How Heavy Rain Succeeds Where Mass Effect 2 Failed

Mass Effect 2 was a game about choices. Yes, it did have aliens, a plot to shake the universe on its very foundation, sex sequences, and an epic soundtrack to tie it all together. But ultimately Mass Effect 2 completely hinged itself on the decisions commander Shepard made. The alliances you chose, the romances you engage in, and even your save file from the last game all played a role in shaping the storyline that unfolded till the very end. However, while Mass Effect 2 did keep many of its promises there was one really powerful storytelling element that was all but absent from the gameplay. Something that Playstation 3's exclusive Heavy Rain has in spades.

[somekyle]

Ooooh snap xD. They're both sick games still!

[Chaos69]

I love Heavy Rain and I think it's a great game, but you really don't need to downplay Mass Effect 2 (another awesome game) to prove your point... Title "fails" and I'm not giving you any click.

[Raf1k1]

Mass Effect 2 is awsome in it's own right. I don't think it 'failed' at anything TBH though there were things I felt were missing.

[Blaze929]

How the hell are we comparing Heavy Rain and Mass Effect 2 now? They are completely different games o_O.

How can you say a game failed compared to a game who's main focus first and foremost is all about the critical choices the player makes, which is Heavy Rain. Although ME2 does have choices players can make and outcomes for those choices they aren't that deep because that's not that game whereas Heavy Rain is.

This article fails hard.

[FanboysWillHateMe]

But people have no right to drag down Mass Effect 2 to show that. If you're gonna call out Mass Effect 2, then you also have to point out all the huge plot holes in Heavy Rain. Plot holes that are really unacceptable, especially considering that the game's main focus is on the narrative. That's what the development team has been hyping it up as, right?

As for the character development...they were hyping up how each character had their own problem. I only saw two protagonists that got this fleshed out. Jayden's addiction and Ethan's depression/captured son, obviously. Shelby's athsma? Pointless. Madison's insomnia? Mentioned once or twice, providing an excuse for Madison to go to a hotel and therefore meet Ethan. I was also lightweight disappointed at the romance between those two. They barely interacted. Madison fixed him up a few times, and then boom; they're making love.

I'll stop now before I get carried away. My point is: Heavy Rain is a great game, but is nowhere near perfect. Mass Effect 2 doesn't deserve to serve as a sort of foot boost for this game.

[Carl1412]

Um...That sex scene was ENTIRELY avoidable. I never experienced it.

[Harry_Manback]

I've finished ME2, and I'm about 4 hours into HR. All I can say is that they're both great games, but hardly comparable.

Regardless, this will turn into a fanboy war.

Example: See below

[Aquanox]

Please don't compare true Triple A's above 96% in meta with 88% ones. Mass Effect 2 didn't fail anything this guy said, it just had a different approach in which it succeeded in a way Heavy Rain wasn't even close.

[EvilBlackCat]

its funny to see some "gamers" here trying to act like Heavy Rain is the sh1t!

Let me guess im an xbot because i said that comment?

accept that you have been deceived

[Tony P]

But HR completely fails when it comes to levelling up your characters. *rolls eyes*

[solar]

and how are these games comparable? o.O

[Saaking]

Heavy Rain actually makes you feel for the characters and story.

While ME2 was an excellent game, I didn't really care when a character died (other than the fact that I lost my chance to get an achievement).

While playing Heavy Rain, I actually tried to keep them all alive. I connected to HR's characters a lot more.

[otherZinc]

the author didn't play Mass Effect 2! Or didn't understand it at all.

[JonnyBadfinger]

Really it all comes down to the player. Mass Effect did everything perfect in my books, i felt abit of a connection between the characters, and got pissed off one the last mission when they all started dropping like flies on my second play through.

I havent played Heavy Rain, but from what Ive seen i can see the appeal to it. Sure it may lack in what some call "gameplay", but i think thats good for a change cause it helps you focus on the story... which i think in Heavy Rains case is why that decision was made. The only thing that seems to turn me off Heavy Rain is it has alot of quicktime gameplay moments (ie. fight scenes), im not very good at those simply because i would rather watch the cutscene than watch the screen for button icons to appear.

