5. More Control
Games these days (and I don’t mean to speak broadly because not all of them are like this) ask you to follow a pre-ordained character with already chosen characteristics through a two-dimensional storyline that sometimes only has one ending. It’s all very linear. You aren’t given the opportunity to change the path of your protagonists by making different actions that alter the end result, you merely sit through whatever it is the game has to offer you when all is said and done as though you are a helpless spectator watching a game of football.
Heavy Rain wasn’t like that. Take for example the case of Norman Jaydon, one of the four protagonists in the game. I think it is safe to avoid putting up spoiler alerts given the age of the game, but I will anyway. *Spoiler Alert*
There, still here? Good. Norman Jayden is an FBI profiler first and a drug addict second, hooked on the seemingly powerful and absolutely fictitious triptocaine. Instead of sitting through his decline and watching him hit rock bottom, the gamer is actually provided with the option to alter his destiny by resisting his urge to inhale the triptocaine through a series of prompts (and a bit of button mashing) on the D-pad.
There’s absolutely more control in games like Heavy Rain and more games should follow suit in that department.
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7 Comments
walkiing dead was more like heavy rain than LA noire. i love heavy rain but walking dead was even better
Never played Walking Dead, will have to look out for that!
JASON !! JAAAAAAASON !!!
To be fair, what are the chances that a game like The Walking Dead could have been released if it weren’t for Heavy Rain taking the risk first and trailblazing?
I felt for Connor in AC3. It seemed his journey was real because there was no happy ending. Even at the end of it all, his people are ‘relocated’ by the same people he was fighting for.
I thought Heavy Rain was a great game because of many of the reasons on this list. I appreciated the time and effort the makers put into the story and game mechanics to really get us involved. The only thing I didn’t like was the use of quicktime. No matter what, I will never be a fan of this particular gaming mechanic.
I agree 100% and love these these of games. Heavy rain wasn’t the first to use these techniques it was Fahrenheit which is a pretty good game despite the flawed ending. Heavy rain made me want a ps3 soo bad and I unfortunately made a mistake of watching a youtube review that revealed the killer :/ For me, I play a game because I’m either interested in the storyline or the concept and this game has both. I hope that there will be many more games like these to come because they are actually refreshing to play.