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David Cage: Playing Heavy Rain More Than Once Will "Kill The Magic Of It"

September 01, 2009 in News comments 25

Quantic Dream's David Cage recently recommended that gamers only play through Heavy Rain once, claiming that "I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it". Go to the source for the full article.

Playing the game through multiple times, even with the prospect of different endings, is a bad idea according to David Cage.

"I would like people to play it once … because that’s life. Life you can only play once … I would like people to have this experience that way," explains Cage. "I’m fine with [people reloading saves to avoid bad endings], but the right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it’s going to be your story. It’s going to be unique to you. It’s really the story you decided to write … I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it."
Miss Razz via destructoid.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Sep 3, 2009

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  • 3
    RabidChinaGirl Sep 1, 09
    I can understand Cage's reasoning, but that's not particularly practical in gaming. I mean, if you're paying full price and he's hoping players don't play it more than once, it better be ONE crazy-ass long and satisfying game.

    But even if we assume the game is worthwhile despite a single playthrough, what about players who just want to see the different endings? Eh, thanks for the suggestion, Cage, but no thanks.

    I have no doubt this game will be really great; however, given all the hype and news flooding in, I'm inclined to think it's gonna wind up on "top overrated games" lists after its release.
  • 0
    Bale Fire Sep 1, 09
    Yeah, I'll buy a $100 game and only play it once

    The magic from the first playthrough will stay no matter how many times I go through the game, even if the next few are not quite as good.
  • 0
    Play ISDF Sep 1, 09
    "I would like people to play it once … because that’s life."

    Oh really? And here I thought I could choose to play games and avoid that awful mess.

    Play once only though? Yeah, decent reasoning I suppose, but practically dumb, and there's lots of games keep their magic for multiple play throughs.
    • 0
      rrquinta Sep 2, 09
      This reminds me of the film Adaptation, where the screenwriter is trying to make the film so true to life as to make it undesirable - he wants to write it without any real change because (he feels) in real life, people don't change. But people don't want art to BE life, they want it to imitate life (verisimilitude). The same holds true for games as well. Even with a game that is very realistic, it is still a game, and part of the reason we play games is to have different experiences. The fact that Heavy Rain gives us this opportunity is all the more reason to play through more than once. After all, isn't that the true allure of the (as yet) unrealized interactive movie, or the "choose-your-own-ending" books? The fact that you can watch it or read it several times and never have the same experience twice. I can see what he's going for with his statement, but frankly, I think he's only serving to sell the experience short.
  • 0
    Daweii Sep 1, 09
    I cannot fault a man with a vision.. Personally the magic is lost in most games once they are finished. Doesn't stop me replaying them. It just means I know what is going to happen and I know how long it'll take to finish certainties in life that detract from certain things. It's all good though the first playthrough will be epic and I personally cannot wait.
  • 0
    Gamesta100 Sep 1, 09
    I practically only play my games once at a time anyway.I rarely go through them again till months or even a year or more later.
  • 0
    FinalFantasyFanaticc Sep 1, 09
    Only once? Sorry but i'll be playing it multiple times to see all the different endings, i couldn't care less how much better the game may feel if i only play it once.
    • 0
      Daweii Sep 1, 09
      To see all the different endings you'll have to play pretty damn regimented as there are almost infinite possible endings to this game. Most people will never see them all without a meticulously crafted youtube video a few years from now.
  • 1
    Tiger of Wu Sep 1, 09
    To be honest that's just bad game design XD
    • 1
      Daweii Sep 1, 09
      Not really it's just different game design. I am sure out of everyone David Cage knows this game isn't gonna appeal to shooter fans and those that are used to a shallow story. He's making this game for the smallest game demographic possible, it's probably the one thing keeping this game exclusive to PS3 as it's not a money making game Microsoft wouldn't want it. It's like when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino made Grindhouse for $30 million, no one understood it, people left half way through the double feature and it ended up losing money. This game is like that it's different and he knows people won't understand it which is probably why he's stressing all these points so much.

      This game will garner so much hate because it's different and that is a shame as David Cage is one of the only men in gaming today that wants a better gaming world. He doesn't care if he wastes $200 million to prove gaming has more depth than a meathead with bulky armor swearing alot and chopping up aliens with a chainsaw gun. Gaming cannot exist with rehashing of ideas like that Cage is traying to change that.
      • 1
        Tiger of Wu Sep 1, 09
        And why wouldn't Microsoft want it? If there was a game which could appeal to a smaller demographic as much as you think it does don't you think they'd love to have it; push more consoles?

        The point is any story-heavy game can't have the magic of it ruined by having more than one play through. It's not about a different game design or anything like that; at the end of the day it's still a game and if they can't find a way to have replay-ability without ruining the most important aspect, the story, then that is bad game design. The fact it's different to the average aim and shoot circle jerk is irrelevant.
        • 0
          rrquinta Sep 2, 09
          I don't think he is saying that it doesn't have replayability (as far as I understand, it will), but that he doesn't WANT you to replay it. From what I have gathered, many choices will affect the way the game turns out, so my experience will not necessarily be yours based on the decisions or mistakes I make through the course of my play through. However, as I mentioned in my other post, I think this only makes the desire to play through and get a different experience each time around even more desirable. That is, if it lives up to the hype.
        • 1
          Tiger of Wu Sep 2, 09
          It will have replayability - of course it will. Every game has replayability since people will always enjoy different things and enjoy replaying different things. However what I said, and I quote, was 'if they can't find a way to have replay-ability without ruining the most important aspect, the story, then that is bad game design.' He did say he didn't want people playing it more than once because it would kill the magic of it and since he has more experience with the game than anyone else I know of I'm inclined to believe him, and if what he says is true and the magic would be killed with replays then that is bad game design.

