This upcoming PS3 exclusive is shaping up to be quite a unique title. We’ve got some screens and the official press release, click through to read it and let us know your thoughts on this game…
For more about the Leipzig Games Convention, click here.
One of the highlights in David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), introductory speech, Heavy Rain was unveiled at Games Convention 2008, taking brave new steps in the games industry in both content – an adult thriller with a complex plot – and gameplay – where you play and shape the storyline rather than be a mere spectator. Step into a world of mystery and suspense, betrayal and redemption, in Heavy Rain™, a PLAYSTATION®3 exclusive from Quantic Dream scheduled for release by SCEE in late 2009.
Heavy Rain is a dark, immersive and emotionally-engaging experience; one that expands upon the innovative ideas of 2005’s acclaimed Fahrenheit to create a noir-thriller where decisions are charged with importance and actions can have drastic and unforseen consequences. Breaking with traditional game conventions where necessary, the gameplay will be based around story, emotional involvement and the player’s decisions and interactions, rather than high-scores, combat and competition. Intuitive gameplay and controls are also fundamental to the experience – ensuring that the game is mature but accessible, and avoiding alienating players with obscure stats and complex interfaces.
In Heavy Rain you don’t watch the story – you play it. The dynamic narrative unfolds through the players actions - not cut scenes - and every action has a consequence. The choices you make and the way you interact with other characters have repercussions throughout the storyline. With unprecedented responsibility over the fates of the game’s characters, players will find Heavy Rain an emotional experience unlike any other. It dares to tackle subject matter and themes rarely touched upon in video games, making it a genuinely mature game for a new world of adult gamers.
Heavy Rain has been unveiled at Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig with a teaser trailer consisting of actual gameplay footage, demonstrating Quantic Dream’s use of stunning animation and motion-capture technology to create an atmospheric and thrilling experience.
Founded in 1997 by David Cage, French developer Quantic Dream has achieved international renown for its innovation within the games industry, particularly in the areas of interactive narration and emotional content. The studio’s record speaks for itself: in particular Quantic Dream was responsible for 2005’s award winning Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in the US and Canada), a paranormal, interactive blend of film and gaming that was widely praised for re-imagining the adventure game genre.
Heavy Rain is the place where action gaming meets film-noir head-on, in an adventure unlike any other. A game where your mind, emotions and human nature will be put to the test like never before, Heavy Rain takes interactive entertainment down a dark, compelling path rarely ventured in the gaming world.
What about the trailer :)?
Unlike others I really enjoyed Fahrenheit….(indigo prophecy to the yanks out there)…I say give us more!
Comment by JohnSketch — Aug 21, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
“Demo and DLC for Heavy Rain”
[ http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=220286 ]
—
Quantic Dream has confirmed to Eurogamer plans for a pre-release demo of PS3 exclusive-of-the-moment Heavy Rain, while hinting at the potential for downloadable content in the convention-smashing adventure.
“Yes, of course, there will be a demo,” said studio president David Cage, speaking to us the morning after the long-rumoured game was finally unveiled during Sony’s GC 2008 conference. Given the nature of the title, however, demo content is likely to steer clear of the main story, instead focusing on conveying the game’s unique mechanics.
“We need to think about it, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the story,” Cage added. “We’ve spent a lot of time working on the story this time; we’ve worked with people from Hollywood, script writers, to really make it just right. And I think it’s a very unusual story for a videogame, so I think people will be quite surprised.”
The gameplay walkthrough we witnessed earlier today was described as a separate episode not related to the main storyline, and this points ahead to ways in which Quantic Dream is considering expanding the game with downloadable content, as well as future titles.
“This is something it’s really too early to talk about, but it’s definitely a possibility,” Cage revealed. “There’s so many possibilities with this thing, because what matters now is just the story you want to tell. Do you have a good story to tell? Then you can do it, because this thing isn’t specific to the series. You can tell any story with this interface, because it’s entirely contextual.”…
—
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
@all
psn update is up there and its not to shabby!
and for anyone that cares the kratos pack for everybody’s golf is available here in the pal region, which was an unexpected surprise
Well done SCEE!
Comment by manley — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
@3 [manley]:
Thanks. Prompted me to check PS3Fanboy…
[ http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/08/21/european-psn-releases-for-august-21st/ ]
—
Playable Content
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty (£9.99)
International Track & Field - PS1 (£3.49)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo (Free)
Add-On Content
Buzz! - National Geographic Safari Quiz (£4.99)
HAZE Domination Pack (Free)
Everybody’s Golf - Kratos (£0.69)
Guitar Hero III - DragonForce Track Pack (£3.99)
Leipzig Trailers
PLAYSTATION Network Showcase
VidZone Trailer
Playing Games Trailer
Sony Online Entertainment Trailer
WipEout HD Trailer
Warhawk: Operation Fallen Star Trailer
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty Trailer
MotorStorm Pacific Rift Trailer
LittleBigPlanet Trailer
Killzone 2 Trailer
inFamous Trailer
Heavy Rain Trailer
GTI Club+ Trailer
Far Cry 2 Trailer
PlayTV Trailer
Fatal Inertia EX Trailer
Bionic Commando Rearmed Trailer
Wait, there’s content for HAZE? Seriously?! At least it’s free
—
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
I was intrigued by this game, until i saw the trailer, on another site obviously
but, then i saw you just press square, circle,x or triangle when the corresponding symbol appears during the movie (sorry game) and thats about it
impressive looking, but not much more than a crappy dvd game to play
Comment by Chris — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
@fanpages
No problem
I did check a couple sites to post the news but had no joy, i think il keep ps3fanboy in mind next week.
