Narration in the Rain: About “Heavy Rain” – A Groundbreaking Game From the Quantic Dream Studio

Andrzej Pitrus

Abstract

In the introduction the author presents an overview of technological developments in games of the sand­box category. Games of this type do not have a linear storyline forced upon the player and are not particularly popular on the market. Heavy Rain appears to be a groundbreaking development in this area. Pitrus supposes that the game might give rise to a new trend in interactive entertainment, and for sure will prove to be a challenge for theoreticians. The shape of “narration” in Heavy Rain is different from most interactive games, as the characters are not immortal, and in the case of failure in a stage of the game, the game does not end, but continues, taking on a different character. If we are not happy with the events taking place, we can restart the game, and retry to influence the destinies of the characters. In his further analysis of the narrative meanders in Heavy Rain Pitrus refers to the theories of Rick Altman, David Bordwell and Jacek Ostaszewski. He concludes that the pleasure of playing Heavy Rain, comes above all from the sphere of building the narrative.