Heavy Rain is the long awaited title brought to us by developer Quantic Dream on the Playstation 3 console. Has the 4 plus year wait been worth it? Well, this past week when it came out we were all able to find out if it was able to live up to the hype. In my eyes, it has delivered on every front that it said it would, and I was extremely pleased with the way it came out.
That being said, what kind of game exactly is Heavy Rain? Well, to quote the game's director David Cage, Heavy Rain can be described as "A very dark film noir thriller with mature themes, and the real message is about how far you're willing to go to save someone you love." That still doesn't describe what type of game it is. There are very few games like this out there. It is a more of a "interactive movie" kind of genre, if one exists. Quantic Dream's previous game Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy) is also in the same category. Many other mainstream games include elements that are used in Heavy Rain, but not solely built around it. It incorporates action, drama, investigation, and many other themes, many of them very adult.
As a matter of fact, I really liked how adult this game was. It is by no means for children, so if you have any make sure they are not home, or in bed when you play this. There is a lot of violence, nudity, drug addiction, & foul language. It's not done in a cheesy sort of way. All of it felt very real, as many of the situations could happen to anybody. (If they were investigating a serial killing case I should add) At no one point did I ever think anything was overdone. It felt like just the right amount of aforementioned topics. I am willing to place money on certain news channels and anti-game enthusiasts will have a field day with this game trying to say that it promotes all these things, but we all know they are just out to make a name for themselves and do not know the product at all.
The story of Heavy Rain is a very good one, and as engrossing as creator David Cage said it would be. The game follows a series of events that unfold surrounding the Origami Killer, a criminal who is wanted for the murder of 8 children. It follows 4 main and playable characters, who are all somehow linked one way or another with the Origami Killer. The 4 characters are all very different, and each one plays out in a different style.
Ethan Mars, an architect, who is married with 2 children. Events suddenly unfold however, and he is soon on his own with his marriage in shambles, and looking to rescue one of his sons who was taken by the killer. Madison Paige is a journalist looking for her next big story, which just happens to be the Origami Killer. She suffers from insomnia and most times when looking to sleep, stays in various motels. Scott Shelby is a retired police officer who is currently a private investigator looking into the Origami Killings by the request of the families involved. Lastly there is Norman Jayden who is a member of the FBI looking into the serial murders. He is also a drug addict. There is also a heavy supporting cast who are all equally as well done as the main characters.
What Heavy Rain sets out to do is craft an engaging story where we care about the decisions that we make, and deal with the consequences of those decisions. I really felt throughout the entirety of Heavy Rain I could probably relate to them if I was in a similar situation. There were times in the game where I was literally sitting in my chair, wondering what choice to make. There really were some tough choices to make for the characters we are controlling. It really succeeds in immersing you in the story. While it is somewhat a short one, it is very powerful. There is one plot hole that I noticed dropped about 3/4's through the game, but it is still a fine story with that one inconsistency.
As far as the voices of the characters go, they are really hit or miss. Some of them are very convincing, while others like almost every child character just sounds unnatural. I really don't know what other way to put it. The kids sounds really weird at times. Other characters at times don't know how to properly pronounce certain words. One that immediately comes to mind is origami. Many characters pronounce it as 'origammy' which sounds terrible. Maybe they did this because different people say things other ways in everyday life. I think it was just looked over though. It could have benefited from a little more voice actor direction. One last thing I noticed is that a lot of the characters have this French-Canadian accent which at times can get annoying for characters that are all supposed to be in the US. With all this nitpicking, it makes it sound like I hated the voice acting, but as a whole I enjoyed it a lot. A lot of the work comes off very convincing and dramatic when it needs to be. The soundtrack is also very well done with a wide variety of music, depending on the given situation. During an intense scene, the music is as equally intense at some points giving you an almost frantic feeling. Other miscellaneous sounds are all good, with nothing sounding too fake or manufactured. The sound as a whole compliments the graphics very nicely.
