10 Times Video Game Button Prompts Got WEIRD
6. 'Jason!' - Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is an extremely dark game, as far from popular genres like first person shooters and beat 'em ups as you can get. In the game, you play one of four characters hunting for the Origami Killer, a murderer who takes advantage of torrential rains to drown his victims. The game was a massive success both commercially and critically.
But the 'Jason' bit...
At one point in the game, you're searching for your lost son, Jason, in a crowded mall. As you walk through the busy corridors and shops, you frequently receive a floating button prompt that simply reads 'Jason!'. Triggering the action will make your character, Ethan, yell out for his son.
It makes sense on a certain level. Any parent who has ever lost a child, even temporarily, will recognize the panicky urge to take action and let your child know, if they're within earshot, where you are.
Unfortunately, Heavy Rain takes the concept so over the top that it becomes a parody of itself. Hearing Ethan call 'Jason!' with only a few different inflections so often quickly sucks the emotion from the act.
Heavy Rain is full of button presses that further the story, but this one would have benefitted from the idea of less being more.