One of the best games of its time was released with a small glitch. The dramatic climax of the story became a laughing stock.
Glitches and bugs are mostly either annoying or funny. Small game errors can unexpectedly – and unwittingly – lighten a serious scene, but they can also completely derail the dramatic climax of a game.
This happened to a game that is still highly praised for its story. In the grand finale, Heavy Rain had a bug that could turn a concerned father into an annoying screamer.
There are often absurd bugs in MMORPGs as well – like in WoW:
What kind of game is Heavy Rain? Heavy Rain was a really good game for its time. It was released in February 2010 exclusively for the PlayStation 3, but was later also released on PC on Steam. The graphics were sharp for that time, the story was captivating, and due to many different choices, the game had a high replay value. The game was more of an interactive movie with many twists. The story, dialogues, and decisions were clearly in focus.
Basically, the story can be summarized quickly:
The family man Ethan Mars lives a good life as an architect, together with his wife Grace and his two children Jason and Shaun. When Jason is fatally injured in a car accident, that is just the first of two strokes of fate. Shortly thereafter, his second son Shaun is kidnapped – by a serial killer who has already taken several children.
Ethan then has to complete several “trials” for the kidnapper to earn the right to see his son again.
The game frequently switches perspectives. Sometimes you are Ethan Mars, sometimes a reporter, sometimes an FBI agent, and sometimes a private detective, all of whom want to solve the mystery behind the kidnapper.
It is a game with many emotions and a very dramatic climax that can unfold in many different ways – depending on prior decisions made. A powerful story that captivates.
We have introduced other RPGs with strong stories here.
Press X for SHAUN!
What kind of glitch is that? In several scenes within the game, you have the opportunity to call out for someone by pressing the X button – mostly for the son Shaun. This was meant to add extra drama to scenes by having you, as a panicked and concerned father, call out for your son.
Basically a small, good feature that contributes greatly to the atmosphere.
The problem is that this very feature could trigger a bug in the grand finale of the game. Because actually, the “Press X to call Shaun” function should have been disabled as soon as a cutscene begins and the characters start to converse.
But particularly in the finale, it often happened that this did not occur. It is the moment when you can find Ethan’s son, when the killer is revealed, and where it is decided which characters survive and which die. Dramatic, gripping. And unfortunately often bugged.
You could continuously call out for Shaun by pressing the X button. This made the scene not only very silly but also overwrote all other lines that Ethan was supposed to say. The glorious outcome of how the finale plays out with this glitch can be seen here:
Whether Ethan is being shot, pulling his son out of the water, or begging the killer for mercy – every dialogue can instantly be overwritten by a “SHAUN!” in three different vocal tones.
Heavy Rain is just one of many examples where a small, annoying glitch suddenly turns a dramatic and thrilling sequence into a silly comedy sketch. On one hand, it is very unfortunate when the dramatic climax of a fantastic game is completely ruined by such a glitch – on the other hand, it has created a memory that remains in the minds of many Heavy Rain fans even today.
Do you remember any other games where the grand finale was unexpectedly affected by a bug or glitch? What game errors have stuck in your mind and changed a gaming experience for you forever?
We also praised the successor Detroit: Become Human
back then – it’s still a good game today.
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