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Games => General Gaming => Topic started by: MysterD on Monday, July 13, 2009, 02:20:30 PM

Title: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Monday, July 13, 2009, 02:20:30 PM
Heavy Rain for the PS3 has been delayed until 2010 b/c of...
the overcrowded Christmas;
Heavy Rain is a new IP;
and for more time to polish it up. (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3175148)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain delayed until 2010 due to "overcrowded Christmas"
Post by: MysterD on Friday, December 18, 2009, 04:09:36 PM
Heavy Rain DLC announced.
Pre-Order HR, it'll be yours for FREE when the game launches. (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177383)

Quote
Heavy Rain DLC Confirmed And Detailed
First episode will be available free at launch for those who pre-order.
By Kat Bailey, 12/18/2009

After much speculation, Sony has confirmed and detailed Heavy Rain's DLC. Titled the Heavy Rain Chronicles, the first episode will be available free upon the game's release for anyone who puts in a pre-order.

Heavy Rain: Chronicle One - The Taxidermist will feature investigative journalist Madison Paige in her hunt for a serial killer. It will be an update to the original "Taxidermist" demo.

The rest of Heavy Rain's cast will be featured in later episodes, with each one taking place either before or after the original game. Each episode will be available for $4.99.

For those who opt not to pre-order the game, the first two episodes will be available through the PlayStation Store at a later date. The exact dates are still to be announced.

Heavy Rain will be out in February.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 02:30:44 AM
This game is definitely looking very interesting with a fairly unique concept, but I'm still unsure if it's a first day purchase for me.  I'm really hating this DLC shit as well.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 02:43:18 AM
I'm definitely going to wait.  Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit was a great concept that started strong and turned into an unbelievably shitty game and story halfway through.  I don't trust these guys to carry it through based on that.  However, the strength of the first half of that game does leave me wanting to know if they'll eventually figure it out and get it right.  Because if they do, they could have something.

But yeah... boo DLC.  I'll wait for a GOTY edition (if it turns out to be that good, heh) or some repack with everything in it, or wait for it all to get cheap, or I just won't get it at all.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 03:33:41 AM
I have a feeling this will be PS3's black horse.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 07:03:07 AM
Even though I don't have a PS3, I agree 100% with Que on Indigo/Fahrenheit and what he said about Heavy Rain.

I hope they learned from the last 1/2 of Indigo. Indigo was something special in the first 1/2 - until the last 1/2 of the game completely fell about and turned into interactive action sequences that Res Evil 4 is loaded with and the story got pretty cliche and ridiculous.

I hope Heavy Rain gets a PC port, but who knows if that'll ever happen.

About Day One DLC and or tons of DLC plans - it might be time to just wait for GOTY Editions of games and whatnot. I'm getting tired of all these Day One DLC plans and having so much small DLC packs released in short periods of time. I miss the old expansion pack days.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: gpw11 on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:09:23 PM
Oh man, don't even get me started on Fahrenheit. Fuck, that game took a hard turn south real fast.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: scottws on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:29:35 PM
I played, finished, and enjoyed the entirety of Fahrenheit.  I do agree that the first half was about 1000x better than the last half though.

I haven't thought about this game in a long time, and I'm remembering now how amazed I was at the "movie" aspect of it... "cinematography" might be a good word?  I still remember that part in the cemetery where you are walking and it shows several different points of view of you walking at the same time.  It was a pretty powerful effect for that scene.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: gpw11 on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:35:16 PM
I enjoyed the gameplay throughout.  The last half of the story killed it for me though. 
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:41:03 PM
Yeah, that stuff was done well, even if primitively.  For the time, it was really compelling and pretty special.  I really couldn't get beyond the stupid story, though.  The last half of that game was just beyond horrid.  Julia was watching as I played it, and by the end of it we were sort of deliriously giggling by how stupid it had gotten.  But it was disappointing because of the promising start.  The setup was good, the execution was good for a while, and even if some of it was a little goofy, it kept you wanting to see more.  But what started off as a supernatural murder mystery eventually turned into a bad sci-fi fantasy that bore no resemblance to the other material.  And when I say bad, I mean really, really, really bad.  I can say that was one of the worst games I have ever played with confidence, despite really enjoying the first half.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 11:29:55 PM
OK twice I've installed that game on PC, and twice I've been unable to get past the first bathroom scene because of crippling control bugs. It was weird and upon hours wasted each time I just did a rageuninstall.

So what exactly happens halfway through that turned so many of you off? You can use spoiler tags.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 11:36:04 PM
Pug, Que pretty much puts the nail in the coffin, a few posts up - without tossing spoilers.

