Boss Battle: Heavy Rain vs. Alex

crafted by: Alex

Heavy Rain attacks: Stunning blow!

• A game unlike any other.
• Makes you feel emotions you rarely(if ever) experience from any media: Guilt, remorse, anxiety.
• A well written story that branches more than you might expect.
• Quick time events are mapped in a logical way. This allows for logical decision making even under pressure.
• Surprisingly good replayability for a "interactive drama."
• Difficult to put down once the narrative picks up.

Alex is in shock: Unable to attack.

• French people, speaking English, with American accents. Pretend that this takes place in another dimension. Problem solved.
• One major unexplained plot hole, various small ones if you look hard enough.
• Ability to alter the story may fall short of some peoples expectations.
• Some awkward writing.
• I can't get the DLC to work or to download! WTF is going on??

Battle Summary:

Heavy Rain is not a game, it is an experience. You grow fond of the characters quickly, then before you know it you are constantly thrust into positions where you feel that your every action will affect the life of your character or those around you. At some point in the game you will stop, and you will consider the consequences of you actions, and what it means for the future. At other times, the act of careful consideration may lead to your demise because you did not act fast enough. The fact that the game is completely devoid of a game over screen mean that your actions persist throughout the whole game.

Surprisingly I haven't heard anyone comparing this to Mass Effect, so I will. Heavy Rain handles decision and branching story the way I wish Mass Effect did. Mass Effect Lets you control HOW events happen, Heavy Rain lets you control WHAT events happen, and this distinction is very important. I listened to GameSpot's Hotspot spoiler podcast about Heavy rain, and every few minutes one of the hosts would be saying "Wait, what happened?" because inevitably, their story played out differently. I actually felt like the game was far too linear before I listened to the podcast. This game was an experiment, and a successful one that I really enjoyed, but I am unsure if I want to see another game that adopts the format to a new story. Though, I definitely want to see more games that can pull at emotions as effectively as Heavy Rain.

Battle Results: Heavy Rain kills Alex.