Let's get this out of the way. Heavy Rain is one beautiful game. Probably one of the best looking that comes to mind in the past few months. All of the characters are very realistic looking with facial animations and body motions that all seem very natural. They seem to put in a good amount of work to the actors making sure there were not jerky movements or anything that looked too out of place. The scenes that the characters are in are equally impressive. A lot of the scenes are almost photo realistic. So much detail was put into everything to make it look as real as possible. Even character animations with items looks very good. Some games just have an item as a static object, whereas this game animates those objects giving the game life.
That being said however, there are some obvious shortcuts with certain things. Character interaction with clothing is still "hidden" in a clever way. I guess there is no real easy way to have a character put clothing on or taking it off without it looking too unnatural. It doesn't hinder the game in any way, just something I noticed. Another glaring problem with the graphics is the constant anti-aliasing. It is very noticeable on HDTV's, while it didn't make me enjoy the game any less, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if things didn't look like the were cut in half whenever the angle suddenly changed. If you're not looking for it, you probably won't notice it. I happen to be a bit of an audio/videophile so I tend to notice these things more than other people might. I know a lot of people that just ignore it completely. How lucky for them. Overall though it is easily one of the best looking games on the market and proves yet again we do not need another game system for many years with graphics like these.
Gameplay is where Heavy Rain becomes hard to describe. As I said earlier, it really is not similar to anything else on the market. You navigate your characters around the scene, and find clues that lead you to the next scene. It doesn't sound interesting on paper (or on a web page?) but it does work for the game. You move your characters using the R2 button and navigate them with the left analog stick. It's a bit awkward at first, but you get used to it very fast. Other actions are handled with a combination of movements on the right analog stick as well as the 4 shoulder buttons and 4 face buttons. At many times you must combine these movements and buttons making for some awkward finger placements, but it compliments with how tense the scene is.
Heavy Rain is really a game full of nothing but Quicktime Events or QTE's that Shenmue made famous, and seemingly every game since then has incorporated. Heavy Rain's QTE's are so well done though, it never feels gimmicky. I guess it would be in a lot of trouble if it did, as that is really the only thing you're doing the whole game. It may not be every body's cup of tea, and some people might get outright bored with it. Every scene in the game to me was fun. From playing with your children as Ethan in the beginning of the game, to having gunfights or escaping a burning car, pressing a series of buttons never felt as important to me in a game before Heavy Rain. At numerous times your characters lives literally hang in the balance depending on what buttons you push, which brings me to my next topic.
I think this is the first game I've seen where a main character can die, and the story can flow completely like nothing ever happened. Sure you might miss out on some scenes and information as that character who died, but you still get the feeling of a complete story even if you don't experience it. You can always go back and play through again trying out different options and ways through a scene to get a different ending. I believe Heavy Rain has 6 endings in all, some of them very different from others. Actually, I believe all of the main characters can die, and you'll still get a conclusion to the story. This is the kind of game that benefits without reloading though. Just play it out as if you couldn't stop it. Much like you can't change a movie's script. Just let it play out, and once you finish it go back again and try it a different way.
All in all, I would call Heavy Rain a big success in what it tried to accomplish. While the game is a bit on the short side (8-10 hours) it was well worth the money spent, and you'll certainly not have played anything like it yet. I'm sure if this game does well enough we'll see a string of clones as the market tends to follow with whatever sells, but Quantic Dream certainly has their format down pat. I hope we get another equally riveting game from them and we won't have to wait another 4 years to play it. They could easily take the engine they built, modify it and make a completely different game. We'll see I suppose.
Out of 10, I would give Heavy Rain a 9.5
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
This Week in Games...
...We have only have one big release. That release is Heavy Rain for Playstation 3. Due out tomorrow, 2/23, I hope it proves all it was hyped to be. I have a feeling it will deliver. You can find extensive Heavy Rain demo impressions here.
Secondly due out tomorrow, we have the 3rd DLC pack for Borderlands. Entitled The Secret Army of General Knoxx, this expansion will add almost double the playtime of the first DLC pack, Dr. Ned's Zombie Island. The story takes place after the close of the single player game and continues the adventure. This expansion also raises the level cap to 60 and adds even more weapons and enemies, and various other changes.
I should be picking up both of these releases tomorrow, even though I'm still occupied with Ace Attorney Investigations at the moment. I will make sure to find room for all 3.
