[TheFollower]

So I beat Heavy Rain recently. Unfortunately, I had the killer spoiled for me before I began the game, so the revealing didn't come as a shock to me. After having thought of the plot of the game, however, things just don't add up. The end act seems to replicate both Omikron and Indigo Prophecy in that it just flies off the handrail into "anything can happen land." My main complaints about the game are as follows:

Spoiler

The sex scene was completely unmotivated. Forgive me for not noticing that there was romantic tension building between these two characters, because I didn't see it. Cage honestly doesn't know how to tell a good love story. No, this felt stuck in so Cage could say, "Hey look, there's sex in my game. It's mature!"

Scott Shelby being the killer. Given that we're able to hear Shelby's thoughts throughout the game, this plot revelation does not add up. Half the time his thoughts directly contradict what he would be thinking if he knew he was the killer (which he does.

Furthermore, the whole Kane Subplot loses all reason for existence. Why pursue a killer when you are the killer you're pursuing?

The lack of explantation as to Ethan's blackouts.

And how did Madison know Jayden and Shelby?

Overall though, I really did enjoy the experience. My first playthrough I ended up:

Spoiler

Ethan commited suicide at the grave, Jayden got stuck in VR land and Lauren killed Shelby

Phazon, I know you're playing the game. Let me know what you're thinking of it so far.

[Ransom]

Didn't read the spoilers (I'm not sure why...I don't own a PS3 and probably won't ever own one), but how does it compare with Indigo Prophecy, other than what you mentioned?

This post has been edited by Ransom: 01 March 2010 - 06:37 AM

[Phazon]

I loved the game. I just beat it last night. I can see your problems and there were some loose ends indeed.

Spoiler

BTW, my ending was Shelby falling down into the metal grinder after the fight with Jayden. Ethan saves Shaun, gets together with Madison and moves into a new house. Jayden is heralded as a hero but the ending implies that the VR land is not going to go away without a fight.

Oh right also

Spoiler

I did all of the challenges. I cut off Ethan's finger, I killed the drug dealer, I drank the poison. Nothing was more intense than crawling through the factory on the broken glass though. That made me cringe.

[Evili]

I was planning on getting it from the first time I heard of it, but my parents decided that they want me to wait until this summer when I'm out of the house... *grumble*

The demo was so much fun. The first scene in the hotel room baffled me; there was so many different outcomes to that one fight scene. I went through it about seven times just to see the different ways the fight could play out.

[Crimian]

Only spoilers that are available from promotional materials:

Spoiler

Is there a way to play through the "Lost Child" segment without being a completely irresponsible parent? I watched the preview of that section and determined that I would probably end up loathing the game if it didn't give me the option to do more to protect Jason, even if the result was always the same.

[TheFollower]

Crimian, on 01 March 2010 - 09:19 PM, said:

Only spoilers that are available from promotional materials:

Spoiler

Is there a way to play through the "Lost Child" segment without being a completely irresponsible parent? I watched the preview of that section and determined that I would probably end up loathing the game if it didn't give me the option to do more to protect Jason, even if the result was always the same.

Spoiler

You can try and run away and not pay the clown, but he'll call you back and say you owe him oney. Once you turn around Jason will be gone.

I highly reccomend you play the game though. Despite its flaws, its brilliant in pulling you into the situations that the characters are experiencing.

Spoiler

I wish they had given you a chance to redeem Shelby. I kind of felt sorry for him throughout the game, despite the messed up guy he truly is.

@Ransom:

It's better than Indigo Prophecy, but Cage can still improve.

[Sargus]

I just finished it today, and I didn't have as many problems with the story as you did, Follower. I thought that, all things considered, it was absolutely amazing and a very tight narrative. Yes, it had problems here and there (a result of trying to script a plot that can go in so many different directions), and the gameplay definitely had issues, but this is easily one of my favorite video game stories ever.

[Sargus]

Evili, on 30 May 2010 - 01:01 PM, said:

Spoiler

I don't really get the ending though. Shelby was the Origami killer, so why was he investigating in the first place? And why was he so angry when they killed Lauren? And why did he go after the guy who did kill Lauren? Seems like they forced him being bad a little bit, though maybe the had to because of the way I played the game.

Spoiler

Well, in my game, nobody ever killed Lauren, so I can't answer that one . But he was investigating both to throw others off the trail, but first and foremost to collect evidence against him (like the boxes of origami figures he sent people) and destroy them. I'm assuming you still saw the scene of him at the trash can throwing all that stuff in the fire?

[Evili]

Sargus, on 30 May 2010 - 02:12 PM, said:

Spoiler

Well, in my game, nobody ever killed Lauren, so I can't answer that one . But he was investigating both to throw others off the trail, but first and foremost to collect evidence against him (like the boxes of origami figures he sent people) and destroy them. I'm assuming you still saw the scene of him at the trash can throwing all that stuff in the fire?

