David Cage really wanted a plot set in America, but he clearly knows very little about the country itself. This is only a small part of the story’s issue with setting. It is later repeated by Scott Shelby and a news anchor, so no, it’s not just the French prostitute. To make things worse, she isn’t even the only one who says this. A grassy field in the middle of a city on the east coast of the United States is NOT a wasteland. When she says “you don’t know what it’s like to find your son’s body dumped on some wasteland”, I’m too fixated on how badly she misused the word “wasteland”. This is supposed to be a serious scene, but the dramatic delivery is undermined both by word choice and the actor’s accent. The most prominent example of this is when Shelby is questioning Lauren Winter for the first time. Later on, we get a taste of how certain words were lost in translation. Sadly, this sets the tone for the rest of the narrative. Everything in this entire scene is completely contrived and unbelievable, making the foundation for the entire plot a farce. Even though she wasn’t driving very fast and stops just as she hits him, and despite the fact that Ethan shielded him from this impact, he still dies. Even though this car is clearly only going 15, maybe 20 miles an hour. Any one pedestrian could have stopped this from happening simply by stepping two metres out into the road. Second, the entire scenario plays out very slowly. In fact, had they shown us that he had some sort of mental disorder, this might have actually made me sympathetic, instead of laughing at him when he died. Now, I could maybe buy this if his son was mentally retarded, but this isn’t the case. First, he has no reason to cross the street. This is quite possibly the worst scene in the entire game, and that’s already nigh unforgivable considering the entire plot hinges on this scene. Even though he wasn’t hit head-on, and the car wasn’t moving very fast at all, he dies. Then, the only car on the road hits him, but not before his father jumps in front of the car, saving him. When he realises that he’s a complete idiot, he runs back across the street without looking both ways. Why? Because the plot needs him to be there. What follows, however, epitomises everything that is wrong with Cage’s writing.Īfter he gets his balloon, Jason runs off, goes through the ridiculously oversized crowd, and runs across the street. He was being stupid, but at least he did a stupid thing for a reason. Well, at first, I could forgive him, at least when he got his balloon. Because, you know, he’s mentally retarded. For no discernible reason, Ethan’s son Jason decides to run away from him. This is the game that just keeps on giving when it comes to stupidity. There are huge plot holes too big and too numerous to ignore. However, dissecting the problems with Heavy Rain ‘s overly ambitious plot isn’t just nitpicking. I might be able to forgive the game when I realise Grace picked up the kids on Saturday, or that Scott never reloads his handgun, or even when chickens are flung at Norman Jayden in an indoor supermarket. I think attention to detail should be extremely important for any artist, but whatever. Unfortunately, Heavy Rain doesn’t just have these minor issues. And when one actually pays attention and uses their brain, they realise that Heavy Rain doesn’t just have a few minor mistakes here and there: its plot is a mangled mess, riddled with holes. If you’re building an “interactive drama”, with narrative at the forefront, plot is twice as important than it usually is (though it’s still second to graphics), so it’s natural for this game to fall under heavier scrutiny. Eventually, those mistakes pile up, and people begin to see through the facade.
It’s clear David Cage has no attention to detail. I can understand a discrepancy between shots, or some oversights. Sure, no game or story is perfect, but there’s a limit. I’m disappointed in David Cage, for holding back the potential of this medium, and in the fans, for taking this garbage as their high standard for art. I certainly don’t love it, but hate isn’t the right word.
When it comes to stupidity, Heavy Rain is the gift that keeps on giving. It fails to deliver on just about every level. So I know what I’m talking about when I say this is not a good story, or even a good game.
Having earned the platinum trophy for it, I know the ins and outs of every scene, every line of dialogue, and every variance thereof. It’s a game with which I’m all too familiar.
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