Games of 2010: Heavy Rain

By John Teti Published 25 December, 2010

Out with the old, in with the nuance.

Heavy Rain was going to be huge. Hyped by years of teaser trailers and credulous preview articles, the game was pitched as a revolutionary vision before it was even released.

Given that build-up, it took a brass pair for David Cage to begin his game this way: A dude wakes up, brushes his teeth, maybe takes a couple slugs of orange juice, and waits for his kids to come home.

Talk about adjusting players' expectations. The prosaic scenes of suburban family life are a pointed opening statement of Heavy Rain's aims. It isn't about revolutionising the form or maximising technical capabilities (Sony's delusional "Only possible on PlayStation!!!!" bluster notwithstanding). It's about asking players to connect with ordinary characters in a lasting way.

Trying to tell an interesting story on a relatable scale isn't exactly a novel ambition, but novelty is overrated. As I consider what I want to remember from gaming in 2010, I'm more compelled by the down-to-earth earnestness of Heavy Rain than the whole stinking pile of Move/Kinect/3D tech fetishism.

1

Heavy Rain began as the story of a man and his magical sunglasses.

Before things get too serious, let's all admit this much: The game can be pretty silly. As I wiggled the PS3 controller back and forth to brush Ethan Mars' teeth, it's not like I stroked my chin and mused, "Ah, what a stirring comment on the mundanity of human existence." No, I thought, "I bet I look as stupid as I feel right now."

Likewise, the infamous mall scene where Ethan loses track of his son Jason, world's stupidest kid, is no gem of modern drama. (Totally worth it, though, because at least we got a funny parody Flash game and YouTube music video out of the deal.)

Heavy Rain makes for an easy punchline because it's so devoid of guile. It asks players to apply photojournalist Madison Paige's mascara by lovingly, oh-so-gently manoeuvring the left analog, and it does so without irony. The game honestly believes this is a worthwhile use of your time.

2

You want dreary? Oh, this game brings the dreary.

And in the end, it is, which is Cage's triumph. All those little beats of decision and forced input come together as pencil strokes in the game's sketch of four remarkably full-bodied characters.

There is precious insight to be gained in seemingly banal moments, like the one at the drugstore where retired cop Scott Shelby picks up an asthma inhaler from the back shelf. Playing as Shelby, you use some basic controller moves to make him grab the inhaler, but it's not like I felt that much more connected to the man's soul because I pushed a few buttons on the controller and he moved his arm. Superficial kineticism is not the point of these interactions.

The real artistry is that these bits of nominal input compel players to pause and observe the act at hand. Cage uses controller prompts like a cinematographer uses close-ups, to highlight details that the audience might otherwise pass over.

With Shelby in the drugstore, the controller-aided close-up made me think about the inhaler. Asthma is usually diagnosed in children, and Shelby's in middle age, so this is probably a burden he's carried since he was a kid. Let your gaze drift to his worn face during this scene, and it’s evident that asthma probably isn't the only thing that has weighed on him for a long time. He's a man accustomed to carrying a heavy load with a visage of grim indifference.

In short, the inhaler exchange adds a new layer to Shelby's obsession with solving the Origami Killer case - it's a detail that pays off for those who treat it as more than a standard "quick-time" event. (And given how mundane the button-pressing is on its own merits, the natural instinct is to look for something more.)

Even that mall scene has a great moment tucked in there amid the "Jason!"-yelping awkwardness. When Jason Mars wanders off to his eventual doom, father Ethan's first move isn't to run after his star-crossed spawn, or to yell for help. Instead Ethan frantically pats around for his wallet so he can pay a clown for the balloon they just bought - then he tries to find his child.

3

Not every moment is subtle.

The wallet-hunting takes a while, and as I pushed the analog stick left, right, and up to unearth Ethan's billfold, I thought, why isn't he chasing after Jason already?

That's the reaction Cage wants us to have, because Ethan would surely ask himself the same question in the ensuing years after Jason's death: Why did I care about a goddamn mall clown? Why did I waste those all-important seconds settling up for a $2 balloon?

It's a banal act made potent by the ensuing tragedy and Ethan's subsequent self-torture. The reality is that Ethan is human; he panicked. This answer is purposely unsatisfying for the character and player. Cage brings us into the same emotional plane.

4

Everyone together now: "JASON!"

