Tlou is a good contender. I was too surprised at how much the difficulty changes the game. Just scrounging for every bit of ammo and forcing tactics makes a lot of difference.. Also just the lack of listen mide makes everything so much more intense as the AI can truly shine. Another game would be fallout 3. Didnt know nearly enough the first time and the open world where you arent informed about the majority of quests made me miss a lot and therefore my second playthrough gave a lot more info on the lore of the game and i must say it is the most interesting lore i have any seen in any type of media.

Xenoblade got better (because the story made more sense, even if you knew what was coming), and TLoU got worse (because without the story, all you had was the gameplay which wasn't as great).

I absolutely loved Tomb Raider on the 360 but when i played the Definitive Edition for the X1 I couldn't get so excited the second play through. Lets hope GTA5 doesn't to the same.

huh?  Entire scenes change and characters can die before the ending scene even comes.  Then there are like 20 different endings depending on what you did THROUGHOUT the game instead of the very end.  It's a great example of choices actually mattering and making a difference over the course of the game.  For example I could just give up as Jaden and not even be present in the final couple detective scenes or accuse Blake and be thrown out of the game

More - Skyward Sword
Less - I have no clue.

The game does an awesome job at hiding the illusion of choice. It's interesting that you quote Jayden, because he's actually the character with most ramifications for whatever he does (my favourite one, too, in part because of that). But seriously, your choices barely matter until the final chapters. It's no different than what Mass Effect pulled out, albeit you have a bit more power this time.

There aren't 20 endings for what you do throughout the game. There's different endings for what you do AT THE VERY END, for each character. (Seven for Ethan, four for Jayden, and then three for Madison and Scott; although the latter has a variation in one of his endings). There's simply no penalty for whatever actions you've done throughout the game if you manage to fullfill the endgame conditions, which can be resumed in these:

· Die.

· Fail to find Shaun. Shaun dies.

· Fail to find Shaun. Shaun is saved by someone else.

· Save Shaun.

The example you've put with Jayden just happens right before the two final chapters (which is the final chapter of Jayden before the warehouse).  

Everything else will be played out exactly, with minor diferences for some things you've done. But minor diferences are also applied in The Walking Dead.

but if you don't do the trials right the warehouse location won't be revealed.  For instance I couldn't kill the drug dealer because of his daughters and had to guess out of 3 addresses on the warehouse (luckily I was right).

If you don't collect enough evidence with Jaden you can't find the killer in time.  If you don't save the mother who's helping you earlier in the game the ending will be different.  If you don't get rid of all the evidence throughout the game Scott will be caught.  If Madison can't guess the password at the apartment or dies there she doesn't get to be at the warehouse (as happened to me I just had to escape before finding it out).  If you don't get out of the creepy doctor's house you have to go through the whole escape sequence or fail at it.  Jaden can die with at the junkyard.  That's just off the top of my head of significant things changing depending on your actions THROUGHOUT the game.

More: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I couldn't get into this one on my first playthrough. I wasn't into stealth games at the time. However, I tried it on Wii U later on, and it clicked much better. I actually think it's the best third party published title on the platform.

Less: Bayonetta

Loved this game when it first released, as it was one of my favorites from last generation. However, I'm currently replaying it after having finished Bayonetta 2, and while I still think it's a fantastic game, it's got some flaws for sure. BS "press X to not die" QTEs, meh platforming sections, and the disorienting missile mini-game were things I took particular notice of, and I'm glad they're not in the second game.

Not doing the trials doesn't matter, as Ethan can still get to the warehouse, and has his "happy ending" with Shaun like "Hey I'm the best father ever, I did all the trials" when he did not.

Things you've mentioned:

· Jayden will always have all the evidence he needs, except for the gas receipts. Either you pick them up after fighting Origami Killer for the first time or Jayden won't figure out the killer's location; BUT he can still get there if Madison calls him.

· If you don't save Lauren when the car is underwater, she'll die. That's right, it triggers one of Scott's three endings.

· Scott won't be caught, because he will collect all the evidence regardless of what you do. If Madison survives The Doc, she'll ALWAYS end up in The Killer's Place, regardless of what you do afterwards The Doc.

· Madison not getting the warehouse location (giving up/failing at the password) or dying in the killer's place are both endgame conditions (Giving up/Dying).

· Jayden getting killed in they junkyard is an endgame condition (dying).

Things I want to add:

· Try getting Ethan killed. You can't, unless you're at the very end (Warehouse chapter).

· Try getting Scott killed. You can't, unless you're at the very end (Warehouse chapter).

· Try turning down Origami Killer's first trial, The Bear. You can't. Ethan will always do it because he needs to get hurt for the sake of Madison coming and healing his wounds.

· Try doing whatever you want with Shelby. All his chapters will trigger regardless, with minor variations. (Just like The Walking Dead)

· Try arresting Mad Jack in the Junkyard instead of throwing Tripto away with Jayden. It changes NOTHING. Jayden arrests the dude who knows who the Origami Killer is and it's all for nothing, because Mad Jack disappears after that sequence.

I could go on, but to explain how the illusion of choice works I shall only explain the important choices:

· Die. You can get Jayden killed in the Junkyard, at Paco's Place, while Solving the Puzzle or at the Warehouse. You can kill Madison in The Doc's, The Killer's Place or The Warehouse. Scott and Ethan can only be killed at the Warehouse.

· Give up. Shaun dies. Jayden gives up at Solving the Puzzle. Madison doesn't figure out the adress at The Killer's Place. Ethan doesn't do the trials, or he's arrested.

· Give up. Shaun is saved. (THIS ONLY APPLIES TO JAYDEN) Jayden gives up at Solving the Puzzle. Someone else saves Shaun.

· Save Shaun. Jayden AND/OR Madison/Ethan save the life of Shaun Mars.

· Forgive/Don't forgive Madison. It will change the outcome of Ethan's ending.

· Get Ethan arrested, twice. It will change the outcome of Ethan's ending.

· Save/Don't save Lauren. It will alter one of Scott Shelby's ending.

^ And that's it. Those are the important choices to make, where ALL the endings can be extracted from. It doesn't matter if you kill Krammer, shoot Nathaniel, kill the drug dealer, do the trials, or whatever. Everything else you do on the game is circumstancial.

Unlike The Walking Dead, I admit, Heavy Rain features different endings for each character. But, like The Walking Dead, the game relies on illusion of choice for almost the whole game. The major events will trigger regardless, and different scenes will play with small variations regarding on what you've done, JUST like The Walking Dead.

Both are awesome games. I don't understand why bashing one for what essencially the other also did.

What I've said and what you mention make significant differences.  There's no illusion except maybe the combat scenes not mattering until the end.  Those differences make a much bigger difference and plenty of them aren't in the final scene (whether that's 1 or 2 or 3 scenes before the finale is inconsequential).  The other 4 trials still are abandonable.  No illusion to me I still love replaying it and seeing all the different ways each scene plays out.