Emotion is one of the elusive things that some gamers are always hankering after. I say, "some gamers" because there are those who think emotions and the pursuit of narrative above everything is just unnecessary. Games are for playing, while books and movies are for all the tears and girly heart rending stuff. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm one of those gamers who think that games can reach the lofty heights of arty, farty, tug at my heart strings and punch me in the stomach emotion. There's one game that's got us story-obsessed types all excited and that's Heavy Rain.
David Cage, founder of Quantic Dreams and writer of Heavy Rain has been doing the rounds recently. You can hardly move in gaming circles without seeing an interview with Mr Cage. Despite its release being pushed into next year, Heavy Rain is still causing a stir. The guy's making a lot of big promises, but can he really deliver, or is he just a pretender to Peter Molyneux's hyperbole crown?
The thing about David Cage is that no matter who interviews him he always says the right things. Heavy rain is about four people who are trying to find a serial killer called ‘The Origami Killer' – well that's about all we know so far. See ole Cage is a little coquettish when it comes to dishing up details on the game.
What we do know is that it aims to focus on narrative (huzzah) and deliver a gaming experience with some artistic merit (at last). Now, when you say "artistic merit" in the games industry people tend to snort derisively. You get the "I've heard it all before" look and eye-rolling. It's almost as if we've resigned ourselves to being all about shooting stuff.
Don't get me wrong, shooting stuff is good, I like shooting stuff as much as the next gamer, but sometimes I want a bit more. Sometimes I want a story. Sometimes I want a character that I really care about, not just because if they die I'll have to do that bloody level all over again, but because they're a great character. And is it too much to ask that I know what the frick is going on and think, "I can't wait to play again just because I want to know what happens next"?
No, dear playchums! We need to set our sights high. Okay, so most of the time we'll have to make do with the killing and the maiming all to be given a bigger gun or a new shiny car. But some day, some developer somewhere is going to crack it and give us real story and emotion.
But is it going to be Heavy Rain?
Cage is promising us emotional involvement in what could be his magnum opus. The only thing is Quantics can't really say how or what the game involves because they don't want to give the story away. Suffice to say words like ‘unique,' ‘narrative-driven' and ‘fully interactive' are bandied about by Cage when pressed on HR.
If the man is to be believed, everything in Heavy Rain is there for a reason and that reason is story. Now, this guy sounds like a real writer! Games have never been ones to shy away from gratuity, but HR could be the game to break that particular mould. That doesn't mean it's all pink fluffy clouds and bunnies. Instead, we're promised a dark, gritty story that explores mature and difficult subjects with maturity – the key word that's usually missing in M-rated games.
Heavy Rain could be its own worst enemy though. There's a chance that many gamers will be alienated by what Cage describes as the game's "unusual approach to interactivity, not based on challenges, but on the journey, not relying on traditional mechanics, but on contextual actions." That means there's no levelling guys (we've just lost the MMOGers). Cage also says there will be no Game Over, instead you just continue playing with one of the other characters. When all four characters are dead there is a suitably poignant ending, as opposed to a you-fail-style ‘wanna try again?' screen.
Some gamers won't know what to do when they don't have any items to collect or arcade style hurdles to jump over. When gaming becomes something as touchy feely as ‘a journey' for its own sake, it's understandable to think that it'll leave some feeling cold. Following in the wake of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus (two shining exponents of emotion in gaming), it seems only fitting that Heavy Rain is a PS3 exclusive.
If Heavy Rain succeeds (and I hope to god it does), then PS3 looks set to become the thinking gamer's console and lordy lord knows, we need one of those.