User reviews

The protagonist can't die in 'Beyond: Two Souls (2013)', an interactive movie from the developers of 'Heavy Rain (2010)', but its side characters can. As a choice-driven experience, that's where it finds its suspense: the knowledge that your decisions directly impact the lives of others. This is one of the game's themes, the fact that you're important to people you may only - in the grand scheme of life - pass by, and it's reflected well within the story. The game follows a woman with a psychic link to some sort of spirit, spanning pretty much all her life via non-linear chapters. The thing's non-linearity, a sticking point among some fans, feels almost arbitrary, as it doesn't really lead to any dramatic irony or foreshadowing, but it isn't disengaging, either. Its elusive, lucid-dream vibe actually helps to communicate the plot, which is supposed to seem like a series of pivotal memories belonging to the lead. Surprisingly, it doesn't hamper the impact of player choices, either, which - while undeniably rather subtle - still shape the outcome of the narrative in important ways. It is a shame that the ending is determined almost exclusively by a two-tier choice presented near the piece's climax, as opposed to a natural extension of the way you've been playing thus far. This doesn't hamper the experience, though; it's compelling, entertaining and unique. Its all-star performances are top-notch, captured naturally with a mo-cap system that mimics on-stage acting. One the thing's best aspects is the ability to play as the spirit connected to the main character. These segments play out almost like puzzles and evoke a point-and-click feel. They also allow the player to directly control the relationship between the spirit and the protagonist. The controls for the latter have been changed slightly from 'Heavy Rain (2010)'. There is no more awkward 'push to walk' mechanic and the movements required of the right thumb-stick are decidedly less precise. The piece is still clunky at times, though. In the end, this is an enjoyable and, even, somewhat affecting sci-fi game. Best of all: it stars Willem Dafoe. 9/10

Quantic has the tallent to create games that you can judge as movies, that's impressive enough. The story is brilliant and the characters alive (and not lifelike), which makes you immerse a lot. Music and ambiance are both top notch. I removed a star because I found it a little bit too long in the end (I went through it in one go which might explain it), but I had a fantastic time

Great storyline with a great control. Real actors makes the game better. Game feels like a movie and the dialogues are awesome. With the great graphics, it was an amazing experience that you would like to play again

From video game developer David Cage, maker of Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy, comes one of the most amazing and most entrancing video game experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Without mentioning any spoilers, I'll just say that this game carried me emotionally the whole way through, and gripped me the whole time.

Unlike most video games, this game stars actual actors, Ellen Page & Willem Dafoe. Page plays a girl names Jodie Holmes, a girl linked to a supernatural entity. Dafoe plays a man named Nathan Hawkins, a scientist assigned to study her case. There's not much else I can say without giving away major plot details.

Since the game plays out on a very large scale, it makes sure the player is invested by jumping around to different points of time. If the game followed a linear storytelling method, the segments would drag on. But this system gives the player a lot of flexibility, since no level is similar to the previous one.

I don't usually look at performance by a mo-cap actor or voice overs, but this is a rare exception. Both Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe deliver exceptional performances, both should win some award at the GOTY shows this year. This is also on a large part due to the phenomenal tech team Quantic Dream was working with that allowed the actors to show every facial expression, and every detail of the world around them to further captivate the player.

The gameplay is fluid and rather exciting. Quantic has really stepped it up a notch with the gameplay, allowing for a control scheme that is easy to adapt to, and subtle. In the game, there are segments where you get to play as the entity Jodie is linked to, and these are very fun to play. The entity (which Jodie calls Aiden) can control various things in the world. In some levels, it adds a puzzle game feel to it, giving Jodie a situation where Aidens abilities are used in creative ways.

The soundtrack is beautifully composed, as with Quantics latest venture (Heavy Rain). It's also very emotional, bringing a very powerful reaction out of me.

As to be expected from a Quantic Dream game, the shining quality is the story. This is by far, the best storyline I have ever followed in a video game. You're captivated and involved in the story, and there are no levels I would classify as "filler". Every section serves the story, and the story takes twists in ways I couldn't expect.

Overall, Beyond: Two Souls is a rare game. One that came to me as a large surprise. And while the action oriented fans of the shooter genre will not be impressed by the strange thing called "plot", It's an amazing narrative, one I will easily play again & again.

