I don't understand developers nowadays. They have years to complete a game, and yet put out a product which isn't ready for the consumer. First off I will say this game is brilliant. It is just as gripping as any major Hollywood Drama. The graphics are incredible and the plot is phenomenal. I really hope this game does well so that in the future more games in this new "genre" of interactive games will be released. I will say give the controls some time...they are really frustrating and unintuitive...but you sort of get used to them with time. I hope the developer does NOT implement the walking control scheme in future games...holding the R2 button to walk while trying to position the left stick (which changes orientation every time the darn camera changes) is mind-numbingly frustrating in several parts of the game.

Now on to the bad stuff. This game has BUGS. It skips...the sound hiccups, and worst of all: IT FREEZES CONSTANTLY. I have a brand new ps3 slim and it is not my system. I looked online and it looks like the game is extremelly buggy, all of the forums confirm that my case of freezing is not isolated. This is unforgivable in a major marquee release like this. It installs a 220 meg patch when you first get the game but that does nothing to solve the freezing issues.

And yet...here I am still trying to play the damn thing even though it freezes on me every 30 minutes. If there was a standard "Save Anywhere" Feature this would be fine, but the game saves in checkpoints and in many cases not until AFTER you finish a chapter. Shame on Sony for releasing a product this buggy. Hopefully it gets fixed in a future patch...until then I think I'll have to either return it or wait.

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I don't want to waste time writing reviews, But this game is Amazing and a must buy.

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What a great game -- totally different from anything else out there.

While it's easy to see ways in which the game could be improved (the clumsy "walking around" control, some of the graphics, some of the voice acting (fake American accents?!?), some of the clunky dialog...) all of that will come.

The new aspects of this game are going to really raise the bar for other games:

* Characters that we care about -- and who are not in any way superhuman

* Consequences to our actions (and not just "virtue" points or something like that)

* Tough emotional and moral situations (compare to the supposed "moral dilemma" in Bioshock that got so much attention)

This one's a game changer --- in five years there will be games out that do this even better. And it will be all thanks to these guys for breaking the ground.

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Heavy Rain, I thought at first would have been more of a soap opera drama. But when experiencing the opening I was completely drawn in by the story and by the interation and control that I had. I mean just having to get out of bed, showered and dressed along with brushing my teeth was a fun and interactive experience. From then on I was hooked by the more than movie type script and drama. Heavy rain is by far the one of the greatest gaming experiences I have been a part of. I am a father myself to two sons and this game really makes you think. "How far would you go to protect your own sons, family etc." I give Heavy Rain a whopping 10 out of 10. What a game!

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You know a game is good when you can't stop thinking about it after the ending credits. I beat Heavy Rain 3 days ago, and I'm still figuring out all the little threads in my mind. I think I'm going to have to go back and play it again.

Heavy Rain is a very emotional, atmospheric experience. You play the role of four characters who are seeking their own goals in a serial murder case. Ethan Mars is a father looking for his son who has been kidnapped, Scott Shelby is a private investigator looking for evidence, an FBI investigator called Jayden who is trying to kick a habit and Madison, a journalist who helps Ethan.

To play, you have to learn some new controls. The game is played by pressing buttons as instructed on the screen. Failure to do so correctly will change the course of events, as will the choices you make in the game. There are moments in this game where you will agonize over the choices presented to you, but the experience is rewarding and enjoyable. I love the characters, and some of the plot points will make you gasp as you put everything together.

The only thing that does detract from the game for me are the bugs. I encountered audio skipping at the beginning of each chapter. Hopefully a patch will be released, but it is disappointing that the game went to market with these issues.

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Sony really did some work on this game. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun playing a video game. It's not like your average video game - its more like a "choose your own adventure" dramatic/action movie. I really felt that I was connected with the characters, and that I was in the game. I never felt bored, despite what other people say. It's awesome, such a cool gaming experience.

It's a different kind of game, and probably not for everyone. I loved it though!

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It will be close at the Spike Awards next year, and by that I mean I am guessing God Of War III will get game of the year barring any "dark horse". I just wish it could be a tie or that an entirely new award category could be created for Heavy Rain. Truly the most disturbing and emotionally engaging "game" I have ever played (yes, at some points I even teared up), I simply could not stop playing. I beg of Sony to please give Quantic Dream and its entire team a blank check to produce more games like this. At the very least I am praying for more and more DLC for Heavy Rain and kicking myself for not having pre-ordered to get The Taxidermist DLC so now I have to wait until 04/01/2010, but will happily pay for it. Kudos for this game, maybe not so much for some of the nightmares I have had after playing it, but all I can say is WOW - I'd have bought a PS3 for this exclusive alone!

