November 2016 Community Playthrough - Heavy Rain (GAME #100)

[singlebanana]

I hate to admit it, but I finally started the game last night. My intent was to start earlier this week, but when I put my disc in the other night, I was treated to 3+ hours of updates on this game.........YAH! Modern gaming!  Anyway, I started it last night and yeah......I played up through Chapter 20.......needless to say, I'm dragging a little at work.

Pam, since you were so kind as to post your thoughts on the first checkpoint, I want to start off by addressing some of your comments.  I didn't find the opening chapter mundane at all. Now, I have to admit that I haven't played a lot of modern titles and other than Indigo Prophecy, none that primarily feature QTEs (SPACE MARINESSSSSSSSSS!!!....sorry bad flashback).  I think like many games, it does well in helping a newer player to this genre understand the mechanics and I think it also helps to develop the characters and provide you with some emotional attachment. Especially if you go outside and play with the kids.  This brings me to my next point.

The wife and I were very excited about sitting down and playing this game together. As I have spoken about on the podcast, we constantly get sucked into these murder mystery shows on TV like 48 Hours and Dateline, and we love series like The Killing and Broad Church.  However, when I started playing this and the mall scene ended, my wife turned to me and said, "I just can't watch this...."  I'm only speaking for myself, but I think playing a game like this is hard for a parent.  I had a similar instance a few years ago where we were at a cookout at a park and my daughter ran off with one of her friends and didn't tell us where she was going.  That moment of not knowing where she was, freaking out, getting friends to help us search, and running through a park with a few hundred people was probably the worst day of my life. Bad things run through your head and there is no bigger feeling of failure as a parent. I think that even though we didn't say it, this moment in the game brought that memory to the surface. Such is the power of games sometimes and as a result, my wife had to tap out.

While I agree that the prologue is filled with a good deal of mundane activities, I think it does a great job of quickly attaching you to this everyday family. In contrast, after the event, the depression and downfall of the family hits much harder.

Though I'm getting use to it, I'm not a fan of R2 to walk.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to me considering that most games just simply use the thumb stick. Not really sure why they felt the need to add an extra step, but it's only a minor gripe and I'm getting use to it fairly quickly.  Movement can be tricky sometimes and it gets where it switches in and out of frame and you find yourself going back and forth. Super annoying, but again, another small gripe (nowhere as bad as Shadow of Destiny) and something I have grown quite accustomed to in gaming.

Yeah..........Jason is quite the dumb and disobedient kid.  It irritates me when I see kids like this out in public and parents who don't.........okay.......that's a conversation for another time.

This is my first time playing the game and yeah, I'm already hooked.  I like the four fragmented stories and I think that having them keeps the game more interesting in terms of Chapter play.  You know that at some point they are going to come together towards a big climax and that's really motivating as a player.  The detective is probably my favorite character; he seems very brutish, but extremely compassionate. I want to know more of his backstory and have an inkling that he is tied to one of the victims. My least favorite character has to be the FBI agent. Not sure what all of this new high tech gear is about, but honestly, I think it's kind of lame and doesn't really jive with the rest of the game's atmosphere....if that makes sense.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this playthrough so far and I'm sure I'll probably knock this game out pretty quick.  It's like getting hooked on a Netflix series.  I want to mention that when I originally outlined the weekly playthrough of this game, I did some research (I was super careful to avoid spoilers and am NOT using a walkthrough) and saw that it was broken up into Chapters.  However, I did not realize that these "Chapters" are not identifiable in the game, but are pretty much broken down by fans and used as walkthrough material.  As a result, I'm adding a brief description as I get to the end of each one so that everyone has a better idea of where to stop discussing the game.  

Thank you for the awesome comments Pam and I hope that more of you will give us your thoughts on the game. Thanks for playing!  

[singlebanana]

I finished the game last night. Wow, what a ride! I will be keeping my discussion of the game to the checkpoints as to not spoil anything for first timers. All checkpoints are now up in the initial post.

[noiseredux]

I played this years ago and adored it. Think I may finally run through again...

[MetalFRO]

Finished the first checkpoint. I forget why Madison is a character in this game other than to run around in her underwear and be a love interest. It's strange that she was introduced so late, she (so far) doesn't seem to really have a stake in the story.

The interesting thing is, her shower scene was one of the things that got people talking about the game, buy why did no one mention the fact that, within 5 minutes of booting up the game, you had the character you control doing the same thing?  I was surprised by that, especially so early on.  Interesting that it never gets mentioned...

