Heavy Rain is one of… next year's most hotly anticipated titles

The bad news, for those who haven't heard, is that the release date for 'Heavy Rain' has been moved to early 2010. The good news - for me - is that I got to see two 'scenes', and play one myself, just the other evening.

How was it? Interesting.

Bit of back story: 'Heavy Rain' is intended to be a game that will take the player deep into a complex story which has multiple possible outcomes - so it is hard to judge from a five or 10-minute long preview. In fact, it will contain 60 'scenes' with completion possible in around 10 hours.

But even from the small taster, my initial sense is that the omens are good.

In the scene available for play, the player assumes control of an FBI agent who is on the trail of a serial killer. Investigation quickly turns to confrontation with 'Mad Jack', a large gentleman who would rather not be investigated, and the scene develops into a cinematic fight.

The fighting system is interesting. There are no buttons for 'punch' or 'kick' as such, and no furious button tapping either. Instead, the player is presented with options in the form of button symbols appearing on the screen. For example, an 'O' button could appear alongside your character's leg; pressing it at the right time - that meaning quickly - could result in your player launching a scene specific kick or trip. Press it too late, and it will probably be blocked. Fail to press it and the action moves on to the next option - most likely a quick block.

It sounds odd, but it fits and flows well - intuitively even.

The story seems to operate on similar principles.

Though the gameplay is 'linear' in the strictest sense - unlike, for example, the likes of Grand Theft Auto or other 'sandbox' titles - the player is presented with choices at every turn; you are being corralled, but only in a very general sense.

The other demonstration scene - the one I saw but didn't play - sees a second character, Madison, visit a nightclub where she had to use what can only be called feminine wiles to gain access to the club's inner sanctum was risqué, funny and inventive.

There are a huge amount of films, TV shows and games that could be described as 'influences' for 'Heavy Rain' - from 'The Sims', 'Silence of the Lambs' and '24' - but from my brief encounter, it looks like being unique, and could even inaugurate a new genre for gaming.

The goal of the producers is to engage totally different emotions from 99% of games currently out there. It has been described as a game 'about a father's love' for heaven's sake! If things go to plan, 'Heavy Rain' may even make you cry...

We'll have lots more to come from 'Heavy Rain' prior to release - with two new characters set to be unveiled at GameCon in Cologne in mid-August.

For now, the omens look good.

Brendan Cole