But thats me... i still wanna check the game out though.

[mastiffchild]

Blaze is right. This is comparing apples and oranges.

Aquanox-what does the meta have to do with the article(which was also a little daft and could easily have made it's point without the flame inducing intimations and headlines)and the argument? Don't go OT just cos the writer made a grab for fanboy clicks as you only encourage more like it. HR could barely run, have 8bit GFX and the point, if set up diferently, would still have been ok and something to debate so, you see, it could be an awful game and bordering on a meta of 40 or so and it wouldn't be relevant at all when it's only tro do with a single aspect of gameplay in both cases, no?

Personally, over the way choices effected your game then HR is certainly the one where they matter most and are most stark but as the genres would demand that why has anyone failed or succeeded any more than the other?

I've only just started ME2 and it's been great so far but does feel even more like a shooter than before which isn't what I'd have wanted from the sequels, tbh, and I wonder if it's been tweaked in that direction for purely gameplay reasons or whether they just thought more action and less management was gonna sell more? Whatever, if the quality is as high as ME2 it's churlish to moan just because it's not the way YOU hoped it would move.

As for HR:Played it a few times now and by it's nature the experience is moulded entirely by your choices, successes and failures to such an impressive extent that the storyline can alter drastically from play to play while still keeping a cohesive whole-it's on these occasions where I think the writers and actors were most taxed as it must have been a task for the writers to manage at every possible turn and confusing for actors who can't always be sure of their characters motivations all the time. That they only slightly fluff these things very occasionally is the most impressive thing about the way the game works and was made, imo.

So, ME2 was, imo, further taylored to it's audiences tastes and had more limited scope for in game change through choice while HR was, in many ways, an experiment for Cage, QD, writers and actors alike-ME2 and Bioware were much more clear and comfortable with their wask as they were working largely from a Bioware template but HR is a way more uncertain task all round. There's NO real parallel between the games and both do their job brilliantly even if HR might fall down in a few areas primarily because of it's fresh approach and lack of genre to follow when choices for the devs got tough.

They even deal with player choice very differently so,really, there's little other way to see this other than wishing the comparisons would stop and we can just admit, whatever, we game on, that both are incredible pieces of work and for very different reasons. Don't get why people wanted to dig out HR as we should be encouraging new ideas and growth in our industry just as much as we do sheer quality. Without the likes of Doom and Wolfenstein 3D we'd have no Halo, COD or Killzone FPS games and, in the future the same might be true of a burgeoning new genre propelled by the work done on HR.

T me there's little point in comparing these games at all. On the most basic level neither share a platform, a genre and one is part of a popular trilogy and the other a step into the relatively unknown and we desperately need both great, traditional games, AND games likely to push the industry in new, exciting directions. Don't we?

Whatever, enjoyed one and am enjoying the other too! unnily enough while playing either of these, or U2, Gears2 or KZ2 I never find myself wondering if I'm right to enjoy them because the meta score is/isn't in the higher nineties. For that matter I think a few sites really didn't know HOW to score an experience like HR as I've seen glowing HR reviews which then stick a 6.5 on the end!

[Selyah]

Yeah i'd definitely agree with that i'm connecting a lot more with Heavy rain than i did ME2

[tplarkin7]

The main problem in ME is the large number of characters. If they had fewer of them (say 4, instead of 12), there would be more dialogue per character.

So, the dialogue in ME is highly structured. You can only speak with them in their designated spot, and at specific times.

Regardless, it is still excellent.

[Hardedge]

Heavy Rain seems to be more of a personal journey, a lot more intimate, whereas ME2 is kinda like this large scale epic adventure. I'm sure both games are really good and I look forward to playing them.

[mephman]

Yea, they're definitely both great games.

[Sanrin]

Agreed, one is not particularly better then the other...but both could learn a thing or two! Imagine if they just sat down to talk...

[Si-Pie]

Yep they are both great games and im glad im lucky enough to own and play both. Although i really dont think you can really compare the two as they are different genres.