But what started off as a supernatural murder mystery eventually turned into a bad sci-fi fantasy that bore no resemblance to the other material.  And when I say bad, I mean really, really, really bad.  I can say that was one of the worst games I have ever played with confidence, despite really enjoying the first half.

I pretty much also said how the game suddenly shifts from adventure game in 1/2 to last 1/2 being an action-based quicktime event game. There's like one or two of these, early on in first 1/2 of the game - which is okay. But later on, there's a shitload of them.

EDIT:
With tossing some spoilers on Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 11:52:26 PM
But it gets even worse than that.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 12:00:01 AM
But it gets even worse than that.

(click to show/hide)

Right.

More ridiculous-ness coming.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, January 29, 2010, 02:42:52 AM
Trailer (http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/heavyrain/video/6247738?hd=1&tag=topslot;thumb;5)

I have to say I'm getting kind of excited about this game.  It's starting to look really interesting and suspenseful.

That said, it does appear to start a little slow.  I saw a video containing the first 9 minutes of gameplay and it was filled with mundane tasks of you waking up and brushing your teeth and stuff like that.

However, here's another video (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-mall-heavy-rain/61347) of some more gameplay footage and it looks pretty good.

From the looks of it the characters and story should be quite good.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 05, 2010, 08:21:37 PM
I preordered it yesterday.

In addition, the demo is due out for the general public on Feb. 11.

If you want to try the demo first though, a week before it gets released, go here. (http://www.precinct52.com/case1117_briefing/en_GB)

Submit the correct four pieces of evidence (registration required), and you will get a code to redeem for the demo to play right now.  Solution to the puzzle here (http://terminalgamer.com/2010/02/05/play-the-heavy-rain-demo-today/).

Edit:  I believe you need a UK account to get this to work.  I'm not sure if US accounts work or not.  My Canadian PSN account does not work. 

Edit 2: Got it working with a UK PSN account.  Downloading now... it's 1.7GB.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: TheOtherBelmont on Friday, February 05, 2010, 08:54:45 PM
I preordered it yesterday.

In addition, the demo is due out for the general public on Feb. 11.

If you want to try the demo first though, a week before it gets released, go here. (http://www.precinct52.com/case1117_briefing/en_GB)

Submit the correct four pieces of evidence (registration required), and you will get a code to redeem for the demo to play right now.  Solution to the puzzle here (http://terminalgamer.com/2010/02/05/play-the-heavy-rain-demo-today/).

Edit:  I believe you need a UK account to get this to work.  I'm not sure if US accounts work or not.  My Canadian PSN account does not work. 

Edit 2: Got it working with a UK PSN account.  Downloading now... it's 1.7GB.

I just tried it with my account here in the US and it doesn't work.  I could make a UK PSN account like you did though but I think I can wait until the 11th.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 05, 2010, 11:34:21 PM
I've played through the demo and I'm absolutely sold.  It's a very different kind of game, which is to be expected.  It plays out in a very cinematic fashion.  It's almost like an interactive movie.

Controls take a bit to get used to though.  There are plenty of quicktime events and you'll be pressing buttons in certain sequences, repeatedly pressing the same button, shaking the controller, etc.  Failure to do so will either cause you to have to redo the sequence or it could result in your character taking a hit. 

You press R2 to walk and use the left analog to control the direction of movement.  All the other buttons and the right analog are used to perform context sensitive actions, when they show up on screen as an object that can be interacted with.

Dialogue offers branching paths, and it can drastically affect the outcome.  In the demo, you play as the private detective and the FBI agent -- each in their own scene.  You're digging for info from one of the victims as the PI and depending on your actions, different outcomes occur.  For now, the general outcome appears to be the same, but I believe it may have an impact further into the game.  In the FBI agent scene, you get to use this evidence finder glove/glasses. 

Overall, I'm impressed with the game.  The story is very interesting, and the gameplay is quite different from what we're used to nowadays. 

The only thing I am worried about in this game is length.  So far, we've only seen a handful of scenes.  I hope the story is interesting enough and the game turns out to be lengthy or to offer enough different dramatic outcomes to warrant multiple playthroughs.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, February 06, 2010, 12:03:02 AM
Just hope that no amazing AI entities from the planet Boobabaloo show up at the end to fight you with Dragonball Z like in their previous fucking game.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: gpw11 on Saturday, February 06, 2010, 04:07:55 AM
Haha.  That blew my fucking mind.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 01:20:38 PM
IGN gives it a 9.0 (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1067755p1.html)

