I find myself writing this article with a sense of deep emotion. For two reasons, actually. One, I have not written a gaming article in a long time, but find myself needing to communicate something rather important. Two, I may have just started playing one of the most important games I have played since finishing Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

I bought Heavy Rain today. I know it’s before Street Date, but hell, who really sticks to these anymore? After I had finished my first attempt at Origami (You’ll see what I mean when you get it), I began a new story within the game, and within 20 minutes, something very strange, yet very satisfying had happened. I was “Taken Back”!

I, for the first time in many years, felt something that can only be described as superbly nostalgic. I was “Questing” again. When last had I done this? I know most games have some kind of adventure in them nowadays, you don’t have to look too far back to titles like Uncharted 2 or Mass Effect 2 to find some truly amazing storytelling, but when was the last time you felt that everything you did would affect the outcome of the game, and ultimately shape your character.

I know things have changed drastically since the days of Sierra’s and Lucasarts’ quest games, and you won’t find anyone having to type in things like “open door” or “look at screen”, but something really triggered inside my head today, and I think when the game is broadly released, old school gamers over the age of 25 are really going to feel something rather special when playing this title. And this is a very important demographic to be pleasing, because these are the people who spend a large chunk of their money on things they enjoy. I hope that the younger gaming segment feels this too, and I mean younger segment with the greatest respect.

I look back to the days of the Space Quest and Kings Quest series with fond memories. I would spend hours playing these titles. This was a time gaming was really beginning to flourish, and things like 256 colours and Sound Blasters were things we were begging our parents to get. Don’t get me wrong here, I love the direction gaming has taken, and if you have not followed the passion until recently, you will not be able to fathom the leaps this industry has taken in the last 20 years.

What does amaze me is that something seems to happening in the gaming industry. Sure, games like Call of Duty, Gears of War and FIFA will sell by the bucket load, but all of a sudden, game designers are thinking about the individual experience again. Take a look at the two titles I mentioned earlier, Mass Effect 2 and Uncharted 2. Both of these titles take the single player experience to a new level, or rather a forgotten level. Players really care about how they do things in these games, as well as the outcomes of their actions.

So the future looks rosy for single player gamers. Alan Wake comes out in a few months, and God of War III next month, both titles that have a strong emphasis on the single player component. I’m a firm believer in sitting down and losing myself in a game, some me time, and no, not in that way.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this shift happening? If I were a betting man, I’d be placing some serious wagers on a few re-releases being in the making already. Just take a look at the recent Sam & Max and Secret of Monkey Island episodes released recently, although I still think they have a long way to go.

I’ll make a prediction. I say in the next few years, we’ll see a new Space Quest, Kings Quest and Gabriel Knight title. Developers just need to remember that these are not quick cash cows, but hold potential to reinvigorate the aging adventure genre to a point where it competes not only in the gaming market, but even alongside the broader home entertainment market. Heavy Rain is a perfect example of this shift, and it is clearly a title which transcends the line between games and film.

I would like to add something here. I don’t think Heavy Rain is the best game I’ve played in the last ten years, not by a long stretch, but it could very well be the most important. Yes, it’s changed since the old days, but it’s familiar, and hell, I like it. I applaud Quantic Dream for the effort; I wait with feverish anticipation for your next title.

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