[Biggest]

It isn't a comparison of the game as a whole. Just the promised storytelling aspect. I have Mass Effect 2 for the PC and totally agree with the feelings of the writer here. There is no emotional attachment to the characters in that game. If you don't have an emotional attachment to a story, the storyteller isn't doing their job. Both games are excellent. Both games are totally different. But the one similarity, as given by the creators of the games, isn't executed well in Mass Effect.

[Si-Pie]

Well I think the story is told very well in ME2 and it really drew me into it personally. Im not saying ME2 is perfect but from a story viewpoint I think its told very well and im quite glad ME2 didn't tell a story in the same way as Heavy Rain like im glad Heavy Rain didn't tell its story like ME2. I thought this article is quite short sighted with a view to ME2. Like saying "Forcing characters to make tough choices early on, to live with mistakes sooner in the game creates more of an attachment. If players know they aren't really going to have to worry about things until the very end of the game, what's the point of giving choices to begin with? You might as well stick a button at the very end of the last boss fight that asks 'would you like the good or bad ending?'" The choice early on in the game choose whether its a good or bad ending and doesn't limit those choices to the the end of ME2 because as we know the story doesn't end there as those choices will stretch into ME3. Now personally I wanted to keep all my team alive to see how they develop in ME3.

[FanboysWillHateMe]

I personally thought that the characters in Mass Effect 2 were incredibly diverse and interesting. I definitely had an emotional attachment to those characters. They became more complex and real the more I talked to them.

As for Heavy Rain...I hate to say, but I can't say I felt any strong attachments to the characters. Perhaps because the game wasn't very long? I mean, they were cool, but besides Ethan, there's not too much background story given to the other three characters. We're not really given the chance to know much about any of them. I think they should have done for the other characters what they did for Ethan, where they have a chapter that specifically exposes their past.

[edwineverready]

to brush my teeth now. that is how much I got involved in this game. when you play it for a couple of hours you really feel one with the game character.

[moe84]

Stupid article. Completely different genres of games, with completely different methods of play. If Bioware wanted a Heavy Rain, they would have made it. This sounds more to me like some Sony fanboy wanted to try and 1up a game not available for the PS3. Of course, if they do get it, it can't be worse than whats on the 360. Talk about a ball-dropper.

Both games are great, regardless of said articles' retarded views.

[hamoor]

another article comparing HR to ME2
what next? Mario galaxy makes you explore more planets than god of war III?

[lovestospoodge]

its debatable since the different organic masses kratos is on (titans) is somewhat bigger than the smg planets.

[kornbeaner]

They are both great games and are TOTALLY! different. stupid title, stupid article. FAIL!

[mephman]

They're totally different in the respect that Heavy Rain isn't based in space with combat and huge guns. The way they tell a story isn't too different though.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

So is Heavy Rain a game now. Love both franchises, but this is worse than apples and oranges...like watermelons and kumquats.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

LMAO. Mass Effect is one of the greatest trilogies and stories ever. Heavy Rain is not.

Gamingunion? They should change the "U" to an "O" and call themselves the gamingonion. Horrible article!

[moe84]

What trilogy are you talking about? There are only 2 games. Until the 3rd comes out, Mass Effect isn't a trilogy.

[Sigh]

you played ME3 already? Freaking loser. Already invalid after saying "greatest trilogies ever".

[Sanrin]

The best you could come up with was GamingOnion? You should just stick with Halo.

[GarandShooter]

Gamingonion? That's all you got? Really? LMFAO

EDIT: Sanrin beat me to the punch!

[ironmonkey]

really u find that funny? enough to laugh ur azz off?. i think ur mad but use lmao to hide ur anger.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

What if the the third game really, really sucked?

[PtRoLLFacE]

really mass effect seems a perfect game to me, definitely my game of the year of 2010

[Rageanitus]

Its these comparisons that only fanboys make.

I just put a buddy of mine on the spot today he is an xbot and I he was comparing heavy rain to alane wake.... i told him heavy rain is an interactive movie and alane wake is more of a shooter....

Although I am more of a ps3 "fan" i told him straight out alan wake looks better but totally different games stop being a fanboy lol

Honestly Heavy rain you buy it for the epxerience it seems more like a grown up version of a choose your own adventure "book". But It seems more like a rental, even though im quite sure it is aweomse but wont last that long .

