Switch Lights

The lights are on

First Impressions: Heavy Rain for Move



Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain was a hot topic of discussion when it released earlier this year, but the game isn't done sparking conversations quite yet. A new version of the game is in the works for Sony's Move, featuring a control scheme tailored for the new device.

While the content of game seems to be identical to the original, the team has made a few tweaks. First of all, most of the inputs appeared to be based on moving the wand; you'll tilt, thrust, and rotate in ways that make sense in context and roughly approximate the characters' motions on-screen. These kinds of actions comprised the majority of our demo, though a few button prompts (like the Move button and T button) came up occasionally.

The way you navigate the environments will also be different for the Move iteration. You'll just use the analog stick to steer your character -- no more holding the R2 button to walk forward, which should make it easier to move through those crowds at your favorite disco. Also of note is the fact that there are only two difficulties now, one geared for hardcore players and the other for more casual gamers.

Heavy Rain's transition Move seems like a natural fit, and Quantic Dream's Guillame de Fondaumière pointed out that motion controls were always in consideration for the game. In fact, early on in development, Quantic Dream was considering developing its own motion-based peripheral to include with the game in order to accommodate the gameplay. However, once the team heard Sony's plans for Move, they decided to adopt that technology instead. 

No specific release details have been announced, but you should expect Heavy Rain again close to the Move's launch date. If you haven't picked up the original version yet, you should consider buying the likely Move/Heavy Rain pack-in combo. For gamers who already bought Heavy Rain, the Move-enabled control scheme will be made available as a free patch.

Email the author , or follow on , , and .

Comments
  • Awesome, glad motion control is being added, hope the motion works well for this game.
  • i still dont even know what the gameplay for this game actually looks like

  • I hope motion control dies a horrible death.
    .....Stupid wii gimmick
  • I think that with all this 3D and motion control gaming crap that studios are embracing and trying to promote, its an indicator that they clearly have no idea what new direction to go in.
  • excellent, hmmm... might make the action scenes a bit more... actiony?

  • excellent, hmmm... might make the action scenes a bit more... actiony?

  • excellent, hmmm... might make the action scenes a bit more... actiony?

  • Really looking forward to how they incorporate the motion control aspect in this gorgeous game. After today's Spotlight, I am sold on the Move.

  • Seems like a waste to throw Heavy Rain on the move

  • I really think this is the perfect game to do this

  • this looks just plain awesome. i think this is one of the games that benefits most from move, and i'm so excited to see it. are you sure there'll be a heavy rain/move bundle? if there is i'm sold on it

  • Yes another reason for me to be addicted to Heavy Rain

  • Cool...I still haven't picked up Heavy Rain and I'm thinking about getting the Move so a bundle would really get me to try out the new toys.

  • Mod

    I'm mad that they sacrificed DLC for Move support.

  • "For gamers who already bought Heavy Rain, the Move-enabled control scheme will be made available as a free patch." That takes care of me :D I look forward to doing another play through with it!

    After looking over comments on E3 this year, it's impossible for me to refrain from getting into a debate... about Kinect, Move, motion control in general.

    I had a revelation recently, that makes this topic a little easier to break into, though (hard for me to do when it seems that the majority of our community is up in arms). When it comes to the gaming community as a whole, we like to speak out a lot more when we are upset than we do about stuff we like. Do we ever consider the fact that we paint ourselves as a bunch of in-fighting jokers to both our peers and to outsiders with this... this selective reservation?

    I think it's time we all got some perspective. Let's talk chronologically, start at the Wii.

    I personally have never been sold on the Wii. I've played dozens of times at relatives houses, borrowed it from a friend (which he has had no problem loaning me, as he never plays it) on multiple occasions to try out games that looked promising, only to be greatly disappointed. The tech on this "console" (read:toy) holds it back, plain and simple.

    "Waaa the Move is just a high precision Wiimote on a high definition platform"

    Ok... maybe that's all it takes?

    "Waaa, that Lamborghini is just a high performance, high luxury Civic"

    ...know what I mean?

    Both Move and Kinect are pieces of current generation technology... consider these the first real representations of motion control - and for goodness sake, get it out of your head that the Wii is even in the same generation (read:league).

  • Heavy Rain is a perfect game for the Move but I'll stick with my controller until that price drops.

  • Oh good, free patch =D  I was worried that they were gonna make me pay for something I already spent $60 on...

    This will prolly send me through the story of Heavy Rain again come September ^_^

  • haven't played heavy rain, and don't intend to so don't care.

  • I'm guessing this will be much more intuitive and less frustrating using motion controls, because the standard controls sucked.

  • I literally bought this game about a week ago, and I just saw this announcement.  Darn.  But the game was so beautiful that I wouldn't mind playing it again, as long as I don't need to buy the game again (but I'll probably have to).