( I wanted to write a comment in the database but I ended up writing a lot. I place my comment here instead, although it's aimed at people about to play the game, not at the author. I hope this is not breaking any rules. )
Subtle echo of the struggle for the best possible
For me this is art of rare quality. At the surface it describes a view of our world, a subjective view like each of us is capable of. There is enough detail to remind us that, in comparisson with what we are on the outside, the world is infinite. At times we have to deal with so much detail that it becomes suffocating, like the perception of reality that subjectivity can amount to. Don't worry
This aspect is dealt with in a subtle manner and if you're at home in online virtual worlds, then probably you won't even notice it. But it's there. Now, in most games, if the atmosphere doesn't suit you, then you just pull yourself out. Heatwave offers an alternative: another infinite dimension, perpendicular to the first - the dimension of the interaction of the human spirit with life in the real world. It's not like a door opening suddenly towards a different level of the game when action at the current level begins to stall (see the segment where you have to deal with the car break down), but rather it's an awareness that grows inside you from when you start playing and at some point it becomes clear enough. Only the dialog towards the end, when the protagonists eat icecream, tends to detract from the subtlety and even threatens to reduce the meanings of the game to something less profound; this is just one opinion, of course. The game is basically about the fight for a better experience of life. What else can the Nephilim be than the monstruous creations of our society, like the tolerance for polution and the domination or exploitation of others? Or the bad tendencies from within, that are at the basis of the outer problems, let grow until we cannot control them? In the beginning we see the lower self accusing and being demanding vs. a fellow being. It won't let go of control and the heat is rising. Then, by intervention of the divine fail-safe system in man perhaps, a power shutdown makes the ego awake. He's aware that he needs to cool off and looks for the problem in the immediate, outside world surroundings. He meets the fellow being again, this time from a rather defenseless posture (the loss of the suit was another subtle touch) and they find common ground in simple needs and situations of life - reminding that we are all in this together. Then, an incident brings the protagonists in a situation where they have to work together; this is more than enough explained in the icecream-by dialog
By the way, during that dialog there are subtle references to a time when the absence of technology (and perhaps even of diversified social roles) forced people to work together more to face common problems. The 4th-of-July flare must an allusion to independency as the power from within to confront the lesser and inferior, both in the human being and in the world. In the process of working together, energy previously taken from the lower self is fueled into the higher self which eventually emerges. The moment is beautifully described through the standing up of the protagonists: they are the Sun shining through the rain, which stands for the gentle touch that all the past pains and struggle are reduced to in the perception guided by the higher self; and it was a treat to have the rain fall, as a bigger reward, after they shared the icecream. The two may have continued to cooperate in simple or unimportant matters, but the bigger picture is that the individual can only evolve in cooperation, in harmony with other individuals. An important aspect is that, in this context, each individual matters, individuality matters - independency in the way indicated above, regardless of the external passive expression through choices of clothing, makeup and slang words. In many cases, I think, the youth meet only with challanges in society, where there should also be guidance. The reaction to this takes forms like the punk subculture or the spending of a great deal of time in virtual online worlds. But the essential positive consequence is that, also in these contexts, people find each other, they establish connections that - more than offering an outlet for rebellious tendencies or a place to hide - help them grow. (The cyberpunk) Heatwave illustrates this fact well. Worth mentioning is also the lack of romance between the male and female protagonists - there being something greater at stake about their relationship. I stop here, although not having said anything about the techniques used to tell the story; probably this comment would have been at least double in size. If you have not yet played this game, be ready for a lot of goodies
