130°
6.0

Beyond: Two Souls (PS4) Review - Push Square

Push Square: "Beyond: Two Souls is strange game that isn't quite sure what it wants to be. There are moments where the title pushes boundaries and attempts things that most developers wouldn't even think of, but the plotting is uneven and the more touching sequences are undone by prolonged periods of outright idiocy. Ellen Page is excellent throughout and the presentation is staggering on the PS4 – it's just best to know what you're getting into before venturing headfirst into the Infraworld."

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pushsquare.com
gangsta_red3124d ago

"David Cage, the title's director, is clearly a conduit for fascinating concepts – but he needs an editor to keep him focused on the fiction at hand."

Exactly, he doesn't know how to tell a coherent story and it most of the time it doesn't translate well to gameplay.

Beyond was a strange choice to port over to the PS4, it's a mediocre game. Sony/QD should have at least packed in Heavy Rain, but the rumor is that's next on the remastered list...$$$.

NJShadow3124d ago

I actually didn't care for Heavy Rain, but absolutely loved Beyond 2 Souls.

Sharingan_no_Kakashi3124d ago

Alot of people say that. I don't understand it. Beyond was so mediocre to me. Heavy Rain just needed better voice acting but it was stellar otherwise. To each his own I guess.

RosweeSon3124d ago

Well I believe they were both due to be released physically on same disc however I'm guessing one was ready earlier than the other so they've popped it up on the store. Both quite enjoyable but as played both think I'll wait for the physical and get them both on the cheap.

SpaceRanger3124d ago

Have you played the game? Just because the gameplay doesn't follow the status quo does mean it's mediocre.

It has a more defining story than most games released both last gen and this gen. Considering that most of last gen was influenced with the COD parasite that is still sucking away at this generation.

My counter point to your comment is that this game.. while unorthodox in its story telling... provided the industry with the imaginative break it needed from all of the dude bro shooters last gen. Games are supposed to influence imagination and wonder, confusion, and interest. While this game is strange to its story line, it's not meant to be compared to the experience you'd expect from games like Uncharted, Halo, Battlefield, Gears, GOW, Forza, etc.

Sharingan_no_Kakashi3124d ago

I wouldn't call either one of them games per se. In order to be a game you have to have win/lose scenarios. If you "lose" in HR you just get a different ending. And I don't think it's possible to lose at all in Beyond. You just do different things to progress the narrative.

Which brings me to the point of why Beyond was a poor example of Interactive media. Story was great (fantastic even), but the parts where you had control stuff was pointless apart from deciding the ending. It hindered the flow of story more than anything. It might as well have been a movie or tv series. Unlike Heavy Rain there was no serious consequences to missing a qte or anything. Just my opinion.

averagejoe263124d ago (Edited 3124d ago )

Unfortunately, your definition of "game" is incorrect.

One shouldn't base judgments on false information.

Your point is moot, as a game is defined simply as a form of entertainment. Winning, losing, etc are not necessary.

No qualms here because you didn't like the game. It's just your argument is quite poor.

Sharingan_no_Kakashi3123d ago

Actually, I never said that was the definition of a game. I said that was one aspect of a game. And it is.

Your definition is extremely shallow. If being entertaining is the only qualifier, then music, comedy and theater are all games as well.

Games need goals, rules, and win/lose conditions.

gangsta_red3123d ago

Have you played the game? The game itself is mediocre.

The story was uninteresting, the plot lame and the pacing very strange.

My counter point to yours is just because someone pukes on a canvas and throws lights over it doesn't make it great art.

I'm all for unorthodox story telling, different types of games and out of the box game design but they all have to interesting, fun to play and worth while. Beyond and Heavy Rain are nothing like this.

I think you're being a blind and accepting anything that is out of the norm as revolutionary or "fueling the imagination" instead of actually realizing that these types of experiences still need to be good.

I find it funny that you never once mentioned if you even enjoyed the game(s) yourself. You just stated how it's unorthodox. That tells me everything about QD's games.

Until Dawn proved this, a great story, great action, good design with different paths to take that lead to different endings. They took everything David Cage tried to do and nailed it.

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AudioEppa3124d ago

Can't wait to pick this up next year with heavy rain.

Kakashi Hatake3124d ago (Edited 3124d ago )

This game was an amazing experience, don't let people that expect this to be COD ruin this game for you. In a land of shooters this game is a breath of fresh air.

ApolloTheBoss3124d ago (Edited 3124d ago )

I really need to try this game, though I'l be honest I wasn't fond heavy rain due solely because of it being mostly cinematic.

LgbtWarrior3121d ago

Cage is just an awful writer. Let's just be honest

70°

Detroit: Become Human & Beyond: Two Souls are available on Steam without Denuvo

DSOGaming writes: "Quantic Dream has just released Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls on the PC, and has removed Denuvo from them."

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dsogaming.com
500°

Quantic Dream Announces Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, & Heavy Rain for Steam

Quantic Dream revealed the upcoming Steam Release of its games Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain coming "soon."

