History YMMV / HeavyRain

** Blake's [[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable "FUCK-inASS HOOOOOLE!"]] when Norman pisses him off at the station. He'll say this no matter what option you pick, even if he was calm a moment earlier. If you choose the calm option, Blake says it in that exact manner despite his body language clearly not matching his words. It's as if the developers accidentally assigned the wrong line to play at this point.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Beginning to evoke this reaction a scant half-decade after its release. It initially received a fair amount of praise for its dark, intricate story and cinematic gameplay. However, games such as ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'', and ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'' have combined its basic formula with tighter writing that [[PlotHole make]] [[StrangledByTheRedString the]] [[{{Narm}} more]] [[ShockingSwerve questionable]] [[IdiotPlot aspects]] of the plot harder to ignore today. Several reviews of the [=PlayStation=] 4 remastered version made note of this, saying that the writing has not aged nearly as well as the visuals.
* ShockingSwerve: [[spoiler:Shelby being the Origami Killer. On your first playthrough, you're almost certainly not playing him as though he is, making several of his actions rather odd. And even if you do, he often comes across as trying to sabotage his own killings.]]

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Scotty Shelby is in his mid 40s. [[spoiler:Given that the twins were in their early teens and the incident happened 34 years ago, he can't be older.]] Like many men in that age range, he has a lined face and graying hair. Some fans think he looks too old, perhaps because the other characters tend to have Hollywood good looks.

* DelusionConclusion: Because no explanation is given concerning Agent Norman Jayden's ARI glasses, players like LetsPlay/GeekRemix have speculated that they're a figment of his imagination - partly because Jayden is canonically portrayed as a drug addict who hallucinates in several scenes, but mostly because this explanation makes as much sense as any of the other inexplicable elements in the game. It's been confirmed that a lot of explanatory scenes were arbitrarily cut from the game, so the explanation behind the shades may have ended up becoming a casualty as well.

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: The story's awesome and dramatic and everything, but the [[DancingBear single most awesome thing in the game]] is ARI -- CoolShades that [[GogglesDoSomethingUnusual do all kinds]] of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsQT3mbvVWY awesome things]] via {{Cyberspace}}; FingerprintingAir, accessing the FBI OmniscientDatabase, ''turning a prison cell of an office into SceneryPorn'', and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking letting you bounce a ball off a wall like in a prison flick without a ball or a wall.]] The HolyShitQuotient on this thing is roughly [[UpToEleven Eleven]] [[FantasticMeasurementSystem Fantastic]] [[UnitConfusion Confusion Units]] [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale Off The Scale.]] [[spoiler:Too bad overexposure to it (maybe or maybe not when combined with Triptocaine) leads to death]].

* FanPreferredCouple: [[HoYay Blake and Jayden]] by fans who choose to interpret their hostility to each other as BelligerentSexualTension. It helps that the relationships actually supported by the game come off as forced and awkward, and are often accused of bad writing.

* HilariousInHindsight: The "Press X to Jason" meme is a lot funnier now that a different [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason]] is in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' as a DLC character with the purchase prompt even stating "Press X to Purchase Jason."
** The infamous "Shaun" bug becomes especially hilarious now that VideoGame/{{Fallout4}} is out and the protagonist spent a very big part of the game searching for their son who is named, guess it, Shaun.

** The kids' stoic line-readings and [[OohMeAccentsSlipping inexplicable French accents]]. [[spoiler:John's]] cries for help when he's stuck in the water pipe. He could not sound any more disinterested even if he tried:

** For some reason seeing all four characters together in the same place during the GoldenEnding (regardless of [[TheReveal why they are there]] is oddly heartwarming after all they've worked for to reach this point.

* DesignatedVillain: While Lt. Blake is certainly not a shining example of ''good'' (see his examples under MoralEventHorizon below) and is a WellIntentionedExtremist at best, he certainly is not a psychopath to the point of being accused of the Origami Killer ([[spoiler:which he's not, by the way]]). While this doesn't justify his actions, he has a right to be skeptical, and saving Shaun is still his top priority.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Madison and her playable segments are rather controversial among the audience. One group perceives her as a well written and strong female character who is capable of impressive feats against her aggressors without being portrayed as a damsel in distress, and is independent enough to help Ethan in his quest to save his son, going as far as to put herself in danger to find clues of the child whereabouts. Another group argues that Madison is portrayed as an unnecessary form of fan-service that adds nothing to the story, along with several events where Madison is often attacked by several sexually violent aggressors, such as [[spoiler: the nightmares in her debut, Adrian Baker who tries to sexually assault her with an electric drill as she is strapped to a table, and Paco Mendez who forces her at gunpoint to strip naked]], which gives the impression that it's all a creepy attempt at FanService.

** SHAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUN! [[note]]The name tends to come up due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t0uCWjQ6Og infamous glitch where the preompt to say his name comes up nonstop at the end of the game.[[/note]]

** The Origami Killer may have an understandable motivation, and has grown up with a troubled past. But at the end, when [[spoiler:Ethan has succeeded in all his trials and found his son, in one scenario it appears that Shelby intends on shooting him and leaving Shaun to die anyway.]]
*** For some, [[spoiler:Scott's manipulation of Lauren counts more.]]
-->'''Lauren''': [[spoiler:"You killed my son, Scott. Were you thinking about that when you held me in your arms?"]]

--> "Help...help...help."

** Several characters mispronouncing "origami" as "arigami" or "ori-gammy", with Gordi Kramer being the worst offender. It's actually pronounced "OH-ree-GAW-Mee" in Japanese

** The sex scene between [[spoiler: Ethan and Madison]] is awkward enough that even gaming websites [[http://kotaku.com/not-even-the-ps4-can-save-heavy-rains-terrible-sex-scen-1762190655 took to mocking it]] due to its stiff animation, poor sound sync and flimsy story justification.

* PortingDisaster: The Playstation 4 remaster of the game. While it uses high-definition textures and runs in full 1080p resolution, it suffers from all the same bugs and glitches the original release had, is still locked to 30 frames per second, and uses motion controls that do not always function correctly. It also does not include the downloadable episode ''The Taxidermist'' from the original release.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Beginning to evoke this reaction a scant half-decade after its release. It initially received a fair amount of praise for its dark, intricate story and cinematic gameplay. However, games such as ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'', and ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'' have combined its basic formula with tighter writing that [[{{Plot Hole}} make]] [[StrangledByTheRedString the]] [[{{Narm}} more]] [[ShockingSwerve questionable]] [[IdiotPlot aspects]] of the plot harder to ignore today. Several reviews of the Playstation 4 remastered version made note of this, saying that the writing has not aged nearly as well as the visuals.

* TheScrappy:
** Jason was instantly disliked by many fans because of his incredibly stupid behavior in the prologue, which ultimately led to him getting killed. It's a result of poor writing--originally he was to be a younger character, possibly four to six, who would be more prone to wandering off and wouldn't be so careful on a busy street. To make the story a little less dark, the writers aged him up during development, but they didn't bother revising his behavior.
** Grace is detested by the vast majority of players on the grounds of her divorcing Ethan after he put his life on the line to save his son from a car - which is sadly TruthInTelevision for many marriages that suffer similar tragedies. However, [[KickTheDog claiming virtually everything he owns]] save for full custody of Shaun is what does it. There's also a point where Grace somehow believes Ethan could be the Origami killer just based on pure coincidence and unexplained events, which makes her even more hated.
* ShockingSwerve: [[spoiler:Shelby being the Origami Killer. On your first playthrough, you're almost certainly not playing him as though he is, making several of his actions rather odd. And even if you do, he often comes across as trying to sabotage his own killings.]]
%%* SignatureScene:
%%** The Lizard trial.
%%** [[MemeticMutation “JAASSOON?” “JAAAAAASSSOOONN?”]]
%%** The final chapter

---> '''Jayden''': I am sick and tired of getting the shit kicked out of me on this investigation!

** Grace is detested by the vast majority of players on the grounds of her divorcing Ethan after he put his life on the line to save his son from a car - which is sadly TruthInTeevision for many marriages that suffer similar tragedies. However, [[KickTheDog claiming virtually everything he owns]] save for full custody of Shaun is what does it. There's also a point where Grace somehow believes Ethan could be the Origami killer just based on pure coincidence and unexplained events, which makes her even more hated.

** Grace is detested by the vast majority of players on the grounds of her divorcing Ethan after he put his life on the line to save his son from a car - and [[KickTheDog claiming virtually everything he owns]] save for full custody of Shaun. There's also a point where Grace somehow believes Ethan could be the Origami killer just based on pure coincidence and unexplained events, which makes her even more hated.

** Grace is universally detested by players of the game on the grounds of her divorcing Ethan after he put his life on the line to save his son from a car - and [[KickTheDog claiming virtually everything he owns]] save for full custody of Shaun. There's also a point where Grace somehow believes Ethan could be the Origami killer just based on pure coincidence and unexplained events, which makes her even more hated.

** The nonstandard ways that many characters pronounce "origami," including "arigami" or "ori-gammy". It's usually pronounced "OH-ruh-GAW-Mee" in English and more like "OH-ree-GAW-Mee" in Japanese

* TheScrappy: Jason was instantly disliked by many fans because of his incredibly stupid behavior in the prologue, which ultimately led to him getting killed. It's a result of poor writing--originally he was to be a younger character, possibly four to six, who would be more prone to wandering off and wouldn't be so careful on a busy street. To make the story a little less dark, the writers aged him up during development, but they didn't bother revising his behavior.

* ItWasHisSled: Scott Is the Origami Killer

* MostAnnoyingSound: Jason's constant cries of "Daaaaaaaaad!" in the level where Ethan goes to the locker.
** The whistling in the flashback level.

