Sleazy Place

"Sleazy Place" is the fourth chapter in Heavy Rain. It and the next chapter are the only chapters featured in the game's demo.

Overview

The chapter introduces the player to the second of the game's four playable characters, Scott Shelby. This chapter is one of the two chapters available in the game's demo, the other being "Crime Scene" (the following chapter). This chapter also introduces the player to QTEs (Quick-Time Events).

Description

Scott enters a run-down hotel in search of Lauren Winter, a prostitute and the mother of Johnny Winter, a victim of the Origami Killer. He bribes the front desk clerk to find out which room she's in. Shelby can knock on three different apartment doors other than Lauren's: one in which a woman orgasms (so it is occupied due to "private business"), one that leads to an apartment with no one inside, and one in which a man is coughing.

Once the player knocks on Lauren's door, she tells him to put his money on her table, believing Scott to be a customer. She begins to take off her robe, but notices Shelby just standing there and tells him to take his clothes off. Shelby tells her that he's not a customer. Shelby is a private investigator and wishes to inquire about the circumstances under which Johnny disappeared, in the hope it will provide some clue in unmasking the identity of the Origami Killer.

The player must work strategically in order to successfully divulge information from Lauren, who is distressed and not easily willing to help Scott. She mentions that her son lived with her and that he was best thing that ever happened to her. She wanted to stop turning tricks, but she needs the money to move out of the motel where she is living. Depending on the player's decisions, this chapter can have several outcomes, but ultimately Lauren tells Scott to get out. He leaves the room and has an asthma attack. After taking his medicine, he sees one of Lauren's ex-clients barge into her room. Soon after, Lauren cries out as the client presumably starts abusing her.

The chapter also introduces a new interaction sequence style for the player, in the form of Quick Time Events (QTEs). This technique requires the player to mimic commands displayed on the screen quickly and accurately in a sort of visual "Simon Says," where it pitches the decision to the player intervene and stop Troy from abusing Lauren or not get involved and walk away.

If the player decides to intervene there will be a fight scene between Scott and Troy, which can either be won or lost, though it doesn't really effect the overall storyline of the game.

If the player should have Shelby win the fight against Troy, before the latter leaves, he says an empty threat to the former where he says: "I'll see you again, asshole!"

However, regardless of the player's choices, the chapter ends with Scott leaving the hotel after leaving his business card on the kitchen table in the hope that Lauren will contact him.

Walkthrough

Sleazy Place Walkthrough

Characters

Scott Shelby
Unknown Building Manager
Lauren Winter
Troy
Johnny Winter (mentioned)
Allan Winter (mentioned)

Trophies

White Knight: Sleazy Place - Beat Troy. (Bronze)

Private Eye: Sleazy Place - Lead Lauren to talk about her son. (Bronze)

Bugs

There is a rare glitch where Lauren can appear to move backwards without walking, through the walls and back to normal through the wall, and so forth. There is no way to fix this until the chapter is over, when it automatically stops.
There is a glitch where Troy remains at the top of the stairs when walking towards Lauren's room. Players faced with this problem may either leave or restart the chapter.

Trivia

This is the first chapter to introduce Scott Shelby.
After Scott pays Lauren for her "services," she sets a timer to go off after ten minutes. In reality, however, it goes off after five.
Giving Lauren the $50 or not doesn't have any noticeable effect on the questions or answers while talking to her.
After talking with Lauren, Scott can leave without giving her the business card. It doesn't affect the story, and Lauren will still appear in the chapter "A Visitor."
Sleazy Place is the first chapter featured in the Heavy Rain demo.
Sleazy Place introduces Lauren Winter.
This is the first chapter without Ethan Mars.
The outcome of the fight with Troy does not affect the storyline in any way whatsoever; however, Lauren may appear at Shelby's apartment during "A Visitor" with a black eye if Shelby lost the fight or left without intervening.