Meet David Cage. He created Heavy Rain. He’s also really, really proud of it. So much so that he’s willing to put it over other games in interviews, even games that haven’t come out yet. Games like rockstar’s  L.A. Noire.

Specifically, Cage said that he was “unimpressed” with the facial scan technology in L.A. Noire during a recent interview with CVG.

“What to say about L.A Noire? I think it’s an interesting solution to a problem for now. But it’s also an interesting dead end,” said Cage. “That’s exactly what I feel. Their technique is incredibly expensive and they will never be able to shoot body and face at the same time.”

So just what does Cage think is the future? Why the motion capture that his studio, Quantic Dream is doing of course!  Apparently their new tech does both head and body, as opposed to the L.A. Noire tech which only scans the face.

“We are doing that now [at Quantic], and our next games will be shot with performance capture,” he explained. “We see a huge difference between shooting the face and body separately and shooting everything at the same time. Suddenly you’ve got a real sense of acting that is consistent. You can’t imagine how related what you say with your face is to what your body does.”

NYPD Blue and Deadwood creator David Milch has officially been given the job of turning Sony’s innovative (if not really weird) thriller Heavy Rain into a big budget Hollywood thriller according to Variety.

“David Milch’s incredible ability to transform intense and complex storylines into gripping, popular drama makes him the perfect partner for us to have on Heavy Rain,” producer Bob Shaye told the outlet. We then fictionally added, “Milch’s penchant for adding male nudity into NYPD Blue makes him the ideal candidate for this project.”

The project will simply be called “Rain,” an Milch will begin writing the script after completing his current project Luck for HBO.

If you were a kid who grew up during the early part of the 1980′s, then you more than likely have read (or have been forced to read) one of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels.

You also probably remember playing the graphically pretty (but ultimately you don’t control much of anything) games like Dragon’s Lair or Space Ace in the arcades. 

Now, if you enjoyed both of those things as much as I did when I was that age, then keep on reading, because you’ll love Heavy Rain.

If you didn’t, well, I suggest you check something else out on Blast.

Yes, graphically stunning, with a meaty, twisty story line, and featuring “quick time event” game play (It’s flashing “X” on the screen! MASH IT, QUICK!), Heavy Rain is just like those aforementioned novels and games. It’s part game, part movie and the game’s developer, Quantic Dream sums it up somewhat nicely with their marketing tag-line: “Interactive Drama.”

Throughout the game, you’ll take control four different characters in an American city that’s never named, and those characters are all tied together by the diabolical, child murdering actions of The Origami Killer (gasp!)

Sound heavy? (No pun intended) It is. And you get to make just about every call as to how harrowing the game plays out.

See, no matter what choice you make, you best be prepared to live with your decision, because in Heavy Rain, there’s no going back for a proverbial “do-over.”

As you play Heavy Rain, you’ll notice that you’re given more options than you know what to do with. You can choose to do anything from the mundane (making eggs! Turning on the stereo! Getting bitched at by your wife!) To the intense and super serious (accuse a coworker of murder! Chopping off your own finger! Shooting that guy because he seems sketchy!) Almost anything you do is optional, and performing these actions (or not) will affect how the story plays out. Some won’t have that much of an effect, where as others will have a huge impact on the game. (Wait. I just got that guy killed? Nooo!) 

Regardless, it definitely does feel like you’re guiding the story with your choices, rather than the developers guiding you along their predetermined path.

In regards to the story, well, it’s difficult for me to type too much about it without completely ruining most of the plot, but know this. It plays on some of the worst fears one could possibly have in life (child abduction! Gang rape! Being operated on without anesthesia! Hanging out in a nightclub geared towards Eurotrash!) and it’s actually quite gripping, despite a few minor plot holes.

And Heavy Rain isn’t without some other flaws. While the game mostly is controlled by “quick time events,” you do actually move your character around like any other action game. However, such movements can sometimes seem awkward and “tank-like,” much like any of the Resident Evil games. Also, for a game that supposedly takes place in an unnamed American city, you’ll notice that many of the game’s characters (Especially the children) talk with an odd accent. It’s odd, and somewhat confusing at first, but it’s not anything that takes away from the game.

Come to find out (once I watched the bonus content) it’s because Quantic Dream is a French game developer, and they used mostly European voiceover talent.

Well OK then.

Minor issues aside, I loved this game. It’s literally as close to playing a well written Hollywood thriller that I’ve experienced in all my years of gaming. The graphics are some of the best I’ve seen for this generation of consoles, the score is both haunting and beautiful, and the story, with the tension that’s almost always running in the red, kept me thinking about coming back for more even while I was supposed to be working.

