Your Heavy Rain Playthrough *SPOILERS*

[Hot Heart]

This is probably waaaay late, but since I noticed Dean has started playing Heavy Rain I remembered it was quite interesting to hear how people's playthroughs of the game varied. Hence, this thread!

 

I've split it into parts for easier digestion and skipped over a fair few less interesting or crucial scenes. I'll put it all in spoiler tags just in case. All the chapters are named and numbered in case you want to consult guides/walkthroughs for a refresher (numbers won't be 100% because story variations will affect this but they should help give you an idea of timing).

 

 

 

4. Sleazy Place: Shelby angered Lauren but went back to defend her from the violent dude.

 

5. Crime Scene: Jayden found all the clues at the first crime scene...

 

9. Welcome, Norman!: Kept Jayden off drugs and Ethan successfully remembered all the details from Shaun’s disappearance (which I think turned out to be important later on but might not have been essential).

 

10. Hassan’s Shop: Shelby unsuccessfully crept up on the convenience store robber but managed to talk him down.

 

16. Nathaniel: Jayden also calmed Nathaniel down and did not shoot him (would not have been bothered if Lt. Blake had died...)

 

18. The Bear: Don’t think you can fail it but I think I missed a trophy for a ‘clean’ route.

 

20. Covered Market: Jayden apprehended Korda all by himself.

 

22. Kramer’s Party: Lauren helped distract the guards for Shelby to get upstairs. After the little conversation, Shelby laid the smack down on Kramer’s guards and walked away unscathed.

 

 

 

 

23. The Butterfly: Completely cocked up the electric part and was worried Ethan would die. Fortunately he just gave up and walked out on the trial.

 

26. Shrinks and Punches: Stopped Lt. Blake beating up Ethan’s psychotherapist for Good Cop trophy.

 

28. The Lizard: Didn’t drink any alcohol or grab the wood to bite on (found those details out from a friend). Wasted no time and just lopped the bit straight off with the butcher’s knife. Apparently there is disinfectant you can use afterwards but I did not do that either. I am a sadist, clearly.

 

29. Fugitive: Madison helped Ethan escape capture by the cops.

 

32. Manfred: Must have missed some fingerprints because police called Shelby and Lauren in. No serious harm done though.

 

33. The Shark: Chose not to kill the guy after enduring a scary chase involving a shotgun.

 

34. The Doc: Drank the drugged wine (like an idiot) but managed to escape being tied up in the basement and killed the bastard.

 

35. Mad Jack: Jayden beat up Mad Jack and had to rely on the drugs to stay conscious in order to arrest him (friend said he fluffed that bit and a bit after, and there were dire consequences).

 

 

 

 

40. Sexy Girl: ‘Saved Madison’s pride’ by bashing Paco with the lamp at the first opportunity, and then used the less ‘embarrassing’ choice for convincing the guard outside that everything was OK.

 

41. Fish Tank: Jayden fought the Origami Killer and survived, gaining a few clues in the process (like some receipts from the killer’s jacket).

 

42. On the Loose: Ethan and Madison got ‘romantically involved’ and when he discovers who she really is he chooses to forgive her. When she spots the cops while downstairs, she manages to ring Ethan who runs and escapes by dropping off the motel roof.

 

43. Trapped: Shelby escapes his sinking car, rescuing Lauren in the process (my friend said the prompts weren’t very clear leading him to escape before freeing her simply because he wasn’t sure what did what. I remember that myself, since I almost did the same but was checking what the controller movements were doing).

 

44. Face to Face: Shelby stormed into Kramer’s house and shot every motherfucker without receiving even a single graze himself. Then when he found Kramer ,who started having a heart attack, he chose to spare him.

 

46. The Rat: Ethan chose not to take the poison but this meant he didn’t have enough clues to even guess at Shaun’s location and this he despaired (I felt Jayden and Madison’s investigations were going well so did not worry too much).

 

 

 

 

47. Solving the Puzzle: Jayden pieced together what evidence he’d recovered. He’d got the video footage from his ARI glasses that were knocked off during the fight and spotted the killer was wearing a watch like those given to police officers who are promoted to Lieutenant (seen way back in chapter 9). He also had gas station receipts that the killer dropped during the fight. Using these he managed to locate a cop not far from the gas station who owns a warehouse on the dock which should be where Shaun is. Voila! (finding the right clues to identify the killer seems to be quite easy for the player, but it all sounds kinda cool when you describe it to a friend who got Jayden killed).

 

51. Killer’s Place: Madison managed to access the Origami Killer’s laptop and escape from the exploding apartment Indiana Jones-style (after realising ‘under the kitchen table’ probably wouldn’t suffice…). She chose to phone Ethan with the information on Shaun’s location (since Norman has it all figured out…plus I can’t recall how she would have Norman’s number anyway). That and for some reason you can ONLY phone one of them.

