“As they identify themselves to the characters, they want to do what they believe their character would do in the context (and not necessarily what they would like to do as players). In a December ’09 Game Informer interview, Quantic Dream’s David Cage referenced the assault scene in an attempt to positively highlight the game’s immersive power: Rape is a real and terrifying reality to women, and I have no interest in playing out that all-too-common feeling of revulsion and violation in a video game simulation.Ī trailer for Heavy Rain also shows Paige fighting off intruders in what appears to be her apartment, wearing only her underwear. Some of these experiences have been relatively innocuous, some even more violent than Heavy Rain’s depiction, but every last one was violating and dehumanizing. I don’t know a single woman who has not experienced an unwanted sexual advance in her lifetime. ‘Don’t walk alone at night’ ‘don’t drink with strangers (or at all!)’ ‘don’t wear a short skirt’ ‘watch your glass’-these things are drilled into women like a litany to avoid rape. Women who haven’t personally experienced rape are still affected by and constantly aware of it. Rape and sexual violence are alarmingly common in our culture. The story, Quantic Dream says, just adapts and continues down a new path.” Madison could have died at several points in the encounter and there would have been no game over screen. “With Heavy Rain’s flexible branching paths, things could have turned out much differently. Wow, Heavy Rain! How edgy you are, dancing around r-a-p-e! Did you know, everyone, that going to nightclubs and dancing for mobsters can have REAL CONSEQUENCES? There is no guarantee that Madison will survive the encounter: Here they intend to give us a dose of “reality.” Unlike a femme fatale who remains independent, mysterious, and powerful regardless of her actions, Madison Paige is threatened-at gunpoint-and forced to remove her clothing. As Paco is entranced, she grabs a lamp from the table and smashes him in the face.”Īhh. Madison removes her blouse and skirt and casually moves toward an end table. At first she tries to talk her way out of the room, but Paco pulls a gun and forces her to continue. When he asks Madison to strip, several gameplay options float around her blurring in and out of focus. As soon as she enters, Paco ushers her to the other end of the room, haphazardly tossing her purse onto a couch along the way. “As they go up to Paco’s office, Madison checks on the gun in her purse to give her the confidence to face the potentially dangerous situation. Know why femme fatales of the noir era used their looks thusly? That was the only source of power they had! I’d hoped we’d come somewhere since then. I realize that there’s a noir tradition of femme fatales using their sexuality to get what they want, but I find it trite, dated, and unappealing. Madison suggests they go somewhere more private.”Īs far as I’ve seen, Heavy Rain’s male characters haven’t been sexualized in promotional materials. Back outside, her dancing combined with her new appearance gets Paco’s attention and he invites her over. Using more button prompts, players help her apply makeup, undo a couple blouse buttons, and tear off the lower edge of her skirt. “Madison heads to the ladies’ room to see what she can do about her conservative appearance. This is where the account starts to get skeevy. After Paige witnesses a “sexy dancing blonde” gain access to her target, she tries to similarly capture his attention. In E3’s demo she is shown visiting a club to interview a man named Paco. Game Informer’s “Meet Heavy Rain’s Madison Paige” was my first introduction to the game, where I learned that Paige is a reporter investigating the Origami Killer. My apprehension about Heavy Rain stems from its marketing of one particular emotionally charged situation involving the lone female of the lead characters, Madison Paige. This is no alien shoot ’em up where the player can reload upon dying the characters in Heavy Rain are “normal people who have landed in extraordinary situations.” These characters can die, lending the player a sense of vulnerability that leads to harrowing and emotionally charged situations. The story each player experiences is unique, dependent on the order in which each character’s story is played and the various mundane actions undertaken by characters throughout. The four main characters are connected only by their search for a serial killer known as the Origami Killer the player directs their actions through a choose-your-own-adventure style control system, selecting options based on the situation each character finds him or herself in. Heavy Rain appears to be far more cinematic than your average game. Today marks the release of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream’s groundbreaking new game for the PS3.
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