Time to join the PC brigade...
AFTER SIX LONG YEARS, BEYOND: TWO SOULS FINALLY GETS A RELEASE FOR THOSE WITHOUT A PLAYSTATION
THE flood of Quantic Dream games onto the PC continues, with the release of Beyond: Two Souls. The developer’s 2013 follow up to its 2010 hit, Heavy Rain, Beyond was only a slightly different beast.
Continuing its path to redefine the way video games tell their stories, with this game Quantic Dream was striving to give players a much more cinematic experience, a game they were more in control of, and that had much more action than its predecessor.
The game starred Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe, who as well as providing the voices, were motioncaptured for their likenesses and acting.
A PlayStation exclusive for the last six years, Beyond has finally become available for PC gamers.
With a far heavier sci-fi theme, Beyond is the story of Jodie Holmes, a girl who has an otherworldly set of abilities gifted to her by Aiden, her invisible friend.
The story flits and shifts through timelines, so we see Jodie as a child, then Jodie as a nowty teenager, and Jodie as a young adult – repeated randomly as the game progresses.
The common denominator through the years is Aiden, the entity which Jodie is
inexplicably linked to – and who you can control, depending on the circumstances.
If the almost schizophrenic way the timeline plays out is hard for you to wrap you head around – and believe me, it did make my brain ache at times – then there’s the option on this new release to play the game linearly.
I found it ironed out a few of the plot wrinkles, and made the game much more enjoyable. Gameplay has very much been adopted from Heavy Rain, you control characters as they interact with the environment, solve simple puzzles, and occasionally be asked to make morally ambiguous decisions. Taking control of Aiden can be quite fun, the disembodied entity being able to interact with electrical machinery, throw objects and even possess others.
It can be even more fun when you have a second gamer playing as Aiden, although during the game’s duller moments the temptation to wreak havoc is very strong, and that’s unfair on your gaming partner.
The story is dark, and at times down right depressing.
Page is wonderful, bringing much needed gravity and feeling to some of the game’s heavier moments.
Dafoe is equally good, a pareddown performance as Jodie’s father figure Nathan Dawkins, which helps Page’s narrative to shine.
Beyond has aged much better than Heavy Rain, the graphics are equally as stunning now as back then – especially in 4K.
While the plot can often be ham-fisted, there are enough compelling moments to make you want to stick with Jodie and see her story through.
■ Buy it: epicgames.com, £15.99
Ellen Page is wonderful, bringing much needed gravity and feeling to some of the game’s heavier moments