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There's something about interactive drama that makes a game completely different than everything you could normally play...

Typically, a video game story is linear. If you don't complete a task, you don't progress. Most often, if you fail completing a task, you get a "Game Over." Heavy Rain dismisses that option. The story is always progressing, whether your task is done correctly or not. These tasks branch out into the rest of the story, and it's likely that two friends who play this game simultaneously will not have experienced the same thing.

You will find yourself wanting to see all possible endings, and replaying chapters to see what could have happened differently. After playing through and getting the "good" ending, I realized that I had only seen a maximum 6/7th of the game.

The game is a serial-killer murder mystery. Many game series involve killing (Call of Duty, God of War, etc.), but Heavy Rain actually stresses the consequences that deaths can have on people. I'm sure there will be psychological essays written on the characters in Heavy Rain, similar to the essays on good versus evil in Final Fantasy VII (sigh).

-I DO NOT recommend this game for anyone under 16 because they will not be mature enough grasp what the characters are feeling.

-I DO NOT recommend this game for anyone under 21 (who does not have an immediate interest to play it) because they will not appreciate the way the story unfolds (origami joke).

-I DO recommend you play this game before you have kids (JASON!).

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there are tons of paths to take in this game. Options are everywhere. It's crazy how much things differ in the various ways you take it. You can choose to fight or not to fight, save the girl or save yourself, etc, etc, etc. Crazy awesome. The plot is a real twister; I surely didn't see it comin'.

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This is one of the best games I have ever played. Never has a game gripped me and made me scream at my TV screen like this, or left me shaking after an intense scene. If you are a PS3 owner and have not bought this game yet, GO GET IT! What are you waiting for??

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I have to say this is the most brilliant game I ever played. A notch above Arkham Asylum and Infamous. Very under rated, it's all politics.

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i most say this is one of the best games i ever played . the story was good and all i have to say is i hope they make another game like this . this is a must buy game if you own a ps3

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This game is great, xbox has nothing like this, I love this game, and If you buy it you won't be let down.

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Heavy Rain really appealed to my sensibilities as someone who appreciates a good story, atmosphere as well as a great game. I've been following the game since it was originally show at E3 years ago and have been highly anticipating it's release ever since. To start with Heavy Rain has very memorable characters. You truly become attached to these characters and have the desire to unmask the Origami killer and seek redemption. All the characters have distinctive personalities as well as connections to the Oragami killer and reasons to pursue the killer. Portions of the game are very intense and exciting, combining the best elements from the thriller and suspense genre.

Story aside the games presentation is great. The characters are extremely realistic, at times approaching photo realism, the settings are appropriately damp and atmospheric and the games presentation is much like that of a feature film. The controls might take some time getting used to for some but for those well versed in Resident Evil style "tank" controls, adapting shouldn't be a problem. The controls and camera also have a way of adding to the suspense in the same way a Resident Evil or Silent Hill would. Also the so-called quick time events are intertwined well into the gameplay experience and doesn't make you feel like a bystander as some feared.

By the conclusion of the game I felt perfectly satisfied and was left with the one of the best gameplay experiences of this year. It will likely leave you yearning for more Heavy Rain and more gameplay experiences that are story driven and not neccesarily mainstream. No doubt it'll rub some the wrong way, as it's not for those with overly itchy trigger fingers or those who want instant gratification. But those with the patience and love of a good narrative will likely appreciate Heavy Rain as a very engaging and unique gameplay experience in the sea of clones.

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Man Heavy Rain is awesome its like no other game you are literally playing a epic movie the story telling is up there with Hideo Kojima the gameplay is unique and takes a little time to get use to but once you adjust you have loads of fun. All the different decisions/action you make weather its big or small can have a big impact on how the story will play out and i love that so much because it keeps the story fresh and gives you the ability to throw in your own twist and turns not to mention reasons to play through the story again i knew Quantic Dream would deliver and i cant wait to see what they have next for PS superb job and a superb game i think it deserves GOTY. For those hating on the game take your game back to the store because your probably to young to have a copy

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