Heavy Rain 2 ?!

As an avid player of Quantic Dream-works such as "Fahrenheit" or "Heavy Rain", I was of course incredibly on the next PlayStation exclusive title "Beyond: Two Souls" excited. I personally expected a similar work with similar playing style, similar style and a similar gripping story. So an interactive movie to play along if you like. And that has become "Beyond" in the end.

It plays basically like "Heavy Rain", ie not particularly demanding and it feels exactly like that. Use the left stick to move the good Jodie through the different areas and the right stick performs one attack in slow motion out of or interacts with objects. However, you do all this only if one also leaves the game, and that is not very often the case. Means that you can for example, open a door, this is marked with a white dot. Can you look at a monitor, this is marked with a white dot. Are door or monitor is not checked, no interaction is possible. This is handled in the game so. Take time to go to a cupboard and open a door ... ist nich. And otherwise the control concept is almost exactly the same as with "Heavy Rain", but just less of everything. One should in the word control in the case of "Beyond" so do not read too much. Time necessary to execute a sequence of keys to then climb along a wall, or you have to tap a certain combination arrow down to let Jodie look good while dancing. Or sometimes just shaking the controller like crazy to rid the Hauptcharakterin from an awkward position. Here can be some parallels with the indirect predecessor draw. Fast QuickTime events where so response is required, are sown rar in "Beyond" EHR. All in all the control is therefore, as already mentioned, not really demanding and it is basically only one purpose, to experience the story is not entirely as a spectator. That might not be everyone's taste and meet even die "Heavy Rain" fans could often feel somewhat challenged certainly.

A little bit more varied wirds when in the skin of Aiden, so the nature which surrounds Jodie, slips. Aiden controlling namely totally free from the first-person view and you can so your mood through the scenery, but never too far from Jodie, move (once you've found yourself in the right hakelige control in). As Aiden is not made of flesh and blood, you can slide among others by (predetermined) walls or doors and thus obstructed areas with access. At its core, however, the task of Aiden is to support Jodie their maneuvers etc.. For example, in the run from the police, in which one throws (marked) cars through the area or possession of a (marked) in uniform grabs to then shoot on his colleagues. Aiden has among others namely telekinetic abilities. So you have for example, a (marked) coffee mug to throw to distract a guard or teach unfriendly party guests a bit of fear. Here is "Beyond" packed with options that provide variety for neat (linear) and make the whole a little bit playing cheaper. But one should also here expect no gameplayischen wonder, because it is still true even when Aiden`s- play: Only with points labeled objects are interesting and which is already badly shame because dynamic moments you could not find far and wide in vain. Slightly more playful freedom would not have been wrong in any case. Particularly disturbing I found the way that you can not even explore all areas according to your mood. As one example, with the young Jodie in her parents' house on the way, I wanted to like to walk outside or explore the garage ... but this was simply not possible. It was only when the script called for it before that Jodie should bring a bottle of oil for her mother out of the garage, was allowed to enter those as well. At these points me the whole thing is then too Linear and here you realize then Anyway, that's the playful freedom in this Game quasi towards zero. The same is true in a scene in which one, for example on a thin steel frame along needs. Here Jodie goes example partou only in one direction (ie forward toward scripted action), no matter where you move the stick.

Visually, "Beyond", however a good impression. In particular, the motion capturing has become really top notch and Allen Page or Willam Defoe actually look like in real life. However, this enormous art would have made much more sense in my eyes on the next-gen consoles, because apart from the authenticity of the faces, the rest can not necessarily maintain this level. The animation of the facial features, for example are quite wooden and biting repeatedly with realistic images. Nothing, despite the more "Beyond" an incredibly pretty plant.

The greatest strength of Quantic Drams latest work is as always but very clear in the story, which once again Filmreif is staged in the case of "Beyond" except for a few lengths and some not necessarily nachvollziebaren deviations and is told high. The trick with the leaps in time, so that you accompanied Jodie both in childhood and in adulthood is really great, and provides the corresponding number of facets and plenty of variety in character creation and development. The downside of Medaile, however, the far and lacks a proper, coherent voltage curve. In any case, you can tell here again, after which the developers have placed the focus. From the mood ago remembered "Beyond" by the way often come back to "Fahrenheit".

The German synchronization, however, is only mediocre. Dafoe`s character, for example, although its original cast of course excellent and authentic, but especially the many supporting characters often seem inappropriate and totally synchronized covered mainly. Also average is a setting, because in places the voices are too loud. And the camera work is often, especially in hectic situations, ehr suboptimal because too close to the character, respectively happening.

CONCLUSION:
All in all, "Beyond: Two Souls" a rather thrilling trip of Narrative as already "Heavy Rain" plays along very far above where my "Heavy Rain" Story-wise still liked better. The "gameplay" which is virtually non-existent, is a matter of taste and if you're not a fan of it, to get chewed all actions via key insertions and all just in the 'by-pass "and to play according to script, you will surely have little fun with "Beyond". If you stand but on this cinematic style of play in the longer film than gameplay is the norm and in which you now and then the action can transform a little, or you just once again wants to something else, it is in this game in exactly the right place. Is this therefore a "Heavy Rain 2" just in a different guise? My opinion: Jaein. It feels basically exactly like that, the gameplay is the same, but less demanding direction, the design also is very similar to that film production is at a similar level and the characters reach a similar depth as the "predecessor". What "Beyond" in addition to the exciting voltage curve but clearly missing is the playful freedom and the attendant consequences, the "Heavy Rain" bot. Because places Jodie-trip runs but then too much on rails and sometimes offers "Beyond" then far too little gameplay that the game can occasionally gloomy lot. Makes very brief 4 stars!