The main complaint of the game is that it starts off a little slow, but once the story picks up it doesn't let go. 
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: PyroMenace on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 01:58:01 PM
Gamepro gives it 5 out 5 stars. (http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/213908/heavy-rain/) It looks like the story isn't such a mess after all.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 06:07:55 PM
My god this game is out already? Jeeze I have so many shrink wrapped titles waiting already. :(
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 06:18:31 PM
It's coming out on February 23... so it's still about two weeks away.  I can't wait for it.  I have to time things properly though.  Mass Effect 2 should be coming this week and I need to finish it up as soon as possible before Heavy Rain arrives.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 07:35:19 PM
God damn it.  I was really hoping I wasn't going to want this game, but it looks fucking amazing.  It looks like they basically took the potential of Fahrenheit, expanded it and modernized it for the current generation, and built a great story around it that isn't actually stupid like Fahrenheit's turned out to be.

Damn it.  It really looks good.  I'm gonna' have to get it now.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: ScaryTooth on Thursday, February 11, 2010, 05:36:44 PM
I'm a little hesitant. But I want to check it out, so I'll probably end up buying it.

I'm just worried that it will be like Shenmue, which I wasn't a fan of.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:48:34 PM
Shenmue was a mediocre title.

But how does this look like that? They seem to be very different games.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Thursday, February 11, 2010, 10:31:02 PM
The demo should be out for the general public now.  It's Feb 11.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: gpw11 on Friday, February 12, 2010, 12:02:47 AM
Shenmue was a mediocre title.


What the fuck did you just say?!  WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUUUST SAY?


It wasn't goddamn mediocre, it was shit. (think that was going to go another way?)

I liked the "game". Thing is that there was only about 2 hours of game wrapped inside of 18 hours of fucking chores.  Like, the fetch quests were the good part.  MOVE FUCKING BOXES? I have a job, when I play a game I don't want to have another one unless it is waaaay fucking better than my current one.  Quarterback?  Sure.  Spy? Hells yes. COUNCIL SPECTRE? FUCK YEAH! Box mover? Are you fucking kidding me?

The second one was no better.  All it was was chores. Look, there was something cool there in Shenmue, but there was a ton of shit as well.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, February 12, 2010, 12:36:07 AM
hahaha...

My friend Phil (who posted at AOG for a bit as shadowswhisper) had been getting hyped for it before release, and sorta getting me hyped to see it. This was still a time when consoles and PCs were extremely different, so I was Mr.Negative even before it arrived for his dreamcast, but I tried to observe with a clear mind. I wanted to like it.

I think I watched him play for a few hours before realizing how bad it was.

You can't just make a giant pile of shit, and call it an accomplishment. It almost seemed as if the goal of the developers was scale and not quality.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: PyroMenace on Friday, February 12, 2010, 12:36:52 AM
God, I think the bigger crime that was committed than the actual game being made was that we actually played through all that bullshit. I look back on that now and it honestly feels like those dev's were fucking laughing at us.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, February 12, 2010, 12:42:04 AM
The sad thing was that it was such a waste of money. You can tell they put all of that money into the engine, but if they had scaled that back and put some money into developing more variation in the art assets, and more interesting content, that game could have lived up to its potential.

I guess you can't blame Japanese for being obsessed with wanting something insanely big for once...
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 12, 2010, 12:53:33 AM
I noticed that the demo that's released on US PSN is only 1.3 GB.  I'm wondering what's different about the two demos since the one released earlier if you completed the challenge was 1.7GB.

Edit:  Never mind.  I believe the size difference is attributed with language options available in the EU version that is not available in the US version.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: beo on Friday, February 12, 2010, 05:22:21 PM
i loved shenmue! however, i agree that the game was... short. at the time it felt pretty epic. shenmue 2 was amazing though. i really need to set up an emulator so i can play it again without all the god awful loading times.

as for heavy rain, it's one of the few ps3 exclusives i'm upset that i wont get to play. it looks involving, if nothing else.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: ScaryTooth on Friday, February 12, 2010, 07:17:19 PM
I played the demo today. It was pretty cool. Interesting anyway.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 12, 2010, 10:38:44 PM
Gametrailers gives it 8.9 (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-heavy-rain/61847)

Citing an amazing storyline (9.6 for story), but sometimes you are asked to do mundane tasks, it's still an amazing game altogether that blends a game and a movie together.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Monday, February 15, 2010, 08:02:34 AM
David Cage is saying Heavy Rain may get "Arc" (motion-control) support. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1843776#post1843776)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Monday, February 15, 2010, 11:18:54 AM
That is not really surprising since the game already has a lot of motion support already using the sixaxis.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 19, 2010, 12:34:54 PM
Heavy Rain Pre order DLC delayed 1 week for North America (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/gamestop-says-heavy-rain-pre-order-dlc-delayed/)

Not a big deal since my copy of the game probably won't arrive until the first week of March anyway.

