Back in 2006, French developer Quantic Dream announced that they planned to start a brand new IP in the wake of the success of their previous title, Farenheit (Indigo Prophecy in North America). Using a similar approach to game design as in Farenheit, Quantic Dream set out to create an "interactive drama", and by the deities they have. Before I even dare to continue on with my review of Heavy Rain, I must emphasise that this is truly an important title in the PS3 library, and to not own it, is almost tantamount to blasphemy.

   Architect Ethan Mars is living a simple, happy life with his wife and two sons. However, a tragic turn of events at a local mall cause the family to rip apart; ending in the death of Ethan's son Jason, and the seperation of Ethan and his wife. Two years later, Ethan suffers from depression, Demophobia (fear of crowds), and blackouts lasting several minutes at a time. Elsewhere, the city is in the grips of a serial killer dubbed "The Origami Killer". During a trip to the park, Ethan blacks out, and awakes to find Shaun has been kidnapped by the Origami Killer. He has 4 days to find him, before Shaun becomes the next victim of the insideous serial killer. To do this, Ethan must prove how far he's willing to go, to save someone he loves.

   Heavy Rain sports what is inarguably one of the best graphical displays of the current gaming generation. As was shown by the now infamous "The Casting" tech demo in 2006, Heavy Rain's character models and environments would be displaying a level of detail never before seen in gaming. With nearly five years put into the production and development of the game, the hard work and effort shines through. Character models have realistic texturing, mapping, and even blemishes and creases. But this is not limited solely to the character models; environments look absolutely stunning, even in SD format.

   The lighting effects work spectacularly in conjunction with the many faded and washed colours of the city. Keep in mind that the story being told is a gritty crime-noir, and that the setting must accurately create such an atmosphere, and Heavy Rain is dripping with such an atmosphere. From the brighty and sunny palatte of the prologue chapters, to the murky, almost sun-less drear of the game's three Acts, the graphical design keeps its own sense of identity, and awareness of the story being told around it.

   The motion capture work done on the characters is lively, and very intuitive. Characters such as children will bound around, while other characters, namely protagonist Ethan Mars, will saunter around with the realistic movements of an afflicted parent. Although, while the movements and superficialities are exceptional, and proof of the leaps and bounds being made in the technology used in game rendering, it's sad to see that some things, such as proper facial expressions, and even mouth movements/lip-syncing are still riddled with "Cardboard-ism". Many times, character facial expressions will not fully evoke the emotions being displayed, or the mouth movements will not match up adequately to express the same. Also, sometimes you will notice a half-rendered texture in the environment, or sloppy design. But these are few and far between.