Video Game Heroes: Changing the Game (Weekly Written Assignment 4)

What is a hero? The dictionary defines a hero as “a man or woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.”(Dictionary.com) So what does this mean to you? What if these noble and admired qualities come in conflict with ethical decisions? When many people in society think about a hero, they refer to the person as one whom in the face of danger and adversity; they display courage or the will for self-sacrifice for the greater good. These are going to be your Superman’s and Captain Americas or other literary people who fit this category. The hero story has been told many times through different forms of media and we associate different events with heroes all the time (Dunshster). When it comes to video games, the hero story is heavily used. So what happens when a game uses the concept of a hero and pushes them to their limit?

The upcoming Playstation 3 game “Heavy Rain” addresses the issues with being a hero but does so in a morally questionable way. Video games of today’s age gave become repetitive and boring. The graphics are breathtaking but the stories haven’t changed. Heavy Rain promises to be a game that challenges our emotions and changes how we look at heroes in society. The game focuses on normal people who are faced with different situations or placed in the face of advisory, but instead of making moral decisions that help the good of the world, they will instead weigh out options to protect themselves and loved one, even if society’s values are skipped. The developer of the game quotes "Heavy Rain is about normal people who have landed in extraordinary situations. I wanted a much more personal story. The first thing that came to my mind, as a father of two little boys, was that the main theme should simply be a father's love for his son. This is not just a game about saving the princess or the world. It’s instead about a father's love and how that creates conflict with societal morals. The main story will revolve around four different characters, and we're putting the spotlight on their perceptions. The question 'what is good and what is evil' is the key here, that will be just a matter of viewpoint. I believe heavily in moral choices, I'm going to use them a lot. They're not about being good or bad, but about finding the right balance" (David Cage). One of the most interesting things about the game is unlike most games, if one character dies, the game does not end but rather picks up with one of the other characters with an altered storyline as a result of the other characters death.

This is a unique game that challenges the way we look at the concept of heroism. What is a hero to you? Someone who saves an animal from peril, perhaps a soldier in the military? Or maybe it’s someone you idolize for destroying bad guys and restoring peace among a community. Whatever your perception of a hero is it is different for all of us. Does one version of a hero hold precedence over another? Here’s an example for you, a man sees another man raping a young girl, he goes over to help her out and he and the perpetrator have a quarrel. The man ends up killing the perpetrator and saving the girl. Is this man a hero? Even though he killed another person? These are the types of situations Heavy Rain promises to place us in and challenge our values and moral decisions. Obviously there is some dispute about the game putting people in life situations like that but maybe this is the breath of fresh air that the gaming industry needs.

Here is a link to some videos to watch. Heavy Rain

Hero. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero

Dunshster, S. (2008). What Defines a hero and heroism in today's society. Associated Content, Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1029742/what_defines_a_hero_and_heroism_in.html?singlepage=true&cat=19

Dunham, J. (2009, June 07). Heavy rain interview with David Cage. Retrieved from http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/711/711613p3.html