Famitsu Heavy Rain's review and explainations

Translation :

- One play is about 10 hours. If you want to finish all the game' scenarios it's 30 hours.
- Innovative control and fabulous story
- You can really immerse your emotion, especially if you have kids.
- Lots of branching in the story
- Top notch atmosphere
- Keeps you want to continue playing
- You can also sense fear

The game has no "game over"

[unchartedgoty]

goty

[Claudinho69]

reachin

[Zedux]

gr8 score again but Fumitsu has lost most of it's review power! Just check the score they gave FFXIII! HR is a must have but not because of this review!

[nix]

wow.. that's great news! awesome score!!!

play it for the experience, people, play it for the experience! q:

[nix]

woot! woot!

can't wait!!! q;

[jmare]

Unfortunately, replays will be a little tedious because you replay the same sequences over and there's no way to skip ahead in game. It will still be a badass game, but even in the demo, it got tiresome going through the exact same dialog before you could do anything different.

[Montrealien]

How dare you speak against the Heavy Rain Jmare...How dare you!

[nix]

ok... with that logic if we replay every game we'll have to go thru the same cut-scenes, same enemies, same route and same ending. i think the advantage here is, everytime i play i'll end up playing differently. different scenario, different situation, different choices and different ending.

@Montrealien: i don't think anyone is speaking wrong about HR here.

EDIT:

@Diamondwolf (way down there at 4.6): sorry i'm running out of bubbles so i am replying here.

yes.. i agree, fanboys use this excuse to bicker about it but look at the bright side... maybe if we complain enough, more people will hear about it thus making a site to be aware of what people are thinking.

yes.. these are the times where flame-bait articles rules, but look at how things have turned out thanks to all the "bickering" by people. if you look at HHG, he's 'toned' down a lot. he no longer posts news with 'flame-bait' article. maybe he'll go back but still.

and does anyone take gametrailers seriously? specially their "comparision" shots? or even their review system? they gave MW2 a GOTY last year.

does anyone take 1UP, Edge, Eurogamer seriously? i'm sure they have their own devoted readers who love whatever they are throwing out but that doesn't mean everyone is blind. i'll ask you this question, do you trust 1UP, Gametrailers, Eurogamer, Edge?

as for the question of "how do you know it's biased" is concerned, one can't figure it out just out of one review or something (unless he/she gives 3/10 for a 9/10 game). everybody leaves a trail, a pattern that will eventually be discovered one day or the other.

i know it's one person's view at the end of the day but, he's a freaking gaming journalist for christ sake! not a fanboy! he has a responsibility and that is to educate us about the game NOT show his fanboyism.

ps: i wont be able to comment anymore. q:

[sikbeta]

YEAH!!!!

·10/30 hours
·fabulous story
·Top notch atmosphere
·You can really immerse your emotion

HR FTW!!!

[mfwahwah]

@1.5
"there's no way to skip ahead in game."

You can go back to any scene and play it out differently, so yes, you can skip ahead.

[nycredude]

Jmare

Do you mean like the same problem the critically acclaimed Mass Effect 1 and 2 has? Your reaching dude.

[multipayer]

Actually, you can skip all the cutscenes in Mass Effect 2, I do it alot when replaying. However, in HR the cutscenes are the gameplay. PC gamers would have loved this, it is just like a extremely high budget point and click adventure. I just feel kind of bad they're missing out, it's like sony robbed their religion. Am I "reachin" yet?

[dabri5]

The main developer for Heavy Rain said he didn't want the player to play the game multiple times. He wanted each experience to be unique for each player. So, really it doesn't matter if it is tedious to play over and over. It wasn't designed around that idea.

[Saigon]

is wow...

[pixelsword]

... it was because of the pantsu.

;)

[Sev]

You can NOT skip scenes in Heavy Rain. I'm on my 3rd playthrough and have over 70% of the trophies so skipping ahead would be nice.

Then again I have put in countless hours testing all the different scenarios the game offers. You wouldn't want to skip ahead on your first couple playthroughs you'd miss too much.