Updated impressions on all of them later in the week, I hope.
Secondly due out tomorrow, we have the 3rd DLC pack for Borderlands. Entitled The Secret Army of General Knoxx, this expansion will add almost double the playtime of the first DLC pack, Dr. Ned's Zombie Island. The story takes place after the close of the single player game and continues the adventure. This expansion also raises the level cap to 60 and adds even more weapons and enemies, and various other changes.
I should be picking up both of these releases tomorrow, even though I'm still occupied with Ace Attorney Investigations at the moment. I will make sure to find room for all 3.
Updated impressions on all of them later in the week, I hope.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Shutter Island Review
Shutter Island is the newest near masterpiece film brought to us by Martin Scorsese, following up the 2006 release of The Departed. This psychological/thriller film is based off the 2003 novel of the same title. Originally due out in the fall of 2009, it was delayed into the new year for "economic" reasons. How do you follow up with such a great movie as the Departed? By crafting something equally good, I suppose. Scorsese proves himself again with this movie showing why he really is one of the best directors of all time.
I needed a full day to fully digest this movie. The plot of Shutter Island is pretty big, and it is pretty hard to openly discuss without ruining anything in the movie. Taking place in the mid 1950's, U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio, his best role since The Departed, more on that later) is joined by his newly assigned partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to discover the whereabouts of a recently escaped mental patient. When they arrive at Shutter Island however, they find out that in this prison/hospital for the mentally unstable, there are quite a few secrets to be uncovered. The staff does not cooperate with the investigation at all perpetuated by Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kinglsey) and they must rely upon the patients to get information they can use. Teddy thinks if he can uncover all the secrets of this island, this will be his big break and a big chance for him. The plot that is uncovered is psychologically distressing to both Marshal Daniels and yourself as the viewer, as it is an excellently well crafted piece.
Other than the above, I really can't go into the plot as it would go into spoiler territory. There are far too many interesting plot points to ruin for anyone. Unfortunately for myself, I knew the big "game-changing" moment of the movie before going in to see it. The Internet nowadays is not a safe place folks. Rumors and spoilers are all over the place just waiting for the next unsuspecting person. That being said, I tried to look at the movie from a different angle going in, which can be fun as well. This film is so well done however, I could not put my finger on anything until the very end, when everything is laid out on the table for us. At the end, I was very satisfied with the overall story, only having very minor complaints that are not even worth mentioning.
The acting in this movie is stellar. At any given time, you really feel like you're right there with them. This film really does a good job at sucking you in, and I believe part of the reason is because of the superb abilities of DiCaprio and company. Over the years, DiCaprio has slowly become one of my favorite actors. Back when I saw Titanic, I really though he was going to be one of those fad actors, only popular for a few years because of his handsome boyish look. Was I ever wrong. He proves himself movie after movie. The film that really showcased his talent for me was The Departed. After seeing that movie, I've made it a point to see some of his other films that I missed because I didn't think much of him. This movie is no exception. At many of Marshal Daniels points in this movie, you can feel like you can relate to him if such a thing were to ever happen to you. It really goes to show you when you put in so much effort it pays off, as you are really engrossed in the movie and care for it's characters.
The rest of the acting is right up there along with DiCaprio's. Mark Ruffalo plays the sidekick kind of role, and he pretty much nails it. Not knowing too much while you suspectingly have your own questions about his motive. Michelle Williams also stars in this movie as Officer Marshal's wife. I have to honestly say, I have not seen Michelle Williams in all too many films, and know her pretty much because of Dawson's Creek, but she did a very fine job. We don't know the reason for her appearances on the island, but when we find everything out, just wow is all I can say. I give her an A+ to be able to play such a convincing "housewife". Ben Kingsley does a great job as always, I can't really say too much about his role other than questioning him the whole time, which is the point I suppose. Lastly, Jackie Earl Haley (known for playing Rorschach in Watchmen most recently) is also in the film. He plays his usual psychotic role that he is used to playing now. I really hope he doesn't get typecast in future movies, as he is a very good actor, but he plays such a great sociopath/nutjob that I really don't mind. Overall the acting in this movie is one of the many high points of the film.
