10 Critically-Acclaimed 2013 Video Games (With Major Gameplay Flaws)

2. Nothing Really Matters - Beyond: Two Souls

Beyond: Two Souls was always expected to be a masterpiece. With the creator of Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain behind it, Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe at the helm, and even an appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival, success seemed imminent. The story of Beyond is a roller coaster, full of ups and downs that never quite settles, even when you think things have calmed down. Sometimes it's intense, other times quietly uplifting. In a game with not much technical gameplay to speak of, the firm-handed intention behind every element is what strikes you. So what is confounding about Beyond's gameplay is just how much Jodie's everyday activities don't really seem to matter. Clearly exploration is key here, but why is the player allowed to let Jodie put on her coat if her mother won't let her go outside anyway? Why does she suggest exploring the Embassy if there's only one real place you can go? Instead of feeling like a part of her world, it instead feels like leaving something home and having to go all the way back to get it. In the end, most of her interactions with the things around her serve no real purpose, only comes off as padding to create gameplay where there is none.