POSTED March 16, 2010
The Taxidermist is Chapter 1 of the Heavy Rain Chronicles, and prefaces the main events of the game — detailing journalist Madison Paige’s investigation into the Origami Killer. The scene has Madison exploring the rancid looking home of a former Taxidermist. There’s a real grungey vibe to the home that sets the tone for one of Heavy Rain’s darkest scenes. In fact, we’d argue The Taxidermist scene leans upon horror for inspiration. While much of Heavy Rain’s main story is reasonably tame, The Taxidermist gets particular vulgar in a couple of spots that had us cringing at the screen.
Ultimately, the chronicle culminates in a tense escape scene which can play out in multiple ways. In fact, the scene makes you aware of the permutations upon completion, allowing you to jump back in to a specific checkpoint and check out other potential outcomes.
As a nice little addition, The Taxidermist scene comes with a selection of its own bonuses, including concept art.
You’re unlikely to ever spend more than two hours or so with this DLC, but it’s a really nice complement to the main game, and we’re excited about the other characters getting similar back stories.
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