          I'm not arguing against there being replayability, let me make that clear, I'm saying that if a game can't stay 'magic' if it's played through more than once then the creators must have messed something up along the way.
        • 0
          rrquinta Sep 2, 09
          I don't think that replaying it will kill the magic; I think that is just Cage's opinion. He wants it to be a pure experience, a one-time and that's life kind of deal. I think the game is, ironically, designed to give you a satisfying experience regardless of how you play it, so that playing through more than once is supposed to give you something complete, story-wise, each time. In fact, Cage said this himself in a recent interview with Edge magazine. Thus, unless it fails to live up to the hype, I think the game will have that "magic" each time you play, regardless of what Cage says. Just my opinion.
        • 0
          Tiger of Wu Sep 3, 09
          Yeah, it is Cage's opinion, and since he knows more about the game than anybody else who speaks about it, I'm inclined to believe him over people who know nothing other than what they've been told/shown, no offense. You have to remember that everything I've said is based on hypotheticals based on what THEY have said, in the same everything anyone says is based on hypotheticals based on what they've heard and expected.

          I'm not saying that what you're saying is impossible, I'm saying that if (IF) what Cage speaks is truth (which at the moment is most likely) then there is a pretty big flaw (or a number of them) with the game. IF.
      • 3
        DystopiaSticker Sep 2, 09
        Oh my God, Daweii, I've never seen someone talk DOWN to people so much about something as trivial as VIDEOGAMES.

        People like Gears of War. I'm sorry. It's a great game. I know it's difficult for you to play FPSs with your monocle on, but Jesus, relax.

        I want and have defended Heavy Rain and I never understood the hate. Now I do. Stuck up prick fans of the game like you.
        • 0
          Daweii Sep 3, 09
          I am relaxed I just know a lot about this game so I will write a lot. Maybe that comes across as talking down to people through my knowledge but I do not mean to. Yes it's only videogames but I would do the same about any topic I am passionate about Music, Film.. Hell life itself. If I have something to say I will say it regardless of if it's 2 lines or 600. If that comes across as talking down then so be it.

          At the end of the day all I am trying to do is allow people to think about the variables of this game. It's not a normal game, but whatever. I really don't have to do this and if it annoys you that much I really won't do it. It's less effort on my part to stop posting on a message board on the topic of Heavy Rain. Really I am not stuck up nor am I a prick so resorting to useless insults is degrading yourself i'm afraid. Ah well..
  • 1
    BANDITO ATTACK Sep 1, 09
    "I would like people to play it once … because that’s life. Life you can only play once … "

    you heard it here. heavy rain = your life. video games = life. SEMPER GAME.
  • 2
    Slumpy monkey Sep 1, 09
    Wtf isnt it based around lots of different choices? Thats stupid. I highly doubt anyone will only play once based on his advice.
  • 1
    kik36 Sep 1, 09
    If he wanted to stand by this statement he would make only one trophy for the game. "Game Over"
  • 2
    Star of Spurs Sep 2, 09
    Well that's a good advertisement for a game with 30 endings, eh?
  • 3
    Darknet Sep 2, 09
    This has to be the most stupid thing I've ever heard.
  • 0
    HisServant77 Sep 3, 09
    Sheesh, everyone is attacking this guy as if saying that the guy is going to try to force everyone to play once, and somehow is attacking those who wish to replay the game! Sheesh. . .

    You have to realize, the way this game is made is like a movie that YOU make the moral choices based off of what YOU would do. He wants to make the game provide you with a story that is unique to YOU, basically drawing you into the game itself. Replaying it would mean that you are just . . . playing the game, like a game, instead of like a move where the choices are based off of what you would do.

    All he is doing is suggesting it . . . no need to lynch the guy!

    Yeah I'm sure we'll all play multiple times. Usually I play a game only once, but with the story being so flexible like that, I'll play probably for each and every different choice there is, just to see what happens (or until I figure out the coding and how the story warps so that I know what will happen with the choices without having to play it to find out, because I'm sure it's not so in depth that you can't figure it out).

    Is he stupid for making a STATEMENT like that? No. He has a point and just wants his game to be enjoyed the most it possibly can. Am I going to lose the magic of the game if I play more than once? Probably. But that happens after most things. The first time you watch a movie is great, and consecutive times usually lose it's splendor. Same with a book and all that stuff. But that's just one of those obvious things! I'll still remember the game for that first time of playing it. But my curiosity (and desire to get the most for my buck) requires multiple playthroughs.
    • 0
      Tiger of Wu Sep 3, 09
      I'm going to stop you after the first paragraph and remind you that this is the gaming community you're talking about, at which point I hope you're reminded that the mass majority are whiny little fag-ends.

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