IMPRESSIONS
Quantic Dream’s imminent sorrowful interactive-game-cinematic-movie PS3 title, Heavy Rain is finally releasing this February. Heavy Rain promises to offer a deviant experience from traditional gameplay style. If successful, it offers to create its own genre in the gaming industry. It is the spiritual successor of the 2005 title Indigo Prophecy.
David Cage, director of heavy Rain, tells us, is an adventure game devoid of traditional "interactivity" — shooting, driving, fighting — with a story driven by a player's actions. Those choices, he said, would have a tangible impact on the outcome. David Cage seems to be pretty ambitious with his title, and aims to redefine several core conventions of gaming.
For one, the controls scheme uses a quaint combination of triggers, analog stick and Six Axis motion for character movement, yet offering a seamless fluid movement in 3D space. Going by its predecessor, the game seems to be QTE loaded, not something I’m fan of. One major aspect I found very appealing was the implementation of the QTE prompt. It’s subtle, aesthetic and yet bold enough that it is not missed. Other than that various unique gameplay presentations like dynamic splitscreen, smooth cinematic camera angles, etc.
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There are adult games and then there are games for adults. Quantic Dreams certainly took the much needed leap in gaming to portray sex in games aesthetically. Heavy Rain is more or less the awesome R rated Hollywood style game rather than the “sex sells, lets add titties” game, that is usually the trend.
Judging by the trailers the game involves full blown nudity, to undressing sequences of the protagonist, a morbid forced striptease cinematic sequence, but not any outright sex, at least not yet. This is a departure from other gameplay-based depictions of sex, where the object was either to reveal skin or engage in a mini-game that reduces sex to the stabbing motions of button mashing. The above mentioned scenario is a mature depiction of sex, as it makes the player uncomfortable rather than find it sexy.
Quantic Dream is certainly sitting on something unique with the game, with what appears to be a balanced blend of gameplay and cinematic storytelling. It promises a lot, and much is hyped about the game. Whether it will live up to its hype is yet to be seen. Heck, if the game is anything like the first half of Indigo Prophecy, then it warrants a purchase.
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Heavy Rain is set to be released on 23 February, exclusively for the PS3. So everyone get ready to drown in sorrow and face withdrawal, because, hopefully, we may have a GOTY in the making.
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