Quantic Dream. Hm, Quantic Dream. Each time we see or hear the name of this company, the best projects of these French developers are flying before our eyes. Such a game as Fahrenheit (2005) literally created a new genre- Interactive movie.
Ah, nostalgia. The last game of the French on PC. Who did not play, I sympathize with all of you.
In general, it is worth noting that before the release Fahrenheit Already on the shelves of stores were the first two games of the then recently arranged American studio Telltale Games. But these games did not have any innovation, so the French objectively devoted Americans. And after overwhelming success Fahrenheit Quantic Dream hid for as many as 5 years, so that in 2010 just take and shoot. However, Telltale Games She was not lost in vain, and in 2006 they release simply a stunning first part of the series SAM & MAX, Moreover, it was this game that laid the foundation for all the famous episodic system.
The game, although it looks like a cartoon, but it itself is just great. The project is a quest with elements of interactive kinz, and it is thanks to it Telltale Games has established itself as a cool developer.
Sam & Max Save the World It turned out to be so successful that the Americans decided to drill two more terrible parts of this franchise, and the first episode of the last game called Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse I went out just in April 2010.
Eh, the Americans were late, because in February of the same year, the roofs, which clearly set the new bar in the genre of Kino-Igr, was already released in the same year Heavy Rain from Quantic Dream. Eh, then the owners of the “third curling” were lucky then.
We will forever remember these characters, as well as their gloomy and cool history. Norman, Madison, Ethan, Scott – I take off your hat in front.
What can I say, it was a triumph of the French. The game was praised at every turn, it received many awards, and some publishers even counted Heavy Rain The game of the year. Yes, she was even mentioned in the program "Cinema industry"(Channel Russia 24), noting a very great connection with the film industry. Gloomy neo-naral atmosphere, tense and touched to tears, a wonderful soundtrack from Normanda Corbale – All this Heavy Rain.
But unfortunately, by the next game, the French lost positions, and Telltale Games, Thanks to the roofing, designed for comics The Walking Dead: Season One (2012) and the first episode The Wolf Among Us (October 11, 2013), and in general became a dangerous competitor for Quantic Dream.
And so, on October 8, 2013 the world saw Beyond: Two Souls. And then a storm of indignation began, because the press set the game mixed reviews, and someone generally mixed it with shit.
Eh, Jody, Sorry for you.
But deserved? Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, Feed Today will tell you: “What is Beyond: Two Souls."And on this day I will take the skin of both the reviewer of the game and the most natural film critic. The soul rushed.
The regime of too demanding "Gaming" is activated.
Game process, well, "almost".
For what they were surprised, yes! “And since when Feed He starts with gameplay?" – Ask me.
Perhaps we will first start the conversation about the gameplay, and the plot and its components will leave it for sweets. From the first minutes, it becomes clear to us that it is not necessary to be an experienced gamer here, how strange it does not sound. After all, you will be offered not only to reduce the difficulty, and even postpone the gamepad aside. If you press the buttons on the bastard Dualshock 3, then you can use the smartphone as a controller by connecting it to the console through Bluetooth And starting the application Beyond Touch.
Here the gameplay is built on management between the two characters: Jody and her manual ghost Aiden. When playing for Jody The left stick is responsible for movement, and the right – for the rotation of the camera. Interactive objects are highlighted by a small white circle. Interaction with objects and the commission of all actions by the main character is also performed by the right stick. All "action" when according to the plot Jody You should quickly run away or fight back from too annoying enemies, boils to alternating hollows on the keys ""X" And "triangle".
However, they took to the game "that is still a splinter in the ass"Is an approach to any object only on a certain side, because the camera is like a script for a certain angle. So about the freedom of movement for Jody And there can be no question. The only unique moment in this game is switching to Aiden almost any time. He can freely move in a certain radius from the main character and perform certain actions. Our rather frisky ghost can pass through the walls, Listen other people’s conversations behind locked doors, Thunder in every possible way, TGlove various objects And even instill in some characters, well, also strangle them in dark gateways. And here the first logical question arises: ""And why only in some blanks you can instill, I would like to be in all?»Despite this jamb, management for Aiden at least somehow it revives the game and makes some passing episodes original and memorable.
