PS3 - Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain by QuanticDream / Sony

Parents: This game is rated M for violence and blood.

Heavy Rain tries to be a new genre. Unfortunately, it isn't. The two things that it tries to do to set it apart (controls and storytelling) don't really work to actually set it apart and have been done before. That said, it is probably worth a play through. The first game that focused on interactive storytelling was Shenmue released in 1999 and then Shenmue II released in 2001 Dreamcast and 2002 Xbox. Flashback.. Shenmue was groundbreaking for its time. It had time flow (winter to spring) and led you through the story of a boy, Ryo, caught in circumstances first in Japan and then Hong Kong. The storytelling worked and the game was reasonably extensive. It promised interaction with 'everything' in the world, but really didn't deliver on that promise. Nevertheless, the game is one of my top games still for interactivity and play value. Shenmue was interactive cinema at its best. Unfortunately, Heavy Rain isn't nearly as good.

Story

Flash forward to 2010 and here we have Heavy Rain. Heavy Rain is a detective story plain and simple. There are detectives in the story and the gamer is also a detective. You primarily watch as the story unfolds, but you can occasionally interact with various people as characters. The story, like a film, flips back and forth between several stories at once. You know when the character changes because the face of the current character will appear as the loading screen.

The game switches between 4 different characters that you can control. Ethan Mars (Architect), Madison Paige (Reporter), Norman Jayden (FBI Profiler) and Scott Shelby (Detective). As you control each of these characters, various pieces of the story unfold based on dialog choices and actions you make (or don't make).

The story starts out with Ethan Mars at home about to celebrate a birthday for his son Jason. After a short intro period to get you familiar with the controls and how the game works, it progresses from home to shopping at a mall. Here is where things go horribly wrong. Ethan lets Jason out of his sight while paying for a balloon and Jason leaves the mall after which Ethan chases only for Ethan and Jason to be hit by car. Jason dies from his injuries and Ethan is left in a coma. After 2 years, Ethan revives only to be tormented by guilt.

His second son is then kidnapped after one of his blackouts and is being held by the Origami killer. Here's where the detective story begins. As Ethan, you're following the clues from the Origami killer to find his second son before time runs out (the rain gauge reaches 6 inches). Hence, the title Heavy Rain. This leads to a series of trials for Ethan. As Madison, you help Ethan by patching him up and doing investigating as well. As Shelby, you're a detective following up on independent leads. As Norman, you're an FBI profiler using a high tech ARI sunglasses appliance that lets you see and analyze clues. The disparity between these stories is unclear and is never fully resolved at the end.

Anyway, after the mall (which this sequence cannot be changed), I'm not sure if the story unfolds in different ways based on choices, but it's possible. The way it unfolded for me left a lot of questions unanswered. So, the story writers didn't completely tie up all of the loose ends by the end. Kind of frustrating.

In my story, Ethan Mars kept blacking out and ending up on Carnaby Lane. Yet, later this story event stopped happening and was never explained based on the outcome of my game. So, it is kind of frustrating that this part of the story wasn't revealed or explained why it happened. Perhaps this will be revealed in Heavy Rain 2 (assuming there is a part 2). Also, I was expecting all four characters to interact at some point, but that also never happened (in my game).

Controls

To start, Quantic Dream made one of Gamezelot's bad game design faux pas'. That is specifically, messing with a good thing. Instead of camera on one stick and control on the other, they decided it would be best to require you to press the R2 button to actually walk. When you press the left stick, all you do is look around, but you do not move. This controller scheme is bad. Bad bad bad. There is no need to reinvent the controller wheel yet again. Again, don't mess with a good thing. The controller style that already works here is Walking on left or right stick and camera on the opposite from walking. You have complete control over pressure with the analog stick, so walking speed is not an issue. In fact, the part of the game where pressure is an issue, it's actually a lot harder to limit the pressure on the R2 button than it would be using the stick. Quantic Dream, if you're listening, you need to redo the stick layout (or let the gamer at least choose). Immediate 1.5 deduction for 'messing with a good thing'.

