BlazingDarkness
Member
Navajo was pretty important in developing Jodie's character, I think that's pretty much it's only purpose. Also, to show some pretty environments.
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BEYOND: Two Souls (Ellen Page, Willem Dafoe) |OT| Press Triangle to Aiden
- Thread starter Replicant
- Start date
I'll give it that, absolutely stunning.
Commanche Raisin Toast
Member
finished it this morning whilst terribly hungover.
navajo portion was my favorite part by far. i could have really done without the whole
segment, as it felt unecessary and just an excuse to have more entity battles. they literally could have just snipped that entire portion out and left it at
other than that, there were some more control glitches that irritated me, and i didn't like the date scene. i can understand how they wanted to have some conflict there because
navajo portion was my favorite part by far. i could have really done without the whole
'the chinese figured it out and are going to use it as a weapon!'
"we have a new world to conquer" that mcgrath was talking about.
other than that, there were some more control glitches that irritated me, and i didn't like the date scene. i can understand how they wanted to have some conflict there because
he was a dick to her previously, but he was REALLY REALLY REAAAALLY a fucking DICK to her, so i think IRL a normal person would never be interested in someone like that ever in the world ever after being treated like that. cage should have just turned down the asshole-ness a few notches at the beginning so it wouldn't seem so weird.
TheHollowNight
Member
I definitely have mixed feelings about it in retrospect. Reading through this thread now since I've had time to digest the experience a bit, and I can totally understand the criticisms. This is definitely the type of game that makes it's flaws more apparent the more you critically analyse it. People saying this the best game of this gen are deluded. It was pretty enjoyable, but man is it rough around the edges. This reminds me of Prometheus. Great visuals, production etc, but even as a fan of the Aliens universe, I ended up nitpicking the shit out of that movie, once I had some time to reflect, read other reviews. I know I'm going to be doing that with this game sadly.
What I felt now after other people have confirmed it here is, I never felt that I could really steer the story in the direction I wanted. Every character that Jodie interacted with ended up being assholes to her. Revenge only seemed like the satisfying response. And the few characters I did like, had something happen to that I wasn't really cool with
(possessing Cole)
The Najavo chapter was insanely long. It has some very memorable moments and some incredibly cheesy bits too. Hoping that the rest of the game actually fits that whole tangent into the story properly.
BlazingDarkness
Member
I think Navajo might have been enjoyed by more people if they'd split it into two parts, maybe sandwhiched it in between a CIA chapter to emphasise her being a part of the CIA/ acting on her own in each.
Nah
lol...that's pretty much the way cage planned out his "non-chronological" revelations.
Heavy Rain was much better.To me personally.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Just finished it, some confusing elements especially my very last scene at the end but it wasn't a 4/10 game for me, more like a 7 or 8.
I hope there are major improvements in QD's next game though, pacing and better dialogue choices (so disappointed in the lack of them compared to Heavy Rain and TellTales stuff) better gameplay options for the player.
I can see where Cage wants to go but he's not nailing it for me, need better writers for a start. A good game but could of been so much more considering the acting talent here.
I hope there are major improvements in QD's next game though, pacing and better dialogue choices (so disappointed in the lack of them compared to Heavy Rain and TellTales stuff) better gameplay options for the player.
I can see where Cage wants to go but he's not nailing it for me, need better writers for a start. A good game but could of been so much more considering the acting talent here.
I will definitely agree with this,I haven't even personally played Heavy Rain (watched a Let's Play by someone a while ago) and I can tell it's a much less linear and more branching game than Beyond was. It was even more engaging with the Playstation Move controls, which were actually implemented well from what I could tell.
I think Heavy Rain, imo, the better game if I actually played it. But I really did enjoy Beyond a lot and it was a genuinely unique and well executed idea in a world of homogeneous and sequel based games. So I did enjoy it for it was, while it may not be the best game of this gen, I'd definitely rank it high. In full view Sony first party has been on fire this year!
OT: Just to be sure, the Heavy Rain Director's Cut has all the DLC right?