 

52. The Old Warehouse: In the final showdown, Ethan tended to Shaun while Norman fought the Origami Killer and emerged triumphant although without an arrest even after having chosen to spare the villain at a critical moment. Madison managed to make it past the police and into the warehouse in order to prevent the police gunning Ethan down when he emerged from the warehouse.

 

Epilogue: Ethan, Madison and Shaun started a new life together. Norman started 'seeing things' outside of ARI despite trying to kick his drug habit... (felt quite sorry for him actually). I'm guessing this is the best ending, although having seen Lauren fall for Shelby was probably another unpleasant side effect of this.

 

 

So, go on. Let's hear how your first playthrough went!

[Cyber Rat]

Too lazy, so I'm just gonna post stuff I did differently from you:

 

 

 

9. Welcome, Norman!: Took the drug by accident, but no one saw Jayden. Couldn't remember ANY details from the park.

 

 

 

 

 

23. The Butterfly: Successfully got through this one.

 

28. The Lizard: Did everything "properly" except finding the wood to bite.

 

33. The Shark: Knocked the door once, hesitated to pull the gun, knocked later again, pulled the gun, didn't kill the guy, he pulled out a shotgun, ran through his apartment, then killed him in his daughter's room.

 

35. Mad Jack: fought Mad Jack, almost apprehended him, but Jayden fainted. Then escaped the compressor and fought Jack again, killing him.

 

 

 

 

46. The Rat: Took the poison and found out where the child was.

 

 

 

 

51. Killer’s Place: Didn't matter who I phoned since all characters figured out the location of the kid. Called Jayden and he was all "Huh? What? Yes, I already know all this."

 

Epilogue: Got the happy rainbows and sunshine and dandelions of happy endings ending.

 

[TheMightyEthan]

Yeah, I wish I could remember what I did during my playthrough...

[toxicitizen]

I've replayed the game numerous times, so I don't really remember all the details of my first playthrough, but here's how it ended.

 

 

Ethan saved Shaun but was gunned down by the cops coming out of the warehouse because I missed a prompt with Madison.

Didn't bother me, though. I dug the tragic happy ending.

 

Other details included Jayden getting off the drug but, having spent too much time in ARI, he started hallucinating little tanks on his desk. Also, Madison wrote a book on the Origami Killer and at a book signing, some creepy, off-screen guy came to talk to her about how she needed a "new, worthy enemy" or something along those lines, implying that she was now the target of some psycho.

 

Shelby fell to his death in the huge grinder thing.

 

Edited May 4, 2011 by FLD

[Yantelope]

I saved everyone in my play through. I think I was most pissed about this game because the scene with the clockmaker was so poorly handled I thought it meant that the killer could not be the PI. I was also sad that killing the drug dealer had no consequences further down the line. I chose not to kill him and all that did was make it harder to find the right spot to go to. I chose wrong the first time but just reloaded and got the right spot on the second time.

[toxicitizen]

 

I was also sad that killing the drug dealer had no consequences further down the line.

 

Yeah, I think the point of that decision was less about getting different outcomes and more about trying to elicit an emotional response from the player.

Like, it was meant to be this tough moral decision. Whether they succeeded or not is arguable, but I know I hesitated slightly before doing it.

Edited May 4, 2011 by FLD

[Strangelove]

I felt bad after i shot him, so it worked on me..

[staySICK]

I can't remember everything I did on my first playthrough either, but I know the game is pissing me off.

[Gyaruson]

 

Oh God, I don't remember much. This is going to be so out of order.

 

- Madison didn't get killed by the doctor, but did get drugged

- Shelby got the shoebox from the store clerk

- Shelby missed wiping his fingerprints off the phone at the typewriter shop

- Jayden found every clue at every location

- Ethan never failed a puzzle, killed the guy in his apartment, cut off his finger, etc.

- Madison stripped down for the night club guy (for my amusement only) then douched him with a lamp

- Ethan escaped the police in the hotel chase

 

Oh my God, just thinking about the plot points in that game makes me mad. Most of the time in my life, I am able to see other people's viewpoints and form some sense of logic - even if their views don't align with my own (politically, religiously, media, etc); but I have never been able to understand how anyone in their right mind thinks this game is anything but a heaping pile of poorly written, poorly conceived and poorly executed horseshit. It literally makes me angry just thinking about some of the games most glaring issues.

 

Fuck that game.

 

[Dee]

 

 

4. Sleazy Place: Shelby angered Lauren but went back to defend her from the violent dude. (Yup)

 

5. Crime Scene: Jayden probably missed a few clues, but that's okay because it all worked out in the end...

 

9. Welcome, Norman!: I managed to keep Jayden off the drugs, but Ethan couldn't remember what color pants his kid was wearing.

