Beyond Two Souls (BTS) is a very hard game to rate. I spent at least an hour trying to pin point how I was going to score this game. To start BTS is from the developer Quadratic Dream written and Directed by David Cage, which created Heavy Rain, which to this day is easily one of my favorite games. It combines player choice, thrill, excitement, emotion, and interactive game-play all in one package. That being said I was really excited about BTS and couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I'm glad I did.
Beyond Two Souls tells the story of Jodie Holmes, played by Canadian actress Ellen Page from child to adult. Jodie is attached to an "entity" named Aiden which is with her through the game. Not only is Ellen Page featured in the game but William Defoe plays a supporting role of the doctor who is observing and looking after Jodie and her paranormal phenomenon. The player, interacts with Jodie much like the game Heavy Rain to make decisions and essentially how Jodie will interact with people and her environment. Without spoiling anything in the story, we the player experience the ups and downs of Jodie's life, the hardships, and sometimes disturbing moments. All of these moments connect you to Jodie and her experiences, make you feel for her and sometimes even relate-able. The story is told in chapters or segments. Some of these segments are 20-30 mins long others are hours long. The story jumps from different parts of her life as a teenager, all the way to her as an adult back to being as a child. This type of storytelling is sometimes extremely disjointed. As soon as something interesting happens, the player is taken away to a different chapter to experience something else. I felt like I was left wondering what was going on most of the time. Sometimes I felt like Cage was just throwing me in a scenario just to pull on the heart strings to then, soon leave for a different chapter. This disjointedness in BTS, is sometimes the greatest flaw. The story despite it trying to bring emotion is just so jarring sometimes and doesn't connect well at all unlike Heavy Rain which was fluid and progressive. I also felt like I was missing pieces to the main story with different holes scattered about. Regardless of the main story not making full sense until at the very end, its the little moments in Beyond Two Souls that really brings out the best in the game. Ellen Page does an impressive job of bring this character to life. This is some of Page's best work and should be commended. The other voice acting and writing is also well done. William Defoe....is well William Defoe. Much like in most of his other movies hes very similar in this one. Regardless he still does an excellent job.
Now for the actual gameplay part. Like Heavy rain the player moves the Ps3 sticks and pushes bottons to interact with the environment. The system is all new, which is now easier to follow unlike Heavy Rain which required more button combinations which sometimes where just annoying and to frequent. "Combat" has also received a new face. Instead of pressing bottoms the player moves the stick to Jodies actions. This again is another flaw. Sometimes you cant really tell how Jodie is going to move and you make the wrong mistake. Its an interesting idea that hopefully will be fixed in the future. Unlike in Heavy Rain i felt like I was watching more then doing in this game. This felt more like an interactive movie unlike Heavy Rain felt more like a game. Beyond Two Souls also really doesn't have the same sense of choice that Heavy Rain does. There are different endings, however until the later part of the game I didn't feel the same sense of Thrill or urgency. The choices that Cage has is really how you want your Jodie to play out. Because BTS has a set story that it has to follow unlike Heavy Rain that changes as it progresses, choice is presented on how your Jodie interacts. Will she take revenge on a group of teenages or leave? Will she use Aiden to steel money or earn it? These choices don't have the same huge impact they did like in Heavy Rain. For me personally, its not a disappointment or an improvement, its just different which I enjoy. I loved seeing how my Jodie reacts to people and make different decisions throughout the game
On a side note the graphics and sound track is outstanding. This is easily one of the most visually outstanding games on the Ps3 to-date. This can easily rival uncharted and even some PC games. The facial animations are smooth, and the game manages to keep a solid FPS.
Overall I generally thought this game was fantastic. Yes the main story is jarring and I really wish Cage took a different approach to telling this beautiful tail because I really believe it would have been a masterpiece if it was told progressively. That being said it kept me engage and I felt something for Jodie. I personally love my Jodie with the various decisions I made and the different characters she encounters. The writing and acting is superb with great visuals and sound. I'm really looking forward to another play through regardless of knowing what happens. The game is around 10-12 hours long with some replay value. Is this game for everyone? no its not. I do think everyone should play it though because its a great experience. I rated this a 8/10 because its close to being a masterpiece however this game does something so different, that I cant help but commend Cage and Quadratic Dream. This game proves that movies and games can come together to create something truly special.