[s8anicslayer]

Forecast for 2/23 expect "Heavy Rain"!

[Amiroo]

They Said somthing about Butterfly effects , but in game if you loose and win you see the same scenario . not GOTY but one of the Best 2010 Games

[BWS1982]

you have a horrible grasp on what QTE really is and what this game is about (the dev made it clear why this game does NOT have what is known as QTE, and if you had genuine interest in this game, you'd be aware of that). You make it sound like it's on rails with no free movement or interaction and it's more of a movie with a few button presses (stop the FUD, it makes you look like a moron). You obviously hate the game (despite not knowing anything about it apparently), we've obviously seen your hateful history towards anything Sony (you've been around here a bit), so why do you hobble in here to spew hate towards something so "unholy"? Just stick to your stories that interest you.

I know you love your console, but really, those of us gamers who have a bit of each console have more perspective than your tunnel vision of bigotry you call a hobby. Please be open minded.

And dude, nobody was on Jmare, I didn't once see anyone show animosity towards him (Montrealian is actually known to lean towards 360, so he's being sarcastic, beyond that, people civilly replied with disagreement). I saw ACTUAL discussion.

And I saw you in here. Wait, why are you in here again?

[omni_atlas]

Thats a great score. I'm running out of cash and I need to buy this and Bad Company 2. I think I'll have to sell MW2. Thank you infinity ward, for killing the franchise.

[yourgodisdead]

No idea how im going to survive the next few months lol

[nix]

i told my house owner that i'll pay the rent next month. thanks to insurance and tax. anyway... i think i can get hold of Heavy Rain this month. q:

and next month is - GOW3!!!

[peeps]

yeh, usually with cod i keep hold of em cus i find they're games that a like to go back to every so often but COD just annoys me far too much and ain't played it in ages. tempted to trade it in when i get this game just cus i think the trade in price is still pretty high

[Ravage27]

haven't touch it for weeks and i'm going to spend quite a bit in the next few weeks. GT5 delay is a good thing imo

[kewlkat007]

Your off the blacklist.

[nix]

hypocrite much.

EDIT: as Zedux mentioned above, Famitsu has lost its reviewing sense but this game is going to be great nonetheless. 30 hours and 'no ending' is enough to be excited in the days of 5 hours single gameplay games.

[bjornbear]

so no need to bring out that blacklist ;)

[thief]

This is probably going to end up at 90+ on Metacritic excluding EDGE or 88 including Edge's 2/10 ("too much innovation, graphics are too realistic")

[nix]

yup.. it will hover around 85~90. there are enough Sony hating sites in the world. UC2 would have been the highest rated game if not for some stupid sites. they tried but it just was too big for them to push it down. sadly, HR won't have such backing because there's already so much of hate for this game.

[Imalwaysright]

I couldnt care less if Edge gives it a 0/10. After playing the demo i know that i will enjoy the 30 hours that i will spend on Heavy Rain.

[Ravage27]

Leader - Edge
Member #1 - GT
Member #2 - GameSpy
Member #3 - Eurogamer

[Diamondwolf]

Has it really come to this? memorizing which review sites will give a game a low score, so it'll affect metacritic and therefore ruin your credibility to throw and/or kick sand on the opposing console fanbase?

It makes me cry inside!

Do your lives need more fulfillment? maybe therapy?

Dedicated to fanboys of any console or PC. Play games, not scores or sales

[nix]

nope dude.. it's more to do with BEING VOCAL rather than turning your back to it. don't you think it's a good thing to protest if the game has been reviewed with an biased eye? and i think everyone here is giving what has been the reasons they use to deduct points from PS3 exclusive games.

in the end, we all are fighting for a better journalism!!!

@Ravage27: how about - F*cktastic Four! q:

[Diamondwolf]

I agree and I disagree. Yes, some do fight for better journalism, others use that excuse to b*tch and bicker on N4G. The harsh truth of the matter is, that true journalism, in this age, doesn't make money, and these sites need to make money.