Edit: Gamespot gives it 8.5 (http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/heavyrain/review.html?tag=topslot;thumb;1)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: PyroMenace on Saturday, February 20, 2010, 02:52:03 AM
Let us know how you like the game iPPi, I'm very interested on how this is. I share Scary's concern, I don't want to be another victim of a Shenmue like experience.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Monday, February 22, 2010, 02:23:44 PM
My copy of the game should be arriving by the end of this week.  I've gotta hurry and finish up Mass Effect 2.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, February 22, 2010, 11:01:18 PM
My copy is in the store already.  Can pick it up tomorrow.  Won't have an apartment to play it in until this weekend, though, and that isn't likely to be the first thing I do upon getting in there.  Who knows, though.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 12:10:13 AM
My copy should be at the store tomorrow. :P

Not sure if I will give this priority over the few other games already waiting, but I might considering it seems to be a very different kind of experience
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 05:12:48 PM
Still isn't here. I hear the game will make you sob. I want to play!
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 06:54:47 PM
Yea my copy isn't here either.  I should be getting it tomorrow or Friday. 
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 11:52:22 PM
I have read the manual.  Hooray?  Won't be able to play for a few days at least, yet, but I do get the key to the new apartment tomorrow, so anything is possible.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, February 26, 2010, 08:34:34 AM
I picked it up today. The shop I go to, got them in stock about 5 minutes before my arrival. There was a huge stack and half were gone by the time I was done buying... it was crazy.

Also, why does North America get the shittiest cover? I don't understand how North American audiences are consistently underestimated. We've seen a lot of movies over the past few decades have their names changed to sound simpler for North America (Executive Decision changed to Executive Orders, Philosopher's Stone changed to Sorcerer's Stone etc), and now I've been noting that a lot of games that have cool artistic covers in Europe/Asia, end up with generic videogamy versions in NA.

It is pretty baseless a thing to do. It could be that North America is the biggest audience (in terms of numbers and money), and they want to capture everyone possible.

US version:

(http://image4.play-asia.com/640/4u/pa.87398.1.jpg)

Japanese version:

(http://image4.play-asia.com/640/9h/pa.170812.1.jpg)

Asian version:

(http://image4.play-asia.com/640/9k/pa.172032.1.jpg)

European version is identical to the Asian version:

(http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUGxheXN0YXRpb25fMy9BZHZlbnR1cmUvTXlzdGVyeQ==/heavy_rain_the_origami_killer_frontcover_large_HuCGUy3AqIthAJd.jpg)

I got the Asian version. I know the Japanese version is censored, but I don't think the Asian version is... at least I hope not, because I would take a shitty cover without censorship any day.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, February 26, 2010, 10:48:34 AM
Yeah, there have been comparisons between Japanese and US game covers before, and it's pretty much always the case that the US covers are lousy, market-driven BS while the Japanese covers actually look interesting or have some sort of artistic merit.  Obviously it's not always the case, but generally speaking.  I don't know how Asian versions usually compare, though.  I think a lot of times they just have the cover of the NA or JP versions, don't they?

I wonder why the JP version was censored.  Do you know what it is they took out or whatever?  Usually it's the NA version that gets censored.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 26, 2010, 10:52:02 AM
Agreed on cover art.  The North American version usually is the crappiest.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Xessive on Friday, February 26, 2010, 11:01:43 AM


I wonder why the JP version was censored.  Do you know what it is they took out or whatever?  Usually it's the NA version that gets censored.
Haha imagine some of the Origami figures were too offensive for Japanese eyes!
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, February 26, 2010, 11:03:01 AM
The Asian cover is the Origami one, same as the European version. I guess the Asian market is the smallest, so they realize they might as well appeal to the most hardcore.

The Jap versions of mature European games typically censor the more adult themes, which is so odd when you consider how tentacle rape hentai is popular in Japan.

Haha imagine some of the Origami figures were too offensive for Japanese eyes!

No he is talking about censorship in the actual game, and not the cover art.

edit:

I should mention that censorship in a game like this disappoints me only because any form of censorship in game like this takes away from the artistic vision of the game's developers. Furthermore, I don't want to feel like I am missing out on something.

Censorship in a game like say Dragon Age wouldn't bother me, but the adult themes in a game like Heavy Rain are a small piece of the package that are an integral part of the game's identity.

Quote
Do you know what it is they took out or whatever?  Usually it's the NA version that gets censored.