The filming and locations in Shutter Island are done in such a way to further make you feel like you're locked in a prison. There are many closeups, and behind the back views. Walks down long corridors, and climbing down cliffs are shot at just the right angles, to give you a sense of dread at times. There are a couple of scenes that do drag on a bit, such as aforementioned walks down long corridors, but overall a fine job for a Scorsese movie. The soundtrack to me was not too memorable, but the score had a very creepy feeling emanating from it. There is one main "theme" that is repeated in the movie at particularly intense scenes, and you are always expecting something big to happen at that moment. Other pieces of the film remind me of the earlier Silent Hill game series. Not exactly music, but sometimes just noise. It does it's job. For a good portion of this movie I was very tense, partly because of the music.
There are not too many things I can complain about in Shutter Island. The movie has a near perfect pace, not giving you too much information at one time. One small thing is some scenes could have been a bit shorter, and even though I knew the big plot points of the movie, most people can probably figure things out if they've got half a brain. Like I said earlier though, don't fully expect to know what's going on until the very end. You're hit like a train then. In a good way. The last 15-20 minutes of the film were some of the best scenes I've seen in film for many years. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance especially.
I recommend seeing this 100% if you're looking for a good psychological movie that will keep you guessing throughout it's entirety, or if you are tired of the same boring plots. Compared from the The Wolfman last week, Shutter Island is a breath of fresh air after escaping from a mental institution.
Out of 5 stars, I give it a 4. Definitely give it a shot!
I needed a full day to fully digest this movie. The plot of Shutter Island is pretty big, and it is pretty hard to openly discuss without ruining anything in the movie. Taking place in the mid 1950's, U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio, his best role since The Departed, more on that later) is joined by his newly assigned partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to discover the whereabouts of a recently escaped mental patient. When they arrive at Shutter Island however, they find out that in this prison/hospital for the mentally unstable, there are quite a few secrets to be uncovered. The staff does not cooperate with the investigation at all perpetuated by Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kinglsey) and they must rely upon the patients to get information they can use. Teddy thinks if he can uncover all the secrets of this island, this will be his big break and a big chance for him. The plot that is uncovered is psychologically distressing to both Marshal Daniels and yourself as the viewer, as it is an excellently well crafted piece.
Other than the above, I really can't go into the plot as it would go into spoiler territory. There are far too many interesting plot points to ruin for anyone. Unfortunately for myself, I knew the big "game-changing" moment of the movie before going in to see it. The Internet nowadays is not a safe place folks. Rumors and spoilers are all over the place just waiting for the next unsuspecting person. That being said, I tried to look at the movie from a different angle going in, which can be fun as well. This film is so well done however, I could not put my finger on anything until the very end, when everything is laid out on the table for us. At the end, I was very satisfied with the overall story, only having very minor complaints that are not even worth mentioning.
The acting in this movie is stellar. At any given time, you really feel like you're right there with them. This film really does a good job at sucking you in, and I believe part of the reason is because of the superb abilities of DiCaprio and company. Over the years, DiCaprio has slowly become one of my favorite actors. Back when I saw Titanic, I really though he was going to be one of those fad actors, only popular for a few years because of his handsome boyish look. Was I ever wrong. He proves himself movie after movie. The film that really showcased his talent for me was The Departed. After seeing that movie, I've made it a point to see some of his other films that I missed because I didn't think much of him. This movie is no exception. At many of Marshal Daniels points in this movie, you can feel like you can relate to him if such a thing were to ever happen to you. It really goes to show you when you put in so much effort it pays off, as you are really engrossed in the movie and care for it's characters.
The rest of the acting is right up there along with DiCaprio's. Mark Ruffalo plays the sidekick kind of role, and he pretty much nails it. Not knowing too much while you suspectingly have your own questions about his motive. Michelle Williams also stars in this movie as Officer Marshal's wife. I have to honestly say, I have not seen Michelle Williams in all too many films, and know her pretty much because of Dawson's Creek, but she did a very fine job. We don't know the reason for her appearances on the island, but when we find everything out, just wow is all I can say. I give her an A+ to be able to play such a convincing "housewife". Ben Kingsley does a great job as always, I can't really say too much about his role other than questioning him the whole time, which is the point I suppose. Lastly, Jackie Earl Haley (known for playing Rorschach in Watchmen most recently) is also in the film. He plays his usual psychotic role that he is used to playing now. I really hope he doesn't get typecast in future movies, as he is a very good actor, but he plays such a great sociopath/nutjob that I really don't mind. Overall the acting in this movie is one of the many high points of the film.
