I've been a bit mean on Heavy Rain this week, which isn't fair given that I actually enjoyed it. Then again, it was my most anticipated game of 2010, so it was always going to get extra scrutiny. Nonetheless, it's time to play nice.

And play nice is exactly what its quick time events do. Actually, they play so nice that they might even be the game's best feature. That's how nice they play.

Having said that, I've never been a great hater of QTEs. If they challenge enough timing-wise, they're great fun. For example, I liked Resident Evil 4's because I wasn't ever sure what to press, even on a second try. They didn't just use face buttons, either.

Heavy Rain's QTEs take this all up a notch. The time windows were just enough to challenge me. The angles of the on-screen commands were varied up, and it required concentration to spot them at times. The actions often involved context-dependent movement of the stylus or controller. Lifting someone over me required shifting the Sixaxis upwards, dodging a van a quick jerk of the stylus left. Plus, what you were actually watching on screen was usually very dramatic – which also helps a bit.

The best facet of them, though, was that a missed button press didn't always or even typically end in failure of the event. If you missed 'X', Leon didn't inevitably fall to his doom. Sure, it was pretty tough to die in them, but each QTE felt natural and very entertaining.

What could have made them better? Excellent motion control. Actually, that would have made the whole game better. Heavy Rain 2 for Sony's Arc, then? Surely.