once, effectively playing finger Twister.” Alongside this, other sections will task you with performing actions as you race against the clock to get out of a situation. The developer’s interactive design ideas are to be commended, with Clark concluding “What shouldn’t be understated is how inventive Quantic Dream has been with the controls.”
The story’s pacing is also key and is perfectly designed to create an “exhausting, exhilarating, and, curcially, involving” experience. Player’s will also encounter “innovative twists on its core forumula right until the credits roll,” and the review continues to describe various elements and encounters within the title.
In conclusion, Clark writes “Certainly there’s nothing quite like it on PS3, or indeed any other system. Put gaming conventions aside, go in with no expectations other than this is something new and massively good-looking, and you’ll be rewarded with a unique experience that lurches between genius and madness, manages to be genuinely emotional, and that you’ll be bursting to talk about with your friends.”
The title is awarded a coveted Gold Star, and an incredibly respectable 9/10.
Sauce 1
Sauce 2 (has a mini-scan of the score)