Trust me, Heavy Rain will get under your skin, and it’ll have you clamoring to witness every possible ending, well after your first play through.

Oh, and do yourself a favor — Make sure you check out the bonus content to see the actress who did the motion capture for the character, “Madison.” It’ll make you feel like much less of a creep for thinking “Wow. That’s one tremendously hot video game chick.”

Quantic Dreams’ “Heavy Rain,” an intense murder, mystery, thriller arrives exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this week and is really the big one to get excited about this week.

“Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing,” the week’s only multiplatform title releases alongside “Heavy Rain” this Tuesday and, don’t be surprised if you see a review for that one pop up in the coming days.

Here’s the full list.

Monday (Feb. 22)
Endless Ocean Blue World (Wii)
Flipper (DS)
Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943 (PC)

Tuesday (Feb. 23)
Arsenal of Democracy (PC)
Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny (PC)
Heavy Rain (PS3)
Hello Kitty: Birthday Adventures (DS)
Last Rebellion (PS3)
Legends of Norrath: Vengeful Gods (PC)
Lovely Lisa and Friends (DS)
Metal Slug XX (PSP)
Napoleon: Total War (PC)
Pony Friends 2 (DS, Wii)
Risen (360)
Sled Shred featuring the Jamaican Bobsled Team (Wii)
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (DS, PS3, Wii)
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie (360)
Winter Blast: Snow and Ice Games (Wii)
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s World Championship 2010 Reverse of Arcadia (DS)

Wednesday (Feb. 24)
Lazy Raiders (360)

Thursday (Feb. 25)
Age of Zombies (PSP)
Dawn of Discovery: Venice (PC)
Order of War: Challenge (PC)

Friday (Feb. 26)
Deca Sports DS (DS)
The Circle: Martial Arts Fighter (Wii)

Source: Kotaku

Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain, a game that’s stole our hearts and left us reaching for our wallets, has gone gold, and a demo for the title is inbound.

Going gold means the game’s ready to be burned to millions of Blu-Ray discs to be shipped to retail outlets everywhere.

Heavy Rain

As far as the demo is concerned, come February 11, every man, woman, child, and half-link, can get his or her hands on a demo for the game.

No word has come our way about what exactly gamers will do in the demo, but ambitious storytelling is the name of the game, so we can expect that? Yeah, probably.

Heavy Rain comes exclusively to the PlayStation 3 February 23.

Source: Destructoid

We’re no doubt excited for Heavy Rain, the mysterious crime solving game from Quantic Dream coming to PS3 exclusively, but it’s got two box arts, and these are them.

This one is for PAL regions meaning you’ll have to import yourself a copy if you’re liking the darkly mysterious (like the game!) cover art.

More mysterious and alluring.

This one is for NTSC regions, the one Americans live in, and is clearly less mysterious, leading us to believe Sony thinks we’re all idiots.

Less mysterious and less alluring.

What’s your call?

Source: Kotaku

LOS ANGELES — Two of the four main characters in Heavy Rain were playable at E3 this year. The first is Norman Jayden, an FBI profiler who has been asked by local police forces to investigate the case of The Origami Killer. The second is a sexy photographer named Madison Paige.

Here’s a look at both:

LOS ANGELES – Oh hell yes.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is back. It’s better. It’s … over. Damn.

While it still wasn’t the spectacle of the 90s, the conference was easily three times bigger than it was last year, and there was some actual news this time.

Here’s what we took away from the conference this time around:

BEST GAME
Uncharted 2

The first Uncharted is still one of the best games on the Playstation 3, and that’s not a knock on the console’s library either. This sequel looks to improve on the gameplay of the fantastic original, while also including a brand new multiplayer mode–one we will have impressions of for you in the near future.

BEST WII GAME
Super Mario Bros. Wii
Nintendo
Q4 2009

Mario is back. This new four-player side scroller is the first game to remind us of the good old days since the good old days, except now, with that multiplayer involved, it gives you a reason to want to punch your friends in the face.

BEST XBOX 360 GAME
Mass Effect 2

Bioware is promising a darker, more developed game than the first, which is saying something considering how well-done the original was. We’ll need to see it for ourselves, but what we saw was impressive.

BEST PLAYSTATION 3 GAME
Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream

This is a sleeper, but IGN also recognized the potential for Heavy Rain by nominating it for Best of E3/Best PlayStation 3 game. Blast got to play a demo, and we were thoroughly impressed by the control, decision-making abilities, dialog, and visuals. This is an excellent-looking game.