In any event, I played through to the 3rd checkpoint last night, over the course of the last few days, and holy cow, I'm loving this game.  I agree with you, banana, that the mundane tasks sort of flow as part of the overall game experience, and helps to draw you into the game's universe.  I was also surprised by how much I care about the characters in the game, much the way I do with a TV series or movie that is well written.  Not all the dialog and voice acting is to notch, because, let's be honest - the guy that voices Ethan could use a little work on his delivery.  But couple what is well done with the interactivity, and the story really comes alive.  The whole "murder mystery" vibe works pretty well, and I'm excited to see it through to its conclusion.  It's not a long game, but it's been an engaging one!

Did anyone else have the problem where you're unable to shower at the beginning of the game, because the action isn't available, no matter what you do?  It's a weird bug in the game, and it even affects the Director's Cut version I have, so it's odd they didn't fix that before the re-print.

EDIT:

However, when I started playing this and the mall scene ended, my wife turned to me and said, "I just can't watch this...."  I'm only speaking for myself, but I think playing a game like this is hard for a parent.  I had a similar instance a few years ago where we were at a cookout at a park and my daughter ran off with one of her friends and didn't tell us where she was going.  That moment of not knowing where she was, freaking out, getting friends to help us search, and running through a park with a few hundred people was probably the worst day of my life. Bad things run through your head and there is no bigger feeling of failure as a parent. I think that even though we didn't say it, this moment in the game brought that memory to the surface. Such is the power of games sometimes and as a result, my wife had to tap out.

I had similar feelings about incidents with some of the foster kids we've had over the years.  The game's design, the music selection, and the overall presentation really add to the tension and help simulate the sense of dread and panic pretty well.  I was genuinely concerned during that scene, so I think the game definitely nails that scenario.

Though I'm getting use to it, I'm not a fan of R2 to walk.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to me considering that most games just simply use the thumb stick. Not really sure why they felt the need to add an extra step, but it's only a minor gripe and I'm getting use to it fairly quickly.  Movement can be tricky sometimes and it gets where it switches in and out of frame and you find yourself going back and forth. Super annoying, but again, another small gripe (nowhere as bad as Shadow of Destiny) and something I have grown quite accustomed to in gaming.

I'm wondering if the R2 to walk thing is because the game was designed to be PS Move compatible.  It would make more sense, I suppose.  As you say, though, it takes a lot of getting used to.  During scenes where you're supposed to move quickly or they feel like time is short, it can be a major headache.

Yeah..........Jason is quite the dumb and disobedient kid.  It irritates me when I see kids like this out in public and parents who don't.........okay.......that's a conversation for another time.

Word.

[GrayGhost81]

I was very excited to play this game again. I had no idea it was so long ago, but my original save is from April 2010! It's awesome to see everyone enjoying this experience, for the most part.

I wasn't expecting this game to age well. Some of the more dramatic moments fell flat even six years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to be affected by many of the scenes to this day, even though I knew what was coming the whole time and even though I was doing a "challenge" run.

But I still probably would never fail on purpose.

Yeah...about that. Back in 2010 I played the game sincerely as best as I could, meaning I didn't want to fail anything, not even letting those snot-nosed punks beat me in the sword fight in the beginning of the game. Despite my best efforts, a secondary character was killed and I was very upset about it. Other than that, I got an a amalgamation of "good" endings (I'm sure we'll talk more about the way the endings work when we get there).

I always have a really hard time either being the evil character in a game or failing on purpose. However, during this playthrough I was determined to have completely different experience from the one back in 2010. Pretty early on I started thinking "I wonder what happens if you _______" at almost every scenario. I wanted to f*ck with the game more than I actually wanted to play it.

I also wanted to see if I could kill all four main characters.

I'll stop right there so as to not spoil anything. To touch on some of the points others have made, I love the mundanity of the opening scene as without it, the clash between the Mars' idyllic existence as a complete family and Ethan's down and out life which we flash forward to, would not be as easy to appreciate.

I actually like ARI a lot, even though Naaaahman Jayd'n is one of my least favorite characters (I liked Ethan even less as a character but his downward spiral was more interesting). ARI added some interesting and unexpected game play elements. Where Rich thought it detracted from the aesthetic of the game, I think ARI enhanced it, especially considering one of the major themes of the game is each character's grip (or lack thereof) on reality.

[singlebanana]

I actually like ARI a lot, even though Naaaahman Jayd'n is one of my least favorite characters (I liked Ethan even less as a character but his downward spiral was more interesting). ARI added some interesting and unexpected game play elements. Where Rich thought it detracted from the aesthetic of the game, I think ARI enhanced it, especially considering one of the major themes of the game is each character's grip (or lack thereof) on reality.

