Heavy Rain

My Heavy Rain Review

Story – 7/10
Revisiting Heavy Rain felt like it was exposing a game that I had previously called perfect... just to ascertain that the script was not of good quality time. The intrigue gripped me totally in the course of my first playthrough - I was always on a knife edge, perpetually making my guesses and reversing my choices. But to immerse myself in the mystery was to be critical of the writing and to see the faults: unanswered plot threads, a plot twist that was rather bewildering than intelligible, and character motivations that collapsed upon examination. But the emotional highs are still very high, some scenes remain unforgettable, and the multi-conditional endings do give the whole experience some real impact. Flawed? Yes. Compelling? Definitely.

Gameplay – 7.5/10
I'm glad to say that this remaster does away with the old PS3 "hold R2 to walk" nightmare, which made controlling the characters much smoother. The use of QTEs was very predictable from Quantic Dream's side—easy to follow yet very upsetting, particularly during critical situations. My main concern stemmed from the right stick input issue which led me to believe that my controller was gone. However, thank goodness, the problem was solved right away by changing to a community layout. The overall experience was quite nice apart from some rigid movements and a bit of camera shaking.

World/Atmosphere – 8.5/10
The world remains the primary draw. You are made to feel uncomfortable as the creators want you to feel amidst the rain-soaked city, grim apartments, and darkly illuminated streets. It is slow, sluggish, and moody, and it works. Even if there are some bumps in the narrative, the vibe keeps the tension alive.

Visuals – 8/10
The remaster gives the visual component of the game a major upgrade in terms of sharpness, character models that are cleaner, and the fact that the game runs at a stable 60fps which is a breath of fresh air for the game. However, it is brighter than the PS3 version so I do miss that old, grainier film-noir vibe. It is also baffling that there is no ultrawide support for a modern release. Nevertheless, this is the best-looking version for new players.

Music & Sound – 7/10
The soundtrack? Amazing. Easily one of my favorite parts of the entire experience—emotional, cinematic, and perfectly suited to the tone.
The voice acting… is not. Some scenes hit hard, but others are painfully awkward, and sometimes it genuinely breaks immersion. It’s charming in a “PS3 era” kind of way, but not exactly good.

Overall Score: 7.6/10

Despite the places that are flawed and the decidedly stale narrative, Heavy Rain is still a unique and atmospheric thriller that can still engage me. It is best experienced, when you allow yourself to experience the tension instead of examining each detail every feel is scrutinizing as lunatics. If you enjoy branching narratives, cinematic narratives, and triumphs and failures on a large scale, this remaster is still worth experiencing, particularly on PC.