That's how Heavy Rain's low-stakes decisions inform and provide relief for the more intense choices that crop up at major junctures in the story. If every scene were as charged as Ethan mutilating himself to please a kidnapper, or FBI profiler Norman Jayden fighting off narcotics withdrawal during a tense questioning, the game would come off as pulp.

More to the point, Heavy Rain's quiet stretches reflect a belief that characters are formed as much by their tiny moves as they are by bold strokes. That's an honest, wise assessment of human nature.

Is Heavy Rain going to change the face of gaming? Probably not. Few will try to replicate its nuanced touch, and fewer will succeed. Cage's rich, personal masterpiece did prove, though, that console games are more versatile storytellers than the industry tends to give them credit for. If not a revolution, it was at least a surprise, and that's a rare enough feat in itself.

Picture of John.

About John Teti

John Teti is a writer and producer based in New York. His interests include games, TV, cake, and being a writer and producer based in New York.

Read more articles from John by visiting the John Teti archive page.

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Comments (57) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • uk-kob #1 1 year ago

    this was a good game, nice change of pace, from shooters and racers that i usually play.
    Edited by uk-kob at 25/12/10 @ 06:19

  • Super_Zee #2 1 year ago

    Yeah, totally agree. Great retrospective for a fantastic game.

  • theonomous #3 1 year ago

    There were moments when I felt personally connected to this game. But for every one of those, there were ten more where I couldn't believe that, after nearly 30 years in this hobby, I could have so much difficulty with "intuitive" control schemes. And for every one tense, well-acted moment, there was a "JASON" scene...or any where I had to listen to that awful Nahman Jayhdan yammering.

    One of THE games of 2010? Absolutely. One of the BEST games of 2010? Maybe for you, but not for me.

  • Paul_cz #4 1 year ago

    I love what Heavy Rain tries to do, but I hate what it actually did.

    So many scenes were just embarassingly written (the mall had me laughing out loud, not really an emotion they were going for here..) and the characters look completely lifeless, so...

    bad luck.

    Maybe with LA Noire technology and some competent writer, some similar game in the future could be actually good.

  • AllenSpawn #5 1 year ago

    This is my game of the year.

    Sure, there were plot holes and some silliness, but the atmosphere and characters were realised brilliantly. The music score was fantastic.

    I hadn't played anything like this before, and when I finished the game, I lamented the fact I wouldn't again for a long time. Shooters, racers, platformers are two a penny, but this was something different, and I applaud the developers for it.

    More please.

  • captainrentboy #6 1 year ago

    Good write up there. Thankfully Heavy Rain easily fell into my top 5 of 2010. And I say thankfully, because I actually bought a PS3 just to play that and GOW3. So I was glad they both turned out good.
    The controls were odd, occasionally doing pretty much the exact opposite of what you wanted. And the acting/story did frequently go OTT or a tad hammy. But there were lots of parts that were genuinely fantastic IMO. ( The mad doctor and the self mutilation spring to mind)
    It was also just so bloody refreshing to play a new IP that wasn't a facking FPS.

  • RedPanda #7 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • slickster #8 1 year ago

    the best bit of this game was when she took a shower.. BOOBIES :o)

  • dudefella #9 1 year ago

    Teti: Redeemed

    Heavy Rain is my GOTY. Finished it in a single stretch because I was so engrossed.

  • danathjo #10 1 year ago

    Could of been one of my games of 2010 if some cnut didn't spoil it for me in the forums, despite knowing the ending I still enjoyed it.

  • Nuronv #11 1 year ago

    X "JASON!"

  • FabricatedLunatic #12 1 year ago

    So engrossing and involving was Heavy Rain that the clunky controls ceased to bother me after a while. (Well, with the exception of that fucking tunnel.) It also meant that I was able to overlook some silly moments.

    The "reveal" was harder to overlook because it raised more questions than it answered. But overall it was a fantastic experience that had me invested in the lives of its characters in a way that few other games have.

  • Goodfella #13 1 year ago

    Could of been one of my games of 2010 if some cnut didn't spoil it for me in the forums, despite knowing the ending I still enjoyed it.

    Yep, I read the same deliberate spoiler on this site by that bellend and to say I wished him an agonisingly slow death is an understatement. What a c**t!

    Great game but press X to Jason was a bit laughable.

  • makeamazing #14 1 year ago

    I really enjoyed the game and would buy a Heavy Rain 2 day 1.

    Yes some bits were a little strangely written, but overall the experience was great, and it felt different to the normal games that are usually around.

