HEAVY RAIN: Interactive Drama

I've just beaten the interactive drama HEAVY RAIN.

I was writing about it yesterday but having now played it through (to just one of several endings), I'm more impressed with it. Flaws and all.

The key is that it's an interactive drama. More so than what you'd consider a traditional "video game". And as far as drama goes, it's pretty fucking engrossing. The story is kinda riveting and it keeps you on your toes. And while I do believe they cheated a bit with the big final-act twist (which I won't spoil), they did such a great job with building the narrative I'm willing to forgive. Creating compelling characters, escalating the drama and tension, building toward the climax. Much respect given to David Cage, who gets sole credit for writing and directing this film noir.

It's a story that lingers with you. I've just finished it but I already want to head right back in and play through making different choices. Like an interactive version of GROUNDHOG DAY.

HEAVY RAIN incorporates shades of SE7EN, SAW, MINORITY REPORT. Some aspects made me think of William Gibson fiction like Virtual Light, the way technology is woven into the narrative.

It's a story I'll be thinking about for a while. One of the downsides of a "video game" like this is that it is, by nature, a solitary experience. I'd love to talk about it with someone right now but nobody I know has played it yet. (Including the friend I borrowed it from: HI DAVE!) And even if all my PS3-owning friends had a copy, playing through something like this isn't as simple as watching a movie. It requires a greater investment of time. Similar to watching the full season of a television drama. When you think about it in terms of hours of entertainment, the cost is comparable to buying a boxset of tv show.

The hype is real. This was a great show.