SolidSnakex
Member
This was apparently the last game that Cage is going to write, at least on his own. QD were hiring several writers throughout Beyond's development in preparation for their PS4 project.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Didn't know they were hiring other writers. Thanks for the info
It sounds like it's a pretty sizeable writing team they're hiring as well. I like Cage's overall concepts and direction but he needs some help getting the details straight. I have high hopes for QD's next game.
digoutyoursoul
Member
I certainly hope whatever negatives they have received has not put them off hiring well known competent actors. This is a good game despite the flaws, it could be to the benefit of their next release
dragonbane
Member
Yeah I feel that was pretty much the only goal. Create an amazing female protagonist. I think they fully succeeded in doing that, even if some other elements had to suffer for it. I hope it sells decently, so we can finally put the notion that games with female protagonists don't sell to rest.
Well you can avoid it and just leave the bar early
Nah, that would be so boring. Keep the games coming.
Well that depends on the sales. If it matches or exceed HR then I'm sure he will get more well known actors. Heck you don't even need well known actors, just good ones... who have a grasp of the english language.
I really hope his next game is a bit more fantastical with the setting. Not really digging modern setting in both HR and Beyond.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Any idea from the media how sales have been? I certainly hope it doesn't bomb
dragonbane
Member
Well he has no 360° view
He can't see everything and when she gets knocked out he is helpless too.The one scene where she is in the sub and they make a close-up on her face it looks real. Stunning.
I liked the credits. Sound mix is fine in stereo at least.
I don't think it'll bomb. It'll probably be like Heavy Rain with a decent first month and long legs.
ArkkAngel007
Member
Just completed it and chose
.
Overall, it was a good ride, though some of the revelations were a bit too close to home, especially since some of the names are involved. I'm not sure if I'll be able to let my fiancee play this for (ending related)
I do have some issues regarding how some of the characters evolve throughout the story, often making sudden changes to either push the plot or . And while I actually enjoyed the stick motion actions, I agree with many that it's difficult to determine what direction to go in many instances, particularly in last third of the game. Obviously there's the easy mode, but a big arrow appearing on screen ruins the purpose of that control scheme in the first place. Hopefully, if such a scheme is adopted again by Cage, the choreography and camera angles will be improved to allow for better execution. That or just map a button for an appropriate action (dodge, block, strike).
We could pick this apart day and night, but the journey while playing was fantastic outside of some pacing issues with the disjointed style of the narrative. Personally, this is Cage's strongest narrative yet (as much as that's worth).
One issue I did have:
Life and Ryan, having convinced Nathan and killing Norah
Overall, it was a good ride, though some of the revelations were a bit too close to home, especially since some of the names are involved. I'm not sure if I'll be able to let my fiancee play this for (ending related)
her losing a still-born brother named Aiden, whose mother was Jodie.
I do have some issues regarding how some of the characters evolve throughout the story, often making sudden changes to either push the plot or . And while I actually enjoyed the stick motion actions, I agree with many that it's difficult to determine what direction to go in many instances, particularly in last third of the game. Obviously there's the easy mode, but a big arrow appearing on screen ruins the purpose of that control scheme in the first place. Hopefully, if such a scheme is adopted again by Cage, the choreography and camera angles will be improved to allow for better execution. That or just map a button for an appropriate action (dodge, block, strike).
We could pick this apart day and night, but the journey while playing was fantastic outside of some pacing issues with the disjointed style of the narrative. Personally, this is Cage's strongest narrative yet (as much as that's worth).
One issue I did have:
There are some things in the game that happen that are hardly addressed again, if they ever are. We never get a reference to what happened at the party, which you'd think was the chief reason why Nathan was now opposed to Jodie going out when he was originally pushing her to. There was never a throwback to Aiden possessing Cole.
TheHollowNight
Member
Yeah, me and my friends had some issues with the sound mix. Sometimes very hard to hear dialogue, over the music. Also in some parts the choice of music was a bit detracting from the moment.
Less is more.