    GOTY, maybe not (only got AC2 Brotherhood today :D), but one of the top 5 GOTY for 2010, then yes indeed.

  • Osahi #15 1 year ago

    Although it's flawed, this is one of those games I will fondly remember for a long long time. It really cought me in what it tried to do and mustered emotions I've never felt before while playing a game. The whole atmosphere is so dark and depressing it sucks you in and makes you forget it's sillyness from time to time.

    Heavy Rain is a testament of an artist who tries to do something with a medium that hasn't been done all to much before, and mostly succeeds. This is a huge step forwards from Fahrenheit and I hope Cage can take a similar step for his next game. I think then we could have the 'Citizen Kane' of gaming (that movie came half a century after the invention of film, remember)

  • fiery_jackass #16 1 year ago

    I see the more florid parts of this retrospective as sort of a mini version of that book that came with Elite: something written about what you'd love the game to have been like but really, it isn't and can't be, unless you're determined to make it so *in your own head*.

    it's unfortunate, because I think that hyperbole contributes to the unnecessarily Marmite viewpoints. It's a perfectly good game, no more, no less.

  • Phishfood #17 1 year ago

    WHy am I commeting on Christmas day? I must be so lonely :(

  • fiery_jackass #18 1 year ago

    >Phishfood
    yes, me too, plus I've still got the flu and the only companion I've got until about 2pm is Demon's Souls and it hates me.

  • makeamazing #19 1 year ago

    Kids have opened presents, cant get onto the PS3 to play my games, my other son wants to play the Xbox, so i am left browsing the internet for now!!!!

  • ZuluHero #20 1 year ago

    @fiery_jackass

    Its like a demanding girlfriend - you give her lots and she gives you very little in return, but its so worth it :)

    I lovedHR, one of my fave games of the year, perhaps not my best, that goes to the aforementioned Demons Souls, but it is very close.

    Amazed to see an article go up on Christmas Day, mind. Hope everyone is having a nice one :)

    /stealth post from his new ipod touch, while daughter is playing with her stuff - now i can browse EG from the toilet ;)
    Edited by ZuluHero at 25/12/10 @ 10:58

  • Ged42 #21 1 year ago

    I was doing some Christmas shopping and heard some dad yell "JASON!" after his son and fell about laughing.

    I enjoyed Heavy Rain a lot, it's flawed but still a very good game. For every cheesy "JASON" moment or naff sex scene, there was a great scene like the station nightmare or most of the bits with Scott.

    If Cage's next game is as big a jump in quality as Heavy Rain was to Fahrenheit (which started out good until it went batsh*t mental), then we should be in for a treat

  • captainrentboy #22 1 year ago

    Zuluhero, that's the sole reason for my Ipod Touch purchase. EG whilst having a dump.
    I've heard they play songs or some shit too.. :/

  • butler` #23 1 year ago

    yes, me too, plus I've still got the flu and the only companion I've got until about 2pm is Demon's Souls and it hates me.

    haha this tickled me

  • david78 #24 1 year ago

    JASON!

  • trip919 #25 1 year ago

    Don't rate this one tbh. A lacklustre movie stretched to 8 hours (that, admittedly had moments of power) with ridiculous plot-holes and endless fucking fight-scenes. A misfire for me.

  • menage #26 1 year ago

    prety decent game, but it simply threw sand in you face to mask it's outcome, seriously poor storytelling

    showing me one scene, then revellaing it didn't play out like I actually saw it happen at all so reveal the murderer is incredibly weak, I can write a story like that if you going 180 in the end. that's not mystery just deception.



    Edited by menage at 25/12/10 @ 12:18

  • richarddavies #27 1 year ago

    I did love the game overall but I did feel ripped off at the end when all along I was thinking "well I know there's alot of ridiculous plot holes but they'll fill em in, they will". Then they didn't. I can't tell whether David Cage is a genius or a tard. Regardless it's still in my top five for the year.

  • Doctor_What #28 1 year ago

    Bloody amazing game - I'm finally playing through it at the moment using the Move. I've never been so excited to see the end of a game story, which is an incredible achievement.

  • Drpwnage #29 1 year ago

    Tears in the rain....:(

  • StanMadeley #30 1 year ago

    There was so much to love about Heavy Rain but it was ruined by a few terrible choices, especially in the conclusion which broke the logic of the gameplay mechanic. When you are controlling a character, that character should not be able to do things which you as the player did not choose to do.

