So, It’s been a while since I’ve posted to here. Sorry about that, sometimes life takes over and I forget about things. Won’t happen again, promise.
So my first article today will be about Heavy Rain. You may have heard of this game from the same people who made Indigo Prophecy a few years back.
Basically the game starts out with a nice “tutorial” of sorts where you wander around a house and attempt to shag your wife, i think, but that’s besides the point. After the prologue you are then thrust into a game that is unlike any game I have ever played before. The game is fucking Heavy. I have played many many many games and I’ve been attached to characters, but never in the sense that I wish something had been done differently so that maybe something didn’t happen to them, or that maybe I could have changed what did.
I became extremely attached to the character Ethan in the game, and that could be because I myself, am a father. I found myself making choices in the game not on how I wanted the game to play out, but as to how I would actually choose in a real situation. The tagline for the game is “How far would you go for love?” and they push the limits at times, making you choose between things that are equally disturbing regardless if it’s the “right” or “wrong” choice and that line is very blurred throughout the game.
When I first started the game, I turned on the PS3 and I sat down with my Mountain Dew beside me and a well stocked plate of snack goodness, this is how I game do not judge me. At first the game was good, but it didn’t snag me for maybe the first hour. Not because it wasn’t good, just that I was brushing my teeth and shaving and carrying groceries. In game. I do these things daily myself thank you very much, but as I said it’s pretty much the tutorial. Once i had gotten by the first hour or so of game play I looked at my watch and it was 2 am. I had started playing at 7pm, I was hooked. Every fight, every escape, every reveal had me wanting more. forcing myself to put the controller down and sleep was difficult.
Story wise, I can’t say much without spoiling things so I won’t. Basically you play 4 characters all tied into the Origami Killer. Ethan Mars a father who has gone through more than any father should and keeps going through it. Norman Jayden a FBI agent sent in to close the case, who may or may not have an addiction to a drug, that choice is yours. Scott Shelby, a retired police officer that is now a private investigator that is hired by the families of the victims of the Origami Killer, and last but not least Madison Paige who is a journalist of sorts who gets wrapped up in the story.
The story itself is phenomenal, which I’ve already covered in so many words, engrossing and intense. It’s basically like watching a movie, a very long ass movie, or a mini-series. However it never feels to long, in fact I wish there was more. Which thanks to DLC on the current systems will happen, and I can’t wait. The only complaint I have is that during the reveal, near the end, there is a moment that, to me, was a gaping hole in the plot. This however could just be me, and it didn’t affect the story itself, much.
Gameplay wise the game is nearly perfect, the biggest flaws I could see were the tank like controls (on occasion) and the also occasional “hey you’re playing this game right? You don’t mind if I just lock up your PS3 and force you to restart do you?” moments. Which only happened twice the entire game and I think it was triggered by starting a action at the same time that an event occurred, Which thanks to the games autosave every time you make a choice or do something important feature, this was never a issue that made me want to stop playing.
So with all that ^^ being said, Heavy Rain is one of the best games I have ever had the joy of playing, even if it did cause my heart to break on a few occasions. There is also rumored to be 22 endings to the game, and I’ve seen 1 so I’ve got a while to go before I’m done with it and even then this is a game that will remain in my collection for a long time, if not forever just as Indigo Prophecy has done since I first played it albeit on different consoles.
There is a demo out for it on the PSN, or if you feel like taking a leap for a game that will make you think about the choices you make and what you can do differently on the next playthrough, this is it.
For my closing I will say this, if my review has enticed you to go out and get the game or rent it whatever you crazy kids do these days, if you make a choice and you don’t like what happens because of it, suck it up and keep playing the ending will feel more natural and the consequences of your actions will weigh on the outcome more.
Fallen Earth is a online MMO that is basically Mad Max or Fallout. World destroyed by a virus and nukes, yay! A friend of mine (yes I have some of those) sent me a text last night saying I should take a gander at this game, so I said what the poop, I will. I did. After putting about 5 hours in I can’t say much, but I can say that it is a fresh MMO that is not without it’s flaws but it shines as well. I will have to post more about it as I delve deeper into the apocalyptic world of 2156 (roughly). So stay tuned for more on this game.
Monster Hunter Tri is a game that I have been waiting and hoping for since they first announced that it might hit the PS3, well Capcom said that wasn’t going to happen and instead they are releasing it on the Wii, with some interesting control schemes. Now if you don’t know what Monster Hunter is it’s basically a game where you do exactly like the title says. You hunt big ass monsters that enjoy kicking you in the uvula. You get to pick weapons like guns, maces, swords, swords and shields and a bagpipe, Yes, a bagpipe. The game is huge in Japan with network parties and such for just killing monsters with 3 of your friends. I’m a big fan of these games on the PSP and I have a few fellows I hunt with on occasion through the Adhoc Party on PSN. The games integrity seems to stand up to the console shift from PSP to Wii. The game was originally out on the good ol PS2, so it’s not new to consoles. In the demo you pick from a pre-created character that you then select one of two missions to try, and if you’re like me at all and don’t read the instructions the controls then rape you more than the monsters. However once you figure out how it works it’s very fluid and death is every where. A addition I do like to the Wii version is that if you injure a monster enough, it will actually go and eat smaller monsters to restore health, grotesque but more real. You can pick up a copy of the demo, for free, at your local gamestop and then you can see what the game is like and if it’s good, to you, you can preorder the game and if you get the special edition which is 10 dollars more you get a Wii Classic Controller with the game which I’m thinking will make playing much easier. With the nunchuck and wii-mote i look like a retarded gazelle playing the Wii, on any game.
This is all for now, please stand by for more updates in the coming days and weeks. Ya know. God of War and such.
-squeak-
“All the subways around create a great sound”
-Edgar