 

10. Hassan’s Shop: Shelby talked the guy into running away and got the box from the clerk.

 

16. Nathaniel: Jayden SHOT Nathanial and was freaking outtt maaaaan

 

18. The Bear: ...what was this one about again?

 

20. Covered Market: Jayden apprehended Korda without the help of Blake, even though he stumbled along the way.

 

22. Kramer’s Party: Shelby relied on drunk guy to create a distraction and make his way upstairs. He also successfully kicked the shit out of Kramer's guards.

 

23. The Butterfly: ..eh, don't remember.

 

26. Shrinks and Punches: I think Blake beat up the guy because Jayden was being a puss.

 

28. The Lizard: Uhh, I think Ethan got all the pieces he needed to make a clean lop. He burnt the end of the iron rod and then disinfected it.

 

29. Fugitive: Madison helped Ethan escape capture by the cops. (ditto)

 

32. Manfred: I think we got away Scott free on this one.

 

33. The Shark: Can't remember what this one was about.

 

34. The Doc: Didn't drink the wine and managed to escape from the old pervert.

 

35. Mad Jack: This one took me a while, but Jayden finally managed to kick the guy's ass and he fell into the machine.

40. Sexy Girl: ‘Saved Madison’s pride’ by bashing Paco with the lamp at the first opportunity, and then used the less ‘embarrassing’ choice for convincing the guard outside that everything was OK. (This is what I did, too lazy to retype)

41. Fish Tank: Jayden barely managed to get a few hits in and he didn't get all the clues. I had to go back and replay from that instance to get what I needed a second time around.

 

42. On the Loose: Ethan and Madison did the nasty and he shoes her out of his room when he finds out who she is. She does, however, alert him that the police are on their way and Ethan gets taken into custody.

 

43. Trapped: Shelby escapes his sinking car, rescuing Lauren in the process (did this, too).

 

44. Face to Face: Shelby stormed into Kramer’s house and shot every motherfucker without receiving even a single graze himself. Then when he found Kramer ,who started having a heart attack....HE LET HIM DIE (or rather I did).

 

46. The Rat: Ethan took the poison because apparently you don't really die from it? I can't remember, the details are fuzzy. He was still pretty lost with some missing pieces, though.

 

47. Solving the Puzzle: Jayden was missing a few pieces as well. I had to consult youtube for this one.

 

51. Killer’s Place: Madison managed to access the Origami Killer’s laptop and escape from the exploding apartment. She chose to phone JAYDEN with the information on Shaun’s location.

 

52. The Old Warehouse: In the final showdown, Ethan tended to Shaun while Norman fought the Origami Killer and emerged triumphant after Scott plummeted to his death.

 

Epilogue: Ethan, Madison and Shaun started a new life together. Norman started 'seeing things' outside of ARI despite trying to kick his drug habit... (he was seeing those little tanks at his desk). I think he was the one getting all the media attention as well? It's a little hazy to me at the moment.

 

 

 

I'm sure there are a few chapters I missed as I see some of them were skipped over in this but I was too lazy to type out what I did specifically.

[Thursday Next]

 

I was also sad that killing the drug dealer had no consequences further down the line.

 

Yeah, I think the point of that decision was less about getting different outcomes and more about trying to elicit an emotional response from the player.

Like, it was meant to be this tough moral decision. Whether they succeeded or not is arguable, but I know I hesitated slightly before doing it.

 

 

Personally, I was glad that killing the drug dealer had no scripted consequences. Killing people peripheral to the story like Nathaniel, the drug dealer and the heart attack guy shouldn't make a difference to the story arc, they're just choices you make along the way. I don't need +5 Good Guy points to tell me that not shooting someone in cold blood is ok.

 

[Yantelope]

I also found the killers motivation to be completely unbelievable. That kind of ruined the game for me as well. I really really wanted to love this game. I actually liked Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) better.

[Thursday Next]

I also found the killers motivation to be completely unbelievable. That kind of ruined the game for me as well. I really really wanted to love this game. I actually liked Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) better.

 

 

He was angry/disappointed at his father for letting his brother die and projected this on all fathers. He sought to resolve this anger/disappointment by recreating his brother's death to find the father that could and would have saved his brother.

 

 

If you're saying you can't empathise with that, fair enough, but I think it is a fairly... understandable/comprehensible motivation. I mean, if you're gonna be a serial killer, you've gotta have a screw loose somewhere no?

[Hot Heart]

Yeah, I wish I could remember what I did during my playthrough...

 

All the chapters are named and numbered in case you want to consult guides/walkthroughs for a refresher

 

Are you saying you're lazy or very forgetful, Ethan?

[Cyber Rat]

I also found the killers motivation to be completely unbelievable. That kind of ruined the game for me as well. I really really wanted to love this game. I actually liked Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) better.

