During the demo, we saw an interesting mixture of aggressive and passive tactics. At first, Aiden simply blew up some cars and was relatively harmless. That didn’t last long though. Aiden then took control of a sniper and shot as many people as possible before being gunned down in a standoff-like situation with a nearby sniper that resulted in both characters taking each other out.
During this sequence, we get to see yet another new gameplay mechanic. If the enemy has a red aura around them, the player is able to choke them to death. This results in some quick deaths, which is quite helpful in dire situations such as this. Aiden then takes control over another SWAT member and forces him to drive his car into a building. It seems like the player had full control over the officer, which was surprising. It’ll be interesting to see if another course of action could have been taken.
The action sequence is not as intense as the previous chases, but that’s probably because there needs to be enough time for the player to think and react accordingly. The problem is that the SWAT members don’t seem to be reacting appropriately to the situation at this point – hopefully that’s something they are still working on. Eventually, Aiden possess yet another officer and forces him to throw a grenade. Then, as Jodie enters a building, Aiden takes control over the guy controlling that pesky helicopter and forces him to crash into the ground. The amount of deaths in this scene was quite ridiculous, but it doesn’t seem like anything else could have been done.
[drop2]Despite Cage’s claim that this part of the game was like a sandbox, the possessed enemies only seemed to do one thing – the cop in the helicopter will always crash the helicopter to the ground. When I asked Cage whether or not there would be more choices given to the player, he said that sometimes there is only one solution that makes sense in terms of progressing the story.In this case, crashing the helicopter was the best course of action one could take. It’s unclear if this means that the sniper battle could have gone differently or if that’s another situation that only has one outcome as well. This makes the game less like a sandbox, though it’s definitely more varied than Heavy Rain.
The live demonstration ends with a showcase of all the destruction. Jodie limps towards the leading officer who’s laid out on the ground and tells him to back off or else she’ll kill everyone. She says it in less friendly terms though, which makes sense. Suddenly, everything we saw when the game was announced at E3 made a lot more sense.
There are still many questions that were left unanswered though.
It’s also worth noting that Jodie can be arrested at multiple points throughout the entire sequence, and like Heavy Rain, there is no “Game Over” – if Jodie gets caught, the player must find a way to escape. Considering the power of Aiden, it seems like busting your way out with brute force is the obvious solution. Hopefully there’s more to it than just that.
Beyond: Two Souls left me blown away. I wasn’t even playing the game but I felt completely engaged to the action at all times. I wanted to see what happened next. I wanted to know why Jodie was in this predicament. I wanted to see her succeed. Oddly enough, I never once questioned the paranormal aspects, I simply accepted them for what they are. According to Cage, the supernatural aspect of the game is not even the main theme or focus – he claims that the game is about being different. In that sense, it’s a more personal story than Heavy Rain.
As the player progresses through Jodie’s life (which does not take place chronologically), we get to see how she deals with her gift just like anyone else would. It’s an interesting concept for sure, so hopefully that’s backed up by the narrative.
I’m a huge fan of Heavy Rain and replayed it numerous times. I was extremely happy to see that this game wasn’t just more Heavy Rain with a different story. It’s far more than that. It’s an even more cinematic experience, one that gives even more control to the player. Cage reiterated numerous times throughout the demonstration that no scenario is ever done twice. You will only ride a motorcycle once. You will only run through the woods once.
You most likely will have to encounter SWAT members numerous times, but the situations and the ways you deal with them will always be different. That alone is a reason to be excited.
Alex
Can’t wait. Was a bit disappointed in Heavy Rain, but this looks amazing.
cc_star
Me too, on both points… Felt HR was part cool, part smoke & mirrors, but alao can’t wait for this!
wonkey-willy
blaspheme!
teflon
My information blackout for this game has already begun. I liked Heavy Rain, I liked that Kara teaser, I like Ellen Page, and so on and so on.
Needless to say, this will be a pre-order of the most limited edition of this game. Just don’t want to read anything about it up until then!
greatstrife
Totally agree there, after that amazing trailer at e3 this article peaked my interest but as soon as i read the first paragraph my internal monologue just said “ahhhhh! scroll down!” i already feel i read too much.
aerobes
That was a brilliant article. Above and beyond from you, Delriach as usual.
The game was a complete surprise to me when it was shown as I made a conscious effort to avoid pre-E3 spoilers and I was truly amazed with what I saw and heard when it was shown. Easily the most lasting display I saw from the Sony side of things at E3.
Having hugely enjoyed the previous generations Fahrenheit, I was awaiting Heavy Rain with baited breath and when it arrived to much fan-fare, I really enjoyed it, the story was magnificent I thought while I felt the controls left a little to be desired to me personally. An experience like no other but definitely room for large improvement.
The Kara technical demonstration was interesting as a glimpse of Quantic Dreams future but Beyond looks … well, beyond what I anticipated or even hoped for. And the collaboration with a great actress in Ellen Page just pushes things that extra notch upwards.
I can’t let myself get too excited but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have huge hopes for this one. As a result, I’ll be limiting my intake of Beyond related information so I don’t hear, read or see too much before we’re able to have our own hands on.
Top work, Del. Appreciated.
skibadee
just put this on preorder great read.
TSBonyman
Nice job Delriach, i’ve only seen the fuzzy online footage but it still looked amazing. Can’t wait.
Nate
Personally Heavy Rain was one of my favourite games of this gen, despite its technical hiccups. I’m both hoping for and expecting great things from Beyond, it is looking to be another stunning game.
Jakster123x
Yeah, i was really impressed by the demo when i saw it a couple of days ago
Taylor Made
I don’t see the hype over Ellen Paige I mean for real though what is it?
bunimomike
She’s a very competent, young actress who has decent breadth and depth to her abilities and can do real-world emotions with seamless transitions – unlike many of her peers. Is she the best there is? Nope. Still, she’s a fine actress.
fs
I loved Heavy Rain, it was right up my street. The graphics will be better in this game, so if they can produce something half as engaging as HR they will be on to success. I felt the use of Sixasis was a good element in Heavy Rain, but somewhat overused. It sounds as if they will do the same again for this game. Overall i’d say im looking forward to it. Should be good.
Shadow_lawless
I refuse to read it 1 page was too much, preorder check
Delriach
lol yeah. This was pretty much all spoilers ;P