Great ambitions
The work of David Cage evokes various emotions among players. Some people admire the cinematic approach to game development, others consider Quantic Dream’s productions as shells with a hole in the storyline. The determination to blur the lines between games and interactive movies, however, cannot be denied for sure. Even Heavy Rain could boast of advanced facial expressions, above-average camera work and – at least on paper – an extensive plot. Beyond: Two Souls was announced as the studio’s magnum . The power of the title was evidenced by the cast in the main roles of Oscar-nominated actors – Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.
Power or a curse?
The main character of Beyond is Jodie Holmes, a girl who has a special bond with a paranormal being called Aiden by her. Nobody knows exactly who or what he is. Jodie’s situation may seem interesting because she has quite powerful supernatural powers. On the other hand, since childhood, she has been doomed to government research, loneliness and lack of a normal life.
We get to know the plot within a typical Quantic Dream gameplay scheme. We walk from point A to B, which is interrupted by cinematic inserts. However, it was ensured that players do not have to put the rain down for several minutes, as in Hideo Kojima games, and every now and then quick time event sequences are activated , which require performing otherworldly evolutions with the fingers on the pad (pressing and holding most of the buttons in the right order). I would like to point out right away that although the PC edition allows you to play with the keyboard and mouse, it is an extremely inconvenient solution, especially during QTE. So it’s better to have the right controller at hand. Although, in fact, collapsing one of the arcade sections does not have any consequences. In order to reach the widest possible audience, it was decided that game over would never appear . Jodie is a resourceful woman, and even if she doesn’t achieve her goal as smoothly as she planned, she will do what needs to be done in a roundabout way.
The only thing that distinguishes Beyond’s gameplay from other Quantic Dream games is the mechanics related to Aiden. The invisible friend will often help Jodie, which involves additional interactions with the environment. This is supposed to add variety to the gameplay, but it’s so simple that I can’t shake off the feeling of untapped potential. Anyway, the whole Beyond is a very simplified game. However, it must be honestly admitted that in the case of such a title, more important is how the story is presented …
Paranormal stories
Well, from the storyline side, Beyond: Two Souls is full of extremes. David Cage definitely has a cinematic flair and many scenes really shine with the direction (for a game medium). Nor can the actors be faulted, particularly Ellen Page, who had to be heavily involved in the role, resulting in a convincing performance. Especially that motion capture technology was used in the production . Thanks to this, the cast not only voiced the characters, but also played them with their bodies, which is why, despite the seven years on the neck, the animations look very realistic.
Unfortunately, on the conceptual level of Beyondit’s one big mess. I don’t think David Cage knows what he really meant. Forget the main plot, because we have a billion themes thrown in the wind here, none of which are developed. The worst thing is when, as a rule, pretty good dialogues turn towards over-intellectualized existential considerations that fit the whole thing like a fist to the nose. For example, at one point Cage dwells on the drama of homelessness, only to discuss alien forces and the mystery of immortality a moment later. The structure itself also leaves a lot to be desired. By default, the game jumps along the timeline, taking players to the various events that shaped Jodie. While at the beginning it seems like an interesting procedure aimed at presenting the protagonist, later these jumps become tiring, especially since the subsequent episodes are much longer. There is an alternative mode available that presents the story chronologically, but it doesn’t get much better there. In the absence of a proper cause-and-effect sequence and a scenario as punctured as Swiss cheese, there is no consistent experience. On the plus side, there are choices in each of the chapters that are at least of minor importance for the plot. Making these decisions is usually not limited to choosing a specific dialogue option. Nice surprise. Making these decisions is usually not limited to choosing a specific dialogue option. Nice surprise. Making these decisions is usually not limited to choosing a specific dialogue option. Nice surprise.
Solid technical details
On the day of its original release, Beyond: Two Souls was sweating a sweat from the retiring PS3 console. Consequently, seven years later, the title looks really solid, and the actors’ faces look great. Yes, the amount of details in the world does not knock you on your knees, but reaching 60FPS will not be a problem even on less efficient computers. Unfortunately, there is a problem with the display of the game due to the console pedigree. The image has been cut off using “movie stripes” at the top and bottom of the screen. This solution was understandable on the old PS3, as it allowed for a lower resolution and a relatively smooth frame rate. I have no idea why the clipping was left on the PC version as as I mentioned I had no problem with the performance at all.
On the plus side, it is very easy to customize the language version, choosing from various dubbing and cinema versions. Polish dubbing is pretty good (the Ellen Page & Will duo Dafoe was replaced by Małgorzata Socha with Robert Więckiewicz) and I think you can go through the whole title without bleeding your ears. However, given that the original actors portrayed the characters they play, I used English voices almost all the time.
A failure, but spectacular
I sincerely doubt that the PC release of Beyond: Two Souls could bring new fans to Quantic Dream. This game is characterized by an extremely chaotic and ill-considered story that is hard to recommend under normal circumstances. However, it seems to me that the title can be an interesting experience for enthusiasts of the game medium. After all, it is quite an ambitious project, in which Sony had to invest a lot, which resulted in high technical quality. The PC version certainly offers the best possible experience and it is worth reaching for when you need to.
