Beyond: Two Souls

[Spero Mcgee]

So basicly this game and Heavy Rain are like really good visual novels/story wise but don't really have any gameplay to speak off. It's like reading a really good book but you get to make choices. At least that's how I look at it.
To be honest, gameplay in these kinds of games is secondary to me, what I want is to experience a story, see character development and hear awesome music that's approriate to the scenes. It really is like a book, just a bit more interactive and it has it's own music.

[sodacat]

Originally Posted by Spero Mcgee

It really is like a book, just a bit more interactive and it has it's own music.

The word you're looking for is "movie". Unless you're talking about those half-assed novels that are written just to get adapted into a movie, in which case, yes, Cage's games also really wish that they were movies.

[Spero Mcgee]

Originally Posted by sodacat

The word you're looking for is "movie". Unless you're talking about those half-assed novels that are written just to get adapted into a movie, in which case, yes, Cage's games also really wish that they were movies.

Haha, yeah indeed a movie, when I made the comment I was in the train of thought of a book. Then again I threat RPG's with excellent stories like books, because really back in the day before voice acting and beautiful cutscenes were a thing, it was all text that you read. Remember the RPG's like Baldurs Gate? Tons of dialogue not just from character descriptions but also books in the game.

[Animeking194]

It's more like an Interactive Movie than anything.
Cage is good at making those

[Wussy]

Originally Posted by Animeking194

It's more like an Interactive Movie than anything.
Cage is good at making those

[the following applies to both Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain]

I wouldn't go as far as "good". It's certainly the style that he's shooting for, but the best he's capable of is an expensive B movie (think Season of the Witch or Wicker Man). The actors are there, the music, the sets, all of the ingredients are there, but then you get to the actual plot and it's... flat.

The "good guy" characters are written more or less OK. It's the "bad guy" characters that are problematic. These people are mean and jerks because the script says that they're mean jerks. These people are violent assholes because the script says that they're violent assholes. There's no logic or reason behind it.

The other issue is when the game presents you the illusion of choice, but when you try to fight against it the game slaps you down and makes it happen. "I want to go right." "Well, you can try, but there's nothing there and it's a complete waste of time." "Then why put in the false option at all?" It's incredibly jarring and, at best takes you out of the moment; at worst makes you rage against the game for wasting your time.

[Spero Mcgee]

Originally Posted by Wussy

[the following applies to both Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain]

I wouldn't go as far as "good". It's certainly the style that he's shooting for, but the best he's capable of is an expensive B movie (think Season of the Witch or Wicker Man). The actors are there, the music, the sets, all of the ingredients are there, but then you get to the actual plot and it's... flat.

The "good guy" characters are written more or less OK. It's the "bad guy" characters that are problematic. These people are mean and jerks because the script says that they're mean jerks. These people are violent assholes because the script says that they're violent assholes. There's no logic or reason behind it.

The other issue is when the game presents you the illusion of choice, but when you try to fight against it the game slaps you down and makes it happen. "I want to go right." "Well, you can try, but there's nothing there and it's a complete waste of time." "Then why put in the false option at all?" It's incredibly jarring and, at best takes you out of the moment; at worst makes you rage against the game for wasting your time.

And that's why games like that have a long way to go.
Or just go the visual novel route, if you do though, the story needs to be incredibly compelling. Then again isn't the whole reason to even play a game like Heavy Rain or Beyond Two Souls for the story? ./shrug
Putting in arbitrary gameplay elements just for the sake of making it feel like a game, sounds rather off-putting if you get tied with alot of illusion choices.

[thrandrall]

Woooo:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...yond-Two-Souls

Sounds like a blast....