Beyond Two Souls: Discontinuous 'Souls' plot hardly a page-turner

The latest offering from French studio Quantic Dream, Beyond Two Souls, is similar to its predecessor, Heavy Rain, in that it is divisive.

 

Beyond Two Souls

For: PS3

From: Sony

Three and a half stars (out of five)

 

Released in 2009, Heavy Rain really struck a chord with me, there was something about the story which tugged at the heartstrings.

Some of the scenes were among the most gut wrenching I've seen in a video game.

Four years later and Beyond Two Souls focuses on action as opposed to drama.

It's an interesting choice and I'm not sure it pays off.

The common theme between the games is that they aren't games in the traditional sense, they are more like interactive QuickTime event movie scenes: you either love them or hate them.

In Heavy Rain I loved them.

They seemed to fit the context and the scenes.

In Beyond they just feel like they're there to make you feel like you are participating.

It feels like the scenes could easily carry on without you doing anything, and if that is the case, then it really is just a movie.

There are inconsistencies in some of the scenes.

A good example of this is in an early scene at a birthday party.

Basically, you choose whether to be flirty and social or a recluse, and naturally I chose recluse, only for the other characters to randomly start calling me promiscuous (in not so nice terms).

It became clear the scene was going to go one way regardless of what I chose.

It's here that the illusion of choice crumbles.

In terms of story, you are Jodie Holmes (played by Ellen Page), a young woman with a unique gift.

She has a spirit that is attached to her named Aiden, that allows her to manipulate the environment around her.

This is usually restricted to throwing objects around or incapacitating guards within a certain range of Jodie.

The story chops and changes all over the place. One minute you'll be Jodie as a young child, next thing you'll be her as an adult doing combat training, with no discernable link as to why, and then back again.

Your enjoyment of Beyond Two Souls will depend entirely on whether you buy into the story.

If you don't, there's no gameplay to save the experience.

If it does get its hooks into you, it'll be enthralling until the end.

Heavy Rain was the latter for me, unfortunately Beyond Two Souls is the former.

However, the experience is unique to the individual, so give it a go.

- Simon Bishop

Add a Comment

Our journalists are your neighbours

We are the South's eyes and ears in crucial council meetings, at court hearings, on the sidelines of sporting events and on the frontline of breaking news.

As our region faces uncharted waters in the wake of a global pandemic, Otago Daily Times continues to bring you local stories that matter.

We employ local journalists and photographers to tell your stories, as other outlets cut local coverage in favour of stories told out of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

You can help us continue to bring you local news you can trust by becoming a supporter.

Become a Supporter