Heavy Rain. Bloody Origami

The genre of interactive cinema is far from the most sought after among gamers. However, it is precisely this underexposure that makes it fertile ground for experiments with artistic inspiration. If the muse that visited the creator of the project was not drunk or crooked in one eye, the result can be quite impressive (just remember the famous Fahrenheit). The studio Quantic Dream has decided to take its experiments even further. These experiments are gradually coming together into a puzzle called Heavy Rain.

The game's plot tells the stories of four characters who, for various reasons, are forced to track down the mysterious Origami Killer, who leaves paper cranes at the crime scene.

In reality, not much is known about the game, as the style of announcing the project has been chosen to suit the convoluted detective plot. The character figures are showcased at conferences in such a way that certain aspects of the gameplay and character traits are illuminated, but the plot remains a mystery.

An episode featuring Norman Jayden, a detective and, incidentally, a seasoned drug addict, was previously demonstrated. At the recently held E3 2009 conference, a new part of the puzzle was presented from the perspective of Madison Paige, a journalist suffering from a rare form of insomnia – she can only sleep in motel rooms.

The gameplay is an enticing cocktail of quest, arcade, and action elements. The character is free to move through the game space wherever they please, but must not forget that their main goal is to search for clues and gather information. The Added Reality Interface, or A.R.I., will help with this by making it easier to spot and mark various clues: shoe prints, blood stains, etc. However, the tense gameplay will not allow the characters to idly wander around – the heroes of Heavy Rain are surprisingly skilled at finding problems in "the lower nineties".

The game periodically switches to interactive video mode, where players must fight for their lives or respond quickly to unfolding events. In terms of controls, this is formatted into a specific combination of buttons. It sounds familiar, but in practice, it turns out to be much more complicated – one must master the controller virtuously.

All of this is good, of course, but it has been done before. There is both an engaging plot and several characters, as well as interactive scenes. What is astonishing is the variability. The game has about 60 chapters across four characters, and each one can be completed in three or four different ways. It's hard to imagine how many different playthrough options arise. And one more thing: if one of your characters dies, it will not be the end of the game. On the contrary, the narrative will continue, but without the newly-departed character. Naturally, this means that scenes involving the circumstantial victim will be excluded from further gameplay. This implies that in order to see the complete picture and finish the game entirely, you will have to put in significant effort and keep all four characters alive.

A clear example of diverse event development is not hard to find. In one of the scenes, Jayden needs to gather information about the Origami Killer's whereabouts at a junkyard. The owner of the establishment is not too benevolent, so "gathering" turns into "beating up". After defeating the stubborn junkyard owner, Jayden obtains the necessary information, but then he is hit by a wave of severe drug withdrawal. If you manage to control him and give Norman the chance to "get high", he will successfully drag the aggressive citizen to the precinct. Well, if not, he will wake up in his own car, which has been put under a press. If you manage to escape, there will be another fight. And then it's either the precinct or some gears of the mechanism for the stubborn thug. Again, this all depends on whether Jayden stays alive. And all these events might not occur if you find the killer's car in a hidden nook with all the necessary clues for further investigation.

The other two characters will be introduced this year at two major conferences: one at Gamescom in Germany and the other at TGS in Tokyo.

Undoubtedly, Heavy Rain is one of the most interesting and original projects of this year.

Source: http://mgnews.ru/