Heavy Rain and later Beyond Two Souls established the genre of video games that we now call "Interactive film". A genre in which the decisions made by the player have an impact on the development of the characters and the story. This genre combines an amazing narrative with a dose of action elements that often appear in the form of quick time events. But what makes these games so special that they manage to captivate the player throughout the entire story? Why would someone play them ten years after their release? Do they offer experiences to the player? Let's find out right away!

Heavy Rain
The game takes place in a US city. The player takes control of Ethan, a man who experiences a tragic event. Thus, he begins his investigation to find out who the "Origami Killer" is. Throughout the game, there is a switch between Ethan, an FBI agent named Jayden, a private detective named Shelby, and a journalist named Madison. Each character has their own dark past - and present - making the experience with each one unique and distinct. The story remains captivating from the first to the last minute with a lot of suspense!
The gameplay is quite relaxed as there is not much action. It revolves around quick time events, through which the story is determined to some extent. However, the strong point of the game is its high replayability. There are 17 different endings and many decisions that determine the evolution of the story. Personally, I often wondered "what would have happened if I had chosen this option?", which automatically creates the motivation for an additional playthrough.
As for the technical aspect, the game, thanks to its remastered version, remains satisfactory without being anything special. Especially in the loading screens or during the switch between characters, which are done in close-ups, the characters' faces look quite realistic. In terms of sound, there were moments when I didn't expect to hear the sound of rain or even the sound of weapons so clearly, with the exceptional, atmospheric soundtrack being the highlight. The only "problematic" aspect of the technical side is the camera, which sometimes makes navigation difficult.

Beyond Two Souls
Without wanting to underestimate Heavy Rain, personally, Beyond touched me more, having a darker theme, focusing on the possession of supernatural powers and the consequences of this event.
The main character is Jodie Holmes, a girl who was born with a special ability, telepathy. Any further information would be a spoiler. So you will have to discover for yourself what happens in the world of Beyond... The story unfolds through various flashbacks, a very clever idea from the creators to keep the player engaged, alert throughout the game, encountering countless twists and turns.
Undoubtedly, the story and the characters are the strength of the game. Both Jodie, who is the main protagonist of the game, and the other characters give exceptional performances, and some of them are portrayed by well-known actors. The secondary characters, although they do not appear frequently in the game (some of them), become particularly endearing to the player to the point where they care about their fate and their development in the game. This item is not ordinary, few games create this bond between player and character!
Beyond Two Souls, like Heavy Rain, reminds of movies, so the main mechanism of the game is the dialogue choices that affect the course of the story. However, in Beyond, there is an additional mechanism that gives the player the ability to interact with the world around them as well as with various characters. Its name is Aiden. More information will be revealed during the story.

Technically, the game reminds of the PS3 era, with the camera presenting some problems, while at the same time it does not allow full control, making handling difficult. A strong point of the game is some of the music and the main theme, which are memorable and leave a lasting impression on the player's conscience.

Each game lasts about 10 hours and the platinum trophy is quite demanding because it requires multiple endings and different choices in the story.

Overall, both Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls remain special choices for gamers looking for something unique and relaxing. Both are exceptional experiences with captivating storylines and are definitely worth the time of every fan of the genre and beyond. Invest fearlessly!

Starting beyond 2 souls, I realized that it is a very different game from what I was used to until now. At the end of it, I was impressed by many different things.
- Story: very good presentation of the story, especially if you play it without chronological order. The changes from Jodie's young age to adolescence and womanhood are very clever.
Helen Page's performance is impressive and makes you become one with her.
- Graphics: impressive, but nowadays with the technology that exists, every game has perfect graphics.
- Gameplay: a little difficulty at the beginning with controlling Aiden, but once you get the hang of it, it's fine.

Overall, it is a game that does not have shooting and endless hack-and-slash. Do not expect that. It is an adventure with a strong emotional element and the player's connection with the characters. Perhaps its only drawback is that it is short in duration, but again, the different endings that the creators have included make you want to play it again as soon as you finish it!

Gem: 10/10

As for Heavy Rain, it is a very nice story of a serial killer that you are trying to discover who he is. The finale is surprising and there are many different twists in the story. There are some problems with the controls, for example, sometimes you turn the character in one direction and sometimes it goes the other way.

The time passes pleasantly, but it is quite short: 7/10

I recommend playing Heavy Rain first as, in my opinion, it is more mediocre compared to beyond 2 souls.

Throughout the lifespan of the PS3, SONY made sure to provide several exclusive games for the console that not only helped increase its sales but also evolved the way games tell a story. I'm talking about Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls, which are now also available for the PS4. Both of these were created by the same company, Quantic Dreams, and the same person, David Cage, but they have no connection in terms of their story. However, from this package, Heavy Rain-Beyond Two Souls, personally, I will pay attention to the first one, without wanting to diminish the second one, but Heavy Rain is one of the best story-driven games I have ever played!

-Story: The story revolves around four characters that the player controls and through the approximately 5-6 hours, they will get to know them and become attached to them, as throughout the duration, the emotions are mixed for each of them. Specifically, the events take place in a city near New York, where a father who lost one of his two sons, a girl with a chronic insomnia, a private detective, and an FBI agent come into contact when the Origami Killer, a serial child murderer, kidnaps the father's second son. The action and suspense are intense but not overwhelming, as they are balanced when the characters alternate. Additionally, it is a choice-based game where each choice affects the relationship, the outcome of the characters, and the overall ending of the game. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the music of the title is composed by Normand Corbeil, who brought "life" to Heavy Rain because the music is simply amazing and at some points even chillingly good, completing this fantastic game or rather, this experience.

-Gameplay: Firstly, the gameplay controls are relatively simple, as the player needs to press the different buttons or combinations of buttons that are requested within a limited time frame. Secondly, the game's camera is somewhat strange, which initially made it difficult for me to adjust, but after a few hours, I got used to it. In conclusion, the graphics of the title are certainly not among the best I have seen, considering its age (it was released in 2010 for the first time), but throughout the game, I did not encounter a single bug or glitch. It is definitely a visually satisfying remastered version, but not one of the best in this aspect.

In conclusion, Heavy Rain is a game-experience that is not aimed at gamers looking for something simple to pass their time. It has a mature and extremely well-structured storyline that deals with delicate issues such as loss, grief, betrayal, and forgiveness, which require and presuppose the attention and emotional investment of the viewer. Beyond Two Souls revolves in the same sphere of influence, which also makes it an interesting game. Ultimately, this game package should not be missing from anyone's collection, especially those interested in a rich plot.

Having played Heavy Rain to get the platinum trophy and Beyond Two Souls, I can tell you that your money will not be wasted for anyone who enjoys watching cutscenes and seeing the story unfold in these so-called Interactive Dramas. For those who find it boring, stay away from this game. We're talking about two games from the same creators, with the second one being slightly newer. In both games, you will be in the shoes of certain characters and your actions will change the story, leading to one of the multiple endings available (16 different endings in Heavy Rain).

Graphics:
Both games have been remastered from the PS3, with Heavy Rain's graphics not being the best. But that didn't bother me in this particular case.

Gameplay:
There are plenty of dialogues in both games, and both have dynamic action scenes.

Story (without spoilers):
Heavy Rain: The story revolves around a serial killer who kidnaps children, who will be found drowned in rain (Heavy Rain?) after a few days. You will play as one of the characters alternately to find out who the killer is.
Beyond Two Souls: A girl who was born with a spirit named Aiden as her companion, which you control as the player. She will end up in the hands of foster parents in a research center and the CIA due to her "ability."