Beyond: Two Souls Reviews
If you've not played Quantic Dreams' pair of interactive dramas on the PlayStation 3, they're worth playing on Sony's newest console - if you can get past the lack of player agency as their inexorable progress pulls you through to their conclusions.
Beyond: Two Souls would've fared a lot better if it had even more visual detail, other control options and extra content to make it more like a director's cut. As it stands, though, it's a great conversion of a pretty good Quantic Dream development, mind its storytelling issues and quick-time event gameplay.
David Cage's best "interactive drama" experiment to date comes to PS4 in better shape than ever.
At the reasonable price of $29.99 CAD, Beyond is well worth picking up even with all the other triple-A fare competing for your attention and dollars this holiday.
I'd like to say that Beyond: Two Souls is for everyone. I honestly believe that anyone can enjoy it, but that there are many out there that would not approach it the right way simply because their expectations of a video game are not what this offers. I did not know a thing of Cage's work prior to reviewing Beyond: Two Souls, but the excellent storytelling, the spot-on acting and the technical prowess that explodes out of the PlayStation 4 has made me a huge fan instantly.
If you liked any of Quantic Dreams' previous titles, or are a fan of pick-a-path adventure titles like those from Telltale Games, I'd say the Playstation 4 version of Beyond: Two Souls will bring a decent amount of joy. The story is a little slow throughout, and it often feels like an interactive cutscene, but the graphics are good, the choices are interesting, the acting is great, and overall I feel the journey is more than worth the price of entry.
Whether choosing to play it in random or chronological order, neither of these options make it a compelling story.
A deft remastering of what was arguably the PS3's technical swansong, Beyond: Two Souls finds new life and an attractive home on PS4, with some extra features thrown in to sweeten the deal.
Overall, for gamers who are thirsty for an experience that focuses on the story it is telling, Beyond: Two Souls has a tale worthy of your time. On the other hand, if you are someone who is looking for challenging a gameplay experience, all you'll find is a very basic set of gameplay mechanics that leave a lot to be desired.
Beyond: Two Souls is strange game that isn't quite sure what it wants to be. There are moments where the title pushes boundaries and attempts things that most developers wouldn't even care to try, but the plotting is uneven and the more touching sequences are undone by prolonged periods of outright idiocy. Ellen Page is excellent throughout and the presentation is staggering on the PS4 – it's just best to know what you're getting into before venturing headfirst into the Infraworld.
Beyond: Two Souls is still an intriguing piece of digital narrative. It has some plot flaws, but living Jodie's story in the new straight order is refreshing, and some of the improved visual effects are mesmerizing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Die Playstation 4 Version von Beyond: Two Souls schafft es, den bereits großartigen Titel von Quantic Dream nochmals mit wichtigen Grafik und Gameplay Updates zu verbessern. Ein etwas anspruchsvollerer DLC wäre zwar noch eine nette Ergänzung gewesen, aber ansonsten haben die Entwickler hier mal wieder eine sehr gute Arbeit abgeliefert. Falls ihr Beyond: Two Souls bisher nicht gespielt habt, solltet ihr auf jeden Fall zur Playstation 4 Version greifen. Für Besitzer der PS3 Version gibt es zumindest eine aufgeschönte Grafik und endlich die Möglichkeit, den Titel in chronologischer Reihenfolge durchzuspielen.
Review in German | Read full review
The visuals still impress, but for a game obsessed with storytelling at all costs the dopey plot and underwritten characters in no way make up for the lack of gameplay.
Beyond: Two Souls is a beautifully rendered and emotionally charged narrative that makes you feel like it knows you're there.
Everything adds up to what could have been.
Join the emotional rollercoaster of a journey as you go beyond the two souls intertwined. This is an epic tale that you will not forget, this is Beyond: Two Souls
When I finished the game I can happily say I was satisfied with the story and liked how different endings are depending on choices, the game ended up taking me around 10 hours to complete which isn't that long but again I was satisfied with what I got in the end. I also thought the voice and graphics were of high quality. I did have a few problems with the game but I still think that Beyond is worth trying maybe when it drops down in price or give it a rental.