Your mileage may vary, but for me, the game is transcendent.

It transcends both video games and movies to become something greater than either medium would ever be by themselves. I'm an avid gamer (I have 400+ Steam games, 400+ iOS games, and 100+ console games). Yet–to speak for myself–*I* found this game far more moving, thought-provoking, meaningful, and entertaining than many other games (including Super Mario Galaxy 1-2, Grand Theft Auto 4-5, The Last of Us, and others).

I can only compare it to Heavy Rain, The Walking Dead, or the Metal Gear Solid series: deep rich stories that have themes and messages that convey something of lasting meaning; something beyond the mindless (but fun) shooting and platforming of other titles.

I will remember this game for years to come. There are few works of fiction of any medium for which I can say the same.

If you like a rich deep story line and don't care about a lack of "agency" (it's always illusory in video games, anyway–there are always incredibly restrictive rules on game play), then this is *the* game of the seventh generation. The comparably minor errors in execution and direction can be ignored, when viewed in light of the whole.

Indeed, the question of whether this qualifies as a game is, like Dear Ester, a largely irrelevant and pedantic: It entertains. It provokes thought. It is emotionally moving. And it illustrates that games–like cinema or literature–can be taken seriously as a medium to both entertain and enlighten.

It seems to me that most reviewers of this game have profoundly and tragically missed the point.

I've tentatively come to the conclusion that most people who dislike Beyond do so because they cannot (or will not) accept the game on its own terms: They have certain expectations of video games, and deviation from well-established norms vexes them. So, for instance, they demand interactivity, even when accepting passivity allows a far more compelling and moving narrative.

In contrast, other people are, perhaps, more flexible (at least with regards to their expectations of the medium). For instance, the "passivity" of playing Beyond did not bother me in the slightest (except, at times, the second play-through; but I passed it the first time a day ago). I knew what I was getting into.

I believe that many reviewers, given their larger than average exposure to the medium are even less tolerant of certain deviations from game play norms. This, I think, explains the large divergence of opinions on metacritic, and the (to me) inconceivably low average the game currently has (a mere 73!).

Like the criticism that the game strips the player of freedom/agency, I do not think the others have merit:

I consider the script to be impeccable. I have noticed no plot holes, and very few problems with the dialogue. It is telling that David Cage took a year of 12-14-hour days to write it and that it is 2000 pages in length.

I consider Page's acting to be truly and deeply awe-inspiring. I cannot praise her highly enough. She memorized 30-40 pages of dialogue each day. She had very little time to prepare and rehearse. She often had to juggle different emotional responses to the situations (e.g., playing the part one way in a scene and playing it another way in the same scene). Yet, despite these challenges, her acting is consistently of the highest professional quality. I have noticed no flaws in her performance; it is (along with William Dafoe's performance) very much in keeping with her Academy Award for Best Actress. I consider her to be the most talented actress I've seen.

I also think that the myriad ad hominem attacks against David Cage are entirely unwarranted. He does not try to impose his views on others. Rather, he is merely passionate, has a vision he believes in, and is outspoken in his beliefs. He believes that gaming can, like cinema or literature, change the world (or try to). This is not arrogant; it is noble.

Moreover, the game has other strengths that seem to be overlooked by many:

• The social commentary is entirely warranted, and appropriately biting. - The graphical quality of the game is the best of any on a console. - The story is incredibly moving and thought-provoking. The narrative was very easy for me to follow, despite the non-chronological presentation. - There is a wide range of different locales and gameplay dynamics employed. Variety is the spice of life.

To put it succinctly (and a little melodramatically):

For me, the game is both a reminder and illustration of the many challenges and the triumphs, the sadnesses and joys that life has to offer. For me, it's life affirming, and I consider it deep, rich and meaningful. There are almost no other games (and few movies and books, for that matter) for which I can say the same.

Take a chance; play this game.

I have to say i did not expect much of it, but I was blown away. The acting was one of a kind, Ellen Page did a fantastic job, and so did the rest of the cast and crew.

I was not a huge fan of Ellen Page, because I didn't pay enough attention to her movies, but she has won me over, I can now say that I am a HUGE fan.

