Quick, press "x" to not die.

he average reaction to Heavy Rain seems to be lots of praise, followed by an in-depth rant about how frustrating and flawed a mess it is. Which may have left you unsure as to whether you need play it.

“Do you like mysteries? Experimental media? Troubled loners? Origami? Then you’ll love it. This is the best interactive drama that world has ever seen… but did I mention the story is absolutely awful? But yeah, it’s a real achievement. Except the acting is terrible, too. But yeah, it’s really good.”

…right.

But it’s interesting that a game has people talking as much as this one has.

You know what they say about opinions… and butts. But undoubtedly, Heavy Rain (developed by Quantic Dream, published by Sony) is a beautiful game but also a frustrating one because, by most accounts, the story doesn’t pay off, or even entirely make sense. There are some glaring technical issues, yet its core mechanic is ingenious. And such paradoxes always result in more discussion than usual. ‘Nuff said, probably.

But who can resist throwing in their own two? Not me. So here’s another Heavy Rain ‘pros and cons’ rundown. Except this one is nice and short.

Starting with what we didn’t like:

-When walking around, it feels like you’re in Playstation Home. Yes, that clunky and awkward.

-Setting the table, cooking virtual scrambled eggs, gazing thoughtfully at yourself in mirrors, and bandaging injuries (there were but THREE meticulously detailed sequences where you’re cleaning and dressing wounds) aren’t fun, will never be fun, and don’t belong in video games.

-Story problems—some plot revelations make earlier sequences seem completely ridiculous or irrelevant – it’s as if they were written before the writers knew who the killer was. I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to spoil it.

-Voice acting that sometimes feels like they just grabbed whomever was handy. Making allowances for the fact it’s an import (Quantic Dream is a French studio) and an international flavor was to be expected, the performances nonetheless sound phoned-in, and the American accents are ridiculous; this is a game set in the US and one obviously french girl said “feefty-books” instead of “fifty bucks” and at this level (a big international release by a first party publisher) that’s just not cool. And don’t get me started about the FBI agent who comes across like a mix between Fox Mulder, Woody Allen, and Robocop.

Yes, you see her naked.

-Heavy Rain’s overall vibe is a lot different from that of any other game. And different is good. (sidebar: it doesn’t exactly feel like a movie, but with regards to it being “cinematic” I don’t think it feels like Silence of the Lambs; you may read that here and there, but I think it’s way off. I think it feels much more like 12 Monkeys).

- a satisfying ‘search-and-discover’ mechanic reminiscent of old Sierra games like Kings Quest where you traipse around, scanning the environment and watching for pop-up icons which indicate you can interact with something.

-Although I know some sections will be downright tedious to replay, I nonetheless want to play through it a second time.

-Police chases, fights, and construction site climaxes do belong in video games. And the ‘quick time event’ game play which accompanies these events in Heavy Rain (press “x” to make an escape, quick!) was borderline brilliant. The complexity (and difficulty) of the sequences of button presses you’re asked to perform corresponds amazingly well with the ordeals the on-screen character faces. I felt actual tension in my gut when I was on the giant ladder, in the fire, and on the highway (again I’m being vague on purpose, I want to keep this spoiler-free). I was reminded of the satisfaction derived from figuring out the pattern for a level of Dragon’s Lair or Cliff Hanger (the true quick time event pioneers) when I was little. Though unlike those games, Heavy Rain changes speed constantly.

-And it does that really well, too. Heavy Rain varies in pace, interspersing frenzied quick time events with slower search-and-discover exploration, and dialogue trees for conversations. It’s masterful. Mark my words: this game is going to set new standards for interactive fiction.

Suspenseful "24" style split screen action almost makes you forget you're an old dude with asthma.

I wanted a little more, and not just a tightening up of the controls. A little more of everything. It almost feels as if Heavy Rain was not done, like maybe the developers wanted to integrate another level of complexity, and file down some of the rough spots, but they ran out of time or money.

Um, imagine a game that’s a cross between Playstation Home, Kings Quest and Dragon’s Lair, by the people who brought you 12 Monkeys, done in the style of a graphic novel by the guy who writes Ikea instructions. With a nude shower scene. And a child murderer. That’s Heavy Rain. And yes, you need to play it.

It’s kind of clunky, but the developers still got their point across; it’s good for gaming that this one got made. And bad acting has never stopped us from falling in love with video game characters, has it? It speaks to Heavy Rain’s quality, that its shortcomings bother people so much. I disagree with those who would marginalize it as “an experiment” (a descriptor you might read elsewhere) because it manages to be engaging, despite its many flaws.