Gameplay

The thing that's most frustrating about this game's save system is that there is no 'Restart Checkpoint' option. Yes, this game uses checkpoints to save. Once a checkpoint is saved, you cannot easily and quickly reload a previous checkpoint. Instead, you're forced to quit to the main menu and then restart that way. How about we give a menu option for restarting the checkpoint next time, hmm? Also, checkpoint saves are fine IF you can also save your game separately at various points. With a proper save system, you can go back and make alternative choices from a previous save. No, can't do that in Heavy Rain. In an interactive story such as this one, this is the bare minimum of a save system. Another point deducted for not allowing saves.

Segment Types

The segment types in this game include cinematic (watch only), free roaming (interact with the environment) and action timing sequence (pressing specific buttons using specific sequences with timing events attached). The free roaming is really the best part of this game. It lets you interact with the world, people and objects. Unfortunately, there's so little of it in this game that you really feel cheated. The action timing sequences come out of nowhere and without warning. It starts and you better be ready. This is one of the downfalls of this game. If you're not prepared to start an action timing sequence, too bad. They start without warning whether you are ready or not. Of course, if you catch it in time, you can quit to the main menu and restart your checkpoint.

My least favorite part of this game, and any game really, is the action timing sequence portion. I really despise this style of gaming. Just give me real live action fighting. Don't throw a bunch of random sequenced button presses and require me to do them in order timed or not. Live action gaming is best. Timed button sequences only serve to frustrate and annoy. It means you have to know the controller by muscle memory. Worse, this game took this timed button sequence to a whole new level requiring contortion to not only press the buttons in order, but press them simultaneously in order. So, you may end up pressing X, O and Triangle buttons all together and then L1 and R2 and possibly even L2. But, you have to press and hold them in sequence. This is highly frustrating and annoying. As a game designer, don't do this. This entire gaming sequence completely gets in the way of storytelling. This is yet another Gamezelot faux pas. Perhaps Quantic Dream should read Gamezelot's Game Design from a Gamer's Perspective series of articles.

Controller Motion Sequences

Ok, while I know it's a novelty on the PS3. I really despise it. There is no need to use an accelerometer as part of the game controller system. This idea is long past its time and needs to go away. The novelty has long worn off and now it's just annoying when used. As such, any game the uses the accelerometer should also provide a way to not use it. That means that the gamer should be able to disable that part of the controller system and use a button in replacement of that controller event.

Character Interaction

The characters interact with much of their environment. However, characters can usually only interact with items that are necessary to move the story forward in most cases, as it should be. Of course, the more things you can interact with story-related or not, the more realistic your game becomes. Although there are some things you can do, like juggling, that never make a reappearance as something important later.

Audio

The soundtrack audio is typical of a modern thriller. The airy piano segments really set the somber mood of the scenes. The orchestra swells and undulates during action scenes. The music is probably one of the best parts of this game. It really brings out the action properly.

Graphics

The characters are well done in features, textures and mesh design in most places. There is occasionally some letdown (bandages on Ethan). The lip sync is done reasonably well, but still a bit stilted in places. The character's textures, especially on the loading pages, look great.

However, instead of doing them in-game, Quantic Dream should have pre-rendered them in Vray or another higher resolution system to make them look spectacular. The PS3 does a reasonable job rendering characters, but if you're planning to have a closeup of a face, then do it using pre-rendered high res imagery. Make these graphics knock-your-socks off good. There's no need to sacrifice the quality of this imagery simply because you want to prove how good an in-game render can be. An in-game render will never look as good as something that comes out of Vray or any other professional 3D rendering system. Why sacrifice this part of the game?