Comment by manley — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
Or you can always keep an eye on TSA: http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2008/08/21/psn-store-update-210808/
Comment by Nofi — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
It’s being touted as “making it a genuinely mature game for a new world of adult gamers.”
I’m not sure if those Quick Time Events will be well received by HardCore gamers, but it certainly will do wonders to bring new inexperienced mature gamers into the PS3 fold.
I will certainly give it a go as I love anything with a strong story.
The graphics look very impressive so far, so I look forward to seeing more!
Comment by Savage — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
TheSixthAxis have just posted the update list too…
[ thesixthaxis.com/2008/08/21/psn-store-update-210808/ ]
As for “Heavy Rain” videos…
[ video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9133667929405103814 ]
[ gamekyo.com/video12723_heavy-rain-new-video.html ]
[ gamersyde.com/stream_8318_en.html ]
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
PS. You got a mention from me in this blog comment thread too:
[ http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/08/coverage-of-the-leipzg-gc-in-your-language/ ]
Hope you get a dedicated server &/or one that can cope with your site traffic soon.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
@nofi + fanpages
yeah yeah alright i was too bust watching the vids to bother to search properly.
btw the new jetpacks in warhawk look SICK!!! cant wait!!!!
:)
Comment by manley — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
[...] 2008 @ 3:40 pm Comments (1) 160GB PS3 coming to Europe 21 Aug Storage space galore for source: Heavy Rain screens from Leipzig, Three [...]
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I’ve never got ‘on’ with “Warhawk” although my kids love it.
The 1.5 update patch for Trophy Support is next week (27 August) isn’t it?
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
28th according to the vid, which is also my birthday. nice pressy for me then.
Comment by manley — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
Yeah, just checking the store on my psp and wow, have SCEE been kicked up the arse or something?
Very good update
Comment by MrGilder — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
@ Chris and others, this game won’t just be a series of button presses, QD have some really clever and unique ideas on how to control games.
I came across Fahrenheit almost by accident and I thought it was an absolute hidden gem in the PS2’s gaming catalogue, I had played nothing like it before and probably not since.
Fahrenheit also had dramatic moments that relied on quick button presses or stick movements from on screen prompts, but this was not the primary control method, nor was it dull repetitive or out of place, the developer had put thought into which buttons to press at which time and the choices felt really fluid and natural.
I have very very high hopes for this game, not only does it look amazing but it could be a real stand out exclusive for the PS3, Fahrenheit came close on the PS2 but the hardware wasn’t quite ready for it’s ambition, the PS3 is ready.
This could be a very special game, and even though I said to myself I wouldn’t buy hype again after Lair and Haze, the experience of Fahrenheit is enough to allow myself to get excited.
And this still ISN’T the ground breaking console shattering earth stopping game that BBC journalist has seen but not allowed to mention!
Good times ahead for PS3 owners!
Comment by Apnomis — Aug 21, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
I’ve never played Indigo Prophecy but I’m really interested in this. Am I the only one that gets a Shenmue vibe from the screens?
If you still don’t have a PS3, I imagine you’re only getting more and more tempted to get one. Probably the same feeling when it comes to the PS3, too. If you don’t have both systems, take a look at this Stacker 2 contest going on where you can win the system of your choice. All you need to do is design a 6 Hour Power t-shirt, and if your design wins you’ll also get a copy of Rise of the Argonauts, ten t-shirts with your design on it, and a year’s supply of 6 Hour Power energy shots. There are less than 180 entrants as of now, but it’s surprisingly easy to design a t-shirt online. Check out the contest details here: http://www.brickfish.com/Entertainment/Stacker2?tab=overview
Let me know if you have any questions about the contest or the drink. If you enter, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll definitely vote for your design too. Good luck.
Franklin Keane
http://www.6hrpower.com
Franklin6hrpower@gmail.com
Comment by Franklin — Aug 21, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
Apnomis et al,
Does anyone know where I can get a copy of Fahrenheit ( Indigo Prophecy )? Amazon does not seem to stock it anymore.
Comment by Savage( PSN : CartBlanche ) — Aug 21, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
Savage - I tried hunting down Fahrenheit for the PS2 a couple of years ago but didn’t have any luck at all…. but I did find the PC version and it ran pretty well on a very average machine.
