Do you believe that a realistic setting helps with story-telling, to allow players to empathise with characters more so than they would in a fantasy scenario?
Realism is just a rendering type you choose, nothing more. You can create emotions with any type of rendering if you have something interesting to tell. You don’t need MoCap, virtual actors, facial animations and all the other technology we have on Heavy Rain. This was just the tone and atmosphere I chose for this game because I thought it supported the story I wanted to tell. It is not a requirement and you can tell fantastic stories full of emotions without realism. There are many examples of that in all other arts: think of Miyazaki’s work for example, or the fantastic animation film The Iron Giant, Alan Moore or Frank Miller for comics, ICO or REZ for video games.

David Reeves has said that Heavy Rain will be the most important game for PS3 this year. Does the knowledge that there’s a huge amount of pressure on the team to deliver from both consumers and colleagues affect development?
Currently, I’m working on a title that is extremely anticipated worldwide, exclusively on a console we chose, with the full support of a console manufacturer, with the time and means to make the game we want, on something that is new, original and creative, aiming to redefine how players play games, making covers of magazines and raising an incredible amount of interest. I have worked all my life to be in this position now; this is what any creative person in this industry dreams of doing. Am I going to complain that Sony sees Heavy Rain as a major title for their console this year? Certainly not. This is an honour and we do everything we can not to disappoint people’s expectations. It may sound arrogant, but I believe that this game can be important not only for Sony or Quantic Dream, but beyond for our industry. We have the responsibility to demonstrate that it is possible to create games with more creative ambitions, more complex stories to tell, and that it can be fully playable and more exciting than interactive battlefields. I hope to convince people outside our industry that games can be more than just toys for kids: that they can become art. I don’t pretend I will do all that with Heavy Rain and make it a milestone, but I hope that it will open the way.

You mentioned earlier that you think it’s time for the industry to grow up. With Heavy Rain you’re creating a much more mature, slower-paced title in an industry fuelled by more juvenile themes. Hardcore gamers have reacted to Heavy Rain in a very positive light so far, but what do you think will make the game stand out at retail?
Heavy Rain will be different. I hope it is going to break with many old game conventions and explore new ideas. Its story will – I hope – also surprise people, and I would like them to go from scene to scene eager to know what will happen next. The game will aim at creating moments that will leave an imprint in players’ mind. The game should also look stunning with its graphics, virtual actors and motion capture animations, but most of all, I hope that people will enjoy it because of its ambition to be what comes after video games.

Heavy Rain launches exclusively on PlayStation 3 later this year.

This article was originally published in Issue 10 of D+PAD.

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