Heavy Rain was a game that divided players and critics. To many it was too lacking in the gameplay department to be considered a great game, while others consider Heavy Rain to be a cinematic accomplishment that is the closest anyone has come to making a playable movie. Set in an eternally dreary city with a remarkable resemblance to Philadelphia, Heavy Rain takes as many cues from the cinematic greats as it does from other video games. Influenced by the works of M. Night Shyamalan and David Fincher, Heavy Rain's story and setting was memorable, moving, and totally unforgettable. Heavy Rain's greatest strength was in how the game would proceed regardless of the player's actions. For example, if Madison were murdered by a psychopath, that's it, she's dead forever. Director David Cage even stated that he hoped people would only play through the game once, without any reloads, because "that's life".