When it ended, I was speechless, and i was compelled with such emotion, I can't even describe it, I had tears in my eyes and I could not believe it ended. I fell in love with the story and character, it really makes you care for "Jodie" and I would recommend it to everyone, gamer or not, it is a Masterpiece.

10 / 10

Polarizing reviews from players for Beyond: Two Souls. I can understand why, as many serious gamers may be disappointed that it's more like a play-through novel than a game. For me and many others however, this is a captivating story that's both unsettling and refreshing. I'm a fan of Choose Your Own Adventure books, so this has enough variability to make it intriguing, yet keeps the story moving along a cohesive direction. A few revelations are predictable, however there are a lot of surprises. The ending has a riveting crescendo followed by very important options for endings. So much of this game is art: directing, action adventure, drama, sci-fi, thriller, music, and a whole lot of heart.

What happens after death, what is there in the beyond? These are the questions that Quantic Dream's new title tries to ask. Beyond Two Souls is an incredibly beautiful game with a very beautiful and emotional storyline with a few surprising twists thrown into the mix. Is this game really worth your time? Well... it really depends on what your looking for these days in gaming. If you expect some AAA gameplay in this game, its not here (The Last of Us is a great alternative of storyline and gameplay). Also if you hated David Cage's previous title Heavy Rain due to the QTE's and slow gameplay then chances are you won't like this title either, this is stuff you should expect in a Quantic Dream game.

Beyond tells a story of girl named Jodie Holmes through her life ages 8 23. All her life she is attached to an entity named Aiden that protects her throughout the entirety of her life she tries to understand her entity's purpose here and understanding more on what lies beyond. This game is purely made for its story and the story here is exceptional, in addition, the performances by Ellen Page as Jodie Holmes and William Defoe as Nathan Hawkins are both amazing. The storyline here doesn't have as many plot holes like Heavy Rain does so that's relief. The story is very emotional and even more so with Heavy Rain and touches on a lot of sensitive subjects such as death, losing loved ones, and reconnecting with those we have lost (which I'm sure will make many shed some tears, I sure as hell did). It has an awesome plot that will keep you hooked for hours until the very end. However the only problem I had with the story was the way it is told. The game starts out in medias res and from there the story starts to jump around the place. For example, you would start out with Jodie in her childhood then jump into her in the military, then back to a kid, then teen and then suddenly you're wanted by the police. I kind of understand what kind of direction David Cage is going for doing a Tarantino style of direction, but all that does is make the story a little bit inconsistent. The connections between the story line is comprehensive yet I feel that the story being told in a linear format would've been a lot concise.

Beyond Two Souls was meant to be played as an experience and not for its pulse pounding gameplay which I'm not sure why people expect this from someone like David Cage. You have everything you expect from a game like this: linear structure, QTE's and button prompts to do certain thing around you. My favorite addition and mostly everyone else's favorite addition to the gameplay has to be Aiden. You are able to switch between Jodie and Aiden at any time during the game and as Aiden you are free to travel through matter, move objects, possess things and even suffocate people. This leads to test your morales in this game, for example, I was given a choice to get back at some kids that were bullying me. You have the option to get revenge or simply stay out of it. I chose to get revenge, while it was power inducing at first, let's just say there were a couple fatal and unfortunate events that have occurred. Even with Aiden's freedom you can't travel too far or else it hurts Jodie because of the entity connection and all that (I guess everything had its limits, right). Also the quick time events have been changed, everything has been moved to the right stick of the controller. The scheme is that you follow Jodie's movements with the right stick. At times it is hard to tell where Jodie is moving at time and can be frustrating for some but it didn't bother me the least because even if you fail all the QTE's the story still goes on. Since this is a Quantic Dream game, your actions can affect the entire story so there is some replay value within if you're interested in finding out what happens in another way of playing the game. There are also confirmed 12 different ways you can end this game (which is the same amount in Heavy Rain) and if you're a trophy hunter, good luck with a lot of playthroughs and grinding.

If you pre-ordered this game at Gamestop (or wherever you pre-order your games) you were promised to receive extra content, right. Yes we did let's list what we got: Additional gameplay, PS3 Theme, Avatars, and a Soundtrack (containing four songs, umm....) kind of a lackluster pre-order if you ask me and the soundtrack while beautiful and haunting but really...only four songs. I remember in heavy rain there were at least sixteen songs and that's four times the amount than in Beyond. I expected a bit more from my pre-order other than a steelbook case.

