Heavy Rain: Taking brave new steps in the games industry in both content - an adult thriller with a complex plot - and gameplay - where you play and shape the storyline rather than be a mere spectator. Step into a world of mystery and suspense, betrayal and redemption.

David cage, the creator, director and all-round god of Heavy Rain is, frankly, a nutter. This is a guy who, at points in his career, has had to sleep under his desk as the time constraints of scriptwriting have simply been too much to go home. Subsequently, Heavy Rain is undoubtedly a game that has the ability to leave you aghast at exactly how much effort has been driven into it by Cage and his team.

So what exactly is it? It's essentially a gigantic decision tree of a game. It has no single ending or story path, but a multitude. Playing as a number of different characters throughout the game, and on both sides of the law, it's up to you to uncover the machinations of a sadistic killer. Think Se7en, but with more precipitation. What many may not enjoy immediately is the slow-paced point and click style, revamped for the PS3. It is shot from a varied third person perspective, and in a particularly cinematic style, offering a genuinely unique gaming experience right the way through.

A regular film script is a couple of hundred pages. Cage's latest paradigm shifter is over two thousand. Why? Because it's as close to an interactive film as is available at the moment. You decide what happens at every stage of this noir thriller based around the 'Origami Killer'. It's not just a question of left or right, justice or revenge, or force or subtlety, it is as complete and massive a decision tree as you could image. Those who have played Cage's previous effort, Fahrenheit, will understand the concept, but you can't fail to be amazed at how much further Cage has taken the idea with Heavy Rain.

But that's all from a technical point of view. The assumption that this technical proficiency will translate into magnificent playability is, frankly, dumb. Nevertheless, it's a common one, and a presumption which has led many technically exemplary titles to wind up in bargain basements across the globe. Take the sorry tale of Heavenly Sword, another astounding looking title, which made the most of the PS3's architecture as it was understood at the time, yet it singularly failed to deliver on a gameplay front. Tragic.

Is Heavy Rain likely to fare any better? If you ask me, more than likely not. It's a title with a very specific audience. Those outside the intended crowd of Fahrenheit lovers and fans of David Cage in general are likely to see it as little more than a showpiece, and a slightly disappointing one at that. It has neither the immediacy or impact of some of the more white-trash titles out there. Yes, it looks good, but it is not as stunning as a significant amount of other titles. Yes, it's wonderfully written, but that's not an attribute that's easy to show off. Yes, it's likely to be one of the most compelling stories you've seen from your console, but again, that's unlikely to wow any friends. This is a title for you, and you alone. If you liked Fahrenheit, you're going to want this. If you want something a little different to the action genres prevalent at the moment, you'll have a good time trying this, and if you feel like you need a darn good story to keep you entertained, Heavy Rain is unlikely to disappoint. 

Text by: Thomas Leclerc

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