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Heavy Rain was the much-anticipated game that was shown off at E3 2006 finally landed its way onto the ps3 in February. For the first time ever in gaming history, the bar has been raised for inter-active game-play everywhere. Heavy Rain sets out to make the players control their characters’ choices. Whatever they choose for the character or for the character to do, it will affect the plot drastically in the end. Writer and Director of Heavy Rain, David Cage assured gamers that he would be bringing Hollywood-style gaming to the PS3 and he delivered on that promise.



Now, before there is any more to be read, be warned, there are MAJOR SPOILERS about to come, so if you haven’t beaten this game at least once, then do not read further from here.

Heavy Rain starts with the epilogue of Ethan Mars’ point of view and the life he has before the tragic accident. Players will instantly progress through the game while learning the inter-active button mechanics behind Quantic Dreams’ latest masterpiece. Fast forward an hour or few minutes later into the game (depending on your patience with it) and you have Ethan Mars at the mall with his son, Jason. Jason wanders offs and Ethan is desperately looking for him. When Ethan finally discovers where he is, he calls for Jason and the tragic accident occurs. Ethan jumps out a second too late onto the road, and loses his son, Jason, from the incoming car.



The story continues to progress from there and shows the living conditions of Ethan Mars, but not without introducing the next three characters that have a high impact on the game’s overall pacing and ending. Agent Norman Jayden works for the FBI, he’s a rookie who’s sole purpose is to find the Origami Killer who’s been murdering children every fall, in October, when it rains the most. We have Madison Paige, a photojournalist who wants to find out the face of the Origami Killer and go undercover as a photographer to get inside info on one of the Origami Killer’s victims, Ethan Mars. Finally, we have Scott Shelby; a private detective for hire who is looking for leads on the Origami Killer by going to parents who lost their kids to that killer. (MAJOR SPOILER) Ultimately, he IS the Origami Killer, we later find out his past and motives on why he does what he does.




After you are introduced to each character, you write the story for them as you play. There are rumored to be 20 different endings for Heavy Rain all depending on whom you decide to let live or die. So that should easily boost the playtime by 50 hours and more. Players who’ve already pre-ordered the game have already obtained the bonus DLC (Downloadable Content) chapter in Heavy Rain. It’s a prequel to the story; starring Madison Paige sent to investigate a lead on what might be the Origami killer’s hideout, but turns out very differently. If you have already purchased it without pre-ordering it, then you can find it in the Playstation Store for 4.99. Another DLC is scheduled to arrive later this year that will be based on how the Origami Killer came to be in more detail.

There is also a special edition version of the game, which includes the DLC chapter, a Dynamic PS3 Theme based on one of the chapters in the game, an artwork book of the game, and the soundtrack to the game. The regular copy retails for $60, while the special edition goes for $70, only 10 dollars more, with tax included of course.

Overall, the plot of the game is very well written, and as of 2006, rights have been given to a movie studio in Hollywood to produce a film adaptation of the game, we all know how videogame movies are. The voice actors for the characters are very talented and the character development is entirely up to you, which makes this game a revolutionary step in gaming. The graphics are on par with today’s current gen standards, but there may be some glitches if you haven’t updated to the latest patch. Overall, Heavy Rain gets a 10 out of 10, which amounts to an epic game, certified by Detox.