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twinfinite.net
Obscure_Observer1487d ago

Sony is expanding their PC approach beyond (no pun intended) Epic Store realm.

Steam official pages:

Heavy Rain
https://store.steampowered....

Beyond: Two Souls
https://store.steampowered....

Detroit: Become Human
https://store.steampowered....

Abriael1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

Quantic Dream is self-publishing and doing this entirely independently from Sony. Sony is not involved at all.

Sciurus_vulgaris1487d ago

Detroit: Become Human and Beyond: Two Souls are owned by Sony. Therefore,Quantic Dream needs Sony's permission to release the titles on steam and PC.

https://trademarks.justia.c...
https://trademarks.justia.c...

Abriael1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

@Sciurus_vulgaris: neither is owned by Sony. Registering a trademark (trademarks are related only to titles and have nothing to do with game or IP ownership) is completely unrelated from owning the rights of a game.

Sony had the publishing license on the games as a second party for a period. That license has expired, so now Quantic Dream is free to do whatever they want with them, and they are.

Incidentally, they have announced a few months ago that now they're taking the independent route, so expect their games on all platforms from now on.

hulk_bash19871487d ago

A trademark is a way a company or individual exercises legal ownership of an intellectual property. And as of right now Sony does still own the trademarks for those two QD developed games.

https://breakinggames.com/p...

Abriael1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

@hulk_bash1987 "Breaking Games" isn't trademark law. That's a massive oversimplification of trademark law. Trademarks do not in any shape or form give you ownership on an IP. It gives you ownership of a name. period.

Since trademarks are completely separate by publishing contracts, Sony's publishing contract on a game can have expired (and it has, the publisher of the games on PC is Quantic Dream itself) but the trademark still not have expired.

Quantic Dream has full ownership of the IPs. In fact, you won't see Sony named absolutely anywhere in any listing for PC. If Sony was involved, you'd see them listed right there.

Imalwaysright1487d ago

hulk_bash1987

The intellectual property being the title of the game. Trademarks only protect names or logos. The game itself and everything in it: code, story, characters, art, etc are protected by copyrights.

hulk_bash19871487d ago

Sony does own the trademarks and therefore have ownership over some portion of the ip. So they wouldve had to agree or had some type of legal or mutual agreement in place for QD to release them on platforms outside of Playstation.

Abriael1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

@hulk_bash1987: Sony's influence on the title is determined exclusively by their publishing contract. That's all the legal agreement you need.

If the trademark had any value over this, you'd see trademark notices and Sony plastered all over the listings.

Bottomline, this has literally nothing to do with Sony's approach related to PC gaming as Obscure_Observer tried to imply.

hulk_bash19871487d ago

Regardless of the ownership debate. Sony has been more liberal with their exclusives recently. QDs games, Death Stranding and most importantly HZD.

Abriael1487d ago

Horizon Zero Dawn is likely an experiment done because Kojima Productions optimized the engine at basically no additional cost for Sony.

The release on PC of Death Stranding was likely a condition from Kojima himself since the beginning. This has nothing to do with Sony.

hulk_bash19871487d ago

Horizon is definetly and experiement. Its Sony testing the water, to see how big of an audience their games might have on PC. It was pretty much out right stated that they want to get their games out to as many people as possible. Which will potentially open people up to buying PS hardware.

ZwVw1487d ago

Bro, you're getting licencing and copyright confused. Beyond and Detroit are both Sony properties, who Sony is granting licensing permission for QT to publish on PC. This is nothing new. Companies like MS, Square and Sega do this all the time.

Besides, is you visit Detroit's Steam page, you can clearly see the Sony copyright at the bottom of the page. https://store.steampowered....

Obscure_Observer1487d ago

"Quantic Dream is self-publishing and doing this entirely independently from Sony. Sony is not involved at all."

The only reason those games are available on PC, is because Sony gave Quantic Dream a permission. If you think Sony paid those third party studios millions to develop a game so they can claim "independence" and do whatever they want with said games, you´re seriously mistaken.

Persian_Immortal1487d ago

According to the United States Copyright Office https://cocatalog.loc.gov/c...

Sony owns the Copyrights for Detroit Become Human and Beyond Two Souls and Death Stranding.

RosweeSon1487d ago

Even if they were 2 of those games were last gen who cares it’s a bit different if they are your only good games to talk about and releasing simultaneously these games are 5-10 years old came out of ps3 originally except Detroit. Like horizon it was a great game do I care it’s gone to PC also not at all I’d already and finished it over a year previously 🤷🏻‍♂️🤓 😜✌🏻

neutralgamer19921487d ago

Abriael

sony is notorious for wanting IP's. Insomniac pitched sunset overdrive to sony but went with ms because they were going to let insomniac keep the IP. I think sony is allowing this because it's towards the end of gen and these games will generate extra resources. Sony allowed it on epic first because they have a great relationship lately eith epic and now even if QD are self publishing they would have spoken to sony about it

you are making it sound like just because they are self publishing they don't have to ask sony. The company that owns the IP's has a lot of say

https://www.gamespot.com/ar...

