bender
What time is it?
This scene soured me and I never really recovered. There balance of extraordinary vs quiet moments leaned way too much towards bombast for my tastes. For some reason I just never got invested in any of the characters.
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BEYOND: Two Souls (Ellen Page, Willem Dafoe) |OT| Press Triangle to Aiden
- Thread starter Replicant
- Start date
This scene soured me and I never really recovered. There balance of extraordinary vs quiet moments leaned way too much towards bombast for my tastes. For some reason I just never got invested in any of the characters.
akidnamededdy
Banned
I only finished Heavy Rain once, and it was an absolute chore. I finished this game in a day, and will probably buy it when its cheaper to play through again. Cage's writing improved here.
ArkkAngel007
Member
I can see some of the cliches grinding gears (Navajo for instance), but I also thought the moments in of themselves were pretty great. The only thing I could have asked for was maybe more insight into Ryan and some better development between Nathan and Jodi.
However, I think a lot of people are just basing their criticisms off Heavy Rain. If it isn't explained, it must be a plot hole (like it was in HR). However, this isn't the case here. You may not get everything through just one path or have it stated to you in your face, but everything is explained through other paths or the context of other scenes. You just have to be willing to pay attention.
ITT I learned that she has other movies than X-Men and Juno.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I really don't know how I feel about the game having just finished it. On the one hand, I preferred that Heavy Rain was set in "reality" and was mostly grounded, but on the other hand, Beyond is just a better experience overall.
And, comparing the game to say, The Walking Dead, I can see that the production values allowed them to make the choices meaningful. Seeing how some of the early choices change how later scenes play out is nice. Yes, there is the same critical path that everyone sees, but the illusion of choice is better maintained here.
Of course, people who hate Cage will not be convinced in any way to play the game. But that's fine. As long as Sony continues to believe in him and give him money to do his thing, I don't really need his games to appeal to everyone. In fact, I'm happy there are games that are coming out that aren't trying to be the next WoW or CoD and are fine with hitting a particular group of people.
And, comparing the game to say, The Walking Dead, I can see that the production values allowed them to make the choices meaningful. Seeing how some of the early choices change how later scenes play out is nice. Yes, there is the same critical path that everyone sees, but the illusion of choice is better maintained here.
Of course, people who hate Cage will not be convinced in any way to play the game. But that's fine. As long as Sony continues to believe in him and give him money to do his thing, I don't really need his games to appeal to everyone. In fact, I'm happy there are games that are coming out that aren't trying to be the next WoW or CoD and are fine with hitting a particular group of people.
dragonbane
Member
I think the ending of TLoU was pretty well done in comparison to some of the "endings" we usually get. Simple, but elegant. However, when I think of the Beyond ending the first word that always comes to my head is literally "art". I think it's beautiful in every sense of the word.
Yeah she is great. Watched a couple of her movies on a plane just before Beyond came out.
Just finished the game. Man, screw the haters, I fucking loved this game. The writing was much, much better than Heavy Rain. I mean, it's not Oscar worthy (lol), but I've definitely experienced far worse. Ellen Page was great and really everyone turned in pretty good performances. This furthers my position that Rex DiMera (Ryan) should be in more things, even digitally that man is stunning.
But that ending though... man!
And I really appreciate QD putting the entire Dark Sorcerer video on the disc, that still looks fantastic.
But that ending though... man!
Badass Jodie standing in front of a giant portal, ready to kick some ass! I need that game!
And I really appreciate QD putting the entire Dark Sorcerer video on the disc, that still looks fantastic.
dragonbane
Member
True. The plot actually gets better the more you think about it, look for clues in the game and pick different dialogue choices. The flashback mechanic was a pretty neat idea, it pretty much explains everything. And I think the relationship between Jodie and Nathan played out relatively well just with the facial expressions and dialogue delivery. It tells a lot about their characters and relationship, but you have to look closely.