You are in danger and do not know what to do? Then Isine He comes to the rescue.
Now let’s talk about the most interesting aspect of gameplay – this QTE Of course. Here they are presented in a very interesting image: now this is not a fucking on numerous keys, but a rather spectacular slowdown in the time where you should analyze the movement of the heroine and have time to reject the right stick in the right direction.
One of those games where an independent girl easily can break through the jaws to two healthy men. Guys, you are more careful there with your female representatives.
As I mentioned earlier, Beyond well, it does not seek to be a game in the usual sense of the word. "Watch the movie, only sometimes click on the buttons" – obviously repeats us respected by me David Cage.
Do not ask me too much, but he is cool as a screenwriter, and as a person in life. Well, I gave a slack here, well, with whom it doesn’t.
Well, seriously, here you are almost never allowed to play normally. Did not press the button in time?
Yes, everything is cool – if Jody During the next chase, it will stumble, it will still get up and run on. And even if she misses a lot of blows from a too angry enemy, then our heroine will still break through the decisive hook. Forget about Fahrenheit And Heavy Rain, V Beyond: Two Souls In the course of the game you will not meet the “gamovers”, because the plot here moves forward without looking back: you pressed the button there, did not press it- no difference. However, fights are set here simply amazing, so for fans of films about Jason Borne This game will be a pleasant surprise.
"Oh, Jason, Beware. After all Jody for you a clearly dangerous competitor in the field of martial arts ".
"How long I have been waiting for a worthy enemy, because to cut down Bond It will not be difficult for me."
Summing up in this paragraph, I want to say the following. Game mechanics with a stretch can be called “game”, if you look at the passage of YouTube, then I assure you – you will not lose anything. Still, here the main components will be the plot and script. Well, go to the next point.
The plot of death and about emotions, as well as about logical holes.
Now we have finally reached the main components of this game-this is the plot and script. Even before the exit Beyond Quantic Dream boasted a huge script that occupied about 2000 pages. You can imagine this? A game, which is designed for 10 -11 hours of passage, occupies such a huge number of sheets. Damn, now it’s even scary to imagine how many pages are occupied by the scenarios of games from BioWare.
If such a hefty waste paper falls on your leg, then your dream of implanting metal implants will clearly come true.
In addition, the main roles here are not played by some secondary actors there, but there are also Hollywood stars: a magnificent beauty Ellen Page (Jody Holmes) and just amazing Willem Defoe (Neutan dookins). Myself David Cage He admitted that he thought over the concept of the game while as a teenager, and the time to compose the story of a girl and a ghost, as well as her implementation took twenty years. According to the same Cage, He was prompted by the fact that he lost a very close person prompted him to create this story. "It was very difficult to survive" – said David. At all Beyond Trying to tell us about death at a day by an unusual perspective that this phenomenon itself has a kind of physical nature. "What happens after death? Who are we getting after her? How scary it is to remain alone, how does it change a person?" – it is such motives that includes the game.
But now you ask me: ""But whether the story turned out cool?"
And I will answer you: ""Yes, the story turned out to be good and emotional, but unfortunately, it is not enough for stars from heaven."
After all, there are a lot of this logical holes in the game and some absurdities. And the fact that the script occupies as many as two thousand pages – believe me, it simply contains unnecessary plot episodes, which, if we discarded, then nothing terrible will happen.
"What are you sulking, the story is a masterpiece".
“Ahh, who is it? Ah, my favorite conscience ".
"What are you doing, why do you need to insult history and script? You yourself were delighted with this game, or rather kinza."
“Well, first of all, I’m not going to insult anything here, but I will only try to highlight the shortcomings and pluses. And secondly, my dear, only with an affectionate word cannot be said about the game or the film too much."
"Well, you’re a rare asshole".
