Beyond: Two Souls review: caged ambitions
Every aspect of Beyond: Two Souls is a generational leap over Heavy Rain. Too bad it's all wasted on a story that isn't worth telling.
Due to its non-linear presentation, it's difficult to fear for Jodie's life
Beyond: Two Souls forces a rather unnatural romance option on players
This review is based on early retail PS3 code provided by the publisher. Beyond: Two Souls is now available on PS3 for $59.99. The game is rated M.
-
Shacknews
replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, Beyond: Two Souls review: caged ambitions.
Every aspect of Beyond: Two Souls is a generational leap over Heavy Rain. Too bad it's all wasted on a story that isn't worth telling.-
-
IAWTNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO D:
-
-
I've been following impressions of this game from NeoGAF for the last week. It seems like this will be another classic David Cage love-it-or-fucking-hate-it deal, but it seems like if you are in any way interested in the stuff Quantic Dream makes you'll get your money's worth.
-
[deleted]
-
The reviews coming out for this are really split. IGN's score is pretty similar while Revision Games gave it a perfect score. Guess it will be one of those games everyone needs to just try for themselves.
-
-
FYI, I *loved* Heavy Rain. But, this... not so much. I feel like, in many ways, it's a huge step backwards for Quantic. They nailed the tech and the performances. The gameplay is a lot better too. But, the feeling of choice that you had in Heavy Rain is gone. The lack of variation in the different endings (the ones I've discovered so far anyway) also makes it quite upsetting.
-
Is lack of choice really so bad, though? When the acting and atmosphere is as strong as it appears to be in Beyond, I'm kind of on board for just being along for the ride and occasionally getting some agency.
-
It sounds like you're already sold on the game. if so, go for it! However, I don't think having great actors makes up for having poor writing and poor direction.
-
Fair enough. I am just so intensely curious. I don't have a PS3 so I'll probably never have the chance to check it out. It really just looks gorgeous and oozes production value.
-
-
-
-
I already have plenty of movies to watch that do story better
-
-
[deleted]
-
[deleted]
-
[deleted]
-
The demo had many different ways it could play out depending on your actions. Although all paths led to the same place but they changed the individual scenes significantly. Are you saying such variation is pretty much only possible in the two scenes from the demo or is it consistent throughout the entire game? Because I loved that stuff.
-
i.e. 6 - A flawed representation of its genre, failing to execute on new ideas
-
-
-
-
-
I enjoyed Indigo Prophecy. Haven't played Heavy Rain yet, though.
-
-
It's been several years since I finished, and I only played through it once. I do remember preferring the first half to the second.
-
-
Indigo Prophecy was pretty much 'amazing' until the second half. Or really, maybe the last third.
It didn't just jump the shark, it became a sentient AI version of a shark and proceeded to jump the original shark.
-
-
-
I'm glad he's doing it. He might not be great at the execution, but I'm glad someone is pushing videogames into new spaces and doing interesting things, even when they don't work.
-
-
-
this is the complete opposite of this article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/gaming/game-reviews/beyond-two-souls-more-like-a-blockbuster-sci-fi-movie-than-a-game/article14740477/?cmpid=rss1
-
The number score seems hidden. I completely missed it there at the end of the article.
Is Shacknews intentionally downplaying scores, for example to diminish its effect on people's perceptions, or is that just a design decision?
Sorry if this has been discussed before. -
Not quite sure I understand this review. It wasn't liked because you know the man character lives? Its not Heavy Rain, its its own game.
This is a game with narrative? Whats wrong with that?
Now if what you are saying is that the story (in this heavy narrative game) is weak and not worth seeing through then that's a different story. But I am not getting that from the review. So I am confused.
I suppose its best to play the demo and make up your own mind.-
The story is weak in a game that's all about the story.
-
"Every aspect of Beyond is a generational leap. Too bad it's all wasted on a story that isn't worth telling...
what should be a character study instead becomes an excuse to string together unoriginal tropes and Hollywood action cliches...
Jumping between random sequences of being a child, military badass, and sexually frustrated young adult do little more than make the narrative feel disjointed...
Thinking even a little about the story will make it clear how absurd the narrative is...
Given how disappointing the story is..."
-
-
-
-
This is the best review. Somebody put this in the top-right corner of the Shack pronto.
-
-
-
-
-
I played Beyond for seven hours straight last night and had a great time with it. I appreciate this review, but I disagree with things in it. The main thing that bugs me about the review is the part that questions why the story is told out of order. Jodie pretty much explains that with her first words in the game-she says something along the lines of ‘I’m trying to piece together my past…’
For me I didn’t see the out of order sequencing as a strange method of storytelling. It was just Jodie recalling events from her past in the same way that I do-that is to say, not chronologically.
If someone asked me to tell them about my past I might say ‘Well, for the past few years I did this. I played football in high school. Tennis in college. When I was a kid I never wet the bed…etc.’ I like the way the story is told-it keeps me on my toes as far as paying attention to what is taking place. I keep thinking ‘Ok, when does this fit into the timeline? Oh ok…got it.’
There’s another thing I’d really like to share about my experience with Beyond last night. Don’t wan’t to spoil anything, but this game REALLY affected me during a part where I had to deal with some homeless people. When that part of the game ended I paused the game and just felt bad, and I thought about all the homeless people I’ve passed by when walking down the street, and how fortunate I am. Earlier yesterday I received an email at my job detailing our upcoming annual food drive to collect $$ so the poor can feast during the holidays. I always donate, but right now, after playing that part of Beyond, I’m feeling more than just generous- I feel obligated to give more, because (as stupid as this may sound) Beyond gave me this glimpse into the harsh lives of the destitute, so now giving has more meaning for me than just being able to wear jeans for a few days in my workplace.
I haven’t finished the game, but I’m really enjoying it and I hope others take the time to play it. I want to say more in regard to the review (maybe I don’t watch enough movies, but I didn’t think the betrayal of Jodie by the teens was completely apparent- I kind of saw it coming, but I was carefully led astray from that line of thinking for awhile), but this comment is long enough.
-
According to Shacknews' weird scale, it should be a 6 at least. It's basically its own genre with Heavy Rain.
-
-
Your cynicism would be funny if it were even remotely accurate.
-
-