Not sure, but I saw on several threads that gamers were reporting the Jap. version was censored.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, February 26, 2010, 11:49:55 AM
I ran across a story about freezing and crashing issues (http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/6665.html) with the game while surfing around earlier.  Not sure how widespread it is.  Just a heads up, particularly the part about waiting a while after a freeze before rebooting, because the game might be in the process of writing to the save file.  Otherwise you may end up with a corrupted save.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 26, 2010, 12:08:53 PM
My copy arrived today.  I'll probably start playing it tonight.

Installing now -- the game comes with a square piece of paper that is used for origami.  There are instructions during the installation to make the origami figure you see in the box art.  That's pretty cool.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, February 26, 2010, 10:30:53 PM
I've put some time into it (I'm not sure how much, but I think I'm still fairly early in the game) and it's really quite good.  Obviously it's a very different type of game so it's probably not for everyone, but if you're looking for a great story and interesting characters, this is a really good candidate.

It starts slow, but it isn't boring, which I found interesting.  Before the game came out I saw the first 8-10 minutes of gameplay and thought it was very boring but would hope for it to pick up.  When I'm actually playing it, it isn't boring at all and you feel compelled to continue and find out what happens next, even if the story is moving slowly at the start.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, February 26, 2010, 10:44:42 PM
Damn it.  I really want to play.  Going to have to move my bed and TV within the next couple days... I guess then maybe I'll be able to give it a couple hours here or there.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 12:01:59 AM
I wanted to put in some time last night, but was too lazy and went to sleep instead. I'll play in a few hours as today is a holiday.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: PyroMenace on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 01:39:10 AM
I just played the demo. It's pretty interesting, I'm not so sure I'm into the controls that much, just doing complex button presses to do simple tasks just seems weird and doesn't connect to me so much on how it affects anything in a gameplay sense. But the tone and presentation really appeals to me, it's got that Se7en vibe to it so I may just pick it up anyway down the line.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 02:03:18 AM
I just popped it in and it is downloading a 226 MB patch.

I suspect the patch has to do with what Cobro posted.

What I don't get is why console patches are so massive. Obviously 226MB isn't massive, but for a simple fix, it is.

PC patches are normally 10 to 50 MB unless they are conducting some major repair work. I remember the Little Big Planet patches were easily a few GBs, which again, I found senseless. It took me all day to download them.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 05:12:10 AM
The game is pretty awesome so far. It is like an adventure game for a new generation. I've just finished the prologue portion, and it has been deliberately paced and gripping.

I actually didn't stop to write a little report, but the maid is here so I have to pause for a bit. :P

All the little stuff you do, you actually feel like it is *you* doing it, because the control patterns you have to execute are very involving. Nothing has been overly difficult to execute either. The only complaint I have till now is that while it definitely feels like a game, it doesn't feel *enough* like a game. The reason is that there doesn't seem to be any action so far that can be failed, which makes it feel a little like an interactive movie, though not nearly as much as I had feared.... See More

Of course I could be feeling this for a wide variety of reasons. Either I am just too good at executing the various control stuff (unlikely, considering how little I play console games), or since this is the prologue part, they've deliberately given you limitless mulligans.

Anyway, I am loving Heavy Rain. The voice acting has been good, and the game has created an emotional resonance with its characters and surroundings very quickly. This has been partially due to the excellent soundtrack, but mainly because the characters you interact with feel so human.

I know I've only played the prologue (took about 40 minutes), but I can already say that this game is worth a play.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 01:22:45 PM
Sorry for my third post in a row, but this game is fucking awesome.

I think I am almost done with this, and it has been pretty fantastic. It is almost like a cross between the movies Se7en, Saw, and something from Pulp Fiction.

I can recall at least five different scenes where I had been holding my breath and my heart was pumping.

This game has moments of genuine horror.

I don't mean horror as in the crap that took place in the Saw sequels, but genuine I am afraid for my life type of horror.

Really, this is a must play for PS3 owners. What a great game.

Yes this game will make you tense, but in the good way, and not in the Dead Space sorta way.

edit:

I think the key is that any character you control can die, and there is no going back, so when you are scrambling for your life, you know you have to get it right.

Wait till you guys come across the evil doctor scene. muhahahahaha.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 01:25:00 PM
I completely agree.  There are some seriously intense sequences.  I think I too am nearing the end, but I will likely go through multiple times to find out how the game changes depending on the difference choices you make.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 01:27:49 PM
We definitely have to discuss this game once we are both done. :)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, February 27, 2010, 11:51:37 PM
Damn you people.  Hopefully I'll be able to give it a little time in the next few days.  Looks like TV should hit new apartment tomorrow, and PS3 is there already.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 08:35:59 AM
I am at a chapter called "Fish Tank", which is close to the end of the game and it keeps FREEZING at the same part. Yes, I installed the patch before starting the game and it has frozen three times at the exact same portion. The biggest problem is that I can't restart the game because I've already put in ten hours and this isn't the sort of game you play through again.

edit:

OK easy way around it... I found the chapters menu. :P :P
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 09:35:21 AM
FUCK THIS FUCKING STUPID SHIT!