Overall

This is basically interactive cinema. Although, it feels like Shenmue, it has a lot in common with the Sims and virtual character games. You watch much of the time and play part of the time. The timing action sequences start too often without warning. There are consequences to failing or winning (or even partway winning). So, depending on how the action timing sequence ends and whether you fail or succeed, the story moves on. This is good in that you get to see the events unfold no matter what, but it's frustrating that you can't always easily go back and redo the sequence exactly how you want it to be. If you catch it in time, you can quit to the main menu and reload the checkpoint to start that sequence over. But, this doesn't always work.

Finally, the game is very short. You can play through this game in only a few hours without even trying. The story event continues fail or succeed. If one of your characters dies, the game moves on without them. Overall, for as involved as this game should have been, the story was way too short.

Score

• Sound: 9/10
• Graphics: 8.5/10 (good, but not perfect, lighting: excellent)
• Gameplay: 7/10 (timing action sequences dragged this one down)
• Story: 7/10 (plot holes left unfilled)
• Bugginess: 5/10 (glitching and slowdowns)
• Controls: 6/10 (badly mapped controls, no way to remap)
• Bang-to-buck: 1/10
• Play Value: $5 (too short, rent)
• Overall: 5.6/10 (timing action sequences, poorly mapped controls, no way to turn off accelerometer controls, no player saves, checkpoint saves, way too short)

Xbox 360 - Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 by EA Games / Bioware

Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to Mass Effect (Gamezelot gave Mass Effect 5/10). Mass Effect 2 picks up where Mass Effect leaves off, story wise. But, the story this time around is questionable at best. Who writes these game stories anyway? I think they need to hire some better writers.

Story

Mass Effect 2 picks up almost immediately where Mass Effect leaves off. Sheperd is commanding the Normandy. However, just about the time all seems great, a large ship cuts the Normandy in half causing the pieces to crash into a planet. We come to find out that the large ship with that huge beam cannon that rips open the Normandy like a can opener is operated by the Collectors. Now starts the Mass Effect 2 story.

So, instead of Sheperd getting to a rescue pod like everyone else, he goes down with the ship and perishes. Or, so we think. Cerberus manages to obtain Sheperd's remains and manages to rebuild him into a whole human again. That's where your character, Sheperd, wakes up. So, here begins the story again. This time, however, because Cerberus brings back Sheperd, he takes allegiance to Cerberus (sort of) and the fact that Cerberus builds him the Normandy 2. Cerberus even manages to get Joker and the doctor back, but not the rest of your 'party'.

Of course, the whole point is that that Illusive man wants Sheperd to take out the collectors. Why exactly Sheperd was reassembled, we're not sure yet.

Importing Character from ME

This was a pointless exercise. The only thing this does is bring in your character's likeness. It doesn't bring the experience or anything else. It's all a cosmetic thing without any substance, so why bother?

Gameplay

Basically, there are three main game play zones. Combat, free roaming and mining. Combat zones get you through the objectives. Free roaming (most on the ship) lets you manage your crew, objectives and research. You can also free roam the Milky Way to find your next objective locations. By using probes, you mine the surface of planets to obtain elements. Elements are used in research upgrades. Upgrades give your armor and weapons better abilities.

While some of the new aspects work, some don't. The developers improved parts of the game, but overall it really is no better than Mass Effect for play value. For story line, it's far worse.

Armor

Well, what's to be said. You can outfit your character with armor, for what it's worth. The reality is, of course, that it's all for show. Also, the only armor that's upgradeable is the armor that comes with the game. Any imported armor from the downloadable content (DLC) area is locked. By locked, I mean you can't do anything to alter this armor. It is what it is, like it or not. You can't add upgrades or in any way strengthen DLC armor.

Controls

The controller is pretty standard. Movement on left stick, camera on right. Various buttons for action (firing, changing modes, etc). You'll pick it up pretty fast because it's fairly standard.

Controlling Sheperd, on the other hand, can be rather tedious. There are lots of bugs in the control system. For example, there are times where Sheperd will move in random haphazard ways even when you're holding the stick firm in a given position. Next, when you're in a cover position or when entering a cover position, I've had several times when he'll enter cover and then immediately jump over the cover into a clear position to the enemy. Frustrating!

