Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Heavy Rain


Intense. That is the best word to describe this game. The tightly woven serial killler whodunit keeps you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end. Well almost from the beginning to the end; the prologue is boring and probably should be shorter. Throughout the game, you control four different characters who are racing against time to save a child from the Origami Killer.

The entire game is made up of quick time events (QTEs) that require some combination of button pressing (indicated by onscreen prompts) to progress through the story. I will be honest: the controls are garbage. Walking around was better in Resident Evil on the PS1. Luckily, the game is more about the story, and how decisions you make affect the story, than tight controls.

Each chapter of the story seems to intensify the overall experience. Your characters are always in danger, and you can never shake the feeling that if you make a wrong choice your character will die. Actually, you can get all the characters killed and still complete the game (you just get the worst ending). In fact, the trophies require several playthroughs to obtain the platinum, often with you making the exact opposite decision than before.

This game is not for children (who would find it either terrifying or boring), but any fan of crime drama should give this title a try.

Tale of the Tape
Cost: $60 CDN
Length: This will provide at least 10 hours of bone-chilling suspense, probably more. 
Is it worth it?: For a mere $6 per hour you get a very unique and interesting gaming experience. The game is a landmark for a new sub-genre in the industry. But if episodes of Law & Order: SVU make you squeamish, let this one pass on by. 



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