Video: 35 minutes of Beyond: Two Souls

Imaduck on 28 Apr '13 said:

I like the depth they're trying to go to here but no offense, they should just make a film. "Gameplay" seems limited to around 5 steps or "mash this button to fix world".

Fr33Kye on 28 Apr '13 said:

I wouldn't go as far as saying they should just make a film....but maybe i would watch a 3d film with Ellen paige? I totally get that they could think that a film would lack the necessary connection to the player/viewer for the experience they are trying to create, but David Cage's attitude sort of taints everything about this game. And it being at the film festival just p**ses me off even more. I still want to play because it looks very interesting, but the entire attitude surrounding this game that film is the standard we are supposed to be working toward is just f**king disgusting. The more time goes by the more idiotic, pretentious, and disrespectful his ps4 presentation seems to me.

I can see this selling really well. It'd be really nice to see non gamers flock to a game, AND i'd like to see more personal, modern stories in games, but it all just seems a little dirty to me. Seriously though debuting gameplay at the tribecca film festival annoys the f**k out of me. Part of me would be really bothered if this was the game that gave us one final push into the MASS market, with publishers following in it's footsteps. Not even because of the game itself, the game looks interesting and potentially innovative, but because of everything surrounding it.

Imaduck on 28 Apr '13 said:

My problem is that I don't really feel the gameplay so far appears engaging enough, the opposite really. It's stronger in films when you want to reach out and help but can't. The start for example, she struggles to rise - mash x. That's not exactly strenuous or any real effort. With things like this, I just want to get lost in the story. Most of this footage is controller free, having to pick up the controller to mash 1 button now and then so that they can call it a game, to me, takes you OUT of the immersion ( just because of the way the rest is done). I feel the same way about most QTE's in cinematics to date though.

I see what they're doing and I get what they're after, but to be honest the idea of games and films becoming all but the same is concerning to me for a number of reasons, who knows though. Fr33 makes some fantastic points too about the film festival thing and Cage.

I'm not trying to be negative. One Youtube comment described it as "35 minutes of David Cage fapping" and I kind get them sadly hah. I think it needs either a LOT more gameplay, as in - control every limb and effort, battle for balance maybe and to control breathing , stay calm, keep warm, or go the other way and make it (the first?) cutscene only game story thing. Like films for gamers. Imagine a CGI film on a disk of like the Warcraft 3 story by Blizzard's CGI department

TL:DR : Needs to be all controller and intuitive use of it like never before, or none at all. Mid ground doesn't do it for me here.

________________ on 28 Apr '13 said:

I'll watch this game when it comes out.
Ahaha, that's a joke you see.

But seriously, I wont buy it.

Fr33Kye on 28 Apr '13 said:

I seriously think i'd appreciate an entire cgi film with Ellen Page...anyway i like the gameplay that's there. Not necessarily the "mash x to get up" bits, but i think some of the other gameplay adds a new dimension to the actual experience. It just feels different when you can see the game from the perspective of a spirit or whatever, and being able to walk around as her. It makes it feel like more than just a film.

Though are the dialogue choices weird to anyone else but me? I feel like they had to include it because it's another gameplay element that doesn't get in the way of their story or cinematics but it seems really odd. I mean she was asked by some guy to have sex for money and you could choose whether to accept or not? The person that says yes to that and the person that says no are two completely different people. At the same time i know the player doesn't have THAT much control over the character's personality, there are things she says and does that are beyond your control of course. The dialogue choices seem really really weird. It's not like mass Effect where you are deciding almost completely what kind of person your character is, that's simply not the case for her. It's not like LA noire that poorly designed mess with lots of style starring Ken Cosgrove where you are deciding which way to go about solving the case. To what end are you making any of these decisions? Just to watch her say them? That just leaves me wondering what would happen or what she would say if i went another route. I'm playing through the original mass effect, and while i haven't gotten far that doesn't really happen much because I'm choosing what kind of person I am. I'm not choosing for her, i'm just watching what kind of person she is.

My desire for modern settings, personal stories, and video games starring Ellen Page will probably have me playing this anyway. I mean i like cinematics, and i like stories in games.

Edit: Also i think wanting to put players in movies is kind of a nice goal. I think wanting the player to be able to do a certain action for themselves, in hopes that it would mean more, isn't a bad thing to want. I mean everyone has read a book or watched a movie that they'd love to have actually lived through or experienced on a closer level, and i respect that pursuit.

Samurai-Don on 29 Apr '13 said:

I like the depth they're trying to go to here but no offense, they should just make a film. "Gameplay" seems limited to around 5 steps or "mash this button to fix world".

This pretty much I don't buy video game to watch them, I go to the movie to do that. Beside from what I watched so far the story isn't really grabbing my attention.

I really hope the game bomb in sales so David Cage learns that you can't just release a video game without any gameplay what so ever and expect people to buy it at full price.

budge on 29 Apr '13 said:

I've not watched the vid because of spoiling it but from these comments it sounds like this plays (yes I said plays) just like Heavy Rain which I really don't mind because I enjoyed that game. Shocking, I know!

Barry316 on 29 Apr '13 said:

You see Budge, to some gameplay must = Press button to go behind some sort of cover. Shoot. Reload. Repeat.

They never seem to grasp that some games are different and they might not like it so therefore should just get on with it. I don't like simulation racing games but don't constantly spend time complaining about them being made.

But they act like everything should be made specifically for them. And the kicker is when every game does end up being a boring shootathon they'll be the first to complain there's no diversity.

EvilWaterman on 29 Apr '13 said:

You see Budge, to some gameplay must = Press button to go behind some sort of cover. Shoot. Reload. Repeat.

They never seem to grasp that some games are different and they might not like it so therefore should just get on with it. I don't like simulation racing games but don't constantly spend time complaining about them being made.

But they act like everything should be made specifically for them. And the kicker is when every game does end up being a boring shootathon they'll be the first to complain there's no diversity.

I think people are mostly p**sed off with David Cages attitude. He is arrogant.

He just wants to be excepted by the film world and he couldn't be any less inconspicuous than a monkey shopping in Tesco.

Simples.

rhyfel on 29 Apr '13 said:

you can't knock em for what there trying to do, but pressing the odd button every few minutes in my eye's isn't a game, i suppose its going to be a Marmite title, you either love it or hate it.

Druggedchimp on 29 Apr '13 said:

In terms of gameplay I'm fine with it. I enjoyed heavy rain and this looks to have exactly the same mechanics. For those complaining - if you've played heavy rain and enjoyed it, you'll enjoy this, if you didn't get anything from it don't buy. If you're unsure and have not played heavy rain, I think you can pick it up for £5-£10, try it and that should tell you if this title is for you. It's no less of a game than telltale games "walking dead" which won a ton of awards and was extremely popular. This is not a third person action/adventure game and isn't trying to be. Anyone looking for that sort of experience should be provided for, come June, with naughty dog's "the last of us".

________________ on 29 Apr '13 said:

Better to wait until Beyond is £5-£10.

budge on 29 Apr '13 said:

@DruggedChimp - That's exactly what I thought, everybody loved 'The Walking Dead' and the mechanics to that game play exactly like David Cage's games (point & click, QTEs). Selective opinions eh?

@Barry - Word.

Asinine on 30 Apr '13 said:

I've not watched the vid because of spoiling it but from these comments it sounds like this plays (yes I said plays) just like Heavy Rain which I really don't mind because I enjoyed that game. Shocking, I know!

Have to admit I watched the first couple of minutes of this, looks excellent in the same way that I also very much enjoyed playing or experiencing Heavy Rain. Definitely looking forward to this!