Google translated a review of the beta.
http://www.gamereactor.no/previews/119209/Heavy+Rain/The world's most pretentious games have arrived in the editorial team of an early version. Jon Cato and Magnus sat down on the sofa to play David Cage's ambitious drama games.
As the envelope falls on the table in front of me, I pick it up and look at it, before I take hold of the loose flap on the side and pull your hand instantly to the right to open it. I put my hand up, and lift up a blu-ray disc printed Heavy Rain Preview Code. Finally.
All games journalists do something about Heavy Rain. You have those who are convinced, and who believe David Cage is going to revolutionize the game medium to the next year with its interactive thriller. Also, you have those who believe the opposite, who believe that Cage is a filmmaker trapped in the game media and will give us a pompous games where everything we have to do is press the right button at the right time, as we did in the Dragon's Lair on 80 century.
Here in the editorial opinions have been divided. My editorial director Magnus has been in the latter category.
- There is something about the figure of David Cage. This is the man who, after all, gave us 30 minutes video with him in advance of the action-adventure Fahrenheit where he would explain to us how well Fahrenheit was. He seems pretentious and egotistical, and Fahrenheit was not nearly as cool as it should have been. I think Heavy Rain is going to be a ten-hour failed art experiment, proclaims Southerners.
Although I am skeptical. Especially after I witnessed Cage even demonstrate a level of Gamescom in Germany two years ago. It should lead the Frenchman jumped up and down and back and forth on stage while the main character on the screen, a young reporter, tried to escape from a mass murderer in a house. "Oh my god, what will we do?" Quick, run to the left! Oh no, the killer is coming, oh my god! Oh my god! Hide! " screamed the hyperactive Cage with 'Allo' Allo accent as he tripped up and down. It was exaggerated and painfully, as if he was not proud of that emotion from the game was NOK to engage us as so on. I liked what I saw on the screen, but the panic-stricken developer's obsession by telling us that we should feel, and not least, what we feel, was just annoying.
Therefore I am looking forward to sit down comfortably with the game in the office and try it without a hysterical French man hanging over me. Instead I had a troublesome Southerners hanging over me in the form of Magnus.
But first, I wander over to the kitchen corner and turn on the kettle at the touch of a button. Then I lift it up before I topple the left to fill up my cup. I took out a spoon and pushing it into the coffee powder and up again, then pour the coffee into the cup. So I push the spoon into the cup and bring it in a circular motion around the cup to stir your coffee in the warm water.
With coffee in hand I walk over to the couch and sit down before I take a sip of coffee by the cup up to her mouth. I put the cup on a table to the left of the sofa, and then pick up the hand controller.
Heavy Rain opens gently. In a bed, with daylight flooding into a window. It is morning and time to stand up. This is done by moving the lever to the left, as indicated on the screen of a large arrow. The man on the screen follows the movement, and sits on the edge of the bed. A new arrow pointing up, and I push it up, and the man lifted slowly on her ass. I release the lever again and he sits down. I play a bit of up and down, and Magnus laughed.
- Haha! It looks like he is taking a shit!
I agree. It looks stupid out. But this is also the price to pay to give the player control of a game character. When David Cage put the list as high as he does with the Heavy Rain, when the focus on to convey a story and evoke emotions in the player is so great, is drop the height of the greater of the players are going to shit out the game. David Cage wants us to live ourselves into the game and react and act as we would in real life as real people. Therefore, it looks even more ridiculous when we are playing with will break the illusion and do stupid things. Like to sit with her ass halfway across the bed so that it looks like we're trying to shit on the sheets.
But we quickly got tired of the small home-made mini our game, and move the man out of bed and around the bedroom. We go to the bathroom and brush your teeth and shave us. Showers and hair dryers. Peeing and looking at our reflection. All accompanied by arrows and button indicators on the screen that tells us how we should move the joystick and buttons which we will press on.
- Jesus, what is this? These are the things I do every day at home, why on earth should I do this in a computer game? To take a shower and shave himself is the shit boring. Pulling down the toilet, it's totally meaningless, exclaimed Magnus.
Perhaps this is it. But I feel that this first quarter serves as a kind of training in spillmekanikkene. And not the least being attached a link between me and the shape of the screen. I shake the controller when he was brushing his teeth. It is not he who brush your teeth, it is I who do it. I am with drying his hair, and it is me who controls his hand when he opens the doors. There are small movements, the paper meaningless activities, but the tranquil and lazy start of the game with everyday tasks gives me a closeness to the person on the screen that I have rarely experienced in a videogame.
The daily continues when we come down on the ground floor. Here we are suddenly faced with the choice. We will work a little at the office, watch TV, enjoy us in the garden? Systematically as I am, I used to go through these options in the peace and order, and finish everything before I go further in the game. But there is not time for it, the wife of the man comes home soon, and it is limited what I can see. So I get a chance to define who this person is on the screen. Is he conscientious and sits down and working on a new arktitekttegning? Or is he a latsabb who would rather sit in front of the screen. Subbas he only around the kitchen and eat snacks and drink coffee and juice? Or will he enjoy the sun outside in the garden. It's not a big choice, and it does not affect the game's history, but it affects my relationship with this person. It defines that person's identity above me, an identity that is unique nuances in my own unique gaming experience.
My wife comes home, and we cover the table. Playing with the kids. And are faced with little choice route. It is unusual. We usually plays to win, we follow the rules and do everything we can to beat. But in the garden I will play fighting with my eldest son with play value. It appears on-screen buttons I should press on quickly to get into battle. And dutifully as I press him. And hit my son in the shoulder. In the legs. Suddenly I see on his face that he is frustrated. What kind of father am I really, who is trying to show off to an age of ten with a toy worth? So I will be pressing the buttons. Loses the sword fight on purpose. My son cheering, and his little brother claps her hands, as I fall on the grass and declare my defeat. I've lost the will for the first time in a game, to make some children happy. And it feels good. Strange but good. Other players may win the fight and humiliate her son, but I do not know anything about. In my game and my gaming experience is not child's father so. He is caring and conscientious. Others may define him as they wish.
Our play test continues, we will be the new main characters and the story begins to take shape. And we feel. Even surpompen Magnus thaw out. Eventually, it becomes less of the monotonous daily chores, and more action. I could have explained in broad detail, but I almost feel that it would be to spoil too much of the game. Most in fact deserve to be experienced on its own rather than be retold, and as the story is so central, I do not want to reveal too much about it either. But the emotions are there all the time. After three hours of play culminates our game test with a panic wonderful scene with the same father, we became acquainted with in the beginning. The atmosphere is terrible, we feel with him as he runs around and crying and looking for her son. It is not muscular rock Marcus Fenix or sex symbol Lara Croft running around on the screen, there is a vulnerable householder. A man we have been familiar with and experienced things, and we feel with. As the scene ends, we are both silent for a moment.
- This will definitely play when it comes, "said Magnus.