Heavy Rain’s Contextual Controls

I haven't played it yet, but watching Brad I got the feeling it wasn't working very well.
It's a pretty big deal considering it's like a third of the gameplay.

I, personally, have really loved Heavy Rain and its predecessor Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit ). I haven't been able to finish Heavy Rain as of yet (college and whatnot), but I have formed my own opinions. It's not an adventure game as you were saying. There is little exploration of environments, but I feel like that is fine. Your limited to a set path, but I believe that it is merely and extension of fate. Isn't that was this game is. It is not about the controls (which can be a bit gimmicky here or there); it is about the choices you make having serious consequences on you or someone else. Sure, its been done before, right? I am reminded of Fable and Infamous. Those games give you choices outside the liner path. What is my point? Earlier moral choice games have only been able to give you a bi-liner path. Two choices (we can all guess the paths when one has you killing friends and one has butterflies floating around you head). Only two. Heavy Rain on the other hand has some clear actions; others... others are very much unclear.
I am a believer in videogame art. Not the sketches or just the music (note the just). I am interested in the emotional, intellectual, and aesthetic artistic themes videogames can have. Aesthetic: graphics, sounds, game play, above layer stuff. Intellectual: thoughts, social commentary, morals, what the game makes you think. Emotional: attaching your self to a character then having them die, sadness for tragedy, what the game makes you feel. These are themes that I believe makes a videogame art. Heavy Rain, to me, has these in abundance.
That is why I like Heavy Rain. Any questions? Email me at: nny7229@hotmail.com or my PSN ID: Nny7229.
P.S. I like quick time events so... maybe a bit of bias.

I agree with Ben but I also and more agree with Nny7229. I can see and understand how there are some points in the game where you feel you are taken out of this very interesting and twist filled story line to concentrate on doing certain actions on your controller but I also feel that the experience has so much human emotion to it that your character(s) isn't just another video game AI that has a certain path but he or she is a part of you, in a moral sense. With every action having a consequence just like in real time you know that if you die it was your fault and not part of the story line. That and the fact that if one of the main characters do die the story continues on. There is no red screen with blood dripping down it screaming in your face "You Died" (as if you didn't know that already). I felt like I was in control (most of the time). Sure, I really wish they would have changed some things like letting me control the car but then what stops them from having to make it an open world? Its the actions and reactions you have to think about in this game. They couldn't really let you explore cause you had to stay on a so called "path" yet, in all sense ability you didn't in the end. With almost every single play through being a different way each time I think this game has great potential on coming out with similar (hopefully not TOO similar) and exciting games that put YOU in control and that don't just give you two choices, the red pill or the blue pill. Heavy rain I think is a new revelation in gaming (in the works that is) and as time goes by we will get to see new and improved games like this. Don't get my wrong I love my first and third person shooters, but I also love a change in my game play every now and then. I have never been a huge fan on mystery games. I am hoping for a game like this to come out once to twice a year. The thing I fear the most is game companies flooding us with games like Heavy Rain. Since the replay value is so high I only think that we need the max of two. My main thought throughout this whole process of playing, learning, and watching Heavy Rain is this, If and when they do come out with another game similar to the controls and choice making (of actions and consequences) what will the story line be? Are they going to "flood" us with more mysteries untill we get sick of them and boy cot Csi and Law and Order? Or will they think of more exciting ways to make us feel like we have a connection with our characters? Could this be the end of that big "fail in your face screen" (You are dead)? I cant wait for the E3 to see if they answer any of these questions.

Well, at least it's better than playing 'simon' for the entire game.

My main gripe with the contextual controls were that when you are a free to "roam" in a certain locale, and are given options to interact with object or even NPC's it would require you to do some sort of motion or twist on the analog stick, sometimes with there being multiple amounts of interactions in the same spot/screen(like a table), and I would have no clue as to what carrying out that interaction would result in, especially problematical in time sensitive/ tense moments, this is what would make me less immersed and more flacid in my pants.

I didn't have so much of a problem with the QTE's where they weren't forced and more of a result of your actions you take, like, I know if I kick down this door and try to rescue this [appropriate word for hooker], I'm probably going to get my main character in a fight or end up in a dilemma where I have to make another tough decision, so when I got into a brawl I knew it was my doing, and I'm just going to let this scene play out to get to the consequence of my action. I could have just as easily left and not interfered. But I agree with your points where the QTE was more forced in your face and you going more for the ride than it being a certain choice your character made.

I got lucky and got the controls down early, so I am liking it alit. I can see your points, though, just like your earlier Unchsrted post, which turned out to be my GOTY. Hope you can enjoy it mate.

Buddetha24 & Nny7229, I know the story and theme is very interesting and I like that part of it so far. This is focusing on the controls, not that actual narrative. I'll probably write in more detail about it when I can play with some of the choices a little bit more. I find the choices are interesting but most other things fall flat--that isn't to say everything does but a majority.

I don't think there is any reason a game can't provide both the feeling of agency and quality story that the player can affect at the same time.

Bayonetta made a good point - there was more than one time when, playing this game, I didn't know what I was going to do when I decided to push a certain button or push the analog stick a certain way. In fact, one of these times, it resulted in the death of a character who I actually wanted to save.

Other times the game just pulled stupid shit, like one time having X = Yes and O = No then switching it around the next time so O = Yes and X = No, which resulted in me inadvertently saying 'Yes' and ending up in a VERY unpleasant and undesirable situation I never wanted to get in in the first place. Why did they do that? I have no clue, but it pissed me off that on several occasions the game did the exact opposite of what I wanted to do, simply because I didn't understand what pushing a certain button would result in.

Just got lost in a rant school.... a fun little rant

You mention that in Far Cry 2, there is a button that is always used for the car (and other things), and you learn to use that button with the car, and that Heavy Rain doesn't do that....but it does. To pick something up, you push up...and to put something down, you push down. Later in the game when you pick something up with that you can interact with, you will see a down arrow and maybe an R1 or something. I want to interact with the object and not put it down, and i know that down is to put it down, so I know that the other button must be to interact with it. I know that because the game set it up that way.....as for the face buttons, you interact with HUNDREDS of objects...trying to classify a group of objects to only 4 buttons would be useless. Would you put the clay salamanders on the same button as the baby or the OJ or the Triptocane?.......also, X is to stay, O is to leave area

I know what you mean about not knowing what somethings will do, but... isn't that the point. Sometimes you just don't know what picking something up, opening a door, missing a punch, etc... will do. Also thoughts get mixed up sometimes and you get mixed up buttons. It's to add challenge and reality. I understand it can be frustrating, but I believe it is all part of the experiencing.
Also, I just beat the game. I really enjoyed it. Although the game was glitchy at times; I still really enjoyed it.

Niccoli, I'm not suggesting it be done that way or anything like that. I am giving an example of how contextual controls have worked in the past, then saying how Heavy Rain is different and my thoughts on them.

unless i am mistaken, you seem to be very negative about the controls. Far Cry 2 had very traditional controls. With a game like Heavy Rain, I couldn't imagine how you could improve the control scheme. How do you make it so that you can interact with hundred of objects, and also make several decisions regarding that object? you couldn't make a single "interact" button like in most games because that mechanic would fall apart in the more complex parts of the game.

converse? if that correct?

School made valid arguments all night in the 4pp channel. That is all.