  • the_exile #31 1 year ago

    I finished this "game" last night. This is not a revolution but a regression. No, actually -scratch that. What would it be regressing to? Even the earliest videogames were all about interaction, no matter how simple. This is just a constant series of prompts inserted into a extremely weak and hackneyed movie - one up from pressing the fast forward/rewind button during a dvd. How full of self loathing must David Cage be for his role of game designer; how contemptuous must he be for the medium of games to have included in the menu screen of his last game, Fahrenheit - "Start new Movie". this is Very, very patronizing to games as an entertainment medium. " My game is so sophisticated, it could almost be a movie!".

  • Goodfella #32 1 year ago

    Jesus, lighten up dude!

  • _LarZen_ #33 1 year ago

    For me personaly Heavy Rain and Alan Wake is the bigest suprices and best games of 2010.

  • makeamazing #34 1 year ago

    I agree with Goodfella, you need to lighten up the_exile, its just a game, a form of entertainment. Some enjoyed it, some didn't, I know two people who hated it, but that being said, they never had children, and i think in my case it resonated more with me because of that.

    But at the end of the day, its just a game, and people have different tastes, if you didnt like it, i am sure there is some other game or genre that will suit your needs, but I personally dont see anything wrong with David Cage as a designer.
    Edited by makeamazing at 25/12/10 @ 17:31

  • CloudXIV #35 1 year ago

    Technically the game is really good (some awkward facial animations aside) and all the details are fine, but the bigger picture just falls apart miserably. Plot holes, inconsistency, cheap storytelling tricks that feel almost as if the story is cheating (especially the fight with the origami killer, people who played the game know what I'm talking about). It had tons of potential, but IMO ultimately failed pretty bad.

  • dwalker109 #36 1 year ago

    It was very impressive, but there are story problems. Still, I agree that this is one which will stay with me for some time.

  • soviet_ #37 1 year ago

    Played it once, was pretty good until the "surprise" reveal. Put back in its case in disgust never to be played again because the ending was so poor there's no point

  • MadSnip #38 1 year ago

    A good 'cant put my controller down' game. But not an excellent game I'd want to play many times over. Finished it in one weekend, a weekend well spent.

  • captain-future #39 1 year ago

    good read, I've choose HR as one of my fav games this year also. but mainly because I really like games with multiple endings and because of the "twist" at the end of the game.

  • coolbritannia #40 1 year ago

    Jesus, lighten up dude!

    Well, it is his birthday.

  • Tallon4 #41 1 year ago

    It had it flaws....but it's a game that haunted me, long after I finished it.
    Great game.

  • natashaspice #42 1 year ago

    the only plot i can remember that fell apart horribly in this is when shelby went in gun blazing it didnt suit the game for some reason. even how he turned out in the end kinda had me confused. but apart from that its a good game, will keep you coming back to see how it actual ends.
    Edited by natashaspice at 25/12/10 @ 23:01

  • Bombonera #43 1 year ago

    I absolutely loved Heavy Rain, to the extent that it's the only PS3 game I have a Platinum Trophy on, despite owning the console since it launched. The game deserved to be a lot more successful than it was, in my opinion.

  • SeesThroughAll #44 1 year ago

    It sounds like a nice game to get when it is released as platinum. Very interesting, but due to limited replay ability, not worth full price IMHO.

  • Mashum #45 1 year ago

    It's nice to see people enjoyed it - I felt that the game part was bit too prescribed and the story/acting/dialogue was quite bad so I didn't bother replaying it when my savegame corrupted halfway though.

    The music was very good though, how come that doesn't get a mention?

  • JensonJet #46 1 year ago

    I accept people love that this game is 'designed' differently to most. I fully appreciate that the graphics are very, very good. But... this is by far one of the worst games I've ever played. It's dull beyond belief. It's story (as far as I could manage before hatred had me give up) was boring. And the 'gameplay' was completely unengaging. It felt like you were watching a very poor Hollywood movie, but was only able to continue watching by occasionally pressing a button.

    Come on, it's the only game that will ever exist that asks you to open a car door, put a seat belt on and start the engine (all via prompts of course), and then the part that the games industry has spawned hundreds of games... the driving... is a cutscene!!! What a joke. Absolutely horrendous. If you want a good story, read a book, watch a decent movie, go to the theatre!

  • Killerbee #47 1 year ago

    My personal GOTY.