Without those controversial articles and bullcrap hit seeking material, the site doesn't live long. If I were to start a website, that was truly unbiased and gave my opinion you know what would happen?

People would add me to their list........such as above either for being biased 360, PC, Wii or PS3. You can't win and my site would cater to the 10 or 20 loyal readers.

For some reason this gen has a bunch of people with a false sense of entitlement (aka fanboys) who are running the way companies operate and Microsoft is a MASTER at using that by the way they market their products, something the other companies can learn from.

Me, I watch what's going on, but in the end, it's all a large pointless fight that I will happily turn my back on so I don't become ignorant like the rest of the fanboys, therefore I play games, not sales or scores.

Edit: Also, to answer your first question, with another question. How do you know it's biased? some people give their opinions. Why make an opinion about someone else's opinion; instead of playing and forming your own opinion? To me reviews are tools used to determine if the good outweighs the bad, and not the physical score tied to the end of it. The meat is in the middle.

[Ravage27]

i understand what you are getting at and i respect your attitude, but it just pisses me off when these 'respectable' and well-known sites attempt to mislead the masses with their biased scoring system and nitpicking. True, their scores won't affect my enjoyment one bit but isn't it sad to see underrated titles getting poor sales?

And how do we know it's biased? That's easy - check their respective rating history, they almost always score PS3 exclusives lower than their peers and the exact opposite for 360 exclusives. Then proceed to read the negatives they listed for ps3 exclusives, are those same criterias present in their 360 reviews?

Reviewers are supposed to be consistent and unbiased - these guys are CONSISTENTLY biased.

[mfwahwah]

@4.4

I agree. Gamers nowadays are pretty damn pathetic when it comes to defending their games.

[onanie]

Not sure why you are forming an opinion of these other posters' opinion of the reviewers' opinions. Perhaps you should practice what you advocate in the first place - not to care about other people's opinions, right?

I realise that it can be tiresome to read certain types of comments, but if one wishes to change the behavior of certain posters, then one would have better luck elsewhere other than the internet. Such is its nature.

[Diamondwolf]

Now that I agree with. I must apologize as I thought you were one of the ignorant ones who normally comment as you have above only to bring up metacritic. The PS3 AND 360 loyalists on this site tend to show trends of hypocrisy on a daily basis. My main beef is with the scoring system and not the review themselves.

@onanie:
I was going to say touche, but then I thought about what I said earlier. I didn't form an opinion on the poster's opinion, nor did I advocate that people shouldn't follow others' opinion (hence me saying the meat is in the middle of the review) My point about these review sites is while yes, they may sway towards a particular console in the score (as ravage mentioned), but the review is usually filled with good information for the consumer. The idea is to seek multiple reviews to become an informed buyer and not settle with the score at the end. That's the major issue for me and other review sites. There are many reviewers and critics who believe the score should be removed, but it's the company that makes them put a numerical value on a particular product.

The problem is, most people on here use the score as some sort of power crutch that switches hand game by game until what? competition is no longer existent? Then what? It's almost like no one values the long road and everyone is short sighted. That's my opinion on the people, not their opinion so you can agree or disagree with is your right but unless people are informed and have a choice to take it or leave it, or can muster the open mind to even consider what other opinions could mean then the entire industry is doomed to cater to the lowest common denominator.

btw, bubbles on rational debate/discussion rav and ona

[Sir_Ken_Kutaragi_]

.____........___...____
.____||......||.......____||
||.........___||.......____|| 'Triple'A'Station 3' ;-P

30 hours??? Well i will be spending '10 hours' with that Woman in the Shower anyway!!! ;-P
Er it was the Woman showering i hope!!! ;-D

[nix]

lol.. q:

[Sir_Ken_Kutaragi_]

Time Completed Game - 29 Hours

Time Spent in Shower(Erm with the Woman) - 10 Hours

;-D

[-MD-]

Well, I already knew it but thanks for confirming you don't have a girlfriend.

