Heavy Rain, one of the PS3s most anticipated titles is here.
Aaron brings us a spoiler-free look at the Fahrenheit follow-up…
It takes a bold developer to try and do something a little different.
Often these endeavours to push the envelope fall upon stony ground, with few appreciating the risks taken.
Sometimes, however, these attempts succeed, even if they often polarise the masses.
Games like SegasShenmueand classic Cyan adventure seriesMystare prime examples.
You either love them, or hate them, theres rarely any in-between.
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Ill say so now, just to be clear.Heavy Rainisallabout the story.
If there was ever any game that emphasised story above all else, then this is it.
Dont worry, though.
Im not going to divulge anything here, and I promise there wont be a spoiler in sight.
I wouldnt do that to you.
The actual QTE elements are varied too, which may be hard to believe, but its true.
And to be honest, thats really all the gameplay summed up.
Its basic exploration and constant, if oddly original, QTE all the way.
So, with such basic actual gameplay, why would you want to play the game at all?
As I said earlier,Heavy Rainis all about the story, and what a story it is.
Be warned though, this isnt a contrived and typically cheesy videogame plot.
Its a dark, often shocking story, and one that really should be applauded.
The game has several alternate timelines woven together, and seeing them all will require multiple playthroughs.
However, theres no game over, as such, either.
The gameplay may be basic, butHeavy Rain still pulls you in, which is a major feat.
Its noAvatar, certainly, but this is still impressive stuff.
Likewise, the audio direction is spot on, too.
The camera also causes glitches in this system, leaving you to walk in the wrong direction.
Its still playable, but its a large blemish that should have been avoided.
Heavy Rainisnt really a game, per se, but more of an experience.
Heavy Rainwill be released on February 26 andcan be pre-ordered from the Den Of Geek Store.
Rating:
4 out of 5