BTW i am not saying other games from sony will come to PC just that they do own the IP's

TricksterArrow1487d ago

Hmm... You can literally see this in their steam page:

DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN: ©2018 Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe ltd. Developed by Quantic Dream. “Detroit: Become Human” is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved.

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blackblades1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

The dev always said he wanted them on pc. Lol putting Sony in it to make it look like Sony putting more of there games on pc.

ajax171487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

I'll agree once I see God of War and Spider-man on steam

Bronxs151487d ago

What about horizons zero dawn??

DerfDerf1487d ago

@Bronxs15 that was before the goal posts were moved

neutralgamer19921487d ago

shloobian

there is no goal post if yo are comparing MS releasing all their exclusives on pc day one to sony releasing HZD(3 years after release on pc) than maybe you should look up those said goal posts. Most likely case with HZD is the fact kojima optimized the game engine for PC so sony/GG didn't have any extra cost to make it work on pc

hulk_bash19871487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

Interested to see what other Sony IPs will see a release on PC

Father__Merrin1487d ago

QD are now independant in fact they always was but used sonys platforms to sell thier games.its thier ip they can do what ever they want with them

gravedigger1487d ago

Quantic Dream are no longer works for Sony. Contract ended

S2Killinit1487d ago

If this makes Obscure happy, then does that mean he is secretly sad that ALL of xbox’s games are available on PC? Hmm

Obscure_Observer1487d ago

@S2Killinit

"If this makes Obscure happy, then does that mean he is secretly sad that ALL of xbox’s games are available on PC? Hmm"

Sad? Lol.

Xbox games on PC means more money to fund new first party studios, games and new IP´s for us, Xbox console gamers.

Sony is not stupid, they´re paying attention to every move competition makes. They will allow day one exclusives on PC? Unlikely. However, you´ll see more and more Playstation games making their way to PC. Then, will see more and more PS fanboys telling how Sony is making money out of the PC gamers to fund new first party studios, games and new IP´s for us, Playstation console gamers.

You heard from me first. Mark my words. ;)

S2Killinit1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

Not much of a prediction though is it? The issue is that xbox is already moving toward obsoletion of consoles because MS has realized that they cant dominate the console market, so they want to scorch earth the console habitat by making it irrelevant (or at least a less important factor). As a console gamer I will support consoles and console makers that resist these types of maneuvers. I say screw Microsoft.

itsmebryan1486d ago

Can someone explain why MS console exclusives on PC are bad, but, when Sony copies the same thing it's somehow "different" or "Okay"?

I need to understand fanboy logic.

1486d ago
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WeAreLegion1487d ago

Sony would be crazy not to attempt to acquire them at some point.

Veneno1487d ago

Nah. QD is too all over the place. Not consistent in terms of quality.

Tacoboto1487d ago

Detroit was mechanically great, regardless of opinion on story. With Sony support officially behind them, they'd have those resources to improve their management

Flewid6381487d ago

I have yet to play a QD game I didn't like

AspiringProGenji1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

Didn’t they get owned already by some publisher?

Obscure_Observer1487d ago

No. And they will remain independent for the foreseeable future.

Abriael1487d ago (Edited 1487d ago )

Sony may want whatever they want. Quantic Dream wants to be independent and they're swimming in money (they recently expanded considerably) so they have no reason to sell.

WeAreLegion1487d ago

Insomniac wanted to be independent for decades. But things change. Nice to see you again, Abriael.

TeamIcoFan1487d ago

And I will be rebuying all three on steam!

AmazingGeneration1487d ago

When the crazy Xbox fans completely falsify facts to meet their agenda it really just makes you question how desperate these people are and how brainwashed they’ve become.

I blame Sony, you can only take a beating for so long and Sony been laying the fist into them for three generations now.

Tacoboto1487d ago

What the... The only mention of anything Xbox here is coming from you...

TeamIcoFan1487d ago

Alright sonny, put down the crack pipe and try to come back to reality, m'kay?

Neonridr1487d ago

sorry who's the one who's brainwashed here. Stop drinking the koolaid, what in dear god are you going on about here. Nothing you said relates to this article in any way. The fact that you got 4 agrees makes me wonder about those people too.

InUrFoxHole1487d ago

Lol. This news truly broke this poor soul!

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50°

The Top Five: Women in Games

BY GRANT TAYLOR: If there’s one thing I appreciate in gaming, it’s a strong female character. In recent years, we’ve seen countless women in games, ranging from fierce warriors to masters of the supernatural. These days, if a game doesn’t have a female lead, you at least have the choice to select one.

I’ve played so many games with brilliant female protagonists in the last decade. It was honestly difficult getting this list down to just five!

So, which of these characters rank the highest?

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