It’s been three weeks since Quantum Dream’s “Heavy Rain” have emerged from the bland swamp that is the videogame industry, introducing to us in what I like summarise as a combination of “Zodiac“, “Se7en“, Simon says and a flow chart. The game that boast about it’s Story telling and intuitive game play has been both welcomed with open arms by some, but other seems it welcome it with open arms coated with razor blades by the remaining. Personally, I still can’t decide where I should set camp in this debate.
Sure, it handles like a space hopper in a bouncing castle, has more bugs than a spider’s dinner plate and contains more plot holes than a chewed screenplay of “Back to the Future: Part II”, but I surpass all that because “Heavy Rain” is a game that attempted in one thing : telling a story that you felt apart of(even if the plot is questionable). Still, after playing it, I asked myself : Did it succeed? And I couldn’t type the “well, yes and no” any faster. I will applaud it’s appealing characters and the emotion that it sometimes produces, yet I it still felt like I wasn’t in control. It felt more like I was the younger brother forced to play with his older brother and friends (cut scenes) by my mother (Heavy Rain), making me join in(via Quick Time Events). However, when I did something ‘right’ in the game, I felt like I only suggested what to do in the process rather than helped. There is a fine line between good game play and good story telling, lack of a story makes the challenge pointless while having a lack of game play would technically count as a €50 film.
Granted, there are games that work just well without story and I don’t think I need to mention which one that this applies to (take a hint, Soul Calibur!) . But what about the ones that do try to tell a story, why do some succeed, while many fail. I know this is absurd posting this on a site that people won’t relate to, I’d be better off sneaking into Kojima Productions and slamming this o the bulletin board (again, hint).
I just want to express my thought because I my eyes there are a lot of games that do brag about this, I there’s nothing I love more than to pointing out the flaws of the successful. Plus, maybe some aspiring game developer made read this and can thank me years to come, yeah, that‘s the plan……



"Heavy Rain":'A combination of “Zodiac“, “Se7en“, Simon says and a flow chart.'

Characters:

Characters are to be handled with care, they are essentially the only thing that guiding you through the plot some at least they should have the common courtesy of making them interesting. I may be making this easier than it sounds, but they are games that give them the same traits as a sponge.
Let’s go back to the game that brought up the rant: “Heavy Rain” and lets take an even deeper look at Norman (sorry, Nahmun) Jayden , and who I think is the weakest character to work with. Was it bad enough that Quantum Dreams cut and paste some of the most iconic scene of “The Matrix” for “Fahrenheit” (“Indigo Prophecy” for you timid Americans)? Clearly not, because not only does Nahmun looks as if he was modelled after Neo, but I also have the sneaking suspicion that Keanu Reeves has provided the voice, personally written his own dialogue and then threw it away and started adlibbing for the character.
Putting that aside “Heavy Rain” does achieve in this department. Making a character appealing is one thing, and now if I may take a paraphrased quote form the Queen herself : “How does one make us ‘feel’ for the imaginary videogame character?”.
Lets take a example of bad character development , how about “Gears of Wars 2”: Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. Problem is that it’s hard for me when they show a sign of despair caused by death (“Oh my God . Death is, everywhere) when they spending the last half an hour through game play and cut scenes show clear signs of joy that were also caused by death (“Oh my God. Death is, FOOKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!”).
How about the cast of character, this problem can be related to Final Fantasy VI. How many characters are in that you can control? Something in the high ‘teens’ anyway, this makes it very difficult get acquainted with and actually having an interest in them (Gau, I hate you so much). Not to mention that this involves more level grinding and the last time I checked level grinding is to computer games what waiting in queues is to everything else in life.
Characters can be the saving grace of a game, look at “Half-Life 2”. People may constantly go on about the story, but frankly, it pretty basic . Fortunately the characters that bring story to life along with it’s writing.



I repeat, making computer characters should be handle with care and respect....

Game Play -

All that “Heavy Rain” has to offer quick time events and timing the control of your movement, there wasn’t anything wrong with them, infact there where done well opposed to other games (there was never a more intense moment than setting the table with the plates that my mother-in-law gave me). The problem for me was that there wasn’t enough of it. Let’s go back to Nahmun, shall we? Particularly the interrogation scenes with fellow cop Blake. Without spoiling anything, there are particular scenes that involves you intervening with a fellow workmate. The term intervening should be used the lightly like alcohol on an open wound. A lot of these chapters are occupied with (workmate) Blake getting out of order and you sometimes telling him, which does fuck all so there’s no need of straining your thumb every time the ’intervene’ action show up. Fine, “Heavy Rain” is a game that tells a story… No wait, “Heavy rain” is suppose to a game that that let me act out the roles in a story, an it is these scene with Nahmun that let the game.



Finally, Nahmun interesting! And all it took fist fight in a junk Yard.

Pacing and Emotion-

I can’t use Heavy Rain as a example unless go back to the twice beaten dead horse (Plus, other than that they do a damn good job), so lets use other examples.
Seeing that on average you are spending ten hours at most with game, you should feel some sort of connection of the with the characters, unless there are as appealing a cold sore or as annoying as a cold sore with a smoke alarm attached to itself. But Game developers still manage to try to cock it up. Normally, I wouldn’t find fault in this, but when it’s so damn clear that they try you have to impose. What I’m talking about is Final Fantasy VII defining scene. Now, if you are going to have a scene that leads to a tragic death that we as people are suppose to feel sympathy for, don’t have the game have multiple paths that are based on your relationship with the characters. If I make choices to hang around with Tifa or Barret and then neglect Arieth, you can’t expect me to feel heartbroken for her when she’s put to an end. I don’t know how emotion work in the cold building of Square-enix, but humans normally need to connect with characters if we are to sorrow when we departed. It would also help, if the PAL game didn’t have still picture of the death scene on the back of the box (it’s right fucking there)!
Finally (and quickly) pacing, y’know that thing that allows you to take in the game as a journey if it’s done well rather than a visit. Multiple example of games that have good pacing are Half-Life series, System Shock 2, Eternal Darkness and Bioshock. But of course there are bad examples and who’s better to take the biscuit than the successor to the System Shock 2’s Successor, Bioshock 2. In fairness, there are times the it is done extremely well, but if I may the last chapter was beyond a disappointment. Having a broken endurance battle instead of a final boss (without spoiling there’s a bit where they could of have a decent one, if you played it you know what I’m talking about) and then finishing off with the “world most abrupt ending” and you are suppose to take this all in the span of five minutes. Boos and Hisses all go to 2K for that.



It's right there, can you see it!?

- And there, and that’s what I think and now, I sound like a prick (Bioshock 2 conclusion is still more half-arsed).