Comments on: Redeemed: A Design Analysis of Heavy Rain http://thegameprodigy.com/redeemed-a-design-analysis-of-heavy-rain/ The Source for Game Design Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:49:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Ryan Earl Moore http://thegameprodigy.com/redeemed-a-design-analysis-of-heavy-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-459 Ryan Earl Moore Sun, 02 May 2010 08:58:11 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=407#comment-459 In the Gameplay for a Purpose section, you make the comparison between Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain. In Indigo Prophecy, you stated that you were given mundane tasks to perform like having to carry boxes to the door for your character’s girlfriend. You labeled this as a "roadblock" and rightly so. The action is devoid of any real value to the player or to the story other than staling for time. However, you then mentioned, the opening sequence in Heavy Rain about playing with children in the back yard. This is a brilliant piece of work because on the surface it looks just as mundane as moving the boxes. But in reality it has huge psychological effects on the player. It matches the expectations of the player for the character's role as a father. After all it is perfectly normal for a father to play with his children. It also can tap into deep emotions from the players own past, giving the game personal significance via these emotions which are then tied to the character. And on a social level, raising children is of great importance, it ensures the survival of the species. We have instincts that dictate certain behaviors, actions, and feelings when put into these conditions. This was brilliantly constructed. We are going to be seeing more of this kind of content, where games are able to spur deep emotions within players having them experience something never before realized. Thank you for the great article. In the Gameplay for a Purpose section, you make the comparison between Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain. In Indigo Prophecy, you stated that you were given mundane tasks to perform like having to carry boxes to the door for your character’s girlfriend. You labeled this as a “roadblock” and rightly so. The action is devoid of any real value to the player or to the story other than staling for time. However, you then mentioned, the opening sequence in Heavy Rain about playing with children in the back yard. This is a brilliant piece of work because on the surface it looks just as mundane as moving the boxes. But in reality it has huge psychological effects on the player. It matches the expectations of the player for the character’s role as a father. After all it is perfectly normal for a father to play with his children. It also can tap into deep emotions from the players own past, giving the game personal significance via these emotions which are then tied to the character. And on a social level, raising children is of great importance, it ensures the survival of the species. We have instincts that dictate certain behaviors, actions, and feelings when put into these conditions. This was brilliantly constructed.

We are going to be seeing more of this kind of content, where games are able to spur deep emotions within players having them experience something never before realized.

Thank you for the great article.

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