* TheScrappy:
** Jason was instantly disliked by many fans because of his incredibly dumb behavior in the prologue, which ultimately led to him getting killed. A result of poor writing--originally he was to be a younger character, possibly four to six, who would be more prone to wandering off and wouldn't be so careful on a busy street. To make the story a little less dark, the writers aged him up during development, but they didn't bother revising his behavior.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Madison and her playable segments are rather controversial among the audience. One group perceives her as a well written and strong female character who is capable of impressive feats against her aggressors without being portrayed as a damsel in distress, and is independent enough to help Ethan in his quest to save his son, going as far as to put herself in danger to find clues of the child whereabouts. Another group argues that Madison is portrayed as an unnecessary form of fan-service that adds nothing to the story, along with several events where Madison is often attacked by several sexually violent aggressors, such as [[spoiler: the nightmares in her debut, Adrian Baker who tries to sexually assault her with an electric drill as she is strapped to a table, and Paco Mendez who forces her at gunpoint to strip naked]], which gives the impression that almost every man she meets happens to be rapists and murderers.

** Madison is hated by a significant chunk of the fanbase as she lacks the CharacterDevelopment of the other protagonists and her scenes often distract from the main plot. Many of her scenes also come across as tasteless {{Fanservice}} by subjecting her to ugly and unneeded sexual assault scenarios that are largely ignored by the rest of the plot. Not to mention [[spoiler: the optional sex scene between her and Ethan, which comes ''after'' said scenarios]]. The story attempts to paint her as a heroic IntrepidReporter, but several of her actions, particularly during some of the worse endings, suggests she is closer to TheSociopath.

* {{Narm}}: EVERYWHERE. Examples include:
** The kids that sound like little French robots (see OohMeAccentsSlipping)
*** Especially [[spoiler:John's]] cries for help when he's stuck in the water pipe. He could not sound any more disinterested even if he tried:

** Several characters mispronouncing "origami" as "arigami" or "ori-gammy". Gordi Kramer is the worst offender.

** The entire market chase. From the amount of ways to fail to [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat some of Miroslav Corda's methods to get away]], such as knocking down store things like a child to ''releasing chickens to bother Norman''. Norman adds to the Narm by being annoyed by the chickens.
*** For extra narm points, fail every button prompt. It makes Norman looks like a complete klutz.

** The way Jayden pronounces his own first name. "Norman" becomes "Narmen".

* PortmanteauCoupleName: Blayden for Blake and Jayden. There's also Shethan for Shelby and Ethan.

** Par for the course in a Quantic Dream work. [[spoiler:Madison]] has known [[spoiler:Ethan]], per the chapter timestamps, for 32 hours and 14 minutes — most of which she's spent tending to his repeated horrific injuries, helping him escape from police, hearing him admit he might be an insane killer with a split personality, and possibly (depending on the player's choice in a previous chapter) [[spoiler:hearing him admit that he just killed someone]] — before she's prepared to knock boots with him on the floor of a motel. In the same scene, her thoughts indicate she believes she's falling in love.

** Grace is universally detested by players of the game on the grounds of her [[JerkAss unreasonable]] action of [[KickTheDog divorcing]] Ethan for simply putting his life on the line to save his son from a car and thereby claiming virtually everything he owns save for full custody of Shaun. Needless to say, some feel they wish she fell victim to the killer herself. There's also a point where Grace somehow believes Ethan could be the Origami killer just based on pure coincidence and unexplained events.

*** When Jayden investigates the scene at the nightclub, one of his thoughts just emphasizes his woobieness:

** There's also Lauren, a mother mourning the loss of her only child. [[spoiler:And there really is no happy ending in store for her: she either dies over the course of the game, or survives only to find out that the sweet private detective she's grown attached to while trying to track down her son's killer ''is'' her son's killer. Ouch.]]
*** [[spoiler:Lauren does get a somewhat positive ending, where she kills the Origami Killer herself to exact her revenge.]]

* FridgeLogic: The game has been accused of having a bunch of {{Plot Hole}}s in its story, which are explored [[http://www.gamesradar.com/f/heavy-rains-big-plot-holes/a-20100224105436979020 here]].

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Madison and her playable segments are rather controversial among the audience. One group perceives her as a well written and strong female character who is capable of impressive feats against her aggressors without being portrayed as a damsel in distress, and is independent enough to help Ethan in his quest to save his son, going as far as to put herself in danger to find clues of the child whereabouts. Another group argues that Madison is portrayed as an unnecessary form of fan-service that adds nothing to the story, along with several events where Madison is often attacked by several sexually violent aggressors, such as [[spoiler: the nightmares in her debut, Adrian Baker who tries to sexually assault her with an electric drill as she is strapped to a table, and Paco Mendez who forces her at gunpoint to strip naked]], which gives the impression that almost every man she meets happens to be rapists and murderers. Finally, Madison herself has no real ties to the main story other than her chance meeting with an injured Ethan, prompting her into wanting to help him save his son, and could easily be written out of the story.