There were many spoiler-related aspects of Heavy Rain that could not be said in a proper review. So, here, in Spoilerific, are all the things I couldn’t talk about it. Turn back, lest your Heavy Rain experience be spoiled.

The Good Stuff

• The reveal of Scott Shelby as the Origami Killer was fantastic. Playing through the game, there were plenty of hints about who the killer might be, and none of them even hinted Scott Shelby was the killer. In fact, he seemed like the most honest, straightforward and altruistic character in the game. Which made it even more impressive when he was revealed to be the killer, and all those “good” choices that I made while playing as Scott seemed completely ridiculous. I mean, the guy kills a kid and a father, then feeds a baby and saves the grieving mother from committing suicide? There were certainly moments where his goodness, in retrospect, doesn’t really make sense, but in terms of building up the character before pulling the rug out from underneath the player, fantastic job.
• But even better, his rationale for committing these horrific acts was well reasoned and sensible. After his own drunken father left his twin brother to drown, Scott simply wants to find a father who will do whatever it takes to save his son. Yes, it’s insane, and the Saw-esque nature of some of the trials is ridiculous, but it all fits within the story.
• While they are over-the-top, the escalation of the trials is very well done. Starting with endangering other people in a thrilling against-traffic drive down the freeway, and moving to more personal and specific dangers, they escalate the sense of dread. When I reached the final challenge, and looked at a literal life and death scenario, I had to pause before making the choice. Not that there should ever really be a choice if your child’s life is on the line, but it was just such a final decision, it seemed like something you couldn’t, or shouldn’t, just rush into.
• I love the abundance of endings. In my playthrough, I got a mostly-happy ending, with Ethan saving his son and living happily with Madison, but unfortunately things did not end so well for Norman. But that was just my game. You may not be so lucky with any of your characters, with multiple life and death options for each characters, and its great that the game has packed in so many different potential outcomes that still work manage to tell a coherent story.
• The pacing of the game is very well done. Like any good thriller, it starts with a bang, then builds and builds and builds. Yes, it does lag a little big in the middle as some tertiary characters are introduced (Paco and the Doctor specifically), but when it starts to ramp up and build towards the conclusion, there’s a perfect level of tension and desperation. The build up and tease of the reveal of Scott as the killer is perfectly timed.

The Bad Stuff

• What was the deal with Ethan’s blackouts? There’s no explanation even attempted for why Ethan blacks out and wakes up holding an origami figure at the location where Scott Shelby’s brother died. It’s such an obvious red herring that we’re given very early on, to suggest that Ethan might have multiple personality issues and actually be the Origami Killer. But since he’s not the killer, it’s a ridiculously impossible plot twist that is almost insultingly misleading. Misdirection is one thing, but outright lies like this don’t help a story succeed.
• Scott’s reasons for going after Gordi Kramer aren’t explicitly explained within the game, though it is something you can figure out with a little thought. Its unfortunate, because otherwise the game does such a good job of wrapping up Scott Shelby’s motivations and actions.
• And if Scott murdered Lauren’s son, why does he seem to be so compassionate towards her? It’s just in his actions, but in his internal monologue as well. Were these legitimate feelings? Pure evil as he strung along this poor woman? Or another case of cheating misdirection?
• What was the deal with the doctor? That character seemed thrown in for no good reason other than to add another creepy evil character to the mix and to add another action sequence. The plot would be the same without the doctor, so he really came across as filler at a point where the story didn’t really need it.
• Under no circumstances, if my child is within hours of his death, and I’ve cut off a finger, sustained electrical burns and extensive lacerations, and am wanted by the police for multiple murders, am I going to be having sex on the floor of a cheap motel. Even if the girl is really cute.
• The reward for the trials is clues to the address of where your son is being kept, providing an obvious motivation to complete the horrific trials. Unfortunately, its never really explained how Ethan might go about finding his son if he refuses the trials. Part of that I’m sure is that the game wants you to undertake the trials (and there are many occasions where the game “nudges” you in the direction it wants you to go), but there’s not enough on the other side of the equation. And since one potential ending apparently is Ethan’s suicide, it would seem that some more thought should have been put into that.
• What happened to Ethan’s ex-wife Grace? Or separated wife, since I can’t remember if the game said they were actually divorced. Because he seems pretty quick to shack up with Madison at the end. But then, if he’s willing to get it on with her while his son’s life is in danger, I guess he’s over Grace.