Overall, Beyond Two Souls is well polished game with only a few bugs and texture pop-ins that isn't enough to break me out of the experience. Amazing and emotional story, memorable characters and haunting score. If you love games with a rich emotional story, I recommend Beyond Two Souls.

PS: Please provide feedback and like this if this was helpful.

I plan to make it big as an entertainment reviewer / critic, much love would be appreciated. :D

Beyond: Two Souls is a game like no other. It's simply outstanding in terms of it's individuality and story. It has real actors such as Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe, who prove to be truly great at delivering their roles. The highlight of this game is Page, as Jodie Holmes. You fell connected to the character and you care about her as you struggle to fight contention and danger throughout the game. Quantic Dream know how to make a game with realistic characters and a powerful storyline, I'll tell you that.

Be warned. The gameplay is unique and sometimes enjoyable but don't expect Beyond: Two Souls to raise the bar in the gameplay categories, as it is meant to be played as an interactive tale or movie. The gameplay is very much an acquired taste but most people will enjoy it.

The music to this game is simply one of the best soundtracks in the history of entertainment. An emotional and beautiful, artistic, melodramatic soundtrack composed by Normand Corbeil, Lorne Balfe with help from music mastermind Hans Zimmer. It is so good, the soundtrack. The themes are very strong and quite amazing. This game is better than what most people think.

Beyond: Two Souls might suffer from some critics but trust me, DO NOT listen to them. It really is a unique game that captures your attention.

An essential play.

Well I was really really looking forward to play this game, mainly because Quantic Dream last game, Heavy Rain, was AMAZING. And I have to say, I am disappointed.

Here's my impression:

Presentation is Awesome. Graphics, WOW. Easily one of the best if not the best facial graphics I have seen in a game. At times it really feels like you are watching a movie/cgi movie, the detail is too damn high, especially of Jodie. And the whole game is presented in 16:9 widescreen which makes it feel even more like a movie. The character animations are really fluid too. Environments vary though, some look awesome, while others look OK.

Voice acting is great, obviously. Ellen page did an awesome job, steals the show. William Dafoe was great too (If only he had more screen time). Many of the side characters had good voice acting too. Soundtrack is pretty good. The main theme is great and whenever it kicks in, gives you an emotional punch. But sound effects on the other hand are not so good. Explosions suck, their sound effects are really lacking. Many other things have lacking sound effects too.

Gameplay wise, the game is a notch above Heavy rain. It should be very familiar to those who played Heavy rain as majority of the things are almost the same. The biggest new addition is controlling Aiden, which can be fun and it is really fluid. Problem is that the game restricts Aiden too much. There could have been tons of ways to use Aiden for more fun stuff like puzzles etc but they completely ignored the opportunity. Another new addition is the slow mo action scenes sequences. Well I like how it blends fluidly during action but it gets really annoying too some times. They should have used it for some scenes, not all. ON some occasions, it would have been really better to just use Heavy rain's style QTE's for tense scenes. Also, the whole cover shooting stuff was lame. There was a full mission where we had to do nothing but find cover, and shoot, was boring.

Now the main thing, THE STORY. Well the story is definitely interesting and it would have been so so much better if it was in chronological order but David cage wanted to deliver it in his own artistic way or whatever and completely screwed it up. The game throws you back and forth throughout Jodie's life from the start. You play some emotional areas early on but have no idea what's going on thanks to mixed timeline story and don't get the emotional touch and you say to your self "Do I actually care?". The young Jodie's chapters weren't that good too, and were very short too. Some were as short as 5-10 mins. On the other hand, Older Jodie's chapters were really good. Some were great even. Funny thing is, the game shows show the chapters in Chronological order but shifts you around the timeline and what I noticed was that the last 8-9 chapters were the best. Now if I were to play all of them in order, it would have been much better. There are times when I was like "Now this is great, exactly what I expect from QD", but those moments weren't that many. David cage is best at delivering small emotional scenes, they are great and he should stick to them instead of gunning towards huge action scenes because those weren't that much good. Choice was one of the key things in Heavy rain BUT here, that is not the case. Almost all of the choices have no dire effects, they are of more subtle things. Except for the ending, there really Isn't a huge choice in the game which will alter the story and whatnot. And that was really disappointing. The game is a mixture of lots of genres, you have Horror, Thriller, Action, Government/CIA stuff, infiltration etc etc, they crammed so much in a game which is not long and nothing is really satisfied. Ending the game will make you wanting way way more, was really unsatisfying because when the credits started rolling, I was like "That's it?". Many of the things in the game weren't explored much.