[egyptian_diarrhea]

it succeeded in sucking ass, nice one heavy rain!

[Mista T]

your name fits you well

[egyptian_diarrhea]

why thank you kind mista T, yours don't.

[TheXgamerLive]

actual gameplay and not a movie.

[ArcFatalix]

Heavy Rain is awesome, sucks to be you.

[TheXgamerLive]

you think that up all by yourself.

ps it's still a movie, no game play, sux to be you, seriously it must.

[Karooo]

You are the one who is a narrow minded kid, the game has 50+ 90 reviews on metacritic, why would anyone listen to a fanboy fk like you. only losers call it a movie.

[Foliage]

If one was to use the standard that XGamer claims to be true, that Heavy Rain has no gameplay, than it becomes fairly clear that Heavy Rain is to gameplay, as Mass Effect 2 is to combat mechanics and Role Playing.

Did XGamer ever tell you what his username means? You see, when he bought a 360 he decided to give up gaming. It was a good choice on his part, since the 360 has no games. Good ol' Ex-Gamer.

[awesomeperson]

Lool, XGAMER, we have God of War, Killzone, MAG, GT5, Motorstorm, etc for "gameplay" in your eyes, at least we have some games that replicate emotions without focusing on guns and killing.

[AngryTypingGuy]

Speaking of Metacritic, which game has a higher score on there??? Hmmmmmmmm... You guys crap all over Mass Effect because it's a 360 game and automatically praise Heavy Rain because it's a PS3 game.

Both games have great scores and are awesome. Why even compare them at all? They're not even similar in design except for the talking aspect.

[foxxy]

Alot of replay value shhhhhhh you dont know.

[Harry190]

Those were not choices in Mass Effect 2. They were problems. For more information:

[rezzah]

well i learned somthing new today =D bubblezzzzz

[Death2494]

Fvcking awesome!!!!!! It also better explains David Cage's genius behind Heavy Rain.

[Comet]

So that's why this game is so genius!
It's full of choices! ;D
Thanks for the info...

[Godmars290]

I really don't know why people are looking for emotional connection for a military themed sci-fi adventure, or surprised about the amount that an interactive crime drama surrounding a child killer offers.

[PotNoodle]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say, that there isn't any "emotional connection" in Mass effect 2, or there shouldn't be? Because both statements would be extremely silly. Like all stories, things like emotional connection are determined by the delivery of the story, not of the setting, or type of story it is.

[PotNoodle]

I have not played Heavy rain yet, i will do soon, but if it is even near the quality of Mass effect 2, i'll be extremely happy. Of course, they are two different games beyond the way the story is told, Mass effect 2 has great action gameplay and is more of a role playing game, and Heavy rain is you following the story of characters, with some slight role playing elements.

[chrisulloa]

How can you compare a game with a movie?

[Eternally33]

Like the sex scenes Bioware adds in the Mass Effect is so corny the sex scenes is like over in 25 to 30 sec and if Bioware added a more detailed experience so that you could go into when the dialogue option comes up that maybe you can ask your crew more about there past, hell I don't know but maybe just add something more detailed and interesting, but If I had to choose between the Mass Effect series and Heavy Rain I would say Mass Effect is better, Heavy Rain is just to slow for me. It would even make the Mass Effect experience so much greater if they could take something from Heavy Rain,

[MaximusPaynicus]

...Mass Effect 2's story wasn't written in a "logic optional" environment. Heavy Rain was hyped up on its story that was supposed to draw people in and, I guess if you turn your brain off for a few hours, it does just that. But once you look at it objectively and actually try to think you quickly realize that Heavy Rain not only fails to "revolutionize" the way stories are told, it fails at the simple task of creating a tight, player-driven narrative.

[kneon]

I just finished Heavy Rain not even 5 minutes ago, and it is phenomenal. I will definitely be playing it again. Though I did figure out the killer pretty early in the game it didn't take anything away from the story as I wasn't really sure until nearer the end.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Frozen Rain fails n everything. I played Heavy Rain the other day on my 360, I watched a movie and used the controller buttons to pause, fast forward, rewind and stop :) just like Heavy Rain.

