There have been a lot of debates recently about what went wrong in the design of the Sony’s newest software exclusive. Some say the plot holes in the story are to be held responsible; others think that Heavy Rain being what it is failed to achieve a bridge between movies and videogames. We could also say that as the game requires player decisions and personal choices during its story-line, ultimately it would result in a bad experience and ruined the constituency of the characters goals and the plot.

Even so, looking back at all these reproaches to the game, we might have overlooked one of the less apparent flaws of Heavy Rain. Whether or not we think that the QTEs or the deliverance of the casts are apparent imperfections, there is a character in Heavy Rain that plays a role much more important that we might think. Having talked to a lot of people about my personal feelings about the game I came to a grounded conclusion on the killing blow that was delivered to Heavy Rain’s narrative. It’s not the controls, the farfetched plot twist or the decisions you are going to make in the game it’s actually what we could call the hidden protagonist of the game which will be discussed below.

*There is a possibility of spoilers for Heavy Rain beneath this warning, I tried to the best of my ability to reduce its disclosure.”



Naturally we would consider Ethan, Madison, Norman and Scott to be the four main protagonists of Heavy Rain as they were evidently advertised. It’s a fact that most of the story revolves around these characters and by the end depending on the player’s decisions , the outcome of the epilogue will be different from one’s game play to another. Yet at particular points in the game there are obligatory interventions from an outside power other than the player’s. This loss of control is mainly directed by the role played by Lieutenant Blake, the policeman formerly met in the Demo version of the game.

In more than one instances , Blake uses this restrictive narrative to keep the player in check and make him or her acknowledge that they’re in no way in control of the story they’re supposedly the masters of. Whenever you try to make a good or bad decision the only thing that will be dramatically different in your experience will be the dialogues ultimately leading to the closure of a scene or chapter. During a sequence if you choose take the path of goodwill and intervene with Blake’s actions. You will notice that whether or not Blake decides to do what he does, the outcome of that sequence will be the same as if you took the supportive part. Not knowing what the scenes are about, you will find out that even if some are radically different in circumstances, the consequences will be irrelevant.



Another huge factor that Blake cripples the narrative with is when he comes in contact with other characters outside of his acquaintance. These moments are characterized by definitive decisions affecting the main characters and at the same time, they are a vehicle of the writer’s incompetence to bring a cohesive story without using a contriving agent.

Lieutenant Blake is in fact the artificial fail-safe system the redactors of the game used as a mechanic to intervene in the final decisions of the player and earlier on, is used to create an unnecessary tension between the player and the events. Ultimately these decisions will clear certain characters and negates the plot-holes present in the story.

“How far will you go to save someone you love”; Well technically using the game’s logic whatever action you take in the game, it will ultimately come down to a single clue search from one of the characters and finally as an omnipotent being, Blake will decide the fate of your character without you being able to intervene in his actions.



Heavy Rain as some very enjoyable moments, Madison’s ones being the most riveting out of all. Unfortunately its narrative is infected with an unrestricted character able to decide what is or isn’t the law and what would be ultimately revealed as a huge misunderstanding. But still Lieutenant Blake being able to decide whether or not your efforts to keep everyone alive as it would be instinctive for a good player; you will come in terms with him and suffers his wrath for your lousy mistakes.

That being said, is Heavy Rain worth it? Absolutely, only because it has some great sequences and numerous little details put in certain events that overshadow its flaws. However, the game would’ve been much more interesting in terms of narrative if the restrictive presence of Blake was removed. Consider this more as a fair criticism than a complete run-over rant on a memorable gem of the Playstation 3 library.