He's a man accustomed to carrying a heavy load with a visage of grim indifference. Let your gaze drift to his worn face during this scene, and it's evident that asthma probably isn't the only thing that has weighed on him for a long time. Asthma is usually diagnosed in children, and Shelby's in middle age, so this is probably a burden he's carried since he was a kid. With Shelby in the drugstore, the controller-aided close-up made me think about the inhaler. Cage uses controller prompts like a cinematographer uses close-ups, to highlight details that the audience might otherwise pass over. The real artistry is that these bits of nominal input compel players to pause and observe the act at hand. Superficial kineticism is not the point of these interactions. Playing as Shelby, you use some basic controller moves to make him grab the inhaler, but it's not like I felt that much more connected to the man's soul because I pushed a few buttons on the controller and he moved his arm. There is precious insight to be gained in seemingly banal moments, like the one at the drugstore where retired cop Scott Shelby picks up an asthma inhaler from the back shelf. It's technology that would help bring established stars Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe to life in Beyond, a game that shares the same wild ambition as its predecessor. Quantic Dream followed up Heavy Rain with a tech demo dubbed Kara in 2012, showcasing their new motion capture techniques developed by the studio. All those little beats of decision and forced input come together as pencil strokes in the game's sketch of four remarkably full-bodied characters. The game honestly believes this is a worthwhile use of your time.Īnd in the end, it is, which is Cage's triumph. It asks players to apply photojournalist Madison Paige's mascara by lovingly, oh-so-gently maneuvering the left analog, and it does so without irony. Heavy Rain makes for an easy punchline because it's so devoid of guile.
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(Totally worth it, though, because at least we got a funny parody Flash game - now seemingly offline - and YouTube music video out of the deal.) Likewise, the infamous mall scene where Ethan loses track of his son Jason, world's stupidest kid, is no gem of modern drama.
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As I wiggled the PS3 controller back and forth to brush Ethan Mars' teeth, it's not like I stroked my chin and mused, "Ah, what a stirring comment on the mundanity of human existence." No, I thought, "I bet I look as stupid as I feel right now." You want dreary? Oh, this game brings the dreary.īefore things get too serious, let's all admit this much: The game can be pretty silly. As I consider what I want to remember from gaming in 2010, I'm more compelled by the down-to-earth earnestness of Heavy Rain than the whole stinking pile of Move/Kinect/3D tech fetishism. Trying to tell an interesting story on a relatable scale isn't exactly a novel ambition, but novelty is overrated. It's about asking players to connect with ordinary characters in a lasting way. It isn't about revolutionizing the form or maximising technical capabilities (Sony's delusional "Only possible on PlayStation!" bluster notwithstanding). The prosaic scenes of suburban family life are a pointed opening statement of Heavy Rain's aims. Talk about adjusting players' expectations. Given that build-up, it took a brass pair for David Cage to begin his game this way: A dude wakes up, brushes his teeth, maybe takes a couple slugs of orange juice, and waits for his kids to come home. Hyped by years of teaser trailers and credulous preview articles, the game was pitched as a revolutionary vision before it was even released.
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