The filming and locations in Shutter Island are done in such a way to further make you feel like you're locked in a prison. There are many closeups, and behind the back views. Walks down long corridors, and climbing down cliffs are shot at just the right angles, to give you a sense of dread at times. There are a couple of scenes that do drag on a bit, such as aforementioned walks down long corridors, but overall a fine job for a Scorsese movie. The soundtrack to me was not too memorable, but the score had a very creepy feeling emanating from it. There is one main "theme" that is repeated in the movie at particularly intense scenes, and you are always expecting something big to happen at that moment. Other pieces of the film remind me of the earlier Silent Hill game series. Not exactly music, but sometimes just noise. It does it's job. For a good portion of this movie I was very tense, partly because of the music.
There are not too many things I can complain about in Shutter Island. The movie has a near perfect pace, not giving you too much information at one time. One small thing is some scenes could have been a bit shorter, and even though I knew the big plot points of the movie, most people can probably figure things out if they've got half a brain. Like I said earlier though, don't fully expect to know what's going on until the very end. You're hit like a train then. In a good way. The last 15-20 minutes of the film were some of the best scenes I've seen in film for many years. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance especially.
I recommend seeing this 100% if you're looking for a good psychological movie that will keep you guessing throughout it's entirety, or if you are tired of the same boring plots. Compared from the The Wolfman last week, Shutter Island is a breath of fresh air after escaping from a mental institution.
Out of 5 stars, I give it a 4. Definitely give it a shot!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
New podcast up!
Another week, another podcast!
This week we cover:
- Movie news recap
- Wolfman review
- This week's Lost review including: Scary Locke Man Boobs
- Smallville recap for the week
- Some gaming news from X 10
- Ace Attorney Miles Edgeworth Investigations semi-review.
- Our official email address
and more! Check it out on the left of the webpage or:
This week's podcast!
We also have an official email address for this site and the podcast. Please send us your feedback to: Official Email!
This week we cover:
- Movie news recap
- Wolfman review
- This week's Lost review including: Scary Locke Man Boobs
- Smallville recap for the week
- Some gaming news from X 10
- Ace Attorney Miles Edgeworth Investigations semi-review.
- Our official email address
and more! Check it out on the left of the webpage or:
This week's podcast!
We also have an official email address for this site and the podcast. Please send us your feedback to: Official Email!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I guess 4 month old Super Street Fighter 4 Rumors ARE True!
As the heading says, this surfaced near the end of September with sources very closely affiliated to the game and leaked most of the changes to SSF4. A lot of people dismissed them, but others like myself believed in the rumors. When the supposed leaked characters began to show up in trailers, people's minds were changing. This whole thing was probably one of the worst industry kept secrets, though nowhere near as bad as the Knights of the Old Republic Online rumor circulating for years.
Now almost 4 months later, everything on the leaked list has been confirmed true. Each character has a 3rd costume, everyone has a 2nd Ultra, other modifications to balance characters, etc. Oh, and the fact that 3 fighters from the under appreciated Street Fighter 3: Third Strike were being added. Ibuki, Dudley, & Makoto are the latest 3 additions. Yesterday those "rumors" were confirmed true by the popular weekly magazine Famitsu. Some magazine scans were released, and showed all 3 in action. Today, knowing their "secret" was blown, Capcom released another trailer for the game, including the previously mentioned characters.
I have to say, Capcom knows how to put out a good trailer. Every one of these I have seen gets me more and more amped for the release in late April. With these characters, plus more to be revealed, this is shaping up to be one great fighting game. The orginal Street Fighter 4 was amazing enough, this will be even better. Check for the new trailer below!