I installed the patch yes, but the game kept crashing at chapter 40. I tried again and now the save file is GONE.

WTF!
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 09:58:48 AM
Damn, that sucks.  What version of the game are you playing?  Anyone else having the same problem?  Or is this the same problem that was reported prior to the patch?
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:06:39 AM
http://kotaku.com/5480202/heavy-rain-explores-player-depression-with-freezes-and-glitches
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:22:21 AM
I made it past the 'Fish Tank' chapter with no problems.  My game froze once during the 'Twins' chapter though. 
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:25:44 AM
I've restarted the game and will try to rush through it tonight, but yea it is just b.s.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 01:47:27 PM
I finished it up a couple minutes ago.  Really good game throughout.  Like the reviews though, there are some glaring plot holes and detract from the overall story, especially as it comes to an end.

(click to show/hide)

I'm going to go through some of the scenes again to do things differently or play through making different choices to see how it affects the ending.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Cobra951 on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:02:23 PM
FUCK THIS FUCKING STUPID SHIT!

I installed the patch yes, but the game kept crashing at chapter 40. I tried again and now the save file is GONE.

WTF!

Yeah, that's what I was trying to warn you guys about.  A freeze apparently can be caused by some problem writing to the save file.  The official advice is to wait for several minutes after a freeze before rebooting, in the hope the code would finish the write.  Otherwise, the save file becomes trash.  Yes, it's absolute bullshit, but there is no legalized burning at the stake for releasing buggy games yet.  So what are you going to do?
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 11:36:33 PM
Cobra, I actually heeded that advise. I waited for 15 minutes while I walked around the house for a bit.

I've been postion on the PS3 EU forums, and since I posted what happened four other people talked about the same thing happening to them.

Worse is there is another 60 page thread regarding just the freezes.

It is a pity, because the game is really good. Problem is that it isn't the type of game meant to be played again from the beginning.

While the first few chapters are fantastic the first time because the story is unfolding, they are almost mind numbing to play through again with the novelty worn off. I restarted the game in an obsessive effort last night, and played for about three hours. I got to the more intense parts, and it finally started to feel better.

Anyway, I will continue to give it another shot. Hope to god it doesn't die on me a second time.

edit:

What is really stupid is that there is only one save slot. This sorta thing happens many a time on the PC, but you have several saves to go to.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Cobra951 on Monday, March 01, 2010, 07:01:19 AM
One save slot is pathetic.  Fallout 3 has frozen on me several times now, but since I can save at any time to as many slots as I want (I use about a dozen) *and* the game autosaves on every area transition, it has yet to be more than a mild annoyance.  I also copy my latest save out to a memory card after each session, just for extra obsessive data safety.  So it isn't possible to safeguard your save in any way?  That sucks.

I had no idea if what I posted would help, since I don't have the game (or a way to play it).  Just passing along what I had read.  Sorry it didn't work.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, March 01, 2010, 09:53:59 AM
Actually it was thoughtful of you to pass that info. I am playing it a second time and I will again try to be careful.

Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 08:57:23 AM
Just an update. I recently restarted the game and am near the part where it crashed.

I checked the post I made on the PS EU Heavy Rain boards and there are five other people there claiming the same issue. I also made a post on Kotaku, and got 4 replies with people suffering the same problem.

They all complain about losing their saves during the last 10 chapters, so my advise is that once you get to chapter 40, you try to finish the game rather than exit and save for another day.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 10:50:05 AM
Heh, good advice.  I played through a good couple hours last night, and it definitely does start slow.  I didn't find it irritating, but some of it was a bit mundane.  I think most of the problem is the opening bit doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the game, thus it's kind of boring because you know you aren't really getting to the real product yet.  After the mall scene, it got interesting enough, and an hour in from there it was getting hard to put down.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 11:00:35 AM
On my second playthrough, a few hours past the mall, the game was almost as gripping as before. I enjoyed the slow opening bit the first time because I was really getting into the story etc. Of course, it was very irritating the second time.

Anyway, I had to quit at chapter 40 but it seems to be running without issue now.

I told a cousin about the problem I had and she told me her entire game was very smooth, and she didn't get it. Then later I got an e-mail from her that a friend came over to play and the thing froze twice.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 02:27:11 PM
Just finished it. Very fine title. Some of it reminded me of LA Confidential.

