Game Environment Analysis - Houses in Heavy Rain

Embedding Narrative in an Environment

Designers use a technique known as "embedding" to place symbolically influential props/objects in the environment as an alternate means of storytelling, meaning they don't have to rely on flashbacks and cut-scenes as much. Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain (2010) makes good use of this technique. The plot of the game revolves around a father, Ethan Mars, whose youngest son Shawn is presumed to have been kidnapped by a serial killer known as the "Origami Killer". At the beginning of the game, the player assumes the role of Ethan Mars before any of these events have taken place. By exploring Ethan's house, the player can learn a lot about his personality and his current lifestyle. Books on architecture and bridges can be found all over his house, which indicates his interests and possibly his job.

Props, Textures, Colour and Lighting. 

In his bedroom there is a note left on the floor from someone we presume to be his partner, but by examining the photo (fig1) on the dresser of Ethan's bedroom the player learns that it is his wife. The bunk beds (fig 2) in the room next door indicate that Ethan has a young family and possibly two children. Ethan's house is large, bright and colorful which are all indications of a friendly and happy environment. The area downstairs(fig 3) in the house is quite quirky and features an open plan raised seating area with pillars/columns. This suggests to the player that Ethan is quite wealthy and due to the information already gleaned from the books around his house that he may have in fact designed the house himself. This idea is further solidified when the player inspects the office downstairs and discovers that Ethan is in fact an architect.

Left, (fig 1) Wedding Photo. Right, (fig 2) Bunk beds.

(fig 3) Downstiars 

(fig 4) Garden

The back garden (fig 4) of Ethans house is very spacious, neat and well cared for. There is also a colourful child's play area complete with climbing frame and chute, which again tells the player that Ethan has children who are happy and well looked after.

This bright and happy living environment starkly contrasts with the house Ethan later lives in two years after one of his sons Jason is killed in a car accident (fig 5). This house is much darker, and has a lot more neutral colours and tones in comparison to the bright and colourful hues in his previous house. The textures on many of the surfaces such as the peeling wallpaper and poorly conditioned wooden door frames are dingy and make the props look like they are old and decaying. There are cardboard boxes (fig 6) all over the house which tells the player Ethan has only just moved in and away from the previously happy family home, or that he hasn't bothered to unpack yet, which is an indication to the player of his lack of motivation and depressed state of mind. The back garden(fig 7) to this house reflects the atmosphere of depression and decay as the grass is unkempt, dead looking and patchy with muddy puddles
everywhere.

(Fig 5) Ethan's Dingy House

(Fig 6) Cardboard boxes

(Fig 7) Unkempt Back Garden

The effective use of props, colour, texture and lighting as a storytelling technique can make for a much more personal and meaningful play experience as each player brings their own thoughts and experiences to the table. In an interview with David Cage, the creator of Heavy Rain, he mentions that;

 "We really wanted the player, through his actions, to tell the story and for these actions to have consequences. We tried to do our best in the writing to have an interesting and strong proposal for gameplay and for narrative in every single scene in the game. That was challenging because we don't use mechanics, we don't use patterns in the game. What you have to do and how you are going to do it is pretty much different in every scene. " 

This, I feel, aptly describes their approach with Heavy Rain. The game is designed to be a personal experience with many different ways of play and choices to make, and the game environment plays a big part in this. The player may decide what objects to look at/interact with and therefore decides just how much information they will absorb from the narrative subtext implemented into the environments. This in turn leads to different plot paths and ultimately, an ending which is entirely dependent on the player's approach throughout the game, which is in turn motivated by their interpretation of the physical make-up of the environment and the props with which they interact. 


-David Cage Interview available from; http://www.fastcompany.com/1558681/heavy-rain-creator-david-cage-reveals-secrets-his-photo-realistic-serial-killer-ps3-game