Heavy Rain (early demo) - Impressions to follow [PS3]

[Ghambit]

Even though the demo technically doesnt come out until Feb.10, if you partake of their "Four Days Challenge" mystery webgame you can gain early access.  OR you could use the spoiler below and take the shortcut, which will in 5 mins. gain you a redemption code to download the demo right now.  The choice is yours.  Which direction will you go? 

[ffc]

Thanks for the clear instructions.  Completed it with no problems.

I love a great story but hate QTE's.  I've seen the game's previews but without trying it for myself I can't tell if there's a successful integration of the two.  Time to find out!

[SnakeCharmer]

Is there some amount of time needed to wait before the code is activated?  Tried it with two different codes, and can't get either one to accept.  I get the "The code you entered may not be correct or may no longer be valid" error everytime.

[Vision]

Played the demo at CES, or whatever demo they had there. I was extremely, and surprisingly, engaged.

[Ghambit]

Is there some amount of time needed to wait before the code is activated?  Tried it with two different codes, and can't get either one to accept.  I get the "The code you entered may not be correct or may no longer be valid" error everytime.

Are you from the US or the UK?  The code is region specific.

My impression:
Just like Vision's pretty much.  It's definitely NOT a game.  So, you go in thinking it'll just be a boring cut-scene stretched out into some semblance of entertainment.  Thing is, it's really good entertainment.  The voice-overs are very well done, music great, imagery great.  The UI keeps you engaged just enough to keep you glued to the set without being too apparent.  Yah, in the end it's fairly linear (at least the demo is)... but, you indeed find yourself restarting the game and choosing a different path over and over. (something I rarely ever do in any "game.")

Quantic is definitely onto something with this title.  I'd call it more interactive machinima than anything else.  And if there's a place for machinima it's definitely with something like this.

[Vision]

In the part I played you have the choice to save a hooker from an abusive client. You can either let her get raped, or go kick the guys ass. I chose to kick his ass, and was glued to my seat awaiting the different button press commands. I didn't want to lose the fight, and neither did the 10 people around me. It wasn't a full on action game, but I was just as immersed.

[SnakeCharmer]

Are you from the US or the UK?  The code is region specific.

US

[ffc]

I put my region as US (since I'm in the US) and my demo code worked right away. 

Regarding combat, each combat QTE isn't an all or nothing step like QTE's in other games.  Combat is a long series of QTE's but missing one, a few or all of them just changes how the scene is played and does not result in failure / having to start again. 


While this is the most enjoyable way to handle QTE's, and like Vision said the demo's combat section is really intense, my attention was still focused more on the required button press than on the scene itself. 

During the FBI agent's scene I completely missed some evidence on my first play and my mistake did not seem to impact anything.  I'm not sure whether this is good or bad.

I also don't understand why there is a dedicated walk button instead of just allowing me to walk with the left control stick but that decision may become clear in the full game.

[Ghambit]

Anyways, I'm gonna throw down a pre-order on this thing.  Great chic game too, since they mostly love watching boob toob crime dramas anyways - I caught mine just watching.
Main reason why is I was just surprised by the desire to go back and try different things, in a short demo no less.

[Velorath]

I also don't understand why there is a dedicated walk button instead of just allowing me to walk with the left control stick but that decision may become clear in the full game.

IIRC, it's so you'll continue to walk forward even when the camera changes.

[ffc]

I also don't understand why there is a dedicated walk button instead of just allowing me to walk with the left control stick but that decision may become clear in the full game.

IIRC, it's so you'll continue to walk forward even when the camera changes.

Could be.  I had a hard time maneuvering if I relied on the walk button with adjustments made with the left stick.  It was much easier to keep the left stick pressed as if there was no walk button.  Camera changes did not make me go in reverse if the left stick was continually pressed in one direction.

Main reason why is I was just surprised by the desire to go back and try different things, in a short demo no less.

As I replayed the demo to try different things I had a flashback to keeping my fingers on various pages during Choose Your Own Adventure books.