Done Playing: Heavy Rain

So i completed a playthrough of Heavy Rain yesterday, and sent it back to gamefly. I liked the concept and idea, and applaud them for trying something different, but i felt like it needed some more work. Full review and score after the jump *spoilers*.



So i only completed it once, the ending i got had the dad find the kid by himself, rescue the kid, i didn't shoot the killer, and was promptly shot myself upon exiting the warehouse.

My biggest frustration with the ending came from where the detective was explaining why the dad was picked, that he met him before at the mall, i start thinking 'ok great, we know that the origami killings have been happening for 3 years, the first son died 2 years ago, the detective probably was going to take him, lured him away from his dad in his cop uniform, and that's why, after running off once, and the dad telling him not to do that, he immediately takes off again, leaves the mall, and goes across the street' but no, the detective just happened to be passing by at the exact time that all that happened. it was just a coincidence.

My second biggest frustration with the ending came just after i had picked up the kid and started walking towards the door; in the middle of the room was a series of 3 circles, the far one was where the kid was trapped, the other two were just a step down. i walked into the middle one, and couldn't walk back out. i walked around the perimeter of the circle over and over again and it just wouldn't let me out. eventually i got out  after setting down the controller for a few minutes, but very anti-climactic.

Speaking of anti-climactic, the game froze in the middle of the epilogue/ending movie. just stopped playing. it was the first time it happened to me, and i read of it being a somewhat common problem afterwards.

Overall what stopped me from going back and getting the platinum was the general glitchiness of it. The problems with the movement, and the seemingly randomness of some of the controls, since none of the contextual arrows were labelled, what i thought i was going to do and what the game ended up doing didn't always line up. I'd recommend it as a rental to anyone interested, and if i ever get a move i might try it again, but at this point I'm done with it.

Final Score:

Graphics: 5/10 some stuff looked really good, but other stuff looked really bad

Story/Concept: 7/10 cool idea, pretty good execution

Controls: 4/10 cool idea hampered by sometimes poor, often frustrating execution, especially with movement (seriously, no run button? or did i just miss it?)

Replayability: 5/10 theres enough reason to, different endings based on different choices, trophies, but i just didn't have the desire to.

+5 for trying something different

Overall 26/40

Rent, Buy, Or Pass: Rent if it looks interesting to you, otherwise pass

Irritated Monkey