Despite claims that it transcends its medium, make no mistake: “Heavy Rain” is a video game. There is a lot of progress to be made before video games can even start to be regarded in the same echelon as films. Still, if the aim is to compete with movies, then “Heavy Rain” certainly makes steps in that direction.

Developer Quantic Dream sets the game in the middle of a never-ending rainstorm. Someone in the unnamed city is abducting and killing children, and his signature is origami left in the hands of all of his victims. The Origami Killer has been loose for over two years, but the authorities have finally found some leads.

The story revolves around four characters: a father on a quest to save his son‘s life, a private investigator searching for the Origami Killer, an FBI agent also pursuing the killer and a journalist looking for her next big scoop. These four stories often mix with each other, and any of the characters will have multiple points throughout the game where they can simply die if certain decisions are made.

What’s different about this game, however, is that there’s never a “game over” screen. You cannot lose in “Heavy Rain.” Rather, you can only change the outcome of the story. It shares some aspects with the “choose your own adventure” books aimed at children.

It’s hard to say any more about the story without giving too much away, but there is a lot that can happen between the beginning and end of the game and dozens of potential outcomes. Small actions early in the game will have large ramifications later on.

For example, there is a man beating his ex-girlfriend in one chapter of the game. You can go and help the girl, or you can ignore the fight. If you do decide to help the girl, however, there’s no guarantee you will be successful. The girl plays an integral role later on in the game, and how you treat her in the early scene has a direct effect on a subsequent scene.

There are a litany of mundane actions the player must make in the game, but “Heavy Rain” manages to get the heart racing and adrenaline pumping with intense action sequences and some extremely tough choices. This is a game that is made for adults, and it puts them in high-stress situations. It forces players to make tough choices and then live with the consequences of these choices.

The game does manage to present realistic sets, cities and landscapes that help captivate players in the world of “Heavy Rain.” Unfortunately, some really terrible voice acting will often ruin any immersion the game has managed to create. Odd pauses, strange phrasing, and bad acting hurt the experience, and this is a problem because most of the game relies on dialogue and monologue to move the narrative forward.

“Heavy Rain” manages to weave a story that any gamer would be unfortunate to miss. It is one of the few video games out there that does “mature” the right way: adult-themed content without the need for sex or over-the-top violence, though both are still present in small doses.

Bottom Line: “Heavy Rain” creates an atmosphere worth seeing and a story that is rarely this well thought-out in the world of video games. Despite flawed dialogue and mediocre voice acting, it still manages to do something that many games can not: weave an engrossing and often emotional tale. “Heavy Rain” at least makes an attempt to move the video game medium forward, and it does so with some success.

ESRB: M for Mature, for blood, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language and use of drugs

3 out of 4 stars