Heavy Rain : Move Edition - Platinum (PS3)

people love or hate this game as can be seen from other reviews so i'm noy going to cover that side of things what i am going to do is cover this specific platinum version.

ok, you get your heavy rain move edition (platinum) and you see the list of additional content on the box but what you dont know is its missing, this version comes on a single disc and in fact contains just the original non move edition of the game, once you load it you have to download a 1.2 gb patch to make it move compatible then when you try to install the additional content you are taken to the store TO BUY IT, questions have been asked why its like this but sony have never answered the issue instead telling buyers to contact the seller who obviously are not to blame.

if you want this game then buy the original 2 disc move edition which has the content on the second disc, if however you dont mind the download and paying for the extra content then just get a copy of the original version for less money.

First, the good news. My copy of the game included all of the extra content on the disc, as expected. A number of purchasers have experienced a distinct lack of extra content as apparently Sony distributed a large number of faulty copies. As mine was OK, hopefully that issue has now been rectified.

As for the game, well, it's not the bad news (there isn't any really). Quantic Dream are quite open about Heavy Rain's premise as 'interactive drama' rather than as a game in the traditional sense. It relies heavily on timed button-pressing sequences and on the occasions where you have more control, the area you could roam about in is very limited and you can only do so much. I don't have PS Move so just played the game with a regular controller, which was fine even when required to fling it about or tilt it to move around.

It's usually fairly obvious what you need to do next, but having said that, your characters (you play multiple protagonists involved in the plot) are faced with a number of key decisions which will affect the way the story pans out and even whether they survive or not. This adds a further sense of jeopardy to some situations and the engaging storyline keeps you interested.

It's not for everyone, especially as although the pace is reasonably quick the story is downbeat at best and can be hard work. It's quite grim and depending on how you do, the ending may be no better! But I did find myself caring for the characters and so at least the tale achieved that.

Heavy Rain is a well produced and engaging experience. The voice acting is mostly solid enough and the music is great. The graphics are a bit ropey in places but do the job. If you've played Quantic Dream's previous game, Fahrenheit, there are some similarities here and you'll be more comfortable with the format. If not, it's a more unique experience.

One final thought...it's raining all the time in this game, yet nobody wears a decent coat at any point. How the entire cast don't end up in bed with filthy colds halfway through I don't know!

Before I start my review, I'm going to state for the record (of anyone else who has wondered) the move edition is absolutely compatible with the regular PS3 controller. A small patch is downloaded to the game in order to make it move compatible but you're prompted before gameplay whether you want to play with the move remote or with regular controls (and you can switch midway through the game).

My thoughts: This game is more of an interactive movie than a real "game". In fact, it's almost a hybrid between an interactive movie and one of those "choose your own path" adventure books that were popular in the 1980s. It seems to lack substantial gameplay and while there is alot of choices you can make (and this is one of those games where choices change the absolute endings and situations you'll encounter during the game) you still feel like you've had very little involvement in what's going on.

The story is compelling but I have to admit, just horribly depressing and dark; it just drags you down and puts you in a very low mood while playing. This isn't the kind of game I would recommend to anyone feeling quite low or depressed in general (and especially not to anyone who has ever lost a child).

The Plot: Ethan Mars lived a charmed life until his ten year old son is hit by a car and killed. Two years later, his remaining son Shaun is kidnapped by a serial murderer known as the Origami killer, a specialist of drowning children in rain water. As Ethan struggles to come to terms with what is asked of him to save his son he meets Madison Paige, an insomniac with a caring touch. Private investigator Scott Shelby works tirelessly to gather clues that will lead to the Origami killer while FBI agent Norman Jayden and his volatile partner try to track the killer by the books.

The gameplay: The gameplay I felt in this game is very limited. At times you're watching huge scenes and it seems that while you're prompted to occasionally push buttons and make a choice that really the game is just twisting your arm to do so; you generally find that alot of the times if you don't make a choice (say during a conversation) the game will do it for you anyway. This isn't really a type of "sandbox" world game where you can go exploring...there is very little to explore in a sense leaving you feeling somewhat claustrophobic game wise.

One interesting feature in this game though is that choices and decisions really do change the outcome of the game and what may happen. The main characters CAN die - and will generally hit at least a few life threatening situations that you will have to work quickly and precisely to get them out of. The death of one character can effect how the investigation or the ending of the game will come about and there are several different sequences and scenarios that will come about depending on how the game is handled. The ending is a mixture of things depending on which characters make it to the end and what they did to get there so you could play this game several times and probably never hit the same exact ending twice.

There is only (currently) one available downloadable content for the game which is a prologue mission which is very short (which has I believe six or seven different endings to for you to work out and replay).

Feelings on the game: Glad I played it but felt it was very short (took me about a day to complete) and I felt quite disappointed (not to mention the whole theme of the game depressed me). The voice work in the game is a little naff and hokey but the music in the game is beautiful and enjoyable. Gameplay left me feeling very unfulfilled and I felt like I was more or less being ordered about by the game as to what to do rather than playing it by my own choices.

I am looking forward to the film being made which is based on this game (which will be titled 'Rain' apparently). Apparently there are no planned sequels for this game and no additional content in the works, which is quite disappointing as this had alot of potential. Still would recommend to play, but be sure you're not in a depressed state of mind to start with.