10 Things You Didn't Know About Heavy Rain
9. The Unnamed City Is Based Heavily On Philadelphia
Much like the aforementioned Se7en, Heavy Rain takes place in a city that goes unnamed throughout the story. Se7en, of course, is set in Gotham City according to us. Cage opted not to identify the city as it would feel more universal to its audience, but also to accentuate the feeling that its protagonists are all lost in one way or another. Upon finding out that M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense were shot in Philadelphia, he opted to scout the city for further inspiration.
Cage, admitting himself to having little experience of American cities outside of New York and Los Angeles, was taken aback by his experience in Philadelphia. He and his crew saw poverty, violence and despair first-hand, and immediately knew that it was the perfect inspiration for the game's setting. Residents of Philly were especially impressed by the designers' attention to detail, from the smoke-belching industrial skylines right down to the architecture and street signs.
On the other hand, of course, the game could well be set in Gotham city, and we've all missed the secret ending in which Batman interrupts the protagonists' intrepid detective work and hangs the Origami Killer from a gargoyle.