Now almost 4 months later, everything on the leaked list has been confirmed true. Each character has a 3rd costume, everyone has a 2nd Ultra, other modifications to balance characters, etc. Oh, and the fact that 3 fighters from the under appreciated Street Fighter 3: Third Strike were being added. Ibuki, Dudley, & Makoto are the latest 3 additions. Yesterday those "rumors" were confirmed true by the popular weekly magazine Famitsu. Some magazine scans were released, and showed all 3 in action. Today, knowing their "secret" was blown, Capcom released another trailer for the game, including the previously mentioned characters.
I have to say, Capcom knows how to put out a good trailer. Every one of these I have seen gets me more and more amped for the release in late April. With these characters, plus more to be revealed, this is shaping up to be one great fighting game. The orginal Street Fighter 4 was amazing enough, this will be even better. Check for the new trailer below!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Substitute...
...Is the name of the 4th Episode in the 6th and final season of Lost, and it looks like another great episode.
Official description from ABC is as follows:
Locke seeks help to support his cause.
With another very short episode description, we'll just have to wait for it to air tonight to see what is really going on. Will the new Locke seek out help from Sawyer and Sayid to join his side? Will we get to see what happens to John in the parallel universe after he lands safely on Oceanic 815? Only one way to find out! Tune in tonight!
We should also be discussing the episode on this week's podcast.
Official description from ABC is as follows:
Locke seeks help to support his cause.
With another very short episode description, we'll just have to wait for it to air tonight to see what is really going on. Will the new Locke seek out help from Sawyer and Sayid to join his side? Will we get to see what happens to John in the parallel universe after he lands safely on Oceanic 815? Only one way to find out! Tune in tonight!
We should also be discussing the episode on this week's podcast.
Objection!
Today, the latest entry in the Ace Attorney series is due out. Brought to us by Capcom, this is the 5th game in the long running series entitled Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Released in Japan May of last year, we are getting this quicker than some of the others in the Ace Attorney product line. Fans of this series (including myself) have been waiting a long time for a new game in this fun and quirky series.
This time around as the title implies you play as Phoenix Wright's rival, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth whom is one of everybody's favorite character in the series. He was absent from games 3-5, so it is very nice to see him return and get his own full game. This is also the first time the game will step away from the courtroom and try something different. We will get to see what it is like behind the scene's as a prosecutor finding evidence and witnesses to bring the criminals to justice.
The game takes place before and after Trials & Tribulations, hopefully clearing up the gap of what Edgeworth was doing the entire time. It features some of the same characters we've come to know and love through the series, and introduce new ones as well. This entry also introduces new elements to the gameplay using "logic mode" to piece together the evidence and make a case. This is also the first time the Ace Attorney series has been specifically designed for the DS. It is supposedly around 15 hours long, which is the average length of these games.
I got to pick this up today, am cannot wait to rip into it. All of the Ace Attorney games are extremely fun and have well written stories. Shockingly so sometimes. I remember being surprised multiple times throughout the course of the series. This one should be no exception. I should hopefull have a review out in a week or so, as soon as I finish up with my Bioshock 2 writeup. In the meantime, here is a small trailer for the game.
This time around as the title implies you play as Phoenix Wright's rival, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth whom is one of everybody's favorite character in the series. He was absent from games 3-5, so it is very nice to see him return and get his own full game. This is also the first time the game will step away from the courtroom and try something different. We will get to see what it is like behind the scene's as a prosecutor finding evidence and witnesses to bring the criminals to justice.
The game takes place before and after Trials & Tribulations, hopefully clearing up the gap of what Edgeworth was doing the entire time. It features some of the same characters we've come to know and love through the series, and introduce new ones as well. This entry also introduces new elements to the gameplay using "logic mode" to piece together the evidence and make a case. This is also the first time the Ace Attorney series has been specifically designed for the DS. It is supposedly around 15 hours long, which is the average length of these games.
I got to pick this up today, am cannot wait to rip into it. All of the Ace Attorney games are extremely fun and have well written stories. Shockingly so sometimes. I remember being surprised multiple times throughout the course of the series. This one should be no exception. I should hopefull have a review out in a week or so, as soon as I finish up with my Bioshock 2 writeup. In the meantime, here is a small trailer for the game.
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