But how? Of the 26 chapters only 9 contain action. The rest has zero. I agree that some of them are a bit too long though.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
So I watched one of the endings and woof... All I'll say is that French actor syndrome seems to strike again.
dragonbane
Member
With Heavy Rain we got thrilling dialogue such as:
Some of that got more bearable because of the hilarious delivery. So unless you think of these games as a comedy the writing in Beyond is drastically improved. Way less blunders like that.
Some of that got more bearable because of the hilarious delivery. So unless you think of these games as a comedy the writing in Beyond is drastically improved. Way less blunders like that.
I must say, as someone who's stayed clear of the demo and much of the latest PR reveals, the game looks absolutely stunning from a technical point of view. It is amazing to think of what they can do with freaking 512 MB of split memory. Sometimes it nears photographic lighting and textures.
I would definitely say this is the best looking game on this generation of consoles, no doubt.
I would definitely say this is the best looking game on this generation of consoles, no doubt.
ComputerMKII
Banned
Just saw this on Facebook:
Also this:
Also this:
Melchiah
Member
I just finished the game last night, and it was yet another fantastic gaming experience from Quantic Dream. It had its flaws, just like Heavy Rain, but the good points easily outweighed the bad. Once again, I noticed it's better to dive into this kind of entertainment with as little knowledge, expectations and prejudice as possible, to be able to fully enjoy what it has to offer, and let it keep its surprises until you can experience them first-hand. I'm certainly glad I avoided most of the articles and trailers about the game.
Thick in atmosphere, and graphically it was one of the most beautiful games of this console generation. The facial detail alone was unparalleled, although the aliasing picked my scrutinizing eye, and sometimes it went towards the uncanny valley. This generation definitely ended with a bang, when it comes to this and The Last of Us. I can't wait what gaming pleasures Quantic Dream and Naughty Dog will offer us during the next cycle.
Positives:
Negatives:
I found it amusing, that the trophy for
EDIT: It would be nice to know what's the ratio between the players choosing
Thick in atmosphere, and graphically it was one of the most beautiful games of this console generation. The facial detail alone was unparalleled, although the aliasing picked my scrutinizing eye, and sometimes it went towards the uncanny valley. This generation definitely ended with a bang, when it comes to this and The Last of Us. I can't wait what gaming pleasures Quantic Dream and Naughty Dog will offer us during the next cycle.
Positives:
- The
chapters.Condenser, Homeless, Navajo, and Norah
- The atmosphere, and the
, which were a pleasant surprise.horror elements
- I loved how you could actually be bad, and treat the NPCs as they deserved.
Negatives:
- The
chapters.Party, Welcome to the CIA, and the Mission
- Hand-to-hand fights. I played with the experienced setting, and often missed the cue on which direction to move the right stick.
- The fact, that eventhough I avoided
the romance with Clayton, it was still forced on me.
- The game locked on me in the end of
chapter. Luckily no progress was lost though.the Mission
I found it amusing, that the trophy for
letting every possible character die and choosing to go with them to the Infraworld, was called A Better World.
EDIT: It would be nice to know what's the ratio between the players choosing
afterlife or life at the end. I personally went with the former.
thetrin
Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I finished Navajo last night and really really liked it. Is there something wrong with me?
In general, I'm really liking the game. The writing is vastly improved over Heavy Rain, and I'm not finding the pacing offensive. I really enjoy the moments when the game really knows what you want to do, and gives you the choice to.
In general, I'm really liking the game. The writing is vastly improved over Heavy Rain, and I'm not finding the pacing offensive. I really enjoy the moments when the game really knows what you want to do, and gives you the choice to.
When Jodie's parents are leaving her, I said to myself "I really hope I get a chance to choke that fucking asshole dad." Lo and behold, Aiden was thinking the same thing.
WhereAreMahDragonz
Banned
I chose
life with Ryan. I just...really dislike the Beyond ending for some reason. It feels like the entire game is worth nothing if I choose to die when there's no need for it.