But as I and others have said before, Cage is a bit sloppy and blunt with his writing from time to time, so for the moments where subtlety and restraint actually would of enhanced the event, they felt sort of ham-fisted.
Also the fucking camera. Just remembered how god awful it sometimes was. We occasionally kept getting stuck in doorways because of the angles, or having the camera swoosh about erratically. It's one thing trying to be cinematic, but jesus, i was fighting with the damn thing half the time. It really would of benefited from a traditional camera for the segments where you explored the environments like in most 3rd person games. The 'on-rails' dramatic cameras were fine when it was from a locked angle or tracking the player. But anytime it gave you the sense you had free reign it just went nuts when you wanted to specifically look at something that caught your eye.
Also with the Najavo Desert chapter fresh in my mind.
I had no connection to them at all, in regards to character development. Just some really disjointed scenes that were far too fleeting to form an attachment. Paul on the other hand, was just a really nice warm-hearted man, even if he was "typecast old, wise, native american". I cared for him far more.
The incantation scene where the grandma starts chanting in the Najavo language to trap the squiggly demon monster would have been far more effective and unsettling if it didn't have this bombastic dramatic orchestra over the top drowning everything out.
But as I and others have said before, Cage is a bit sloppy and blunt with his writing from time to time, so for the moments where subtlety and restraint actually would of enhanced the event, they felt sort of ham-fisted.
Also the fucking camera. Just remembered how god awful it sometimes was. We occasionally kept getting stuck in doorways because of the angles, or having the camera swoosh about erratically. It's one thing trying to be cinematic, but jesus, i was fighting with the damn thing half the time. It really would of benefited from a traditional camera for the segments where you explored the environments like in most 3rd person games. The 'on-rails' dramatic cameras were fine when it was from a locked angle or tracking the player. But anytime it gave you the sense you had free reign it just went nuts when you wanted to specifically look at something that caught your eye.
Also with the Najavo Desert chapter fresh in my mind.
Why is it that Jodie seems to care about the two brothers much more than what was ever shown in their interactions? Like, you barely spend time with them and at the end you kiss the older guy and ride off into the sunset.
So I finished the game last night and now I have some questions.
Or I just missed things.
What was the reasoning/explanation for the out of chronologically ordered events?
And why was the CIA trying to
? What stage did that come in to play in the order of events?
Or I just missed things.
What was the reasoning/explanation for the out of chronologically ordered events?
And why was the CIA trying to
hunt her down, why was she the most wanted person
dragonbane
Member
Hahaha OMG
Jodie: "Thanks.....Aiden."
Ryan: "Wait what? Is he watching us right now!?"
Jodie: "Uhm, yes."
*Ryan leaves*
Ryan: "Wait what? Is he watching us right now!?"
Jodie: "Uhm, yes."
*Ryan leaves*
It will sell decently. Word of mouth is rather positive.
Wasn't that after she escaped from the chopper after learning it was the president she killed? I just guessed the CIA thought they owned her, she was an asset but at the same time a threat if she wasn't with them
I was confused about this too,
I was actually scared the operation may be blown when she walked in. I'm just assuming she worked with the agency and was supposed to take the notes out safely, there really was no reason for this though.
Lmao I read this before I beat the game thinking
death was the spoilered word
I played the last third of the game expecting it lol
TheHollowNight
Member
Oh man. That was my exact response.
I turned to my friends and was like, 'who the fuck is she? Did she just steal the notes?' She never appeared before or after that scene as well. Really awkward direction if you ask me. We assumed she was working with you but, it was never explained coherently
dragonbane
Member
Jesus dude. That sounds rough. Personally I had no problems with the characters. Looking at them chronologically it all makes sense.
No, Jodie was begging Nathan for weeks to go out. After what happened at the party they put rules in place and since then she was never allowed to go out again.
I think Cole probably forgave her considering what happened at the bar.
I think Cole probably forgave her considering what happened at the bar.
You can just hug him. I felt that was appropriate considering what she has done for them. Also after the grandmother dies there is probably a small time jump. She is not leaving the same day.
