Double-edged sword right here. Depending on how you like your games, this might come as a blessing or a bane: David Cage of Quantic Dream reveals that Heavy Rain takes about eight to twelve hours to complete in one run. I think that's a pretty sizeable amount of time, considering it's open-ended and all. Isn't that the point of replayability? Don't get me wrong though. Cage also promises that the game's still going to be a blast if you're only willing to spend time for a single run through.
You know a game is good if it takes a short time to finish and yet has lots of replayability - at least, that's what I'd like to think (what, are you willing to play through a 50 hour game a second time around just to experience everything?). Well call me optimistic, but I think that's a swell way to approach Heavy Rain's overall playtime.
Quantic Dream's boss, David Cage, reveals that it shouldn't take you way over 12 hours to complete Heavy Rain. Speaking to videogaming247, he explains:
WeÂ’re still in the middle of production, so I canÂ’t really tell you the exact time of the game, but weÂ’re targeting a game between eight and 12 hours in gameplay for one walk through.
Well that sounds just about right. I'm just not sure how to factor in that "story continues even if main character dies" bit we heard the other day.
See, time and time again (as far back as I can remember, at least), the developers have always said that they designed Heavy Rain as something very open-ended anyways. And the choices you allow your character to make (one of them apparently being able to let them die) are critical to the gameplay.
David Cage explains that it's really quite impossible to explore and experience everything in one run through of the game, and concludes:
And thatÂ’s going to be OK. For most gamers, theyÂ’re going to play it once, and really enjoy it and have a great journey, but some hardcore gamers will want to come back and see everything, and all possible options.
As for the ratio of cutscenes and actual gameplay, who knows? Does it even matter? As far as I know, actual gameplay is already of cutscene quality (Oh, you know what I mean; I'm sure you've seen the Leipzig trailer). So how's that for blurring the lines, eh?
Related articles:
- Death is not the end: Heavy Rain story continues even if main character dies
- Leipzig: Heavy Rain trailer, QTE gameplay footage, release date
- Quantic Dream's PS3 exclusive gets advanced motion capture tech
- Video games and the silver screen: focusing on the blurry line