Spoiler

Oooh, that makes sense, thanks! Wait, does that mean you missed the awesome shoot out that Shelby does against the guy who throws him into the water? Dang, that was really a intense scene! But I still can't quite figure out why it happened unless Shelby, even being evil, loved Lauren.

[TheFollower]

Evili, on 30 May 2010 - 07:16 PM, said:

Spoiler

Oooh, that makes sense, thanks! Wait, does that mean you missed the awesome shoot out that Shelby does against the guy who throws him into the water? Dang, that was really a intense scene! But I still can't quite figure out why it happened unless Shelby, even being evil, loved Lauren.

Spoiler

There's holes a plenty in the game. Like, why does Shelby call the police on himself, why are his thoughts contradictory to his own knowledge, how does Madison know about Shelby and his last name, how does Madison know where Shelby lives, how does she know who Jayden is? The list goes on and on. Still, it was an enjoyable experience, and I'll definitely play through it again someday.

[Evili]

TheFollower, on 31 May 2010 - 12:55 PM, said:

Spoiler

There's holes a plenty in the game. Like, why does Shelby call the police on himself, why are his thoughts contradictory to his own knowledge, how does Madison know about Shelby and his last name, how does Madison know where Shelby lives, how does she know who Jayden is? The list goes on and on. Still, it was an enjoyable experience, and I'll definitely play through it again someday.

Spoiler

Yeah, you're right, it does have some holes (I was wondering the same thing about the calling the police on himself thing). But regardless, it was a very good game and I'm trying to decide if I want to play it again.

[TheFollower]

@Evili:

Spoiler

So I take it you didn't save Lauren?

What ending did you end up with?

[Evili]

TheFollower, on 31 May 2010 - 07:40 PM, said:

@Evili:

Spoiler

So I take it you didn't save Lauren?

What ending did you end up with?

Spoiler

I actually didn't mean to kill of both Lauren and Madison. Under water in the car, I misread one of the commands and ended up breaking the window and leaving the car without untying Lauren. As for Madison, I pushed the wrong button at the window in the burning apartment and she jumped, killing herself. I ended up with Jayden figuring it out and killing Shelby while Ethan saved his son.

@Phazon

Spoiler

How did you drink the poison and still survive?

[Phazon]

Evili, on 01 June 2010 - 02:14 PM, said:

Spoiler

I actually didn't mean to kill of both Lauren and Madison. Under water in the car, I misread one of the commands and ended up breaking the window and leaving the car without untying Lauren. As for Madison, I pushed the wrong button at the window in the burning apartment and she jumped, killing herself. I ended up with Jayden figuring it out and killing Shelby while Ethan saved his son.

@Phazon

Spoiler

How did you drink the poison and still survive?

Spoiler

lol, it's not poison. It was a test of faith. It was just colored water in the bottle. This shows that you wouldn't go so far as to ingest poison to save your son. This game reveals the true future fathers. xD

[Evili]

Phazon, on 01 June 2010 - 02:20 PM, said:

Spoiler

lol, it's not poison. It was a test of faith. It was just colored water in the bottle. This shows that you wouldn't go so far as to ingest poison to save your son. This game reveals the true future fathers. xD

Spoiler

Well, I knew that Jayden was going to figure it out and I didn't want to save my son then just die off. I have a back up

Man, I still can't decide if I want to play it again, but there are so many different endings, it seems wrong not to play it again.

Also

Spoiler

Press X to Jason. Twice. Phazon, link that music video.

Oh, and whoever said it, good point:

Spoiler

What was causing Ethans blackouts?

[Luinnar]

Hows many endings does the game have?

[Evili]

Luinnar, on 01 June 2010 - 06:51 PM, said:

Hows many endings does the game have?

Quite a few. Um, let me see if I can count them.

...

I'm going to say eight maybe? Probably more? No less than eight I suppose.

I know, I'm a LOT of help

[TheFollower]

Evili, on 01 June 2010 - 07:23 PM, said:

Oh, and whoever said it, good point:

Spoiler

What was causing Ethans blackouts?

Spoiler

It's never said. Cage gave some sad excuse that they were going to have the explanation in the game, but they took it out because it would be more "interesting" for players to create their own ideas. Some people like to think that Shelby followed him around, knocking him and draggin him to the construction site and placing the figures in his hand. That's just long winded, and if Cage wanted us to think that...well, it's just a bad explanation. I like Cage for his willingness to try new things, but he's like a teenager writing thriller pulp fiction. The stories are interesting, but not everything is always tied up and they're not very mature:

Have you ever seen two people fall in love that quickly; with no romantic buildup?