Video games on the whole don't grab me quite like they used to, but this one certainly did from the word go, so much so that I finished it in about three sittings. In Heavy Rain you play through four characters all amidst the tragedy of children being murdered by The Origami Killer.
If you analyse this closely, a lot of the gameplay isn't anything special. A lot of it is pressing the buttons that arrive on screen like old SegaCD interactive movies. However, it's all put together really well, not punishing you too harshly if you press the wrong button, and features a great 'whodunit' narrative that is its main strength. There are also various decisions to be made making it non-linear.
The only negatives with this are that the movements of the characters is clunky and sometimes I really wanted to run instead of walking. Also, when you are meant to make decisions it can be hard to distinguish between the O and □, at times it's hard to know exactly what each symbol will result in, and also because you are used to QTE, sometimes you accidentally rush it. Loved it though. A memorable gaming experience.
Gameplay 4/5
Graphics 5/5
Sound 5/5
Difficulty 5/5
Originality 4.5/5
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