So, we begin a thorough analysis of the shortcomings of the plot. And don’t worry, I will tell you everything without spoilers. They drove.
Cinoccyritic mode is activated.
So, the plot tells us about two characters: about a girl Jody And her friend is a ghost Aiden. She does not see him and does not understand from at all where he came from. Therefore, throughout all stages of growing up a girl, Jody will be with a ghost side oh side.
And here you can already ask the question: ""And how does she know the name of the ghost? Whether he somehow noticed her, or Jody called it that name?»It is not clear, here is right at the very beginning of the game: there is Jody, There is Isine, Enjoy the plot, ladies and gentlemen.
So, Jody lived with adoptive parents, but those, understanding her potential danger, give the girl to Paranormal phenomenon study department, which is led by the professor Neutan dookins. And between these two characters a very strong emotional story begins to spin, in which Neutan became a real father for Jody. But soon, at the very beginning of the game, it becomes clear that the girl was interested CIA, And they send their man by name Ryan As a recruiter.
Here you are these: ""The foot, what CIA? After all, history should be about human psychology, as well as about the disclosure of such a thing as death. Will there be a militant?"
Yes, you can agree with you, a rather unusual narrative course. But when I saw the trailers of the game, I personally seemed to me very interesting. In general, I should admit that I missed the game, but looked at the passage YouTube In October this year. And you know, before watching the passage, I already enjoyed the entire television series "Homeland"(2014-2015, but there will be more seasons) with Claire Danes And Damien Lewis Starring.
The series is just a bomb, I recommend it to everyone.
In the series itself, the main concept is not in chase and shootings, but in characters that change during the plot. There will be no adventure here, ala Bourn or Bond, After all, "Homeland" – this is a psychological thriller, telling in detail the difficulties of working in CIA, and also trying to reveal the true motives of terrorism. The main character named Carrie, As befits cool dramatic series, they change from season to season character along with the psyche, And also worldview, And Believe me, not for the better.
That’s about the same I expected to see in Beyond, After all, work in intelligence clearly should leave a dark imprint in the shower Jody, and somehow supplement her character with gloomy colors.
But whether my dream came true? Well, "Partly"Yes, for Jody The plot will not be sweet. But it is precisely because of such a chosen story of the narrative that the script is teeming with many absurdities, and the work of intelligence itself … Damn, but this is not a job at all, this is some kind of ridiculous adventure in the spirit Call of Duty.
Oh yes, "Korda", You managed to have a whole influence here, and not for the better.
The style of the narrative itself is presented in a rather unusual form, namely, the story is not presented here in chronological order. And then my favorite novel comes to my mind immediately Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov "The hero of our time"Where this technique looked very unusual.
Therefore, definitely the test, because such stylistics clearly adds to the game The confusion of everything that happens, and most important-intrigue. But some "modern"Human creatures, such a scenario style can be very difficult, because it is not just to compose a true chronology of events in Beyond. Now let’s talk about the plot problems.
“Sorry, my dear conscience, but I will have."
So, the first scenario problems of the game are the illogicality of several important acts of the heroine, and at the same time, some plot branches both begin very unexpectedly and fleeting, moreover, completely contradicting logic. Imagine such a situation, one fine evening Jody Curses on Aiden Due to the fact that he controls and constantly intervenes in her personal life.
Well Isine, Give me the same Jody live a normal human life. After all, she wants to be like everyone else.
And here you sit and think: "Hmm, and a good plot twist, clearly showing us some disagreements between these two characters. Is it really that will continue throughout history?"
Absolutely not. This is how this very plot branch began and as if by a click of a master’s finger Cage Figantly ended.
"OH, Isine, You are the only one I should be with. All people are such goats, they cannot be trusted." – That’s something like this will continue further the plot Beyond. That is, all these scandals were in vain? Problems, ladies and gentlemen.
Or there was a moment where Jody She portrayed all such a rebel and arranged just the wildest scandal Neitan.
Yee, rockers steer. Especially if they are teenage girls.
