Video Game Review: Beyond Two Souls

Beyond Two Souls

PlayStation 3

Usually when I start a new video game I will at least have some kind of idea of what I am getting in to. This was not the case with Beyond Two Souls. I came into this game completely blind - and I think it actually helped me enjoy the game more than I would have otherwise. No unrealistic expectations. No preconceived notions about what the game should or shouldn't be like. I was able to just sit back and enjoy the game for what it was.

If you have never played this before let me get one thing out of the way: this game is all about its story line. Don't expect mind blowing game play. This isn't The Last of Us. It's not Uncharted. There are a few stealth action sequences in the game, but for the most part this is a very cinematic conversation and choice based game. If you have ever played Heavy Rain, that should give you an idea of what this game is like. But only a basic idea. Although they are made by the same developer, this game is very different from Heavy Rain.

Since the story line is the meat and potatoes of Beyond Two Souls, I'll give you a quick summary. The game focuses on several different points in the life of a young woman named Jodie (played by Ellen Page). Jodie is connected to a mysterious invisible being named Aidan.

The two seem to be tethered together by some kind of psychic link. If they ever get too far apart, Jodie becomes weak physically and begins to bleed from the nose. For the most part, Jodie can control Aidan. She can move objects in the room. Destroy things. She can also see what he sees. Meaning - she can look through walls. See around corners. Aidan also has the ability to possess people and make them do his bidding. However, if anyone touches the possessed individual while Aidan is inside him or her - Aidan is violently ejected and Jodie is weakened.

Aidan has a personality of his own, however. He doesn't always allow Jodie to control him. He is very possessive and at times can be overly protective of Jodie. If he doesn't like someone Jodie is associating with - he lets everyone in the room know about it. And if someone mistreats Jodie he will fuck them up.

Naturally Jodie's link to Aidan has made her an object of interest from the US government. She is taken at a very young age and put under observation on a military base. Good ole Murrica for you. Her "handler" is a kindly scientist depicted by Willem Dafoe. Over the years the two develop a close father/daughter type bond. Until.... stuff happens. Stuff I am not going to spoil for you.

As I mentioned earlier, the game jumps around to several different points in Jodie's life. One chapter may focus on her as a little girl. The next may focus on her as an adult, undergoing missions for the government. Then the next chapter she's an emo teenager. Then she's an adult again. Then a kid. It can be a little confusing to keep track of all the different points in her life and how everything ties together. But tie together these events do, and in a really well done manner.

The choices you make in the game affect how the game plays out. No two playthroughs are the same. For instance, you can be a dick with Aidan and constantly wreck and destroy stuff. Or you can do what you are told. You can be a well behaved girl with Jodie, or you can be a rebel. Based on your actions, certain people in the game will either live or die. You can start romances with different characters. You can succeed on your missions or you can fail at them. Every choice you make has its own consequences leading to a different end result. I believe I read that there are 24 different endings for this game, which is really quite mind blowing. I only played through the game once, but I was tempted to play it again. Maybe in a few years when this is not so fresh in my mind I will.

By the time the game ended, I really feel like I got to know Jodie. I cared for her, I felt protective of her. I've never experienced anything quite like that in a game before. Clementine from the Walking Dead is a decent comparison, but I felt a deeper bond with Jodie than I ever did with Clementine. I knew a lot more about her past and what made her tick as an individual. True, Clementine didn't have much of a past and therefore not as much to go on so it isn't really the best comparison. But the way the game builds such a solid connection between you and the character is a thing of beauty.

Basic gameplay consists of a lot of walking around. A lot of "scanning" with Aidan and looking for interactive items. Unlike Heavy Rain, there aren't too many Quick Time Events in the game, which does make the game a lot easier than its spiritual predecessor. When controlling Jodie, most of the time all you have to do is push the right analog stick in the direction of the item you want to interact with, and that's it. With Aidan, you lock onto the item with the controller's shoulder buttons and move the analog sticks appropriately. There are a few QTE's particularly when you are in battle or on the run from something. But again, they are all very easy.

Graphically, the game is stunning. No complaints from me here! This is one of the better looking games I have played. Take into account that this game is about three years old and I think that is very impressive. The people look like people. Ellen and Willem's characters look very accurate to their real life counterparts. This game takes place at various stages in their lives and depicts them at different ages, and it is scary how dead on they are with this.

The environments are extremely detailed and lifelike, filled with all kinds of nice little personal touches. If it wasn't obvious that this was a video game, many of the areas here could pass for real places. The special effects, such as explosions or weird "spirit world" effects are all magnificently rendered.

The voice acting is terrific too, and is never cheesy and never seems out of place. The game looks great, it sounds great, and it has a very gripping and emotional story line. My main criticism of the game comes from its game play.

Granted, this is meant to be more of a cinematic experience than anything else. As I said before this isn't Uncharted or The Last of Us. You aren't going to be running around, shooting enemies, jumping about, scaling walls, or scavenging for hidden items or treasures. Mainly you walk from place to place. Sometimes you run. You talk to a lot of people. You make decisions. There are some parts of the game where you have specific tasks to complete. There are a handful of escape scenes or fight scenes. There is one long stealth mission towards the end of the game where you are sent into a war zone to assassinate a political leader. But these scenarios are the really the exception rather than the norm.

Despite the fact that this isn't your typical video game I still had a really great time. The storyline is definitely worth the price of admission here. I mentioned before that I came into this not knowing what to expect, and that that was a good thing. And I stand by that statement. I found this to be a pretty engrossing game with a lot to see and a lot of choices to make. Jodie is a fantastic character and one of my all time favorite video game females... if not THE favorite. No, the game isn't very long. And no, you don't play much in the traditional sense of the word. But that doesn't make it any less of a memorable experience.

I'd definitely recommend Beyond Two Souls to anyone who has never played it before. I am sure this game isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you like a good story line you should like this. In terms of being a "true" video game, this is definitely a different experience than a lot of people are probably used to. But different doesn't mean bad. Not at all. Sometimes different means exactly that: different.

Overall:

A-