Heavy Rain

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,221 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Heavy Rain Game Cover
Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain proves that video games can be as good as movies, if not better.
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"Heavy Rain" is an intense interactive drama game that follows the lives of four characters involved in a mystery surrounding the Origami Killer. Players will face moral choices, investigate clues, and engage in quick-time events to determine the outcome of the story. With multiple endings, the game offers a unique and emotionally charged experience.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,221 reviews
story1,026 positive mentions
optimization40 negative mentions
  • Engaging and immersive story with multiple plot twists that keep players guessing.
  • Strong character development and emotional depth, making players care about the outcomes.
  • Good graphics and atmosphere for a game of its age, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Clunky and unresponsive controls, especially with quick-time events and character movement.
  • Numerous plot holes and inconsistencies that detract from the overall narrative.
  • Voice acting can be hit or miss, with some performances feeling awkward or lacking emotion.
  • story2,314 mentions

    The story of "Heavy Rain" is widely praised for its emotional depth and intricate plot, revolving around the search for the origami killer and the intertwining lives of four main characters. While many players find the narrative engaging and filled with unexpected twists, there are notable criticisms regarding plot holes and inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game is recommended for those who appreciate story-driven experiences, as the choices made throughout significantly impact the narrative's outcome.

    • “The story of Heavy Rain is probably one of the best on the entire video game marketplace.”
    • “Heavy Rain is more than a game; it’s an emotional story that gripped me from the very start.”
    • “The story is captivating and will keep you glued to your seat.”
    • “The plot of this game is more or less a sieve with the amount of plot holes within it.”
    • “The story just progressed too slowly and the tedious, monotonous gameplay really left a sour taste in my mouth.”
    • “The story is full of plot holes and is incoherent, really squandered some good themes and ideas, especially with the plot twist that made no sense from what we could see in the player perspective.”
  • gameplay410 mentions

    The gameplay of "Heavy Rain" is primarily composed of quick-time events (QTEs) and exploration, which many players find clunky and frustrating. While some appreciate the narrative-driven experience and the impact of player choices, the overall mechanics are often criticized for being outdated and lacking depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding the gameplay's enjoyment. Despite its flaws, the compelling story tends to overshadow the gameplay shortcomings for many players.

    • “I loved the gameplay as someone who doesn't really enjoy action-heavy gameplay, but most of all, the writing was superb.”
    • “The gameplay consists largely of having to press buttons to do mundane, boring tasks.”
    • “The gameplay, while an interesting concept, is janky at times and unclear at others.”
    • “Most of the gameplay you will do is various quick time events and playing twister on your controller.”
    • “Really good story but the gameplay isn't great; it's often boring and walking around feels clunky.”
    • “The gameplay and controls are beyond awful.”
  • graphics407 mentions

    The graphics of "Heavy Rain" have received mixed reviews, with many acknowledging that while they were impressive for a 2010 release, they now appear dated compared to modern standards. Some players appreciate the game's atmospheric visuals and character detail, especially in cutscenes, while others criticize the clunky animations and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the visuals are considered decent for their time, but players often note that the game's storytelling and emotional depth overshadow any graphical shortcomings.

    • “The graphics in Heavy Rain are stunning, with realistic character models and environments.”
    • “I was stunned by the overall quality of the game; the graphics and animation are simply unbelievable, and the attention to graphic details is maniacal.”
    • “Despite its age, the graphics still hold up well, featuring a very cinematographic aesthetic and camera angles.”
    • “The graphics are outdated; the controls are impossible, and the story and characters make no sense.”
    • “The graphics are a bit dated, but if you are able to get past that, the game has a great story with powerful emotions.”
    • “The game crashed far too many times at the start for it to be playable until I realized that the graphics card needs to be optimized for it.”
  • music171 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the narrative, with many reviewers praising its haunting and poignant qualities. While some noted that certain tracks felt repetitive or generic, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience, effectively complementing the story and character development. Despite a few criticisms regarding voice acting and sound mixing, the music remains a standout feature that elevates the gameplay.

    • “The music really helps build up that anxiety as well.”
    • “The soundtrack is magnificent; it really brings an attachment to what is happening at current moments, and the characters are so well developed that you feel some sort of emotion for them.”
    • “The music is emotionally engaging and conveys a sense of urgency during the quick time events.”
    • “This game has awkward voice acting, bad writing, an obnoxious soundtrack, a borderline incoherent plot, phoned-in gameplay, and janky controls.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredibly generic and I will not be listening to it outside of the game.”
    • “The music is generic cash-grab Hollywood movie orchestra; no tracks were interesting, maybe apart from the game's main theme, but it was overused and lost all meaning.”
  • atmosphere107 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its immersive, gloomy, and intense qualities, effectively enhancing the storytelling and emotional depth. Reviewers highlight the impactful use of sound design, music, and environmental details, such as rain, which contribute to a haunting and oppressive mood that aligns well with the narrative's dark themes. Despite some technical flaws, the overall atmosphere remains a standout feature, drawing players into a gripping psychological thriller experience.

    • “The soundtrack creates a strong atmosphere.”
    • “Heavy Rain is an amazing game, filled with incredible characters and a brooding atmosphere.”
    • “As for the atmosphere: it's gloomy, I thought that GTA 4 was gloomy and depressive, but no.”
    • “The rain-soaked environments and moody atmosphere create a sense of tension and unease, perfectly complementing the game's dark themes.”
    • “A profoundly depressing tone pervades it and generates an atmosphere that is rampantly dripping with tension and despair.”
  • optimization101 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting severe stuttering, long loading times, and frequent crashes across various hardware setups, including high-end GPUs. Many players noted that even with recommended specifications, performance issues persisted, making the game frustratingly unplayable at times. While some users experienced smoother gameplay after adjusting settings, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for PC, detracting significantly from the experience.