Death Halo

Mass Effect is another in this growing series of games that prefers the death halo to putting an actual health bar on the screen. No No NO!. No death halos! Whoever dreamed up with this idea needs to be slapped and slapped hard! Get RID of the death halo. The reason it doesn't work is that 1) it covers the entire screen so you can't see what you're doing, 2) the controller becomes less responsive so you cannot move out of the way of fire (let alone see what's even firing at you) and 3) it's just plain annoying. The first two points are enough to prove that this idea is stupid and doesn't work.

Camera

This is one in a handful of recent games were the camera has, yet again, become an issue. When you're able to shoot at a distance, this mode works great. However, when you have enemies that get right up next to you, the camera fails horribly. First, the enemies that like close contact get so close to you they're touching you. So, there's no way to position the camera so you can even see them. Second, because they are so close, you can't even use a gun. You have to use a melee tactic. The trouble is, the zombie creatures (that love to do this) get right on top of you and congregate. When these enemies do this, you cannot even move. The zombies get right in your way and prevent character movement even when they aren't hitting you.

Between the poor camera system AND these stupid close contact enemies, this game completely fails with the camera. At least let me move the camera to a more distant position so I can see what's going on around me. For this combined problem alone, the game loses 1.5 points from the overall score right off the top. Camera problems should have long been resolved in games at this point. Going back to having camera problems means the designers were not thinking properly about the game design.

Missions

The missions are way too short and very repetitive. Different characters, same results. Move your character from point A to point B and do something at the end. Between points A and B, you fight a lot of enemies from behind cover. It's all mindless shooting and nothing really to think about. No puzzles, no thought provoking ideas, nothing. Just a lot of shooting. I was very disappointed with this part of the game. At least add some puzzle levels to the game. At least make the gamer use some kind of thought process more than pulling the trigger. Alas, it didn't happen. For an RPG style game, it's really pretty one-tracked.

Cinematics and scene skipping

With some cinematics, you can skip them. With others, you can't. There is no rhyme or reason why some are skippable and others aren't. On top of this fact, once you're in certain parts of the opening of a mission, you cannot pause or start the level over. You must wait through perhaps 5 or more minutes before you can get to a point where you can either save or start over. These points where the game is locked out of the save/load screen is very frustrating. It's especially frustrating when the game has automatically loaded an autosave and you want to actually load a different saved game. Yet another 1 point is immediately knocked off for this problem.

Saving

Save early and save often (when you actually can). There are times where the save screen is not available (see above)... and it's usually about the time when you want to save. Also, if there is even one enemy present on the playfield, you cannot save your game. I've had several glitches that have prevented me from saving my game because the game thought there was an enemy on the play field.

Loading

Yet another problem is with the loading after Sheperd dies. There is A for resume and X for load. If you press A for resume, it is random what game it will load... meaning, it could load the 'Restart Mission' version or it could load your last save. Because of this roll-of-the-dice loading technique, you may end up having to load the game twice. Loading the game twice (once as a mistake, once intentional) can sometimes take as long as 5 minutes. Again, another 1 point right off the top (so far, that's 3.5 points right off of the score).

Overall

The game could have been loads better and was slightly better than Mass Effect. They tried, I'll give them that. But, EA must have held Bioware back. This may be the last Mass Effect game I buy unless I know that they've put much more effort into the next game. The gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, it's very repetitive. Worse, though, are the glitchy bugs that make Sheperd uncontrollable at critical times. Even worse, in many cases the game intentionally drops enemies right behind you. I mean, immediately right behind you. So, you're forced to run away for cover. Totally unacceptable considering the camera problems. If, as a developer, you're going to play these combat games, than at least provide the gamer with a HUD scanner to see where your enemies actually are.

Oh, and considering the time era that this is supposed to be set in, it's absolutely ludicrous that Sheperd's suit doesn't contain a HUD scanner.

