Review - Beyond: Two Souls

by Dorian Tranquille-Day

Format reviewed on; PS3
Developers; Quantic Dreams
Publisher; Sony Computer Entertainment
Formats; PS3 Exclusive
Pegi Rating; 16+
Release Date (UK); 11/10/13
I had never played a game anything like Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream's first game for the PS3, before it was released in early 2010 and I have never played another since. The French developers introduced me to a new genre and I was eager to delve into another of their immersive worlds when I heard about Beyond: Two Souls.

Quantic Dream doesn’t really make traditional games, they write stories. Beyond is an interactive drama that captures real human emotions, quite literally. Every scene in Beyond is performed by the actors wearing motion-capture suits instead of a Hollywood wardrobe and 90 mo-cap nodes glued to their faces in place of make-up. This is as real as it gets.
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Beyond follows the life of Jodie Holmes (Ellen Page), a girl who seemingly has supernatural powers, abandoned by her parents and studied closely by Nathan Hawkins (Willem Dafoe). However, it soon becomes apparent that the source of these paranormal activities is an entity named Aiden, who follows Jodie everywhere that she goes. The story is a non-linear journey that covers a period of fifteen years, dropping players in at random moments of Jodie's life. In one scene she will be nine years old and in the next she'll be nineteen. Each chapter lasts anywhere between five minutes and an hour and there are 26 in total. This method of storytelling can be quite jarring and I found it difficult to follow the plot at first, but it gets clearer as you continue.

Visually this game is very satisfying. I wouldn't say that it is stunning, as it is unfortunately limited by the hardware, but if it had been released two years ago it would have been. As we approach the next generation of consoles, Beyond doesn't inspire the same awe that it would have done in the past, but it is nevertheless the best-looking game I have played on PS3. The transition between cut scene and gameplay is flawless and at times I didn't even realise I was supposed to be playing. It also benefits from a great variety of locations. The whole palette of colours is exploited as you journey through sun, snow, forests, war-torn cities and even walk underwater.
The acting is superb and you're taken through a range of emotions via all of the characters involved. Jodie's relationships with Nathan and the other members of the cast are central to the plot and they develop throughout the game, making you feel for her and giving weight to the decisions that you have to make. However, I don't think there are as many game-changing decisions to be made in Beyond as there were in Heavy Rain. I could be wrong, because I've only played through it once, but it did feel largely linear in comparison.
Players take control of both Jodie and Aiden, switching between the two when needed. The controls are almost the same as in Heavy Rain but have been simplified, extending the accessibility of the game, but perhaps frustrating people at the same time. As Jodie, players use the left stick to walk or run, depending on the context, and the right stick controls the limited camera movement. The camera is often reminiscent of Resident Evil though – fixed in place and then switching to a different angle when you move off-screen, although you can rotate it slightly. When you're outside the camera follows you and points you in the right direction if you start veering off course – helpful if you're lost but frustrating if you want to explore. The right stick also initiates many of your interactions with the world. Whenever you see a white circle just flick the stick towards it and Jodie will sit down, climb over a wall or even take a shower (sorry, no boobs this time). The face and shoulder buttons also return for conversational elements and quicktime events. You have to use the right stick in the QTEs too, but there are no visual cues. This adds to the immersion, but I was sometimes confused as to which direction to push in and, as a result, made mistakes.
As Aiden, players float through the air, and most obstacles, looking for things to interact with. There is no real challenge here at all, other than the limited distance that you can fly away from Jodie. Aiden locks on to an object, indicated by a blue circle, and then interacts with it using the sticks. This is all very laid back compared to Jodie. There are a few QTEs but most of the time you have as much time as you want to float around and interact with the world. You can also use Aiden to listen in on conversations and discover hidden bonuses which unlock picture galleries or videos in the main menu.
The accessibility of this game is highlighted by the two difficulty levels included – “I play video games very often” and “I rarely (or never) play video games”. The easier mode remedies the confusion you may experience in action scenes by providing directional cues and affording you more time to make decisions. There is also the Beyond Touch app for iOS and Android devices. Using this program further simplifies the controls and you can play through the entire game with one finger. I was very impressed with the app's intuitive input method and its responsiveness – I experienced no latency whatsoever. All you need is a touchscreen device connected to the same wifi network as your PS3 and you're good to go. Combine this with the multiplayer feature, where one person plays as Jodie and the other Aiden, and you can enjoy Beyond with anyone by your side. Although calling it multiplayer is a bit of a stretch – you're just passing control to each other every time you switch between Jodie and Aiden.
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I thoroughly enjoyed Beyond, a game that anyone can sit back and enjoy. If you can only afford a few games a year, or are unsure if you would enjoy this type of game, I would not buy this new. Wait a few months for the price to drop and go and get Heavy Rain in the meantime. If you're looking for a challenge, however, you should look elsewhere.
 Good - Excellent acting, pleasing visuals, caters to newcomers

Bad - No challenge, too many QTEs, feels too linear

4/5
Game Reviewers own copy
Images - from Publisher