[PeptoBismol]

get a life jason

you're like a broken record..repeating the same BS over and over

don't ever call yourself a gamer either

[CernaML]

I got to play Alan Wake pretty damn early. Took my flashlight and pointed it at my shadow.

[rezzah]

fact that you say youplayed it on your 360 shows that you probably never played it at all or ever will. Which means you really dont understand what gaming is. A form of art. Art accepts all new possbilities of new designs and expressions. If art stayed the same forever...well...you'll end up with something called Halo series. Halo has an awesome storyline, but when you start to realise that they are pushing it constantly just to make more money for the system itself then thats when you understand it is a work of art no longer. Except for the 1st halo, might want to consider the 2nd too. Halo stopped bringing somthing new to the table a while ago, where as Heavy Rain or w/e retarded names you bots like to think of is completly brand new. What makes it so amazing is what it is, you bots fail to understand what games are now because you choose to stay stuck in the past of what was good and is no longer. Accept change.

[-MD-]

"fact that you say youplayed it on your 360 shows that you probably never played it at all or ever will."

Or he was making a joke about it being a movie, *WHOOSH*

[rezzah]

Mybad murder, thx for pointing that out. Accept change. *WHOOSH*

[Heartbroken-Menace]

Both are great games, although I have to say I would pick ME2 over Heavy Rain. However,I think my GOTY will be here later this year.

[egyptian_diarrhea]

nice one, the other day i played heavy rain and i felt the urgent need to poop my wee out, from the awful.

[Death2494]

4? You pretty sure you're not even old enough to comment on a "M" rated game. Go tell your parents to get off their butts and put on some darn parental controls. Matter of fact, why don't they just get off their butts and be PARENTS.

[egyptian_diarrhea]

i'm 72, my father is einstein, he's dead, thanks a lot, asshole.

[Strikepackage Bravo]

Mass Effect and Heavy Rain are too different to compare in this fashion.

The site is trying to get hits, its all the rage these days, write a stupid story proclaiming the PS3 title or console is in some way better than the 360 counterpart, hundreds of PS3 fanboys click and it gets posted on N4G for certain due to its pro PS3 slant.

Its been done, we see through you, will never click on a link to your site.

[TehCell]

And Bayonetta succeeds where GOW3 fails.
Better combos.

[Taco_Waffle]

Did hiphopgamer write this?

[MaximusPaynicus]

The spelling is too proper.

[bjornbear]

of course it does, Heavy Rain's base is the choise based gameplay

ME2 probably doesn't have as a deep of a component, but it compensates with a deep RPG and TPS element,

so this comparison is a bit silly imo

still i can't disagree, this is obviously true - so far I've kept all of the 4 alive but I'm SO scared of loosing Ethan ='(

I see myself replaying this game at least another 4 times minimum...its just so damn deep its mind boggling

[nycredude]

Deep RPG? Did we play the same game. Mass Effect 1 had more rpg in it. Although ME2 is a great game let's cut the BS. It's a 3rd shooter with a bit of rpg elements and a good, unoriginal story.

[kneon]

I think the comparison is fair, as long as you realize it's just a comparison of one very narrow aspect of ME2.

I just finished moments ago and sadly I lost two characters due to my ineptitude with the buttons. I guess I shouldn't have played it on the hardest setting the first run through.

Now I've got to go back and play it again to try and get an ending I'm happy with, this one just left me pissed. Not at the game though, at myself and some of the stupid mistakes I made.

[bjornbear]

i must admit, i haven't played either...i was assuming considering the fact they are from bioware,

who are one of the best (if not the best) WRPG devs out there,

and since all other bioware games i've played have been some of the best rpg's i've ever played,

i assumed ME franchise would be as deep. i could be wrong

however, its still got RPG elements, which heavy rain doesn't, thats the point i'm trying to make =)

@kneon

damn, that sucks =/ i've kept mine alive so far but i'm so scared of loosing ethan, and madison also almost got killed just recently scared the crap out of me =O

but i see myself playing this game at least 3 times in a row before putting down =O

[Dellis]

MASS EFFECT series is an actual game, it shouldn't be compared to

an interactive movie.

[seifer085]

will have an article titled "How Mass Effect 2 Succeeds where Heavy Rain fails" anyways and Blaze will probably be the contributor.