BEST MULTIPLATFORM GAME
Rogue Warrior
Bethesda Softworks
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Fall 2009

Rogue Warrior looked great in a demo, and nothing is cooler than getting to play out the experiences of a real life badass navy seal voiced by Mickey Rourke. This game is full of pure action, explosions, and a great mix of stealth and offensive firepower.

BEST SPORTS GAME
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii with MotionPlus
EA Sports
Nintendo Wii
June 8

Wii MotionPlus adds an amazing new dimension of reality to games, but nowhere was it more noticeable than in the latest Tiger Woods game. You have to position your wrists straight and do a full swing with follow-through. The MotionPlus makes you get off your couch and actually do stuff, and where better than at a virtual Bethpage?

BEST MUSIC GAME
The Beatles Rock Band
Harmonix/MTV Games
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
Fall

With The Beatles Rock Band, Harmonix officially takes back the music game genre, eclipsing Guitar Hero and coming out from its shadow. Beatles Rock Band will feature the most recognizable songs in history from the most recognizable band in history.

BEST PC GAME OR MMO
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Lucas Arts

This ambitious massively multiplayer game promises all voice acting and no text dialog — thousands and thousands of lines of voice acting. And it’s Star Wars.

BEST PERIPHERAL
Mad Catz Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster
$299
September 2009

Mad Catz had Fender build them a real guitar, and instead of strings, they wired buttons into it and unleashed it for Xbox 360. It uses no dongle — it’s compatible with Xbox 360 wireless technology. It’s a real guitar, with wood and a shiny finish. If you like to play fake guitar, this is as close to real as it gets.

GUTSIEST PROJECTS

Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream
PlayStation 3

We’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time. From the same team that put together Indigo Prophecy comes Heavy Rain, a psychological thriller adventure that’s more about story and drawing you in than it is about shooting endless bad guys.

Wet
Bethesda Softworks
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Eliza Dushku is awesome.

M.A.G. Massive Action Game, 256 player online multiplayer
Zipper Interactive/Sony
PlayStation 3
TBA

Second year in a row for M.A.G. on the gutsiest projects list, and it still stands. This game is either going to be huge or a huge disappointment.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
Ubisoft
December

This is one of the first video games from a movie that stands on its own merits.

Biggest letdown: Atari. Where were you this year? One word kids: Ghostbusters. Or is that two words? Either way, with the failure of some recent releases, it’s the best chance for Atari to impress this generation. Despite a hell of a showing over the past year, the company hasn’t been able to blow up. Ghostbusters should sell millions, given it’s on every console, so let’s hope that’s a step in the right direction.

Marc Normandin and Bradley Ouellette of the Blast staff contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES — Heavy Rain is the very definition of a sleeper. While most of the focus was on The Beatles Rock Band, and Assassin’s Creed 2, and some of the well-hyped sequels discussed at E3 this year, one of the best playable games at the expo was Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain is the latest work of cinematic adventure by French developer Quantic Dream, the studio behind Indigo Prophecy, the best adventure game of the 21st century so far.

I first heard that Quantic Dream was collaborating with Sony for a PlayStation 3 exclusive about a few years ago, and I pushed my contacts at Sony Computer Entertainment America for answers, only to come up empty. So I forgot about the game for a while, and going into E3 I really didn’t have it on my mind.

Then I saw this cinematic, dramatic, dark, dreary, realistic adventure game being demoed at Sony’s booth, up some stairs, above the audience, appointment only.

So I played through a demo of Heavy Rain, which is currently in the alpha stage of development.

The game is definitely dark and mature. It combines exploration with cinematic, and instead of drawing your machine gun and blasting everyone in sight, you have to make conscious decisions and make certain movements with the controller or push certain buttons with split second reflexes to determine gameplay.

I died three times before getting past the first few minutes. After getting the hang of it, it was easy to see how decisions and even simple conversation points could dramatically change the story.

Controls are unique. It’s not a shooter or a fighting game, so buttons usually used for firing a weapon or punching or kicking are open. Thus, you actually use a trigger button to move your character forward. It actually feels strangely natural.

The entire game is voice acted and very well animated with lots of detail and ambiance.

When it was over, I told Sony’s Alex Armour that the game reminded me of a PC title called Indigo Prophecy. He smiled and said “yeah, it’s the same studio. The CEO is right over there. Do you want to talk to him?”

Yes.

Read the next page for an interview with Guillaume de Fondaumiere, the Co-CEO and executive producer of Quantic Dream