Original artwork, not a still
Fans' shorthand for Heavy Rain's (2010) prompt to shout for Jason
Press X to Jason.
— Heavy Rain · 2010
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A mockery of the game's own gimmick: even a father's panic becomes a button prompt. Critics and players took the line as shorthand for games trying to be emotional through quick time events, and it spawned its own spin-offs like Press X to Shaun. It is the internet's favourite complaint about interactive drama, born from one of that drama's most sincere scenes.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Heavy RainShow the scene
In Heavy Rain's prologue chapter The Mall, Ethan Mars takes his son Jason shopping while his wife Grace and Shaun, the elder son, buy shoes. Jason wanders off, and the player must find him in the crowd, with one main action available: pressing X on the PlayStation 3 pad to call out his name, again and again. That is the source of the meme. A few minutes later Jason dies after being hit by a car, which sets up the rest of the game.
Sources (4)
- Heavy Rain Wiki: Press X to JasonOpening paragraphReference checked
- Heavy Rain Wiki: The MallDescriptionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Quick time eventCriticism sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Heavy RainPlotReference checked
Context reviewed