Yeah, I think that the game has a real "film noir" kind of vibe that makes me think back to the older classic movies. Heck, even a lot of the automobiles, especially Ethan and the detective's, and Scott's trench coat give it that feel.  For me, the ARI technology (one that is not even available now, not to mention when this game was released) fractures my believability and kind of breaks down that wall that makes me feel like I've escaped into this game.  Its presence reminds me that "I am playing a game," which I don't really like. However, I can see the enhancement of the theme that you are talking about with "each character's grip on reality" and how this addition plays into it. I like the "drug" issue presented in that it helps create the agent's flawed character, which is always more attractive in terms of the story. However, I think a more simple addiction (not one to technology) would have been a better fit.  Just my thoughts, but I really appreciate you presenting another side to it.

@MetalFRO - I guess I kind of get where you are going with your thoughts on the nudity in this game, but seeing Ethan's posterior compared to Madison's breasts is a bit apples to oranges IMO.  What's often dubbed the "male lens" is a term coined to describe the male aesthetic presented in film; in this case a game that is for all intensive purposes, an interactive film.  The problem that I think that some have with this is the presentation of the characters. Sure there is a shower scene with the male character at the beginning, but the area shown is IMO and I think for many others, less "private" and sexually distinctive than his female counterpart.  While men don't have a concern with exposure up top, to many women, exposing this area is taboo. I don't want to speak for how women feel or think of course, as I clearly have no common experience or right, but I'm just recalling some of the literature on the male lens I have read in terms of how much more overexposed women are in film than men to make a point.

Also, I just wanted to say that I am really glad that you are playing this game and had some of the same sort of feelings that I did in terms of the opening scene and the peril of the children.  Though I really enjoyed this game, it was very tough for me in parts and made me reflect on what lengths I would go to in terms of saving my kids.  Pretty powerful stuff!

[Pam]

So I said I wouldn't fail on purpose, but I did lose the swordfight to Jason at the beginning because I wanted to give him a happy day because I knew what was coming.

GrayGhost, I'm very interested in hearing what happens when you do fail on purpose. This time around during the driving sequence I failed a lot (not on purpose, just bad timing) and I don't think anything different happened. There are clearly places where the main characters cannot die (I assume most places or else the story would stall out).

I really enjoy the intensity of Ethan's scenes when he starts getting the challenges. It's not so strong this time around but I remember when I first played, driving down the wrong side of the highway was exhilarating. The one in the power factory didn't require as many twitch reactions, but I enjoyed the difficulty of holding down all those buttons at once to get through the power lines. Even though I find most of the game suffers from a lack of consequences, doing these scenes still make me super anxious.

I don't mind Norman as a character and ARI doesn't bother me. However, Norman's cop partner is a bit much. I end up rolling my eyes at how over the top he is in every single scene he's in. Madison is still my least favourite character because, again, I don't understand why she's in the game. I'm more than halfway through and she is the only playable character who has no real stake in the story. She really seems like she's just there to patch up Ethan, appear in various states of undress and

Spoiler (hover to show)

give a reason to put an awkward, Barbies having their heads mashed together, interactive sex scene later on.

One thing that keeps going through my head - who the hell hired Scott? PIs don't work for free.

[singlebanana]

One thing that keeps going through my head - who the hell hired Scott? PIs don't work for free.

Yeah, I kept thinking the same thing. Scott has some sort of connection to this whole thing aside from wanting to be helpful.  He keeps saying that he has experienced the same sort of loss, so I think that he is somehow tied to one of the multiple victims.  This would explain why he isn't being paid.

I want to look over a walkthrough and give a better analysis for up to the second checkpoint. I want to review the chapters to make sure I don't discuss anything that happens for weeks 3-4. 

[singlebanana]

CHECKPOINT #2 THOUGHTS

In Chapters 14-26, things seem to liven up a bit when Ethan discovers the intention of the Origami Killer (i.e. How far will you go to save your son?)  There are five challenges that Ethan must face and here we encounter the first two.  I was able to make it safely through the first challenge, but the second proved to be difficult, as I chose a poor path through the electrical field and got my fingers crossed up in holding down buttons. I eventually failed the 2nd challenge, which ended up being my only failure during the entire playthrough (no spoilers, so more to come next week).  The idea of self-inflicted torture is unsettling and I can't help but to think that Ethan and the other parents of missing children have some connection to the Origami Killer and have possibly wronged him in some way. As a result, they must be punished.  Not sure why Ethan has set up shop at the hotel, since he hasn't been considered a suspect for his child's disappearance yet, but whatever, I guess it may help him in the long run.