Senor Kami
Banned
I never liked her as an actress unless she was some severely troubled/abused kid or someone really down on their luck and seriously depressed. Or doing Cisco commercials (for years that was the only thing I associated her with). I think she still tops out at merely acceptable for roles other than the ones previously described, but I like her a little bit more after Beyond.
I wouldn't rush out to see her in something but I won't scoff anymore and be like, "why is the Cisco girl/over-acting chick from Inception in this?"
I chose
life. Generally philosophy of mine is that suicide is pretty much never the answer. Jodie had some hard times but her life but many good ones as well and despite some negatives, I thought her life took an overall upswing once she started with the CIA and got out of that lab, even with being on the run and homeless for a little while. Couldn't see her ending it there when things seemed to be getting better and better. My Aiden was really nice though. The way I played made him way more of a protective older brother than a malevolent entity out to ruin her. I really felt that no matter what, my Aiden not being a problem, Aiden being able to get her out of any problem she could get into on her own, and that her life seemed to be getting better were enough to make suicide an odd out of the blue option at that time.
Prince Vultan
Banned
Finished this last night. Wow. Aside from some dialogue clunk and the occasional dumb unnecessary plot element
, this was actually a really fantastically put together story. Very engaging for the most part and had some genuinely nerve wracking set pieces
and some really moving sequences
. Big points for the cast as well, terrific voice acting even beyond (Ha!) Page and Defoe.
Did not love the "QTE" bits in the fights though. Too hard to judge which direction to move too often. Did love dicking around as Aiden exploring everywhere when I got the chance.
Loved it. Would play again.
The 'explanation' for the non-sequential story telling being that 'scrambled memory shit that was dropped out of nowhere during the ending. Seriously, where did that come from? Also: post apocalyptic Final Fantasy Spirits Within future epilogue = parody levels of dumb.
Underwater base escape, middle eastern lynch mob assault on the house
reveal about what Aiden really is was a genuine surprise. Well played.
Did not love the "QTE" bits in the fights though. Too hard to judge which direction to move too often. Did love dicking around as Aiden exploring everywhere when I got the chance.
Loved it. Would play again.
Melchiah
Member
For me the other option seemed more natural, considering all that had occurred before the moment, and the fact that I had no desire to
go back to Clayton, with whom I apparently had a romance with, eventhough I had always shunned away from him. I personally didn't take it as synonymous to suicide. Quite the contrary, as it had a positive tone despite of its melancholy, and I prefer that kind of ending more than the usual happy one.
As for the
CIA thing
They used her, and made her do things that were against her character. The way I see it, her life went from bad to worse as the game progressed. There was nothing to keep her clinging on to that lonely life, when most of her loved ones had already crossed the border. My Aiden never went against Jodie either, but he was a vengeful spirit, whose malevolence was twofold to those who treated her wrong.
BTW, I disliked the way the bonuses were hidden in the game, as there often was no way of telling whether I had a limited time to inspect an area thoroughly or not. As a result, I missed over a half of them. =/
BrassMonkey1010
Member
Anyone know how much longer I have until I beat the game? Just finished the
long military mission where I killed the Jamal guy (did not like this mission very much).
Melchiah
Member
Probably about 2-3 hours, depending on the way you play the game. I didn't like that chapter myself either.
You can see how many chapters you have left here: http://www.beyond.wikia.com/wiki/Chapters
fvng
Member
Luckily you are given a trophy for either ending, so I checked psn profiles for which trophy was attained the most for those two endings:
Selected Infraworld: 1,487
Selected Life: 4,270
Selected Life: 4,270
You can think of psnprofiles as a sample of the larger population of Beyond players, I'm sure the larger whole reflects the same percentages.
I'm disappointed most people picked Life because selecting Infraworld had a much more satisfying ending to me.