And the reason for the scandal is similar – tired of living in isolation from society, I want to be the same as everyone. But then I have some questions for the main character and screenwriter: "Jody, Explain to me what event prompted you to this scandalous act? After all, you have lived in isolation for so many years, why did you decide to prompting it right now? What happened to you early? Mr Cage, Why do you show this scene, while not trying to somehow reveal the background of this conflict."
It would seem good to the episode demonstrating the stage of growing up Jody and raising the theme of disagreements between the father and daughter. But again by clicking the screenwriter David This very branch breaks sharply, not really having time and open up.
"Nothing has changed as it was Jody skeptical to people, and remained the same. Again, all these scandals were made just for a checkmark."I thought to myself.
Also in Beyond You are directly imposed on you to tighten an affair with a guy by name Ryan, It is with the same, which made you subscribe to all this "CIA»Adventure, and then he behaved like a cattle. "Developers, you are serious, that is, here you can tighten relations with a person who did not like himself in a very very same way, but also delivered many problems of the main character?»Yes, it sounds quite strange, but this fact I would not call a logical hole. It is possible that Jody And Ryan Could just fall in love during work. And by the end of the game, this guy began to cause sympathy in me.
Of course, I could tell you about some moments of the game in which there is no logic, but they contain significant spoilers. Therefore, I propose to move on.
So, the next scenario problem is that the gentleman Cage obviously wants "Play with video games genres".
And you know where you once started Quantic Dream? If not, then here is the answer: from the project called Omikron: The Nomad Soul.
The game was innovative for that time.
Omikron was unusual because it was multi -g. What this game did not weave: Here you have an open world from a third party with the opportunity to drive by transport, And quest, And first -person shooter, And Even fighting.
And it looks like in Beyond: Two Souls David I decided to do the same, remember the past, so to speak. But if in Omikron All gameplay aspects were realized very well, and their combination among themselves really looked unusual, then in Beyond These same mechanics only add nonsense.
According to statements Cage There should be a very strong and emotional drama, but in the end, in some full -fledged chapters we get Horror elements And…… Stealth Mother of his Action.
The chapter where the creators of the game clearly want to scare us, you can "throw it away"From the general narrative, while not having lost anything. But the stealth operation in Somalia, Unfortunately, it is impossible "push out", Because it contains a lot of important plot information.
Why is the stealth in drama need? Fucks dramatic stealth.
"Well, for the variety that you got to the bottom."
“For a change, it means” my dear conscience will say to me.
Gentlemen and ladies, an independent expert in the field of invisibility is invited to the stage.
"Mr. Kojima, Hello. According to your "Kodzimov system" how much do you evaluate stealth in Beyond: Two Souls?"
"Obvisibility in this game does not offer any improvisations, everything is done at a rather primitive level. Run around the shelters, kill enemies in hand -to -hand or from afar only sometimes with the help Aiden Suffle them. For some reason, they even give you only to shoot at a certain moment, while you can’t aim at all. What kind of charm?"
“Then why 2 out of 10, not 0 ?"
"Well, at least Jody He knows how to hide, though not spectacular, well, and the help of a ghost in her hand".
“Thank you very much, Mr Kojima. Good luck with Death Stranding".
"And you, sir Feed, With a review".
Well, that’s enough about the stealth, now we are moving to the main scenario problem- to damn extra episodes.
Beyond Constantly distracted from the main components of this story, his heroine and her mystical friend. Mr Cage Obviously, he is not tolerated to tell us about the plans of the fictional republic Cazirtan on the study of the other world (Inframer, as they say here) And about ancient Indian rituals on the farm.
Lord, why are these episodes needed? They themselves are good, quite atmospheric, but they absolutely do not carry important plot information. And if you get rid of them, then the game will not lose anything at all.
But before moving to the pluses, it is worth noting another important detail. As expected in games from Quantic Dream, V Beyond You have to make some choice.
