Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Beyond Two Souls
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Quantic Dream
Genre: Action, Narration
Price: $11.99
Also Available On: PS4
David Cage can stir a lot of mixed emotions. Some view the founder of Paris-based developer Quantic Dream as a fraud, pointing to his creations’ lack of interesting gameplay. Others consider him a visionary, praising his genius in bringing theater-quality entertainment to gamers’ homes. No matter the reactions he elicits, however, he is clearly passionate about his works; everything he does is very much a product of his own beliefs and designs. Which, perhaps, is the best way to describe Beyond Two Souls: It's very much the golden standard of what he presents and represents. Originally released as a PlayStation 3-exclusive title back in October of 2013, it found its way to the PS4 two years later, and now has a home on the PC through the Epic Store. At seven years old, how well does it hold up on brand-new hardware?
In Beyond Two Souls, gamers follow the story of Jodie, a girl who makes a connection to a mysterious spirit being by the name of Aiden. Her bond with it has granted her abilities that no normal human can posses. These, in turn, make her a target, and soon she finds herself a pawn of people who both fear her power and wish to exploit it for their own ends. The premise, while interesting, works mainly because of how good the title looks. During its launch, its graphics were already quite good; on the PC, they're absolutely stellar. It's hard to imagine that the game is half a decade old when it renders characters and scenes so vividly.
As real as the visuals may seem, however, the story is anything but. While the premise is great, Beyond Two Souls’ overall narrative tone proves wanting at best, lacking any subtlety in its message. Jodie's predicament could have been explored any which way, but is instead presented sans any restraint; gamers are slammed over the head with theme after theme, allowing for little time to let any stew. Now and then, its story shows promise. After it lures you in with tales of intrigue and deception, however, its momentum falters, and its key moments tend to fall flat. Even during its most entertaining set pieces, its flaws tend to stick out. Action-filled segments try their hardest to get the blood pumping, but the payoffs don’t come close to rewarding the build-ups.
At the same time, Beyond Two Souls relies on gameplay that is best described as the opposite of fun. Gamers get to do some QTEs, explore surrounding areas, watch a few cutscenes — and then rinse and repeat. The process isn’t flawed in and of itself. Unfortunately, the controls — whether via the controller or via a keyboard-and-mouse combination — feel floaty and unresponsive. Which is just too bad given its potential, and which makes it hard to recommend to any but the most diehard of Cage fans. It set out to be a compelling tale of a woman struggling with her marvelous, dangerous powers. It wound up becoming a reminder that implementation, of relative lack thereof, can stunt even the best of intentions.
THE GOOD
- Holds up well visually and aurally despite its age
- Interesting in parts
THE BAD
- Staid gameplay and exploration segments
- Imprecise controls
- Lacking in subtlety and restraint
RATING: 6.5/10
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