Score

• Sound: 8.5/10
• Graphics: 9/10 (very good, not perfect)
• Gameplay: 7/10 (fair)
• Story: 7/10
• Bugginess: 5/10 (lots of glitching)
• Controls: 5/10 (could be lots better)
• Bang-to-buck: 2/10
• Play Value: $10 (rent or buy)
• Overall: 6/10 (slightly better than Mass Effect in limited ways)

Game design from a gamer's perspective Pt. 3

Loading Screens Continued

You should always keep the gamer in mind when you design your game. Always! You should never program the game for your convenience. Always program for your target audience. So, when you design your loading screens, you need to consider how long it takes to get data into memory. If it takes longer than 2 minutes, it's taking too long. If you don't have a choice in this matter and it is what it is, then design a mini-game or alternative screen that the gamer can play with during the loading period. Alternatively, use of cinematics during this time is acceptable. Do use cinematics as ways of moving the game forward combined with loading the world into memory. Don't wait through loading screens only to watch a long cinematic and then get into the game.

Health pickups

If you design a game where the character will lose health, then always design a system to obtain health on the level. Batman Arkham Asylum is yet another shining (bad) example of how not to do this. Batman's designers chose to obtain health pickups by subduing other creatures. So, as long as there was something to subdue, you could get health. The problem with this 'feature' is that there were never enough enemies to subdue (Batman doesn't kill in the game). Worse, when you did subdue enemies, they gave you a pittance of health back. Meaning, you never could fully ever replenish your health bar. Don't do this. If the character needs health pickups, put enough health pickups around the level and make them blatantly obvious what and where they are. If that means attaching a medkit to the wall, do it. Also, health pickups should come in at least two sizes, small and large. Small increases about 1/4 of your health. Large sized should fully or almost fully replenish your health. I despise playing games where my health meter is always 1/4 full because I am unable to find health pickups.

Story

As we move more and more into cinematic games, it's now becoming increasingly important to weave gameplay together with story. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a single game that has successfully achieved this goal. The closest game was probably Oblivion. Oblivion's method was to weave each quest into its own substory. There was the 'main quest'. This quest basically starts and finishes the game. You can do this quest at any time, but because of the way it changes Cyrodil's landscape, it is best to wait until much later after completing many other smaller quests to tackle the main quest. Even still, there were smaller quests that needed to be completed before you could complete the main quest. Thus, this tied in at least exploration and completion of other goals into finishing the main story line. That unfolded other stories that helped solidify the main quest's story and ensure the gamer a much more immersive gaming experience.

A story is a story is a story. It doesn't matter whether you read a book, watch a movie or play a video game. The story is important to the entire affair. If the story is well written, has twists, feels complete and has a satisfying ending, then that's all you can ask. Games with weak stories or without stories at all are limp and lifeless like Dead Rising. Mindless games without a compelling story verge rapidly on boredom. A solid well thought out story not only keeps the gamer interested, it gives enough subtext for the gamer to become immersed in the world. That's exactly what a good story should do. Once you've gotten the person immersed in the story, they will continue to play for a long time. Games with great story lines include Oblivion, Halo 3, Halo 3 ODST and Fallout 3. A good game has great gaming elements. A great game combines the gaming with a solid story. A perfect game devises a way to marry the story and gameplay seamlessly (we've not gotten here yet).

Granted, not all game styles need a story. For example, sports games and racing games don't really need them. But, it helps if there is some kind of story involved. For example, Gran Turismo is pretty much a straight racing game. The goal is to race your way through each event and improve your car. That's pretty much one tracked. Now, if you took that gaming element and wrapped it around a person and events in their life, that would make Gran Turismo take on a whole new dimension in gameplay. You could even open up free roaming aspects to let the person walk around the cities and find things to enhance the car or their driving skills. Just think of a combination of Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo together in one game!