You should at least be able to find a PC demo just by searching for “Fahrenheit demo”. If it’s the same one that I played years ago it’s pretty short but intense, and there are a few different ways you can complete it.
The only problem is that it will possibly leave you waiting in agony for Heavy Rain to be released, and anything else that Quantic Dream make from now on
Comment by Ricky — Aug 21, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
@ Ricky, how does it translate on PC? From what I remember a lot of the game play relied on rotating the analogue sticks in a certain way, not sure how well that would translate to a keyboard/mouse?
@ Savage, Play Trade have one new one (but it’s dear) and some 2nd hand ones for cheap:
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/4-/167821/Fahrenheit/Product.html
Also there’s a few on eBay for a reasonable buy it now price:
http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37.l1313&satitle=Fahrenheit+PS2
I was discussing Fahrenheit with a friend the other night, and it brought it back to me how great this game was, I may even dig it out and make use of my rarely used B/C feature (although sometimes I find when you playback old games they don’t live up to your memory of them!)
I remember how there was various choices you could make and how those choices affected your personality and how you talked to people or how they reacted to you. There was a scene where if you acted the wrong way to a cop he would insist on coming in and searching your apartment (in which case you were knackered if you hadn’t made the choice to hide anything incriminating before answering the door) etc.
I also remember some of the morale choices you made in the game, like they’re doing in Heavy Rain, one that stands out in my memory was seeing a young girl drowning in the park lake with a cop coming towards you - do you run from the cop to save yourself or stop to save the girl at the risk of being caught? Whichever you did affected the rest of the game. I also seem to recall a flashback of when he was a boy in some burning warehouse, you had a limited time to save your best friend, and again if you didn’t it would affect what happened in the present day.
The other thing I remember liking is fact that you played the game from both sides - sometimes you were the guy that woke up at a murder scene with no memory and sometimes you were the detective investigating the case - given that you don’t know who is right and who is wrong you sort of play them with equal bias, and each chapter of the game would change depending what happened in the previous one. One specific incidence I remember was trying to draw one of those police e-fits of the suspect (I sucked at this despite playing as the guy 5 minutes earlier!), but again it would affect the game and where you could go (if it was a good likeness someone would recognise you from what I remember of it). It’s all a bit hazy now as it’s been years since I’ve played it.
The only thing I remember being a bit odd was the sci-fi twist towards the end, I’ll not spoil it but it all get’s a bit strange! If Heavy Rain plays it straight it could be a great thriller.
They’ve clearly brought back Quick Time Events for Heavy Rain, I would also like to see back from Fahrenheit - playing the game from multiple perspectives (hunter and hunted), the split screen “someone’s coming” sections (these normally had a tight time limit that really added to the tension), the multiple branching dialogue that changes depending on your character’s psyche, the interesting morale choices that have a visible affect on the game.
I would also like them to improve the variety of the endings available and also make the morale choices more subtle - the thing with Fahrenheit was a lot of what you did didn’t really matter, and when it did matter it was an obvious “this will change the ending” moment, and from the vague memory I have of it I think there was one bit at the end that basically dictated most of the ending. I would like to see them refine this so it’s less obvious what you’re doing will come back to bite you on the ass later in the game (and for you to be able to realise that it is happening as a result of something you did).
Fahrenheit didn’t quite pull off the vision of a game being based purely on the changing emotional state of the characters, but it did come close. With the increased power of the PS3 allowing for more convincing character acting and more branching storylines and dialogue, coupled with a refined game play system and more conventional story line, Heavy Rain could become an absolute classic!
Comment by Apnomis — Aug 22, 2008 @ 9:17 am
GBP 9.99 at SoftUK:
[ http://www.softuk.com/Sony_Playstation_2_Product_View.asp?ProdID=P2UKFARHEN ]
You sometimes see this title pre-owned in the racks at GAME stores too. May be worth calling your local store & asking if they have it.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 22, 2008 @ 10:40 am
FFS! Second time of posting yet another comment…
GBP 9.99 at SoftUK:
[ softuk.com/Sony_Playstation_2_Product_View.asp?ProdID=P2UKFARHEN ]
You sometimes see this title pre-owned in the racks at GAME stores too. May be worth calling your local store & asking if they have it.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 22, 2008 @ 10:41 am
GBP 9.99 at SoftUK:
[ softuk.com/Sony_Playstation_2_Product_View.asp?ProdID=P2UKFARHEN ]
You sometimes see this title pre-owned in the racks at GAME stores too. May be worth calling your local store & asking if they have it.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 22, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
@Savage
If interested - if you can make your way up to a little town south of stoke “Stafford” in the GAME there saw a copy going for £5
Comment by JohnSketch — Aug 22, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
Here’s a preview of Heavy Rain:
http://kotaku.com/5040170/heavy-rain-youre-soaking-in-it
Sounds like this title won’t disappoint and looks like it includes all the features that made Fahrenheit a great game.
This is now a must-have title for me!
Comment by Apnomis — Aug 22, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
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