Her memory disintegrated because she spend too much time between the two worlds when she shut down the condenser. That's where the prologue kicks in and she tries to remember her life. Her memories are coming in random order. In the Life ending for example she writes them all down.
The CIA tried to hunt her down after she went AWOL after The Mission. Way too dangerous to let her run around freely, considering what she knows. General McGrath made capturing her the highest priority. Also probably because they needed her for the mission to destroy the other condenser. Additionally we know what their standard procedure was/is for failed "experiments". Putting them into a coma, so they can never talk again.
The CIA tried to hunt her down after she went AWOL after The Mission. Way too dangerous to let her run around freely, considering what she knows. General McGrath made capturing her the highest priority. Also probably because they needed her for the mission to destroy the other condenser. Additionally we know what their standard procedure was/is for failed "experiments". Putting them into a coma, so they can never talk again.
Yeah, it was definitely really weird and random. I wish
she'd not been involved at all and just started freaking out and asking where you got those papers/info.
dragonbane
Member
Just a random double agent to make sure the notes get out safe.
So far there is no plot hole I'm not able to explain.
The woman in the Embassy works for the CIA obviously, considering she can speak English and says there is nothing she can do to help. Ryan mentioned in the beginning that there are other spies present in the crowd. He even talks to one of them about Jodie. Once the guard goes in to see after Jodie the woman probably assigned as a Plan B to make sure the notes get out safe at any cost goes in to get rid of the guard and secure the notes. It's really no big deal.
It's her first mission for the CIA. She is nervous as hell. Important moment for her life, that's why it is there. Also it shows her for the first time that the CIA doesn't care about their agents that much.
Still, I feel like it could've had more relevance. I was still confused by the chapter more than anything, they never explained to us
why we got the notes, what the notes did, etc.
Obviously they didn't matter, at all.
They honestly could've tied it in with it beings plans for a condenser and the US wanting to see how far the other countries were progressing. It just didn't really do much to move the plot forward. It could have worked if it was a later chapter, for advancing Jodie's character, as I didn't feel tied to her very much since it was at the very beginning of the game.
EmptySpace
Banned
EmptySpace just beat it.
what an adventurous ride. there were parts that went on for too long, and the
was really unnecessary from both a gameplay and story point-of-view, but overall the game was an adventure all throughout.
what an adventurous ride. there were parts that went on for too long, and the
chinese condeser
dragonbane
Member
Yeah it was obviously designed as a tutorial scene. She probably did many more missions like this, they just show you the first one, considering it's probably the one she would remember the most. It's important to her character, but not really to the plot. The focus of the game is on her character anyway.
Yeah it looked awesome,
pushed Ryan a bit and also introduced the containment field aspect. But it was quite obviously filler. They could have find ways around it. Probably was unnecessary overall. Especially since it opened up the game to some criticism of getting too James Bondish. Still, in no way this game is a 4.
EmptySpace
Banned
some "eh..." moments, some "not again..." moments. there were a lot of memorable chapters, and memorable stories. the most satisfying thing is that
after all the sci-fi fantasy hoopla, aiden being more than a wrecking dark entity is such a nice way to close the story. after all, the entities (although played a big part) were never the point of the game (at least to EmptySpace). they were the outside threat that needed to happen and were there for the adventure thrill, and to show that jodie still cares for the world that rejected her.
and that ending.
sequel? please.
Sinthor
Gold Member
I see both sides with this game- those who think it's good and those who think it's terrible. After all, it's VERY different. In fact, this and Heavy Rain are the most different games I think I've ever seen. They're not about fast twitch or reactions. Just about the story and choices. More like an animated "Choose Your Own Adventure" book (remember those?).
For my part, I really enjoyed Heavy Rain, at least once I turned the difficulty on the controls down so that I didn't have to hold down six buttons at the same time while spinning the right joystick and shaking the controller up and down! I enjoyed Beyond a bit more in some ways. Didn't have to worry about the difficulty, just the story. It's just a very different experience.
