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Beyond: Two Souls is a game I still remember fondly. It was an amazing character piece that focused on Jodie, played nicely by Ellen Page — a girl that was born with an entity, Aiden, attached to her. The game wasn’t without flaws, but it was an overall highly engaging and emotional experience. Now it’s available on PlayStation 4. Keep reading for my thoughts on this enhanced edition of Quantic Dream’s latest game.
Editor’s Note: This review will only focus on the PS4 edition of the game. If you want to read a full, in-depth review of the game itself, head on over here.
Right off the bat, I’ll say that I can’t really tell much of a difference with the game’s visuals. Now, that isn’t a bad thing at all. The game was already beautiful when it first released on PlayStation 3, so the jump to PlayStation 4 didn’t really need to do much with the graphics. Some awkward animations (people walking into doors) aside, the presentation of this edition is superb, and it sits nicely with some of the best looking current-gen games on the platform.
Aside from the added DLC episode (previously in the special edition of the game), the best feature of this PS4 edition is the ability to actually play the game in chronological order. When it first released, the story was presented to the player in a nonlinear fashion. Many were irked by this, as it became a little bothersome to follow and the pacing was hurt for some as a result. All that has been remedied. When you start a new game, it asks you if you want to play it in its original format, or the new one. I, of course, went with the latter, and I enjoyed the story immensely more as a result. It actually felt fresh to me, despite already knowing some of the major story beats.
We really get to experience the life of this young woman, from early childhood all the way to adulthood. And playing it in chronological order really benefits the story greatly. We watch as Jodie grows tackles many of life’s problems, albeit with an entity always beside her which fuels her struggles. Jodie has a tough life, and many parts really moved me, thanks to the writing. The story itself also touches on some pretty depressing subject matter. I’ll actually say that the game might be a bit too depressing at times. But it’s a joy to actually play, with the player being put through a variety of gameplay scenarios — my favorite being the stealth and set piece moments that really take advantage of Aiden (controlling the entity really reminded me a lot of Geist).
Beyond: Two Souls still shines with this PS4 edition. It tells a story that has stuck with me since I initially played it in 2013, and now it’s more enjoyable thanks to the granted ability to experience it in proper order. Jodie is one of the strongest female video game characters in recent memory and it’s all thanks to Ellen Page’s moving performance and Quantic Dream’s solid characterization.
(8.5 / 10)
(8.5 / 10)
