Rating of
4/5
Flawed but Goes Beyond a Typical Gaming Experience
Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/01/17
As the end of one console's life began and the next generation arose, two games came out that pushed the limits of what the old generation could do - and what the next generation could improve upon. One game went on to be lavished with praise and awards, get a fancy remaster on the new console and forever be considered an amazing achievement in both story and design. The other was largely overlooked, was re-released (but only on digital in America) and is destined to lie in relative obscurity forever more. The first game is The Last of Us - and, yes, it does deserve all the attention it has got. The other is the game I'm about to review, Beyond: Two Souls.
Presentation: Beyond: Two Souls just looks great. Quantic Dream is known for their cinematic games (Heavy Rain, Indigo Prophecy) and this game follows the same pattern. However, it is their best-looking game to date. It helps they snagged both Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe for two of the bigger roles. Page is the main character and brings both strength, vulnerability and emotion to role. Likewise, the rest of the voice cast does a great job of bringing this world to life. The game suffers very minimally from things like clipping - much less than say even The Witcher and Skyrim - though this is in no way an action-oriented affair. In any case, both the casting and motion capture are top-notch here.
The rest of the game looks good as well - the settings go from the Middle East, to the cold, harsh streets, science facilities, CIA training camp, your childhood home - all presented with nice touches. Because the game goes back and forth between the present and past, you also go from being a child, to teen to adult - and the juxtaposition works out well. Some chapters are short, others very long, but it's a good change of pace that keeps the game interesting. The game is relatively short - maybe 20 hours if you play through. But it's the little touches that make it work and if you take time to explore, you can really make something of it.
Everything else about the game is solid, music, effects and the like and, all in a all, makes for an immersive experience.
Story: While the story flits around, here it is in a nutshell. Our main character, Jodie Holmes, was born in a special facility and soon after adopted. She was born with a connection to the world between life and death, and this comes in the form of Aiden, a ghost-like spirit that is tethered to her. Aiden can act as a benevolent protector and as a violent poltergeist - including the ability to temporarily possess people. The connection is limited, as if Aiden gets too far away, Jodie begins to have headache and can even black out. This spirit also attracts more malicious beings from this nether dimension and it is because of this that her adoptive parents eventually give her up, landing in a special facility run by scientist Nathan Dawkins (Dafoe) where she essentially grows up. She has trouble connecting with anyone, both because of her relative isolation and Aiden's jealousy. Eventually she becomes a CIA operative when she learns to harness her talents - but this life takes a dark turn when she learns of the duplicitous nature of the government. She becomes a fugitive for a time - even struggles with suicide but ultimately is brought back just as the world (both her own government and foreign powers) are trying to use energy to open a doorway to this other world - not realize the deadly consequences this can bring about.
While at first I was wary of the back and forth between current day and the past, in the end I think the setup works better. A bit harder to swallow is the fact that Page's character goes from moody teen to CIA badass in a the space of a few years. Mainly because Page looks way too delicate to play a special forces operative. She's better when she's playing the more vulnerable woman - afraid to let people in or trying to decide how to act during a party as a Sheikh's palace while also stealing intel. The story isn't perfect - a section dealing with a Navajo spirit gets too off target and the linear nature is a bit off-putting at times, but, overall, it works for the most part.
Gameplay: While Quantic Dream always seems to craft some great stories the look amazing, it is often the gameplay that suffers. While Two Souls attempts to fix things, it is by no means perfect. The game is divided up between a few different actions. Part of the time is spent in dialogue where each of the buttons give you a choice to make - but these choices ultimately don't seem to have that big of impact on the outcome other than how you (or the other people) react. While the game keeps you on the path, at certain times you are allowed to roam somewhat freely. This is the time you can switch to Aiden - and this is the best part of the game. Whether on a stealth mission as an adult or trying to have a snowball fight as a child, just being able to walk around a bit and do some exploration is fun. The third aspect, and most annoying, is, of course, the quick-time events. I never quite got the hang of things and often got injured as a result of not going in the right direction or hitting the wrong button at the wrong time. Quantic Dream is a big fan of these, however, so there's no getting around them - just be aware that failure here can have consequences and it sucks.
Replayability: Even thought the game does follow a linear path (even if it is presented out of order), there are still plenty of choices that affect the endings and outcome - people to save (or kill), how violent you decide Aiden should be and what events you succeed or fail in completing. Plus, of course there are the trophies to collect. Overall, there's plenty to bring you back at least a few more times and, with how good it looks, it's a game worth going back to.
Overall: Beyond: Two Souls will appeal to gamers who appreciate a solid story and characters over shooting things. If you have played a Quantic Dream game in the past, and liked what you experienced, this is more of the same, but better.
Presentation: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Replayability: 5/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
