Heavy Rain

[Llyranor]

The concept of Heavy Rain as a game is fine - it's one game, not an industry revolution; and the medium certainly could use more experimentation when it comes to interactive storytelling. The issue with this game specifically is that it somehow thinks QTE's are a good way of conveying interactivity, and David freaking 'I made a game worse than Too Human' Cage had a hand in it.

 

This cutscene was when I decided to not support David Cage as a game 'director' anymore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnV6kN-bxI

[Maria Caliban]

There's a reason they removed combat from the latest Silent Hill game.

 

Hint: It sucked.

 

I thought the combat in Silent Hill 2 was well done. Silent Hill 3 gave you a katana and I beat the last fight by firing my pistol at it a dozen times. I don't remember Silent Hill 4's combat, other than that nothing stayed dead and the camera was horrible.

[Nick_i_am]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnV6kN-bxI

 

OH GOD IT'S SO BORING WHY AM I WATCHING IT?! DIE DAVID CAGE DIE!

[I want teh kotor 3]

Perhaps I just don't "get" Heavy Rain, but to me, its not a game. Its just a choose-your-own-adventure novel with pressing-

X-to-not-die, like a Bio game with no combat. Except that Bio makes good games.

[Calax]

Perhaps I just don't "get" Heavy Rain, but to me, its not a game. Its just a choose-your-own-adventure novel with pressing-

X-to-not-die, like a Bio game with no combat. Except that Bio makes good games.

It is a game in a loose definition of the term. All games require interactivity, and this requires it quite a bit in order for it to actually go anywhere.

[Maria Caliban]

It is a game in a loose definition of the term. All games require interactivity, and this requires it quite a bit in order for it to actually go anywhere.

 

All games require more than interactivity, but it takes more than interactivity to make a game.

[Humanoid]

I was hoping for another tie-in with a new David Bowie album, but alas.

[GreasyDogMeat]

It's a choose your own adventure book with pretty visuals.

I was getting fairly jealous of PS3 owners, but the more I watched of preview vids the more it looked like one long stream of quick-time events. I hated them enough in Resident Evil 4, I can't imagine going through a whole game of it.

[I want teh kotor 3]

Perhaps I just don't "get" Heavy Rain, but to me, its not a game. Its just a choose-your-own-adventure novel with pressing-

X-to-not-die, like a Bio game with no combat. Except that Bio makes good games.

It is a game in a loose definition of the term. All games require interactivity, and this requires it quite a bit in order for it to actually go anywhere.

 

Yes, but when the vast majority of the interaction occurs as a QTE, the interactivity becomes negligible. It does, as you said, fit the "loose definition" of a game... But HR to me seems like an attempt to fully fuse movies and games, but that ends up missing the best of both worlds: the excitement of games and the director-defined experience of movies.

[Nepenthe]

It's a choose your own adventure book with pretty visuals.

I was getting fairly jealous of PS3 owners, but the more I watched of preview vids the more it looked like one long stream of quick-time events. I hated them enough in Resident Evil 4, I can't imagine going through a whole game of it.

 

Shrug, I was of the same opinion based on the preview movies, but then I tried the demo out on a whim and decided to go with it. The reason I like it is probably precisely why you're saying "it's not a game", ie. it's different. I wouldn't be buying much games if they were all like Heavy Rain, but I happily bought and played the one.

 

Edit: very few of the button controls are actually on timer. So you might need to move the controller, or hold down certain buttons in order, but it didn't feel like too many of those were timed.

Edited March 3, 2010 by Nepenthe

[Calax]

Perhaps I just don't "get" Heavy Rain, but to me, its not a game. Its just a choose-your-own-adventure novel with pressing-

X-to-not-die, like a Bio game with no combat. Except that Bio makes good games.

It is a game in a loose definition of the term. All games require interactivity, and this requires it quite a bit in order for it to actually go anywhere.

 

Yes, but when the vast majority of the interaction occurs as a QTE, the interactivity becomes negligible. It does, as you said, fit the "loose definition" of a game... But HR to me seems like an attempt to fully fuse movies and games, but that ends up missing the best of both worlds: the excitement of games and the director-defined experience of movies.

