1. Gameplay
The gameplay in Beyond: Two Souls can only really be compared to previous Quantic Dream titles, or at a push The Walking Dead. The whole thing with Quantics games is that they want you to be fully invested in every nuance of a characters existence, so when Jodie states that she has a first date coming over, its literally up to you to tidy her apartment, prepare a meal for the two of you (from a selection of what you think youre capable of cooking), whilst choosing an outfit and taking a shower. Granted this is just one scene in the game, and even from that description many will either be laughing to themselves at the almost-asinine idea that a development studio would take the time to animate all these elements. However, factor in the realisation that you never have to do these supplementary activities, and you have an experience that is tailored by your actions alone. The best thing about Beyond, as with any challenging subject matter that relies a lot of grappling with, are the conversations that you can take part in after-the-fact. Did your portrayal of Jodie grab her first taste of alcohol at a party, or was she too reserved? How about her first kiss? Did you fall for the passive-aggressive CIA agent who provides an optional romantic interest throughout the game? It doesnt even matter which of these you did or didn't take part in, as with Beyond the entire premise is to explore the varying levels of connection you can have to a player-controlled avatar, with Cage stating that with his previous title, Heavy Rain, he would prefer you only play the game once. A crazy statement that Im sure his development team werent the most pleased with, but the point was that you should have one interactive experience with the choices given to you, and then live with that decision. It never mattered whether or not playing as Ethan Mars in Heavy Rain you spent an evening taking care of your child and keeping him happy, or just sat in the kitchen minding your own business. The point was that these options are open to you, and what that character did on that day is now etched in stone through the variance in your interaction.
So what did you guys think of the game? Have you returned to it since finishing? Did the crazy aspects of it completely throw you off before completion? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to get into spoiler territory!