Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is probably Quantic Dream’s most famous release. Following the investigation around the Origami Killer, a serial killer who drowns his victims during extended periods of torrential rain, you follow a few different characters who are involved in both the investigation and the events, and the choices you make affect what happens to them.
It was lauded when it released, with the visuals, characters, and branching story all being praised. The way the world of Heavy Rain felt alive, and how the events were presented, was unlike anything we’d seen from narrative games before. The writing and facial animations were a cut above that of any other game, making it a title people talked about all year.
It re-released on PlayStation 4, alongside Beyond: Two Souls, a couple of years ago and, while it looked better, the game certainly shows its age now. The performances can seem wooden, the visuals look unrealistic, and the characters often move awkwardly. It’s better to remember Heavy Rain as the game that released in 2010 than how it compares to modern equivalents.