Does he affect the narrative? Yes, not a devil. Remember the same Heavy Rain, where each of your solutions made sense and later reflected on the plot, in which there could be a lot of final states. So, here your decisions will rather affect the fact that some specific characters will survive or die. All. And the endings are simply given to you to choose from, of which four pieces. Give for a fucking choice. Reflages, you are serious?
Hey, well, here I at least spilled a mean male tear. The whole sea of stingy tears.
Well, if more precisely, there are only two endings here, just if you choose, roughly speaking, “second”, then four more “lifts” will open to you. And also, there is one secret ending here, but I will not talk about it in detail. Such a step back from Quantic Dream Of course I did not expect. Now let’s talk about the pluses.
And first of all, this is of course super-inimitative acting Ellen Page And Willma Defoe.
Here they are, two main "Diamond»This game.
Yes, it is this couple "drags"On their shoulders Beyond: Two Souls. Thanks to their acting game, the story turns out to be very emotional and memorable, and you simply do not notice all the scenario shortcomings. So if you want to see a very strong connection between "Father and daughter", Then you definitely should play or watch the game on YouTube. However, do not think that only the main characters were a success. The secondary characters here also turned out to be fame, and they really feel like living people.
Beyond it becomes good when he does not try to build from Jody fighting heroine: Here is a very little girl only – just met the professor Dokins, now it is already a big one on Teenage party (Stupid dress!), Here prepares for a date and in every possible way flirts in front of the mirror (generally the best episode of the game), here, Homeless, plays the guitar to earn a little little things for dinner. Each household sketch brings us stronger and stronger closer to us with the heroine, and each episode, where Jody by using Aiden arranges a bloody massacre, on the contrary, creates a distance. When closer to the finale the number of killed exceeds 50 people, in reality Jody You simply cease to believe-this girl was so worried about some kind of date or dress?
And of course, how could I not mention the most wonderful musical accompaniment from Lorna Balf And Hans Zimmer.
These are one of the best musical performers of our time. Their music is along with the acting game Ellen Page And Willma Defoe is the main component of the atmosphere Beyond Two Souls. Who is interested, then I have an article in the blog Hans Zimmer.
In general, initially the main composer was to become the most wonderful Normand Corbale, But unfortunately, he died on January 25, 2013 from pancreatic cancer.
Great glory and eternal memory to this composer. But he was one of the best. Amen.
Now listen to title topics Jody And Neutana.
If Beyond Two Souls I came out earlier Heavy Rain, then maybe we would praise this game. But the story of the father, who lost his son, came out much earlier and really set the bar in the genre of "interactive movie". But the story about the girl and the ghost at least even get up on a par with Heavy Rain I could not. The script, although it teems with logical holes and some absurdities, but the very story turned out to be good and memorable, I did not even want to part with Beyond Two Souls, at the same time not being a fan of different mysticism. In my opinion, put the game "Booking"-It to underestimate, but to the level"amazing»She clearly lacks steps. Therefore, my personal "original" grade: "Boldly s oily plus.»And the plus this is that Beyond Two Souls It has the effect of complete immersion, to be honest, I noticed many logical shortcomings only after a thorough analysis of the plot. But while you are in the game, the pleasure of it will come to you. Do not take all the shortcomings indicated by me seriously, and you will like the game, I guarantee you.
Pros:
Great acting.
A good plot and script, but with logical holes.
Emotional soundtrack.
The effect of complete immersion.
The characters are well worked out.
Non -chronologically built narrative.
Fights are steeply set, although sometimes they are to the place.
Good graphic component, a perfectly worked out personal animation.
Cons:
The presence of logical holes.
Some episodes are superfluous, but good in terms of atmosphere.
Unsuccessful attempt to "mix the genres of video games".
Moral choice practically does not affect anything.
Fucking endings to choose from, and, in my opinion, only one at least somehow corresponds to logic.
Before saying goodbye, keep the video from me. This is the story of the creation Beyond Two Souls. This video does not contain spoilers, checked by me. And on this I deviate. May he direct us Father of understanding.