Finished it yesterday, oh my god that was so fucking GODLIKE. SO COOOOOOL
I'm pretty sure a lot of the stuff I thought was hype as shit were not intentional, but still, this game was anime. Didn't see that coming at all.
What I played
What I expected
What I got
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMff2iO3qlU
I'm pretty sure a lot of the stuff I thought was hype as shit were not intentional, but still, this game was anime. Didn't see that coming at all.
What I played
What I expected
What I got
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMff2iO3qlU
Melchiah
Member
Please fix the spoilers in the quote and your post, before someone who hasn't finished the game sees them.
Interesting ratio, although not surprising. Seems like I'm in the minority, as usual.
dragonbane
Member
About 2 hours I would say. The story really takes off from this point.
Watch the prologue again dude. It's introduced right there. Epilogue gives the reason why.
Ending Spoiler:
I chose life. Figured she deserved another try. She can still kill herself if it doesn't work out xD
fvng
Member
pissing off people with super powers is deeply ingrained in our culture.
dragonbane
Member
Dude, fix the spoiler in your quote. You are spoiling the ending :/
Fortunately you don't have to choose Ryan. I chose the homeless gang and man what a fantastic ending that was. Manly tears were shed once Stan opened up the door and was speechless seeing her again. They loved her for who she was and I think that's reason enough for her to live.
WrenchNinja
Member
I love the party. Teenagers are little shits, going Carrie on their asses is great. Plus it's cool taking the girl's pov when the guy is being a badgering asshole and trying to place hands where they shouldn't be.
But then I love sections where I can be ghost asshole.
But then I love sections where I can be ghost asshole.
fvng
Member
Fixed it 8 minutes before you posted this, you must have loaded the page before I fixed it.
Melchiah
Member
Regarding the ending...
I had always given Ryan a cold shoulder, whenever given the option. Even just before the ending. Yet he was still presented as a possible boyfriend material, when I was given the ending choice. It seemed like none of what I had chosen mattered. It evoked unpleasant memories of the ME3 ending, although the Afterlife end itself was good and satisfying. Considering the first moments in the Separation chapter with Ryan, it was odd to me that he was suddenly coming to a date in the next Dinner chapter, and expressing feelings towards her. Let alone her seemingly wanting to return those feelings. I did my best to weigh the scales in the opposite direction.
There was a similar reunion moment with Stan, when Jodie's spirit encountered him from the afterlife. The old homeless gang was also represented in the end scenes. The afterlife wasn't an end, but a new beginning. I also liked how it was handled without dragging religion into it.
There was a similar reunion moment with Stan, when Jodie's spirit encountered him from the afterlife. The old homeless gang was also represented in the end scenes. The afterlife wasn't an end, but a new beginning. I also liked how it was handled without dragging religion into it.
EDIT:
The quote is still unfixed though.
fvng
Member
Regarding the ending...
I had always given Ryan a cold shoulder, whenever given the option. Even just before the ending. Yet he was still presented as a possible boyfriend material, when I was given the ending choice. It seemed like none of what I had chosen mattered. It evoked unpleasant memories of the ME3 ending, although the Afterlife end itself was good and satisfying. Considering the first moments in the Separation chapter with Ryan, it was odd to me that he was suddenly coming to a date in the next Dinner chapter, and expressing feelings towards her. Let alone her seemingly wanting to return those feelings. I did my best to weigh the scales in the opposite direction.
There was a similar reunion moment with Stan, when Jodie's spirit encountered him from the afterlife. The old homeless gang was also represented in the end scenes. The afterlife wasn't an end, but a new beginning. I also liked how it was handled without dragging religion into it.
EDIT:
The quote is still unfixed though.
Ah, I see what you're saying, thanks for heads up. Fixed
Melchiah
Member
Great. =)
I just watched the ending on YouTube, and
I have to say I find the Afterlife far more satisfying and positive than Life. What little she had left in her scarred life just seemed bleak to me. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.
