I think it's safe to say there's only so many times you can realistically play the game. Doesn't mean it's bad though, just has limited replay value.

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twitter.com/34thGingerbread

Astharis Wrote:So... Are people still actually playing Heavy Rain, or did they get bored of it yet?
*Genuine question*

Replay value isn't really in the game, unless you are a trophy maniac... But that wasn't really important for me. It was all about the experience which, imho, was definitely one of the best. It was just so different from the norm and was something that I really enjoyed.

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I've played through it a couple of times to see some of the different endings. I let family members and friends who aren't into gaming play and they can't believe some of the choices that have to be made throughout the game. They are really impressed by the plot and the emotions that they go through.

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So I finally bought a cheap copy of this game on eBay, which I received yesterday. I proceeded to take an all nighter to complete my first run through in one sitting. XD (Addictive, much? 7 hours wasn't a bad time, methinks) I'm fairly certain that I *almost* got the perfect ending (save a few details which are too spoiler-y to add to a general reflection on the game).

Although I enjoyed playing this title, my feelings haven't changed from those that I had when it was first released. Yes, this game contains within it an experience that you don't find in many games. In fact, it is up there rivalling some films in terms of its immersion. But I received 52% of the trophies in that one sitting and I don't really feel all that motivated to play the game again, even just to see what happens if I force the characters to fail spectacularly. Which makes me SERIOUSLY happy that I didn't pay anything close to RRP. I will probably be putting this back up on eBay within a few weeks.

So yeah. You absolutely cannot fault this game for hitting the targets which it set out to achieve. There are moments in this game that really get the adrenaline pumping or can make you feel VERY uncomfortable, even from the comfort of your own room (I totally went for it with the knife in the Lizard Trial and my chest seriously tightened through guilt of forcing Ethan to do that). It really does challenge the blurry lines between video games and cinematography. But I was acutely aware that the game continually whispers in my ear "I'm just fancy QTEs!".

Perhaps I'm simply asking too much. I really enjoyed what I've played, hence I sat up all night to complete it, even though I already knew the killer's identity through spoilers previously. My brother sat up with me and watched the entire thing too, and he said that it was too obvious who the killer was going to be. He guessed it straight away, and I had to awkwardly keep my mouth shut until the end. XD There are a handful of what I believe to be plot holes, but I don't think that they take too much away from the overall game.

Heavy Rain isn't terrible by ANY rate. You'd have to ignore an awful lot of atmosphere to say that this game is simply un-immersive QTEs, because there's so much more to it than that. The simple control system is to make it easy to interact with, rather than being a crux to it. Unfortunately, with the price label it still has, I don't think this game is worth buying. I'd want a few more worthwhile playthroughs for my money. DEFINITELY worth a rent though.


...I now require sleep. XD

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