That's my prediction for the day.

[Al Bundy]

What's next? Comparing God of War III to Alan Wake?

[Richdad]

But ME2 is a different kind of game more action oriented. It wouuld have been really altered ME 2 if it had used style of Heavy rain.

You have to alter the whole universe if you make ME2 so much dynamic. I would love to see that. It will be awesome experience but at the same time it will require a budget and dev time that will cripple Bioware.

Better they a made superb RPG with few innovation rather than trying to do something totally new and end up like TOO Humans.

[Dance]

You can't compare an interactive movie to a game

[devsgreat]

i think this article doesnt make much sence...totaly diferent games, both good.

[Snert]

Heavy Rain sh!ts on Ass Deffect 2.

[blair_enigma]

if only i could kill someone id kill u egypt

[ClosingRacer]

As much as i Love Heavy Rain and still enjoy playing it..Mass Effect 2 is way better ...And also Mass Effect 2 is worth my 60 bucks...Heavy Rain is 60 bucks for a movie with interactive controls..( eh still worth buying but way overpriced like buying a DVD at Barnes and Noble :P)

[Socomer 1979]

It's like a kids cartoon.

David Cage took Bioware to School.

You gotta have a G.E.D & a Drivers Licence to play Heavy Rain.
There's only 2 buttons for mass effect: aim & shoot.

[AKS]

Heavy Rain was terrific in making sure you were attached to the characters. It is one of the best games at giving the user important choices that actually influence the outcome and direction of the experience. It's a shame that the author decided to say that Mass Effect failed at this, which is going to completely overshadow any point he was trying to make.

Both games were fantastic, BTW. I really enjoyed playing through both games.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

This article makes me sad to be a gamer.

[RagTagBnd445]

I'm so tired of these comparisons, of course Heavy Rain's story would have more storytelling, because that is what the whole game is about. When Mass Effect 2's storytelling starts to be a little thin, the gameplay takes over. Heavy Rain instead focus everything on the story. Two very different formulas, who leads to two different but still awesome games.

[BLADE_X8]

Mass Effect 2 is a great game, and I will buy it on day one for PS3. (IT IS CONFIRMED FOR PS3...MOST LIKELY COMING AROUND HOLIDAY TIME.) In fact, I will preliminary rate ME2 just slightly higher than Heavy Rain. (HR-9.3, ME2, 9.6) Both are great scores, and neither game fails!

I don't want a 360 again (No need to explain why...again!), but I recognize that the system is finally staring to deliver what was promised years ago. (Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Halo Reach, and alan Wake looks sick!!) In the case of Halo, Bungie and MS are finally showing it's gamers next gen quality....which is what Peter Moore, Bungie, and MS has been promising since Halo 2. (halo Reach actually looks like a xbox 360 next gen game. (However, Mass Effect 2 is currently the only next gen game that I seen on the box...and yea, I know I have high standards.) With all that being said, Mass Effect 2 is a huge leap from Mass Effect 1, but trying to compare it with Heavy Rain is a stretch. (These are different genres) Action wise, may go to ME2, but ingauging storyline should go to Heavy Rain. (Both games display oustanding graphics and sound quality...very close to what Uncharted 2 has done!)

[Bullseye]

pre order of HR after 20mins of the demo! Talk about laborious control system! Why,please tell me why, do you have to make squeezing by a dumpster so ridiculously cumbersome! Does it improve the game in ANY way? Nah, utter rubbish.What's the point in having loverly graphics,good storyline if you're prevented from immersion in the storyline by an ill thought out control system? In contrast,I'm on my second play thru of ME2, and it's superb.Yes,it has a few minor flaws, but with ME2,I always feel involved with the game. HR, for me, isn't even close.Just one viewpoint I know, but it's as valid as yours,please remember.

[Mr Lahey]

So funny when fan-boys start to rant about triple-A and Metacritic scores, totally clueless of what triple-A actually is..

So much fail...

[Primetimebt]

I actually thought the "sex sequences" and a full body shots were better and more realistic on Heavy rain.

[MMFGaming]

Mass Effect's moral choices were very black and white. Heavy Rain's are a little more subtle.