Wow, what a great game this was. Thinking about a second play through with some different choices. Is it worth doing? I've still got Ni No Kuni and Disgaea 4 in the shrink wrap waiting for me, plus an enormous PS+ backlog.
EIther way, this and the Last of US have been a great end for my PS3. Two of the best games this gen.
EIther way, this and the Last of US have been a great end for my PS3. Two of the best games this gen.
WhereAreMahDragonz
Banned
Yeah, that's what makes games like this great. It's really how you want your story to unfold, and I love that. I'll be replaying this probably some time this week to try a new playthrough with new choices.
dragonbane
Member
It really is. Great that you liked the Beyond ending so much. I don't like it at all. It's nice to see that both options seem to resonate with certain people unlike the typical good/bad ending where 99% prefer the good one. Very unusual choices and a highly compelling non black-and-white question. Really glad they went with something original. Even if I don't like the Beyond ending and I chose Life the first time, I thought about it for at least 5 minutes before I made that choice. Not many games manage to do that. Also it seems to manifest the fact that you should only play Beyond once. Because the majority of gamers are apparently happy with the ending they got the first time and dislike the other one. That means that the game answers your choice in a way that is satisfying to you. Quite impressive that they were able to please people on both side of the fence.
Ending Spoiler:
Zoey right? Definitely the worst one in the entire game.
Very nice to see that they are already moving on.
...this game was anime. Didn't see that coming at all.
...
What I expected
What I got
...
Yup. It didn't turn me off but I would like a more grounded story than what it turned out to be. Well, at least the story telling is better paced than Cage's previous games.
dragonbane
Member
Nothing wrong at all. Reviewers are not gamers in the traditional sense. What they say is not gospel. In fact, the consensus I see pretty much everywhere is that Beyond is at least a decent game. Technically almost flawless and the writing is better than Heavy Rain (not to mention the VA). Some game design choices are questionable and the enjoyment of the story (structure) depends heavily on taste and almost nothing else. It's well executed overall. Every score below 5 is just flat out wrong IMO.
Yup. I enjoyed that section on a personal level almost.
rockman zx
Member
I'm surprised with people not liking The Party, for me at least, is one of the most emotional and human chapters in the whole game, and is the chapter that made me connect with Jodie.
Too bad that they force you to
, just for the sake of having Matt saying
. Also the present was frikin random, lol
Too bad that they force you to
dance
she was all over me
Melchiah
Member
Agreed.
I definitely prefer shades-of-grey kind of approach to the old B&W themes. It's a testament to these kind of games, that the different outcomes can resonate with different people, and may even raise strong emotions within them. At least they don't leave the player cold and unaffected. I doubt I'll ever replay the whole game, as I don't feel like I want to see a different outcome, but I might replay some chapters and see how different choices are played out.
dragonbane
Member
Depends. If you do a complete 180 on your first run it might be worth it. Otherwise not really. It's better than Heavy Rain considering the plot doesn't rely on a major twist, but some sections might still be boring to replay.
Yeah, I liked it. Especially since it allowed him to include a flashback mechanic. Very elegant way to resolve sub-plots, give additional insight into character motivations and provide plot exposition. The result is something that makes far more sense than HR, even with the supernatural elements lol
Thanks for the response. I think I'll just move on, then, and leave my good feelings for the game intact. Don't want my last memory of something I really enjoyed to be boredom or frustration.
The Party was two interesting ideas badly glued together--in my playthrough
Jodie and Matt talked a little, hit it off, danced, kissed, and had a seemingly legitimately sweet moment.
Reluctant-Hero
Member
OMG I just found out Kadeem Harrison was Cole. I thought he looked like him
D'wayne Wayne! I knew Cole looked crazy familiar!
I view the change in attitude as some kind of peer pressure, going with the flow thing that doesn't seem to be too out of reach.