The game developing company mentioned above is responsible for creating the innovate games Indigo Prophecy (a.k.a. Fahrenheit) & Heavy Rain. They are known for those games specifically for their art form. The art form is that of a movie. They give you an in-depth plot, detailed characters, thrilling plot devices and realistic morals added on to the cinematic experience.
With Beyond: Two Souls, this is no different. The game is about a girl named Jodie Holmes who was born with the gift of being linked to a supernatural entity referred to as Aiden.
From a young age, Jodie was haunted by Aiden and being unable to hide her power, she was given to the hands of the government (or so I predict after seeing various trailers) for various experiments in controlling those powers. She is taken in by the government for experimentation and physical training when she is 8 and you play all the major experiences she has over the years. Somewhere along the line, she is used by someone for something which has her on the run from the very people that have trained and experimented on her for so long.
I realize the plot description is a little vague but it was all I could gather from watching the trailers and gameplay videos. So far it sounds promising and looks even more so. Quantic Dream has revitalized their graphics engine to make B:TS more realistic than it's spiritual predecessor Heavy Rain. In doing so, the emotions of the characters in the game are shown more effectively and the real time mechanics used for acting out scenes looks much better and more fluid. Speaking of acting, that is another thing that has been improved.
Not to make any offense on the actors in Heavy Rain but there were some... problems with the cinematics due to the voice acting and script writing. But in Beyond, that problem seems to be fixed quite a bit. The prime example would be the talent added to the cast in the names of Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe. Both very well known and very talented actors are portraying major roles in this game so it's safe to say they upped the ante on the previous problem. Even the not so major characters have better voice acting and better lines in general. The game was even presented at the Tribeca Film Festival due to how much it looks and feels like a movie. So much so that, during one of the gameplay videos I watched, I shed real tears due to how emotional and convincing the scene was. It's so spectacular and far beyond anything Heavy Rain made me feel and that alone makes me very excited to see what this game has in store.
Now... let's talk gameplay.
There seem to have been improvements on that as well. You still have button prompts for dialogue and certain situations, but thankfully, it's not as cumbersome or excessive as it was in Heavy Rain. Due to the fact that you don't need to press a button to do every little thing. Something that frustrated many gamers, including myself. There has been a redesign to some of the more action-oriented parts of the game in the form of a slow-motion response action. The game would slow down substantially and (my guess is) you have to press a button to react to the situation or suffer the consequences. It's much like Quantic Dream's last game in that respect but it's a much more obvious way of knowing what to do instead of a little button icon in the corner or getting in the way of the action. So for that, I applaud this change.
As for Aiden's controls, they seem a bit interesting. You go into a first-person view of the ghost-like entity and move, manipulate and even destroy objects at will. This serves a major purpose since it's what is needed to progress in certain areas. Aiden even has the ability to control the body of any person and making them take any action you want them to do. I'm going to go ahead and suppose all these actions have their own prompts and consequences. Consequences meaning choice is, once again, a major factor of this video game experience.
Actions and choices in this game have rewards and consequences, much like in real life and many of the games out today. For instance, in one level described in a preview I read in Gameinformer, there is a scene where Jodie is chased by police onto a train and has the option to ask Aiden for help. If she accepts his assistance, you can control him to open up a hatch to the top of the train where Jodie will then be pursued by police and prompted to jump off the train. Resulting in her escape. On the other hand you can refuse to accept Aiden's help and you will be caught by the police and taken into custody, in which you will have to escape from that situation. Again, with or without Aiden's help. Scenes can play out differently depending on that simple choice and sometimes, it can even be a matter of life or death.
Final verdict: This game is shaping up to be quite a masterpiece.
It's still too early to say whether or not it's going to be a great game or not. But as far as impressions go, it's leaving a fantastic one. Quantic Dream has improved their mistakes made with their previous games and are going all out with this one. For anybody who likes to experience their game as well as play it, this game may be for you. So keep your eyes open for new developments in the future. Particularly in the upcoming E3 conference.
Beyond: Two Souls comes out exclusively for the Playstation 3 on October 8th, 2013.
I hope you enjoyed reading this gaming impression! Have a good one folks.
- Xian
