This is the game that feels like the culmination of what Quantic Dream have been working toward since Indigo Prophecy, the one where they finally nailed the formula. When I played Heavy Rain, it was a game that was perhaps of its time, and a formula that for me Telltale Games had mastered and made better versions of. But here Quantic Dream has taken the lead again.

The de-emphasising of quick time events (QTEs) is what allows the player to better enjoy the story and characters. Whereas before I felt I needed to be at my peak to get through half the events, here the windows are much more generous, but with just enough space for you to mess up in a panic. And that space for failure is important because this is an example of failure done right. My story was my own, shaped by my choices, but also by my failures. A few button fumbles near the end led to a key character death and a completely different outcome for them, but it was an exciting twist to their story rather than something that left me wanting a do over.

The branching in the game is impeccable, and later you’ll see increasingly complex flowcharts with locked off paths, and sometimes flowcharts you never even started on. At times a carry-over box from one chapter would leave me shocked that it wasn’t a pre-determined outcome. That’s how natural the divergences feel.

The other vast improvement is that the story doesn’t rely on some awful twist, nor a mid-game tonal change. It’s just good, solid story telling. And the story is one I got emotionally invested in. One of the three characters did feel a little more tangential than the others, but it still works, and the characters are all solid both in arcs and voice work.

This is the first time I’ve thought about replaying one of these games, because I want to see what else can happen and the gameplay mechanics finally don’t feel like they stand in the way of my fun.

This is the game that feels like the culmination of what Quantic Dream have been working toward since Indigo Prophecy, the one where they finally nailed the formula. When I played Heavy Rain, it was a game that was perhaps of its time, and a formula that for me Telltale Games had mastered and made better versions of. But here Quantic Dream has taken the lead again. The de-emphasising of quick time events (QTEs) is what allows the player to better enjoy the story and characters. Whereas before I felt I needed to be at my peak to get through half the events, here the windows are much more generous, but with just enough space for you to mess up in a panic. And that space for failure is important because this is an example of failure done right. My story was my own, shaped by my choices, but also by my failures. A few button fumbles near the end led to a key character death and a completely different outcome for them, but it was an exciting twist to their story rather than something that left me wanting a do over. The branching in the game is impeccable, and later you’ll see increasingly complex flowcharts with locked off paths, and sometimes flowcharts you never even started on. At times a carry-over box from one chapter would leave me shocked that it wasn’t a pre-determined outcome. That’s how natural the divergences feel. The other vast improvement is that the story doesn’t rely on some awful twist, nor a mid-game tonal change. It’s just good, solid story telling. And the story is one I got emotionally invested in. One of the three characters did feel a little more tangential than the others, but it still works, and the characters are all solid both in arcs and voice work. This is the first time I’ve thought about replaying one of these games, because I want to see what else can happen and the gameplay mechanics finally don’t feel like they stand in the way of my fun.