Got stuck again at fish tank! But restarted the game and it was fine.

I will admit that I shed a tear a couple of times. :P

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 11:06:12 PM
(click to show/hide)

I've been going through a couple of the scenes again to see how it plays out if I do things differently.  I might go through the entire game one more time to do things
(click to show/hide)
.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 02:10:07 AM
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Thursday, March 04, 2010, 05:18:07 PM
I got my code to the pre order DLC today.  Will try it tonight.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, March 04, 2010, 06:06:11 PM
FREE Text Adventure PC game inspired by Heavy Rain.
It's called Lots o' Rain. (http://www.destructoid.com/heavy-rain-is-now-a-text-adventure--165833.phtml)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, March 04, 2010, 10:51:03 PM
What is the DLC about?
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Thursday, March 04, 2010, 11:20:39 PM
I didn't get a chance to download it yet.  It wasn't available when I logged onto PSN today.  It is available now but I'll wait until tomorrow to get it and play it.

The Taxidermist Chronicles (the DLC) are a prelude to the events of Heavy Rain.  The first episode (preorder bonus, or $4.99 at a later date) is about Madison.  I believe she was already on the case of the Origami Killer and was already investigating or something.  I'll let you know.  I haven't really read any reviews yet or anything like that aside from looking at the length of it.  It's apparently three scenes in length and can get around an hour or more depending on if you're interested in seeing different outcomes.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: iPPi on Friday, March 05, 2010, 09:03:46 PM
Alright I've played through the DLC.  First -- it's short.  Very short.  There are 3 scenes, but they all take place in the same area so they're all linked together.  It's about Madison Paige investigating the Taxidermist, who they suspect is the Origami Killer but turns out he's not -- he's just a different serial killer.

There are 5 endings to this DLC.  I've gone through and gotten two of them.  I might go back and see if I can get the other 3.  When it ends, it tells you which endings you've completed and gives you a chance to load from one of the three scenes to try and get a different ending.

I'd say it's about 20 minutes of play time the first time through.  If you want to get all the endings, you might be able to pull 1 hour to 1.5 hours from it.

I'm not sure if it's worth $4.99 when it gets released to the general public, but as it was free for me as a preorder bonus, I can't complain.  It's probably worth a look if you really, really liked Heavy Rain and want to know and experience more with the characters.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 03:22:11 PM
David Cage will NOT make Heavy Rain 2. (http://www.destructoid.com/cage-won-t-make-heavy-rain-2-not-in-it-for-the-money-212509.phtml)
Quote
David Cage has stated that he doesn't intend to make Heavy Rain 2, even though he could potentially score a huge amount of money from a sequel. This is because of something called, "David Cage the brand." He wishes to sell himself, rather than his products.

"David Cage the brand, as you call it, is about not having to make sequels," he said. "It's about creating a brand that is the name of the creator, not Heavy Rain 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 12. Let me be stupid for one second; I'm not in this business to make money. I wrote Heavy Rain because I was excited about it, because there was something to say. Yeah I could make Heavy Rain 2, but I've said what I've had to say about it.

"I don't know what to say. I guess I don't have a long-term strategy for my career. It's certainly not to make as much money as possible though. I see myself as an author, really. I just trust my instinct. I think fans of what I do want me to do that too."


Why does a man who cannot write a good story consider himself an author? Probably for the same reasons he's always pretending a film director, I guess. Anyway, there will be no Heavy Rain sequel, but you can look forward to the next "David Cage Presents An Interactive Movie By David Cage" very soon!



Cage thinks USA has a problem w/ his games b/c the games he makes "don't include a gun." (http://www.destructoid.com/david-cage-united-states-has-problems-with-my-games-212530.phtml)
Quote
David Cage, the self-styled "auteur of videogames", has stated that the United States has a "problem" with his work because American marketing departments don't understand him. He believes that his unique direction causes confusion among publishers.

"The U.S. always have problems with my games, to be honest. Nomad Soul was the first to have issues over there," he claimed. "We were asked to change the name over there, so it was called Omikron: The Nomad Soul, but there was still no confidence that it would sell well in the States, so it wasn't supported.

"The games I make don't include a gun. Very often, American marketing departments have a problem with this. They have this image of their market being gun-loving rednecks. It's completely wrong."


This is the same interview in which Cage said he wouldn't make Heavy Rain 2 so he could build a brand around his name. When he does that, hopefully publishers will understand his games better. I like to think that when I see his name, I know exactly what I'm getting. Then I ask a redneck to pass me the gun.
Hey, Cage - release your games for MORE platforms [like you did w/ Indigo Prophecy] and you'll make MORE $.



Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Friday, July 05, 2019, 04:01:44 PM
My thoughts & review on Heavy Rain (PC / Epic), which I played all yesterday:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/TGAEC/discussions/0/1639789306571792731/

INTRO.
Took a little over 10 hours today, but I went through it (Heavy Rain for the PC / Epic Store Version) ... in one day, for my first play-through.

CHARACTERS & STORY.
So, here's the story, in short: a man's son get kidnapped and he has to go find the kid, who might've been kidnapped by the infamous Origami Killer. There's a girl who rides a motorcycle (who is important), a private detective, an FBI agent, and a few other characters who the player will take control of; make decisions; investigate people & locations; and whatnot - all who are involved with trying to find this child, the Origami Killer, and the whole story behind this saga.

WRITING, STORY, VOICE-ACTING, ETC.
Sometimes, the writing, dialogue and voice-acting is stilted. Sometimes, it's all right where it belongs...and is fine. There are some typical David Cage type of issues here: sometimes, things that happen are melodramatic ridiculous, unrealistic, and/or over-the-top. Sometimes, there are things that feels like they're complete plot-holes. This all seems common also with other David Cage games, such as Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy.

It feels like Heavy Rain takes a bit to really get the story & characters actually going - but once it gets its actual plot actually going (which takes a little bit, around an hour or two), it's actually good at the plot stuff. There's a lot of pieces moving and things going, so you will be trying to follow a lot there.

QTE's & (A LACK OF) PUZZLES.
Everything (almost) is interactive and there's QTE's everywhere (Quick Time Events), which often are in the direction and movements of what you're supposed; to do and they are often used to make the player do the exact motion and feel as if they are really doing the movement & any emotion/reaction necessary. Though, like Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy, this game can take all kinds of different paths and turn out all kinds of different ways, which is what makes this game really tick.

If you're looking for challenging or difficult puzzles: find another adventure game. Heavy Rain is not that type of adventure game; it's not like those of the old days. It's more of a QTE-fest and decision-making game.

ISSUES.
The PC Version isn't without technical issues, though. First up, The Taxidermist DLC isn't currently here. Some levels, I had issues where the framerates, no matter what I did to lower the settings, still took massive hits and/or became a slide-show. Though, most of the time: the game ran at fine at 1080p40fps on High (capped it to 40fps max with MSI Afterburner, to stop the framerate bouncing and framerate hits it took with an in-game cap of 60fps).

FINAL THOUGHTS.
Overall, I liked Heavy Rain, despite its issues. It could've been great, if they ironed out some of the issues (especially the performance issues and some stilted dialogue).

Heavy Rain is good. Flawed, but still good and solid overall.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, July 12, 2019, 09:19:37 PM
It's amazing how organized these threads are and the dedication D puts towards them.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: gpw11 on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, 12:49:23 AM
Funny enough, I did a search on an old game a couple of weeks ago (Can't remember what but there's a good chance it was Alpha Protocol) and you gave D shit for multi posting in threads, making them super disorganized.  Guy is like a librarian filing to the Dewey Decimal system now.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, July 19, 2019, 10:12:38 AM
Funny enough, I did a search on an old game a couple of weeks ago (Can't remember what but there's a good chance it was Alpha Protocol) and you gave D shit for multi posting in threads, making them super disorganized.  Guy is like a librarian filing to the Dewey Decimal system now.

hahahaha I can't believe I cared so much either way. I was just looking at that thread and can't even remember those posts. But yeah, it's like finding an abandoned vault in the middle of no where, and D is still there keeping things going.
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, July 20, 2019, 10:26:00 AM
hahahaha I can't believe I cared so much either way.
I would guess, me posting in a thread all by myself only and bumping a million times for every little thing, that must've been annoying.

I also would guess, the thread was very disorganized...which it was. Threads look a million times better and are much neater, the way they are now.

Quote
I was just looking at that thread and can't even remember those posts. But yeah, it's like finding an abandoned vault in the middle of no where, and D is still there keeping things going.
I straight-up love posting & talking about games. I love playing them too, obviously. Don't think I'll ever give any of that stuff up anytime soon.

EDIT:
Funny enough, I did a search on an old game a couple of weeks ago (Can't remember what but there's a good chance it was Alpha Protocol) and you gave D shit for multi posting in threads, making them super disorganized.  Guy is like a librarian filing to the Dewey Decimal system now.
Despite everything - in the end and the grand scheme of things, it all worked out great, didn't it? ;)
Title: Re: Heavy Rain
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, August 03, 2019, 02:35:43 AM
D, you rock :)