December 31, 2023 - Day 365 - NewPlay Review
Total NewPlays: 398

Game: Beyond: Two Souls

Platform: Steam
Release Date: Jun 18, 2020 (PC)
Installation Date: Dec 19, 2022
Unplayed: 377d (1y12d)
Playtime: 24m

Beyond: Two Souls is a third-person... interactive movie?

I picked a doozy for my final primary NewPlay. The game starts by presenting the option to play in the "original" non-chronological order, or the "remix" chronological order.

I picked "original", and then found myself in a cutscene with a mo-capped pre-transition Elliot page, and then an unexpected Willem Dafoe, setting up an interesting premise.

Whoever Jodie is, she's dangerous.

After the cutscene, I found myself playing as child Jodie. This was where I ran into my first issue with the game. I'd picked mouse & keyboard to play with, but given that this was originally a console release, it really isn't designed for mouse & keyboard, and the controls just felt weird.

Switched to controller, and things started to make more sense.

The hard part of trying to provide more of a review is this: explaining what happens next goes into spoiler territory, and so... I won't.

Because the game relies on mocap, and was originally released in 2013, prior to Elliot Page coming out as a trans man, I found playing as adult Jodie in the next section somewhat disconcerting, and in a way that I really can't quite put into words. Not enough to make me not want to play, but enough to break immersion.

This is not a critique of the game, rather an acknowledgement of how events in the real world can affect my perception of a game.

I really enjoyed (and completed!) one of Quantic Dream's other games, Detroit: Become Human, which is what lead to me buying this and Heavy Rain in a bundle last year.

Based on past experience, I'm interested in continuing this playthrough of Beyond: Two Souls; so far, it's:

3: OK

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