Edit: Along with everybody else that agreed with you.

[theEnemy]

go with the 40/40 scoring ?

[Madeline12]

Yes they gave Heavy Rain 37/40 aka 9.25 in a 10 scale.

[theEnemy]

ok thanks mate ;)

[Madeline12]

Another AAA title and Goty on top of that. I think the Metacrtic score will be 9/9.5

[Lirky]

It wont be goty , goty mostly includes a game thats mainstream to the masses. Heavy rain isnt mainstream to the masses, because ppl overlook games that didnt get good marketing in the mainstream from commercials to like other marketing ways. For the gamers i honestly can say that this could be goty for the gamers in a personal way rather than it being like confirmed that everyone liked it.

[bunfighterii]

Agreed, this has 'cult classic' written on it I think, in the same tune as Shadow of the Colossus and ICO. It'll be one of those games, when looking back, people will say helped define the system.

[proximately]

The casual audience barely gives a crap when it comes to casting votes on "Game of the Year", I'll tell you right now that this will be a contender even in the audience version of GotY. Magazines, and gamingsites that aren't under the casual influence will also consider it for GotY.

[The Iron Sheik]

Gee I wonder why N4PS3G didn't post this review? Anyone have any ideas?

[Harlequiine]

I don't get it. News for PS3 Gamers?

[Michael-Jackson]

It means that N4G is filled with mostly PS3 fanboys, sad but true.
Oh, BTW...
360 has no games

[prettyboy1]

contender for sure

[Lirky]

Plus under the radar this game wont be mentioned like say a mainstreamed franchise of a game. What i like about some developer they can release just 1 game and dont need sequels because sequels alot of times sorta just make the franchise weaken overtime, unless it haves a huge fanbase such as the mgs franchise did its about a type of evolution of ideas and mapped out plans.

Im glad there wont be a heavy rain 2 it just wouldnt mix right as a saga i like games that have start,middle, and endings. And the download content is how a 1 game franchise succeeds very well opening thing backstory etc.

[OGharryjoysticks]

...and there's nothing wrong with that. Casuals will love playing a game that has great graphics, atmosphere, and story without the Game Over scenario.

[Dirk Benedict]

I have spent many hours in the shower. When I look over my shoulder, right now... I am still in the shower.

[Timesplitter14]

I must say I'm pretty surprised with the scores it got so far.

I expected a 8/10 average

[tiamat5]

Its pointless now. No negative comments or bad reviews will sway me now. No hesitation on doubt. Going to preorder it right now.

[iPad]

Epicness

[Denethor_II]

I think GOW3 will be game of the year. I've got this bad boy pre ordered and am glad to see it having good reviews. Xbox had a good run, but now the Black behemoth is where its at...yummy:)

[ExplicitG]

Sounds good.

[blair_enigma]

theres no "im better than you" in playing this game here, its "this is my experience, whats yours?"

sold ages ago :) something very new. 2000 pages of script compared to movies which is 200 if im not mistaken.

[foxxy]

we havent seen nothing yet this is just the tip

[rocky047586]

How did you get the game early? Are you like an editor for a magazine or online gaming site or something? And is the gameplay boring? Are the graphics really nice? Is it all just really QTE or is there actual gameplay in the game?

[maverick1191]

nicely put imo

sounds great and looks great what more can you ask for?

9.25 is a amazing score imo only the very very very few should get 10/10

(GTA4 we do not include you)

[onanie]

30 hours to play all of the scenarios, that's pretty good (let alone the fact that it is an "interactive" game).

[N4BmpS]

I think this game is too good to fail. It just seems to do so much right. And this it's first outing.

[NateDPG]

The game is EPIC WIN

[toyuts]

I think i'll be bankrupt and will have to cut on television bills and stuff. Too many good games this year, I can barely decide. No game over? What does that mean? does that mean that you can never lose? any explantion cuz i don't get it?

[subzero-08]

Wasn't expecting this game to score that high from Famitsu.