Games

Heavy drama

Cutting edge gaming meets film noir

By Mehdi Cherifia

Game:Heavy Rain
Publisher: Quantic Dream
Platform: PlayStation 3
Rating: Mature

With critics saying many Hollywood movies look like video games, French game-maker Quantic Dream bucks the trend with Heavy Rain, an interactive adventure that plays like a classic film noir thriller.

"Today video games often seem like clunky toys. Our aim with Heavy Rain was to create a story for adults," game script writer and creator David Cage said. "There is a scenario with realistic characters and strong emotions like love or grief."

The game by the Paris studio takes place in a US town, telling the story of a hunt for a serial killer who preys on young boys, leaving his victims drowned with an orchid on their chest and an origami object in their hand.

TRAIL OF A KILLER

But the game in fact tells multiple stories, as the final outcome depends on choices made by the player as the action progresses.

Cage said the script was 20 times longer than the standard Hollywood thriller, requiring a script of about 120 pages.

Heavy Rain 's rhythm is less frenetic than many games on the market and deliberately tackles difficult and complex themes, such as the loss of a loved one, which are generally ignored by the gaming industry.

"The story essentially serves to keep the narrative moving forward," Cage said. "The most important thing is not just to find the killer but also to find out how far you are prepared to go for love."

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE

Players can tackle Heavy Rain's complex mystery in a number of ways.

"The end of the game will also be the end of your particular story," executive producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere said. "It could be happy or sad. The player is actor, director and screenwriter in his or her story."

Gamers play one of four distinct characters in the game: Ethan Mars, an architect whose life is thrown into turmoil after one of his sons is killed in a car crash; Norman Jayden, a high-tech FBI investigator; neurotic journalist Madison Paige; and Scott Shelby, a gruff private eye.

Technically, the controls needed to advance in Heavy Rain are largely intuitive, allowing players to immerse themselves in the narrative. - AFP

	buck (v): to resist or oppose something film noir (n): a type of crime film featuring unreliable characters in an unpleasant setting and a dangerous atmosphere clunky (adj): heavy and awkward serial killer (n): a person who murders several people one after the other in a similar way origami (n): the Japanese art of folding paper into attractive shapes frenetic (adj): involving a lot of energy and activity narrative (n): a description of events, especially in a novel tackle (v): to make a determined effort to deal with a difficult problem or situation neurotic (adj): not behaving in a reasonable, calm way, because you are worried