Gameplay

Enemy and Boss Tactics

Perhaps this should have been under the bosses section, but I also feel it needs to be under game play. When designing how a boss works, do not use an unkillable/undamageable boss simply to whittle down player health for later smaller enemy attacks. This is frustrating and annoying. If you're going to let the gamer battle the boss, then let them battle it. Don't do some intro game play where it's impossible to kill (or even wound) the boss. If the boss can't take any damage during a specific area of play, then it should not be there. Only enemies on the play field that can actually be killed or damaged should be actively engaging the player. If something can't be killed or damaged, then it should not be there... or at least, it should not be launching damage salvos at the player character. This is similar to Perfect Aim. Don't do it. Only killable or damageable enemies should be actively engaging the player character.

Character Control - Messing with a good thing

Here's an issue where changing controller mappings sometimes works, but most times doesn't. As a game designer, be mindful of your intended gamer audience. Between the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the controllers are similar enough that you can map similar styles to each of the buttons. For example, the analog sticks usually are reserved for camera on one and movement on the other with the buttons mapped to attack, jump, climb, etc. This is the perfect combination. Because so many games have used this style of mapping, don't mess with a good thing. If you want to design a 3D shooter or RPG, use this style. Don't think that because you decided to put the camera movement on the bumper buttons that that will make your game better. Don't do it. Stick with what works and is accepted.

If you decide to modify the usual and standard controller layout to something odd, then at least give the gamer the ability to change this mapping to a controller style of other familiar games. Don't lock the gamer to a non-standard button mapping system and force them to play the game that way. Having to relearn the controller layout for your game is just bad design and, worse, may even doom your title into obscurity and lackluster sales.

Also, don't lock gamers into using the Xbox Kinect, the PS3 Move, PS3 Sixaxis or the Wiimote motion controllers for your games. Give the gamer the option of using a standard controller to play. Simply because you, as the designer, feel the game may be better experienced by using these motion control systems may alienate an entire paying audience who can't (or won't) play games using these motion control systems. Spend the time to add a standard controller layout to your game along side these novelty controllers.

Cameras

I know a lot of people are familiar with the use of fixed cameras through franchises like Resident Evil and early Tomb Raider titles. As much as Resident Evil liked this style of camera, when designing your title, don't do it. The trouble with Resident Evil becomes quite apparent very rapidly once game play starts: Enemies can hide out of the camera view and damage the player. The player can't even see the enemy to kill it. This, once again, goes back to Perfect Aim (and Perfect Vision). In game, the enemies aren't reliant on the camera and can 'see' exactly where the player is. The gamer, on the other hand, is limited by what's shown on screen by the camera. Fixed cameras prevent the player from seeing critical parts of the game playfield. Don't use fixed cameras. Always use a floating camera and let the player move the camera to wherever they need it to be. The camera is the only way to view into this game world. Don't cripple the player by imposing stupid restrictions on the camera. The camera should never be used as a challenge element. It should only be thought of as a way to peer into the world. If the player can't see the world in the way they need to see it, they will get frustrated and stop playing the game.

Recently, I've found few games that cripple the camera. However, every once in a while a game will come along and try to do something creative with the camera. In fact, by crippling the camera the only thing the developers have done with their game is doom it to obscurity and failure.

Audio and Soundtracks

Music is an important element in any game. It's what sets the mood and tone of a given level. It can swell to indicate enemies approaching. It can diminish to indicate the battle is done. There are lots of ways to use music and sound effects in creative astonishing ways. The trouble with some soundtracks, though, is monotony. Be careful to use the right music at the right time. Don't use hip-hop music when doing a medieval genre game (not that I've seen anyone do this, yet). That's an extreme example, but be aware of what you need. I prefer orchestral music in games as it's soothing at necessary times and intense at others. Heavy metal can be used in some instances successfully, but it can be out of place at other times. So, be cautious of using heavy metal in a game you design. The same can be said of techno, so be careful with this genre. The style and type of music, though, can definitely help or hurt your storyline. It can make the difference between an emotional scene or making it stupid.

Coming Up:

• Characters
• Computer Graphics: 3D models, textures, lighting
• Playability
• Easter Eggs
• In-game Tutorials

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5