When it came to PlayStation gamers as an exclusive back in 2010, Heavy Rain would work up quite the cult following. Whilst the plot was said to have many holes, and the voice acting and dialogue often didn't match up to the tone developers were hoping to conjure up, the groundbreaking offering from Quantic Dream - in which any of the characters you play as could meet an untimely end - allowed players to fully invest in the narrative.
If you're a fan of true crime, then this is one for you. Heavy Rain follows the story of a child-murdering serial killer, who has been given the mantle of The Origami Killer. Leaving origami figures on the bodies, the murderer kidnaps children and then buries them, allowing 'heavy rain' to eventually drown them.
The characters you take control of are mildly fleshed out, but the sexualisation of Madison Paige ruins any character development that those behind the story may have been hoping to portray. There's also a terrible, clumsily thrown together romance that feels so out of left field that it should have been left out of the story completely.
It's a shame, because the way in which each of the individual stories are woven together is extremely dynamic. Players are taken through scenes in which they'll be challenged with a number of quick time events, which are easy enough to get through, as you're allowed to make a series of different mistakes. When playing with a keyboard, this is a real blessing, as it can feel very clumsy; so if you have a controller you can wire up, then it'd be a great idea to do so.
When you're given the freedom to walk around and explore a location, it's a real treat. They're designed with detail in mind, with lots of silly little obstacles thrown in, such as having to shake your mouse back and forth to shake an orange juice carton in the game.
Always a favourite of mine when it came to PlayStation exclusives, Heavy Rain is now on offer to a whole new audience who can appreciate the barriers it broke down in video gaming. It's not the most well-written story on the planet, but it's one that will certainly stick with you long after playing.
Heavy Rain from Quantic Dream is available now on PC, fully optimised for PC gamers!