I can honestly say I’m not a movie person, but the way Quantum Dreams makes their games are always captivating to me. I realize they are supposed to be a mash up of a movie and a video game, and in theory it shouldn’t really work. Movie goers want to relax and watch; while gamers want to be in a somewhat constant role of acting, but Quantum Dreams I feel blends these styles well enough to suit both tastes just enough. And for the most part, I’d say Beyond is a good game because of this, it manages to tell an engaging story that you have the ability to control, even if it’s just a little bit. Beyond’s story is a bit perplexing at first, but the constant jumping around I feel helps change the pace of the game enough so it’s constantly engaging. The different scenes also help add more to Jode’s mysterious self rather than hinder the way they actual tell Jode as a character. However I do think that there were not only miss opportunities for this kind of storytelling, but also a lot of hindrance on other characters as well.
For one, all the characters don’t react much differently when you change from scene to scene. Jode could be a total dick to a person one moment, than in the next they have no recollection, make any notes, or act differently toward Jode. This only intensives when you realize that the game pretty much plays out nearly exactly the same way no matter what you were to do in any given situation. All the choices Jode is given really only add up to how we perceive her as an audience, but not how the other characters, or the world itself reacts to her. This eventually leaves much of the dialogue, emotion, and investment only on Jode, and while Ellen Page pretty much gives a perfect performance, it’s just not enough to make me feel like the choices I did actually mattered. In the end, it really just feels like I’m being lied too. Jode is never shown to the other characters as being cold or uninteresting, whine or confused unless the script calls for it. It just breaks the game feel too much to make me feel like I had an actual impact. This is only intensified due to there being no changes in scenes till the very end. Nearly every choice is given to you at the last two chapters, and not even in a subtle way either, just a straight up choice of who you’d like to be with, end up where you want to go, etc. The ending just comes off as too rushed, and too straight forward to an otherwise subtle way of dealing a story. Instead of giving me everything at the end, why not give me different branches of where I could actually go through Jode’s life. The way the storytelling goes leaves room for different things to happen, while at the same time still keeping Jode on the main tracks to where she needs to go for a conclusion. They just had an opportunity and missed what could have otherwise been a great way to tell Jode’s story.
Course, Beyond still has other problems aside from the illusion of control they give you. The main fighting mechanic in Beyond is just too erratic to really work. While the game gives you enough time to react appropriately, the way Jode’s body move and/or the context of the scene can often get very confusing. Jode’s body often gives false information on where it wants to go by moving from either offensive or defensive movements, this is further enhanced when actually fighting in a scene as it’s never quite easy to tell when you should be defending yourself or countering against. As well, the way Aiden controls is often very restricting and awkward to move around in. While Aiden’s main mechanics of moving things, possessing people are easy to deal with; things like flight control and exploration are a bit fidgety. Constantly during Aiden’s movement will he never truly just fly straight, but rather upward or downward toward his target. This makes for the constant use of descending buttons throughout traveling around with Aiden, which can be a bit annoying and confusing. Further more, Aiden’s exploration constantly feels hinder throughout the game, only being able to go as far as the game developers want you too, taking away any kind of fun exploration that could be had. And that’s really the bigger problem with Beyond. It constantly feels like you have freedom, when in reality you are very much in a controlled environment. There are very little changes to actually do and any kind choice you are given, ultimately only affects your view of the story, but not the story itself. It feels like a constant lie that is constantly being feed to you while playing, even the graphics, while beautiful, are static. It’s a shame too because the story of Beyond is certainly a heartbreaking and wonder of a tale, but it’s constantly being held back to being something more.
Final Thoughts:
Beyond: Two Souls has a great story and even better main lead in Ellen Page, but overall this game just falls too short on everything else that would have made it better than good. Despite feeling like you have choice, freedom, or the ability to explore; Beyond constantly feeds you lies on how much impact you actually have on the story. Beyond is just too restricting for its own good, and while it’s understandable that they want players to experience the story the way it’s meant to be told; it means nothing when all that emotional investment is met with a few quick choices.