Norman has some exciting scenes that are pretty interactive where you are investigating two possible suspects.  I accidentally brained the first guy. The R1 icon showed up on my screen and of course thinking that it was a demanded action and not knowing what it would do, I shot the guy.  I was pretty upset about this as it didn't seem to me that shooting the guy was in Norman's character and I feel that I have betrayed my playthrough.  I'm kind of pissed and wished that the game had warned me of what this action would be; this sucks! I hope that the consequences aren't too severe for this action.  Anyway, I managed to take the second suspect down without incident.

The Scott scene was pretty dramatic and as a new (well 3rd time..) Dad, pretty tough to watch.  Seems Scott is familiar with kids and may have lost one. This further pushes me to believe that he has ties to one of the victims in this case.  He's still my favorite character in the game and I'm hoping to draw out more background on him.  Lauren has worked her way into joining the "team," and I feel like Scott is getting close to her and will have to save her from harm at some point.  Time will tell. 

[noiseredux]

crap I still need to start haha. If I remember correctly it's only like a 6-ish hour game? It's been years since I've played.

[MetalFRO]

@MetalFRO - I guess I kind of get where you are going with your thoughts on the nudity in this game, but seeing Ethan's posterior compared to Madison's breasts is a bit apples to oranges IMO.  What's often dubbed the "male lens" is a term coined to describe the male aesthetic presented in film; in this case a game that is for all intensive purposes, an interactive film.  The problem that I think that some have with this is the presentation of the characters. Sure there is a shower scene with the male character at the beginning, but the area shown is IMO and I think for many others, less "private" and sexually distinctive than his female counterpart.  While men don't have a concern with exposure up top, to many women, exposing this area is taboo. I don't want to speak for how women feel or think of course, as I clearly have no common experience or right, but I'm just recalling some of the literature on the male lens I have read in terms of how much more overexposed women are in film than men to make a point.

Also, I just wanted to say that I am really glad that you are playing this game and had some of the same sort of feelings that I did in terms of the opening scene and the peril of the children.  Though I really enjoyed this game, it was very tough for me in parts and made me reflect on what lengths I would go to in terms of saving my kids.  Pretty powerful stuff!

I can see your point.  I just think it's weird that NO ONE mentioned it when the game came out, and while female nudity has been common in cinema for a long time, male nudity has been far less so, and again, female nudity has crept into video games over the last decade or so, but until more recently, male nudity in games hasn't been much of a thing.  So to me, it's a big deal, because it's breaking the mold in that way, plus it's something you can literally see within the first five minutes of game play.  Either way, it's an interesting situation.

One thing that keeps going through my head - who the hell hired Scott? PIs don't work for free.

Yes, an excellent question!

In any event, I'm well into checkpoint #3 territory as of my last play, so I'm hoping to finish the game either this evening, or tomorrow.  I'm really anxious to see how it all wraps up!

[GrayGhost81]

GrayGhost, I'm very interested in hearing what happens when you do fail on purpose.

It's not as much fun as I was hoping. During some of the major sequences like driving down the wrong side of the highway, or chasing down the second suspect, I put the controller down and did nothing. The failure that resulted meant I missed a lot of content. Ethan's car runs off the road. Norman loses the suspect.

My favorite "failure" was at the finger cutting scene. After the cut scene played, I walked straight to the door and the option popped up to leave. I left and laughed my ass off for a few minutes.

A few other times I wasn't so successful. If you try to make Madison give Ethan the sleeping pills while she is mending him, she has an interior monologue along the lines of "what am I thinking?" and won't do it. That was kind of disappointing. Don't give me that choice and then block me from making it.

[noiseredux]

super interesting GrayGhost. I always play games as super-duper-good-guy. So hearing what could have happened is neat.

[Fleach]

Wow, so many great comments to catch up on!

This is my second time playing through the game so I took a slightly different approach. During my first time I played as best I could trying to keep all my characters alive, but I did lose one. I kind of took the story at face value and didn't really dig too keep into getting to know my characters (I have a son to save, there's no time to learn someone's history). Basically, Ethan's sense of urgency really got to me.

This time around the intro scenes at home felt more mundane but that's because I knew what was coming.

I'm going to get back to reading all the comments and continue talking about this game with you guys.

[Pam]

I finished the game today. I'll leave most of my comments until after the last checkpoint, but I changed the way I played based on what GrayGhost had to say and I manged to get two characters killed in the checkpoint 3 chapters and as a result the rest of the game went by a lot faster.