    It wasn't perfect, but for all the reasons stated in this article and EG's original review, this is the one game I'll remember most from 2010.

    And having got a Move for Christmas, I'm very tempted to give it a second run through...

  • Max_Powers #48 1 year ago

    "Rich, personal masterpiece" (from the article)

    Oh come on, this game was a piece of mundane shit. Poor pacing, poor writing, poor interaction and all the nuance of a primary school play. It never ceases to amaze me that there a people out there who really think so highly of these extremely poorly told 'games' like Heavy Rain or any JRPG. Do you ever read a book or watch a movie for that matter? Even the fucking A-team is a narrative marvel compared to Heavy Rain.

    1997's Blade Runner game already did what David Cage so utterly failed at with Heavy Rain and did it so much better. 13 years ago! Or, for a more contempary example mixing gaming with story exposition in a well done manner, why not try Uncharted 2 or Red Dead Redemption? As stated earlier in these comments, Heavy Rain is a disgrace to gaming as a medium

    Oh and the sixteenth chapel is a master piece, or Da Vinci's David. Please ease up on the hyperbole.
    Edited by Max_Powers at 26/12/10 @ 16:32

  • zeldasdad #49 1 year ago

    i think this game deserves credit for its originality and ambition, although not perfect by any means its sets a mark for the future and did make me genuinely attach to the characters and want to finish the game

  • aphexstwin #50 1 year ago

    do you actually ENABLE your fucking spambot eurogamer?

    just asking.

  • xentar #51 1 year ago

    this year was the year to own PlayStation3. As was last year with Uncharted 2 :) Heavy Rain is in my top three. It was emotional for me and for any gamer with kids it offered much more than to teenagers, that is for sure. I love the game and i even liked the controls. They were awkward on purpose in many cases, lik carrying the grocery or climbing up the hill....

    The storytelling had its flaws and at one moment the game made me very mad and left me in disbelief... any other game achieved that in my 20 years of gaming.


    As for the other two, it is easy. God of War 3 and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood for obvious reasons. ANd then there is Gran Turismo 5 and Sports Champions with its Table Tennis.

  • DoctorFouad #52 1 year ago

    with Heavy rain and Fahrenheit I spent one of my finest and greatest moments in gaming ! very cinematic, innovative and and story-driven games, which is very rare in our industry ! Thanks David Cage and all your great team !

    Imagine heavy rain with the technology of face animations of the new bredan mcnamra game ? wow, i am waiting your next game David Cage !

  • Murton #53 1 year ago

    Not only the most memorable gaming experience of the year but quite possibly the decade. Never before have I felt so attached to my in-game characters.

    The article described perfectly the way that the control system draws the player's attention and thought to things that might otherwise be overlooked and helps them to identify with the character but no mention of the soundtrack? For me the soundtrack was the linchpin in the whole game, the music sets the pace and the mood of the player and puts them in an emotional state similar to that of the character that is in play at that time, again strengthening that bond.

    I personally enjoyed Heavy Rain far more than any of this year's numerous shooter titles and would love to see Cage and his team create another similar title in the not too distant future.

  • Soton4084 #54 1 year ago

    I loved Heavy Rain. Like Farenheit which came before it, it is not perfect, but noone can deny its originality. The soundtrack was superb and I actually liked the twist at the end, despite its implementation being a bit flawed. Easily a GOTY contender in my opinion.

  • UncleLou #55 1 year ago

    Great game and a unique experience, for all its faults, and I hope David Cage continues to follow this path. Obviously not for everyone, but then it's pretty easy to steer clear, so I really don't get the bile this attracts.

    /shrug

  • darkmorgado #56 1 year ago

    Oh and the sixteenth chapel is a master piece, or Da Vinci's David. Please ease up on the hyperbole.

    I think you mean the Cistine Chapel.

  • JensonJet #57 1 year ago

    Totally agree Max Powers.

    In fact I can't believe anyone actually enjoyed this game. As you put it the A-team movie is superior in every way to this... and you don't have to have to continually press a button to see how much worse the movie's going to get.

    Completely agree, Heavy Rain is a disgrace, and an embarrassement to the concept of videogaming. If it were a decent idea it would have spawned a whole genre... and last time I checked most videogames continual to follow the basic principal of 'interaction'. The makers of this game need to find another vocation... they're no more suited to gaming than Patcher is to predicting the future!

    PS. I prefer the fifteenth chapel
    Edited by JensonJet at 30/12/10 @ 11:23