but it's better to come in with low expectations, especially if spoiled by Cage's previous, and far superior interactive dramas.Įllen Page as Jodie, and Willem Dafoe as her father figure and "mentor," are great as always, but they feel underused. As for the story itself, it falls somewhere between decent and very good. This new remaster has added the Remix mode, which shows everything in a chronological order, but since this was clearly made to be presented like in a non-linear fashion, it creates new problems - at least for first-time players. This style of fractured narrative has worked wonders in movies like Pulp Fiction, Batman Begins, Snatch, and many more, but here it mostly feels like there's no point in it.
Take the whole back-and-forth storytelling. It's an enjoyable enough trip, but, like with the gameplay bit, not one that's exactly an example of consistency. Christopher Nolan kind of tale, too, as it begins in the "present" and constantly goes back and forth between various periods. Beyond: Two Souls follows Jodie from childhood to adulthood, passing through numerous phases of her troubled life from when she was just a small, innocent kiddo, or shy teen, to that time where people of power started getting interested for her gift, and for what that could do for them. In conclusion, a great game Beyond is not. It's also annoying and counter-immersive how inconsistent this is when it comes to limiting the use of your ghost powers. Jodie's first "test" of her abilities, or a birthday party that she has to attend to, are two simple, yet deeply emotive, memorable parts, whereas Jodie's CIA training is nothing more than long and boring tutorial, where you forget that Aiden even exists. Some chapters clearly show that QTEs can be quite the tool for immersion when handled correctly, while others show that these can turn the game into a chore - especially when they don't even work as intended, and as a result ruin the mood.Īs always the thing that matters the most in such titles is the story, as the gameplay is just there to complement it, and help the player feel like part of it - and the perfect example where the game fails with that, as well as when it doesn't is the use of Aiden. Will the rest enjoy this? Well, it depends. Will this convince QTE "non-believers?" Certainly not. Gameplay constantly feels the least interesting element in here, especially whenever it doesn't help the narrative in any way, and just comes off as an excuse to have more QTEs and simple button inputs, whether that's to just put on your shoes, open a door, or beat up your enemies to a pulp - oh, yes, David Cage is still in love with those. Typical of most interactive dramas, Beyond: Two Souls was made to provide an engrossing, cinematic experience, and not intricate puzzles to solve, or tough enemies to defeat. Gameplay-wise, this means that the protagonist will use this being to overcome all sorts of challenges. Essentially a poltergeist, Aiden can go through walls or push objects, and even possess or harm other people. 'Aiden,' as she calls that, is constantly messing up her life, but it is also quite the skilled fellow. For as long as she remembers herself, Jodie has been chain-linked to a spirit that's both a curse and a blessing.
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