I will definitely play this game again in chronological order to see how much different the experience is.

TO sum it up, its a flawed experiment, too ambitious for its own good but it did deliver some really good experiences, even if they were few and far between. Still, It is a must play for anyone who played and like Heavy rain.

7.8/10

I had a pretty good time playing this game because of it's interesting storyline, and the fact that Elliot Page is amazing in it. I did have a few issues with it as in you can clearly tell it's written by some uncomplicated white dude when it comes to race and the way Jodie is treated by the men around. But if you don't care about all that stuff and you like story driven games (with somewhat annoying controls), you'll probably have a great time playing this ;)

Having recently played - and thoroughly enjoyed - another of Quantic Dreams' titles, Detroit: Become Human, I had high hopes for this game. Alas, I was to be very disappointed. Big name actors seem to be the only thing going for Beyond: Two Souls. Some sections are so dark it's hard to see what's going on; controls are fiddly and unresponsive; and the story is not interesting enough to mitigate the glaring faults. Ultimately, I didn't have fun playing it.

The creaters of this game have done a outstanding job! I love the characters, the story, the plot and everything. It's sometimes sad and makes you fell sorry of them. It's a type of game that makes you don't want it to end. The graphics are well doned. The actors did a great job. It makes you care about the actors. The game gives me the forrest gump feeling where it says stuff happened in the past, in this game its similar, the chapters jump to parts. if this game was so suceessful, why not make a film of it?. I do hope the game released a PC platform and Xbox platform. Its pretty much all I have to say.

its worth it 10/10

I usually don't do reviews but this one definitely worthy of one. I'm blown away by the graphics, the gameplay and most of all: the storyline. I love everything about this game. Surely, it has it flaws and buggy moments but that's all forgiven in this unforgettable adventure! 10/10!!! 🖤

Do not be confused or alienated when you read about Elliot Page starring in this. He was formerly known as a she (Ellen). Hopefully you are not narrow minded and just enjoy a game where he is portraying a she - and that is just that. The game is way too good to get hung up on things like that. Of course when I played it I had no idea about that, as apart from him no one else did either.

You also get the always amazing Willem Dafoe! What a great actor ... great cast overall to tell the truth. And an amazing rich story to boost too! Now if you want to get all the endings ... it will be quite the grind to get there! Not something easy to do and a lot of hours involved! I know because I did it and I had to endure some of the same videos time and time again ... but I did not mind overall because the game is worth it.

A visually stunning interactive storytelling experience in the same vein as Heavy Rain, but not quite as captivating. Still, I highly recommend it to fans of these types of games.

The gameplay itself isn't always that great, but it's the story that just so exciting. I couldn't put this away once I began playing it, just wanting to know what happens next.

The journey of the main character makes clear that she's just a girl who happens to have a set of supernatural powers. Nobody knows why or how. There are multiple moral choices she has to make. What is good and what is bad? You can make so many decisions in this game, with all sorts of consequences. It's all up to you, but I can assure you this story sticks with you!

Beyond: Two Souls follows the story of Jodie and her paranormal entity Aiden. When you start the game, you have the option to play Jodie's story chronologically or in the order originally intended by David Cage, which is what I would recommend. It can be confusing when certain events are taking place, but if you pay attention it will all make sense. Some of the chapters are shorter (requiring no more than 15 minutes), while other chapters are on the longer side (close to or over an hour). In the end, they balance themselves out, but there are times where it feels like those longer chapters are pushing it. Overall though, the story was a lot of fun to play and I was genuinely interested in Jodie and figuring out how Aiden is connected to her. My biggest complaint about the game is the mechanics (especially those QTES, which seemed much harder than they should have been), but I suppose it was good back in 2013. Even on the PS5, the graphics are still pretty good too. If you're considering playing this game, I'd recommend at least one playthrough. By the end, you might find yourself wishing it got the sequel it set up.