While I wouldn't say it was "game of the year" because it almost doesn't fall into the 'game' category for me, I WOULD say it was one of the most enjoyable entertainment experiences of the year. It's just hard to classify this game as a 'game experience,' at least for me. I did really enjoy it though and I look forward to future titles like this, either from QD or some other developer. I wouldn't want to see a LOT of titles like this, but a few here and there would definitely be nice as a change-up from the usual hardcore RPG, sports game and FPS that seems to describe just about every other title out there these days. So, I think Beyond was a job well done, for sure.
For my part, I really enjoyed Heavy Rain, at least once I turned the difficulty on the controls down so that I didn't have to hold down six buttons at the same time while spinning the right joystick and shaking the controller up and down!
I enjoyed Beyond a bit more in some ways. Didn't have to worry about the difficulty, just the story. It's just a very different experience. While I wouldn't say it was "game of the year" because it almost doesn't fall into the 'game' category for me, I WOULD say it was one of the most enjoyable entertainment experiences of the year. It's just hard to classify this game as a 'game experience,' at least for me. I did really enjoy it though and I look forward to future titles like this, either from QD or some other developer. I wouldn't want to see a LOT of titles like this, but a few here and there would definitely be nice as a change-up from the usual hardcore RPG, sports game and FPS that seems to describe just about every other title out there these days. So, I think Beyond was a job well done, for sure.
So I started playing Heavy Rain tonight. Got all the way to the 2nd character. I'm not hooked yet but I'm intrigued
The VA is terrible right after Beyond. It's almost as if the actors are not native English speakers lol. There's a lot more mundane stuff and I'm guessing they made a decision to streamline that for future games. I like that they got rid of holdin R2 to walk in BTS. It is pretty cumbersome,
The VA is terrible right after Beyond. It's almost as if the actors are not native English speakers lol. There's a lot more mundane stuff and I'm guessing they made a decision to streamline that for future games. I like that they got rid of holdin R2 to walk in BTS. It is pretty cumbersome,
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
End of Navajo question:
In the very last scene where Jodie drives away on the motorcycle, Paul and grandma were standing next to two brothers, even though we just buried the two of them. Was that to show that they are ghosts like the ancestors? Or was it a bug because I would have been able to save both of them in a different outcome? I realized at the burial scene that I completely forgot to visit the wounded Paul and try to save him, after Jodie commented that she thinks she could have saved him. I immediately approached the grandma because I remembered her blanket from the baby scene vision. So dumb of me
dragonbane
Member
Yeah the VA was fine to me before I played Beyond lol The game has its well acted moments, but the majority is rather mediocre delivered. And prepare for the worst kids ever, especially after child Jodie. You better liked Shaun's acting so far, because he is amazing compared to what comes later. Controls are definitely worse as well.
Keep the impressions coming btw. This is pretty fascinating. I'm biased towards HR, therefore I can't really tell how well it stacks up to Beyond. Someone playing HR after Beyond could give us some interesting insight.
dragonbane
Member
End of Navajo question:In the very last scene where Jodie drives away on the motorcycle, Paul and grandma were standing next to two brothers, even though we just buried the two of them. Was that to show that they are ghosts like the ancestors? Or was it a bug because I would have been able to save both of them in a different outcome? I realized at the burial scene that I completely forgot to visit the wounded Paul and try to save him, after Jodie commented that she thinks she could have saved him. I immediately approached the grandma because I remembered her blanket from the baby scene vision. So dumb of me
It's the souls watching over them yes. Not a bug. But you can save Paul. Then he stands somewhere else and just the ghost of the grandmother appears. Unfortunately she always dies.
Aw shit I didn't even think about that. Sad.
Do we know who was the actor behind Jay?
Someone up thread mentioned that this game feels a lot like the Blackwell series... I would've happily played Jodie Holmes: Spiritual Consultant.
Two actors are listed for him in the credits... Blair Redford and Kyle Smigielski.
Two actors are listed for him in the credits... Blair Redford and Kyle Smigielski.