Heavy Rain is one of the most powerful and gripping games I have ever played.
VISUALS 9/10
-The visuals are really good. Sure it might not look as good as Killzone 2 but it still looks fantastic. One minor gripe I have is that the characters seem to lack facial animation. Most games do that, but considering on how awesome and powerful this game was, I was expecting a little more facial animations and it can get pretty noticeable. Still though, the lighting, coloration, and textures are very well done. Overall, the game looks great.
SOUND 9/10
-The sound presentation is great. The voice acting is top notch like it should. I mean after all, how can you enjoy a story when the characters don't sound very intriguing? But anyways, great voice acting. The music in my opinion is one of the big shiners of this game. Fantastic action and emotional music put together. Overall, a great sounding game.
STORY 15/10
-Extraordinary. Not only does this have a deep and gripping story, but it also allows you to control the story based on your decisions. The tag line of this game is "make decisions, face the consequences." The game manages to follow that line perfectly. It's amazing on how well the outcomes of the story are executed. The story is definitely the shiner of the game.
GAMEPLAY 8/10
-Well...there isn't really much to talk about because all the game is is a bunch of quicktime and interactive button pressing. Now when I say it like that, the game will sound boring, but it isn't. The game is like that for the story. However, I can tell you that if you are one who plays games regularly, then DON'T play on the easiest difficulty. It makes the game incredibly boring and takes away the excitement. Normal difficulty isn't too bad, but I would recommend hard difficulty since it makes the game really exciting. Also (like gamespot said) the movement control isn't too good. It's not horrible by any means but it can handle a little awkwardly. But that's really the only gripe I have with the game. Everything else is done greatly.
CONCLUSION 9.5/10
-Overall, you need to pick this game up. However, it may not appeal to everyone. If you are a fan of constant run and gun shooters, then I should warn you that this game is very different from that. It's not a very action packed game but it still has a lot of thrills to come. But if you are looking for a refreshing game in this generation, then play this. It's a fantastic game.