    • “Optimization: it was mostly smooth on my PC, but I noticed some drops. I don't mind if my FPS is 75.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere are nice despite being a bit dated, but their performance on PC is bad.”
    • “From a technical standpoint, it's a great port which runs smoothly on my hardware on the highest settings.”
    • “Was also optimized badly, loading times were horrendously long even with the game installed on an M.2 SSD, and the framerate would always stutter for about a minute after a level loads on my 7900 XT.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized for PC; I had several frame drops and some crashes.”
    • “It was a good game in its day on the PlayStation, but now it's just a badly optimized unplayable mess that crashes constantly.”
  • emotional86 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its gripping narrative and ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players describing it as an emotional rollercoaster that can lead to tears. However, some critiques highlight issues with character development and execution of dramatic moments, which can detract from the overall emotional impact. Despite these criticisms, the game is recognized for its intense emotional engagement and memorable storytelling, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “Heavy Rain is more than a game; it’s an emotional story that gripped me from the very start.”
    • “This game just was an emotional rollercoaster.”
    • “The characters were perfect, the ending was emotional, the story was great, and the graphics are beautiful even if it's dark.”
  • stability83 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and unresponsive gameplay, making it nearly unplayable for many. While some players noted that the story and visuals were engaging, the overwhelming presence of bugs and performance issues significantly detracted from the overall experience. A few users managed to play without major issues, but these instances were rare, highlighting a generally unstable gaming experience.

    • “The game runs great on the deck with built-in motion controls, which I found added a bit of drama to those panicky situations during the story.”
    • “Happy to report no glitches, crashes, or problems.”
    • “Heavy Rain holds up extremely well; I didn't have any problems with the controls (played on Xbox One controller), no glitches, no framerate problems, no crashes either.”
    • “It freezes every time during loading and becomes unresponsive!”
    • “It's buggy as hell and now I can't finish the game because it crashes when I try to play the last chapter.”
    • “The game randomly crashes and freezes, so that I had to request a refund :(”
  • humor76 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely described as unintentional, with many players finding it hilariously flawed due to poor writing, awkward voice acting, and buggy graphics. While the game attempts to deliver a serious narrative, it often results in laugh-out-loud moments, particularly when players intentionally fail quick-time events or encounter absurd character interactions. Overall, it’s seen as a "glorious mess" that provides comedic relief amidst its more serious themes, making it a unique experience for those who appreciate its charm.

    • “A funny game with an important social message about reforms in the internal affairs management system.”
    • “It’s a glorious mess that amounts to a game that wants to be serious and dramatic, yet ends up being hilarious instead.”
    • “Horribly written dialogue and terrible performances make it one of the most hilarious games I've ever played, and some of the endings are so funny.”
  • replayability54 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it boasts multiple endings and player choices that can affect outcomes, many players find the experience tedious and feel that the story doesn't change significantly with each playthrough. Some appreciate the ability to revisit chapters and explore different choices, but others argue that the lack of meaningful variation in the narrative diminishes long-term replay value. Overall, it offers some replay potential, particularly for those interested in uncovering all endings, but may not hold up to repeated playthroughs for everyone.

    • “This game has 18 endings, so there is a lot of replayable value.”
    • “Your choices matter, and you may not complete the game with all four characters; there are a lot of choices and endings in this game, and it's definitely good for replay value.”
    • “Heavy Rain offers incredible replay value with its 17 different game endings.”
    • “It's supposedly replayable because of the choices, but no it isn't replayable, because even the first playthrough was an exercise in absolute tedium.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game offers no replay value for me, as in my eyes I have already seen the best and most realistic ending already (out of 20).”
    • “In terms of replayability, even though there are 17 endings available, the game is obviously straightforward and feels repetitive after the second game.”
  • grinding41 mentions

    The reviews overwhelmingly highlight the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and monotonous, with many players expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and slow progression that detracts from the overall experience. The need to replay sections for different outcomes or achievements is often described as laborious, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging experience. Overall, the grinding elements contribute to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction, overshadowing the potential enjoyment of the story.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The story just progressed too slowly and the tedious, monotonous gameplay really left a sour taste in my mouth.”
    • “So repetitive and frustrating to the point that it feels like a tedious job to get done in order to try to enjoy what seems to be a great story but you can't get to focus on it.”
    • “After an hour of playing, I deinstalled it again - it was too tedious, the controls were really bad and up to then it's just a very boring game.”
  • character development16 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its depth and emotional engagement, highlighting the strong narrative and moral choices that enhance player immersion. However, others criticize the character design as lacking, leading to a disconnect with the characters. Overall, while many appreciate the well-crafted story and character arcs, there are notable concerns about superficiality and reliance on tropes.

    • “From the excellent and stellar character development and the 10/10 story writing, you will not regret buying the game at all.”
    • “What sets Heavy Rain apart is the emphasis on character development, moral choices, and consequences.”
    • “Really good character development paired with 52 chapters of gameplay, you will be immersed in the story almost immediately.”
    • “The character design is so bad that you can't feel any compassion for the characters.”
    • “Very shallow character development and heavy on tropes.”
    • “But the controls on both keyboard/mouse and controller are killing the enjoyment for me, and taking me away from the story-building and character development - two things the game relies heavily on.”
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Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
10hMain story
22hCompletionist
9-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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