Except it's not JUST quick time events. It's also character interaction, the decision on what action to take (do you talk the psycho down? or do you talk him up into going nuts and killing people so you can take a shot?) effects how the story plays out.

[Nightshape]

Nightshape, what? Excellent something excellent? Try coherent sentences

 

No, I think you understood what I was saying. Excellent... Excellent... Something.

[Purkake]

Nightshape, what? Excellent something excellent? Try coherent sentences

 

No, I think you understood what I was saying. Excellent... Excellent... Something.

Interesting, maybe you aren't that bad after all...

[Purkake]

There's a reason they removed combat from the latest Silent Hill game.

 

Hint: It sucked.

 

I thought the combat in Silent Hill 2 was well done. Silent Hill 3 gave you a katana and I beat the last fight by firing my pistol at it a dozen times. I don't remember Silent Hill 4's combat, other than that nothing stayed dead and the camera was horrible.

It was functional, but a lot of the combat stuff was just filler to stretch out the game. I'd rather have one awesome fight than bash 20 creepy nurses while going to my next destination.

 

Maybe you guys are approaching this the wrong way. Don't think of Heavy Rain as a "game", think of it as a completely new thing, like an interactive movie. It just happens to share the platform with a bunch of video games.

 

Judge it on its own merits, not based on your preconception of a "video game".

Edited March 3, 2010 by Purkake

[Llyranor]

In which case its merits as a film (interactive or whatever) would then come into question.

 

Please dad, can I have one? I would really love to have one. Please dad, come on.

[Purkake]

NO!

 

It's a totally new category, you compare it to nothing.

[Nepenthe]

There's a reason they removed combat from the latest Silent Hill game.

 

Hint: It sucked.

 

I thought the combat in Silent Hill 2 was well done. Silent Hill 3 gave you a katana and I beat the last fight by firing my pistol at it a dozen times. I don't remember Silent Hill 4's combat, other than that nothing stayed dead and the camera was horrible.

It was functional, but a lot of the combat stuff was just filler to stretch out the game. I'd rather have one awesome fight than bash 20 creepy nurses while going to my next destination.

 

Maybe you guys are approaching this the wrong way. Don't think of Heavy Rain as a "game", think of it as a completely new thing, like an interactive movie. It just happens to share the platform with a bunch of video games.

 

Judge it on its own merits, not based on your preconception of a "video game".

 

Am I the only person who remembers the "interactive movies games" of the (early) 90s? Am I that old, or are you guys so witcherwitcherwitcherbg2 you don't remember anything that happened before?

[Purkake]

 

We do NOT speak of those, ever.

 

 

I have no idea what you're referring to.

[Mamoulian War]

Interesting Purkake... Because games like Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight 2 are marked as Interactive Movies

[Purkake]

But they had annoying adventure game puzzles, which really screwed up any real chance at pacing. And everything is done in-engine with no FMVs to break up the tension/action.

 

 

At least GK2 didn't have the cat mustache puzzle, ugh

 

[Calax]

But they had annoying adventure game puzzles, which really screwed up any real chance at pacing. And everything is done in-engine with no FMVs to break up the tension/action.

 

 

At least GK2 didn't have the cat mustache puzzle, ugh

It also didn't have nudity in it.

 

That said, nothing will be "ripper" for "interactive movie" (see: Spoonyexpirament for a view of the ENTIRE game).

[Purkake]

Ah, good old Spoony. His Phantasmagoria 2 LP was better, though.

 

I guess it's kind of the same thing, but this time they're bringing it to the mainstream gamers and from what I've heard it's kind of decent.

[Raithe]

Ah..and I have such fond memories of some of those adventure games with fmv and all that...

 

Who can forget Dennis Hopper in the Black Dahlia game?

[Purkake]

Ripper had Christopher Walken.

[Raithe]

And then of course, WC3 & 4.. and WC Prophecy.. had some interactive fmv sequences in them...

 

Although finding some of the "blooper" reels for them can be amusing.

 

- Maniac stood gazing out of the window.. Blair walks up.. Maniac glances over..double takes.. and stutters "Aren't you like.. that dude from Star Wars??!"