The latest game from Quantic Dream has plenty of stylistic similarities with Heavy Rain. But Beyond: Two Souls is a glimpse into the future. It’s a film you are starring in. An incredibly elaborate production of motion-capture, writing, story design, technological achievement, and international collaboration, Two Souls shows us what video games can accomplish in near future.  Two Souls is mix of part supernatural drama, part espionage thriller, part action film, part horror movie well tied together.

The sheer beauty of the game, performances from Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe, and some fun sequences make the game worthwhile.  Ellen Page lends her voice and motion-captured likeness to Jodie Holmes and follows her & Aiden’s pair through Jodie’s childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Though the scenes you play aren’t in chronological order, the more you play the more you discover of the truth behind Jodie and Aiden, and surely the more you get involved.

The biggest new feature is controlling Aiden. A button press instantly switches control from Jodie to Aiden who is able to pass through walls, interact with objects, possess them or even remote kill them. At time Jodie and Aiden together need to come out of a situation with each other's help just like a puzzle.

Beyond: Two Souls is a project that attempts to bridge films and video games. It has a far greater emphasis on story than on gameplay.  At times it has its slow, clunky moments, awkward controls and poor button mashing. The poor camera and sluggish controls are a put-off at times too. Its controls are similar to Heavy Rain, mapping several actions to the right stick and buttons in a context specific way. The quick time movements to trigger cut scenes and the dialogue scenes, map different questions or responses to the face buttons. This works fairly well, and makes the conversations feel less scripted. But it is all overshadowed by incredible action sequences and some of more compelling moments of the narrative. It’s a stunning technical achievement in terms of graphics and animation. The motion capture of the actors, the general rendering of the environment etc are stunningly beautiful and very well detailed.

People watching you playing Beyond: Two Souls will be convinced they’re watching a Hollywood movie. On a dramatic level Beyond: Two Souls works incredibly well. Also, one can’t die in this game. With every failed move, Jodie’s path through life changes accordingly. That is one of the most amazing aspects of this game and the way it seamlessly blends together the narrative modules. Every person will surely explore his/her own possible storyline in the same game.

Beyond: Two Souls is another big step for cinematic gaming. It feels more like an interactive movie than a game which might put off some hardcore gamers. It’s an experience and a way forward for the things to come. Cage's flair for visuals is apparent, and it's one of the best looking games on the PS3, and something all gamers who dare to look beyond guns and cars should experience.

TAGS: games, PS3