 

 

He was angry/disappointed at his father for letting his brother die and projected this on all fathers. He sought to resolve this anger/disappointment by recreating his brother's death to find the father that could and would have saved his brother.

 

 

If you're saying you can't empathise with that, fair enough, but I think it is a fairly... understandable/comprehensible motivation. I mean, if you're gonna be a serial killer, you've gotta have a screw loose somewhere no?

 

 

The problem with the motivation was that he tries to kill Ethan even when he proves to be a "worthy" father. That just turned him into a serial killer with a gimmick.

 

 

I actually liked my time spent with Fahrenheit until "the moment" more than Heavy Rain from start to finish.

[TheMightyEthan]

Yeah, I wish I could remember what I did during my playthrough...

All the chapters are named and numbered in case you want to consult guides/walkthroughs for a refresher

Are you saying you're lazy or very forgetful, Ethan?

I played it several times, so while I remember all the parts I don't remember what I did at each part on any given playthrough, especially my first playthrough, which is the one I would consider the "real" one for the purposes of this thread.

[Hot Heart]

OK. I'll let you off.

 

Could check the dates on your trophies for the game but that takes extra effort.

[TheMightyEthan]

It's a good idea though, maybe I'll do that later.

[Hot Heart]

Haha. You don't have to do it. But it would be cool to see how yours played out.

[Yantelope]

 

 

The problem with the motivation was that he tries to kill Ethan even when he proves to be a "worthy" father. That just turned him into a serial killer with a gimmick.

 

 

 

Yes, that's exactly my point. I was like

so you went through all that trouble just to find a good dad and kill him. Wut!?

 

 

For a game that billed itself as interactive drama it sure had a crappy plot. Also,

fat PI shooting up an entire building was a strange John Woo moment which didn't seem to fit the rest of the game.

 

[toxicitizen]

 

 

The problem with the motivation was that he tries to kill Ethan even when he proves to be a "worthy" father. That just turned him into a serial killer with a gimmick.

 

 

 

Yes, that's exactly my point. I was like

so you went through all that trouble just to find a good dad and kill him. Wut!?

 

 

Though that could be rationalized as

him simply not wanting to get caught, though. His "work" is complete, he found what he was looking for.

All that really means is he has no more reason to continue abducting and killing kids. Killing Ethan could simply be to not get identified and/or caught.

 

Of course, not confronting Ethan could've accomplished that just as well, but eh... Like Thursday said, can't expect a serial killer to not have a few screws loose, I guess

 

 

[staySICK]

yea, I'll try and take the time to remember what my first playthrough was like.

 

I just wish my game would stop freezing and let me get my plat now.

[SomTervo]

Mine was pretty simple, I think I did almost everything 'right', i.e. people survived dangerous situations, everything was cool- the only stuff I did "wrong" was:

 

 

I didn't shoot the guy in the apartment. Ethan had already lost a son, and potentially was going to lose his second- but what good would it be to the world to kill a father of two? He had a kids room and shit.

 

Because of that I was missing a crucial bit of the address reveal from the Origami Killer- so I mistakenly sent Ethan to a restaurant when he tried to find where Shaun was. Que a brutal scene of him falling to his knees, wailing in despair in the rain.

 

In the fight at the junkyard, Jayden KO'd from withdrawl while fighting the guy- but escaped from the car crusher and subsequently killed him. Jayden did perfectly aside from that- and in the end was commended for his efforts, but started hallucinating the Tanks.

 

How the hell can you finish the game successfully without Jayden hallucinating?! Is there ANY way of solving the crimes without ARI?

 

Madison escaped from the Killer's exploding flat after examining his laptop- but I did this in a way not many others seem to have. That scene is actually one of my favourite moments in gaming ever- it built the tension up so effectively, was extremely stressful, and also extremely real in how it portrayed that kind of situation. The only exception is obviously the fridge survival moment. I didn't even know you could do that until weeks after I completed the game and someone else mentioned it. How I survived was, after trying every window, hiding under a table, creeping around for ages, starting to shit my pants- I realised you can move the microwave (I think it is) in the corner of the kitchen- and there is another window there. And from tha window you can make a jump to the lower floor of the building. An intense survive.

 

Ethan saved Shaun, Madison fought Shelby (twice she VERY nearly died, was such an intense fight), and Jayden came and told the police not to attack Ethan. At least, I'm pretty sure this is what happened- Madison and Jayden's roles may have been reversed.

 

Happy happy ending- save Jayden hallucinating.

 

 

I thought the story was fine- just not told in a good way. This made it seem unbelievable or too unlikely. At first I was like "awesome but crazy!" then I was like "wait a minute. This is bullshit" but after thinking about it loads and discussing it online with folks, it makes sense- just isn't edited/ told well and leaves far too much up to the viewer's imagination or blank-filling skills.