My top 10 games of the last generation: 6. Heavy Rain

Back in the PS2 era I discovered a little game called Indigo Prophecy. It was an amazing game that played a lot like a movie, and no, not like those crappy games from the Sega CD era. It also told an amazing story that kept me hooked. Yeah, the story goes off the rails at one point when it becomes The Matrix with aliens but I still really enjoyed it. The other great part of Indigo Prophecy was all the many ways the story could change. Do you save a drowning child and risk being seen by the police officer, or do you run away to avoid being caught? There were numerous choices like this in the game which would lead to the story changing down the line. I was blown away by this as I had never played anything like that before. I don’t even remember how many times I played through Indigo Prophecy and with each play through it left me wanting more. I wanted a sequel.

I didn’t get a sequel, what I got was even better. What I got was the reason I bought a PS3. Heavy Rain completely blew my mind by bringing back that style of game I love when you are essentially controlling a movie. The game was like the movies Saw, Se7en, and an episode of CSI all combined into one. The other great part of the game was that it was the only game I ever played that used the Sixaxis in a great way. The part in the game where you have to drive down the highway in the opposite lane was one of the most intense moments I have ever had in a game. You could easily just flick the controller but I was pulled into the game so much that I was holding the PS3 controller like a steering wheel and was whipping it back and forth to avoid traffic. I felt like I was Ethan. There was also the scene where you are forced to chop one of your fingers off. I went for the quick method with the meat clever and again I felt like I was Ethan. I slammed the PS3 controller down as hard and quickly as I could, hoping it would take my finger off in one clean chop.

Heavy Rain was also special for because my sister was hooked just as much as I was. She would beg me to play Heavy Rain so she could watch me play. She wanted to experience the story just like I did. My sister plays Videogames as well but never has she actually sat there and watched me play a game from start to finish. It was very awesome getting to share my experience of Heavy Rain with another person and is another reason why it was one my favorite games from last gen.  

Looking back on Heavy Rain, I understand the complaints in terms of the story. How exactly was Jason killed when he wasn’t even hit by the car? There were some issues with plot holes as well but I still really enjoyed it and still play it to this day. I am just getting started with Beyond: Two Souls and I can tell that I am already being sucked into David Cage’s world once again.