Tag Archives: Quantic Dream

Beyond: Two Souls (Review)

Beyond-PS3-boxSpectator Spectre


Following Heavy Rain must have been a daunting task. The interactive drama wasn’t to everyone’s tastes thanks to the quick time event heavy gameplay. But there’s no denying it was a unique game that told a story in a way a film would never be able to.

So here we are with Beyond: Two Souls, another game written and directed by David Cage and developed by the highly respected Quantic Dream. Beyond, enters new territory though, dropping the crime genre for a tale with a sci-fi edge that’s keen to cut into the concept of death and what awaits us on the other side. It has an episodic feel, making it more comparable to a TV series than a film. I mean, how many 12 hour films have you seen recently?

We’ve come to expect actors’ performances to play a key role in Quantic Dream titles, with some excellent work from the cast of Heavy Rain and the excellent facial motion-capture that lifted the game high above the competition. So it makes sense that this time they would reach out to Hollywood and bag some big-name talent.

Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls (Review)

Star Composer Team Talk Beyond: Two Souls

The cinematic production values of Beyond: Two Souls have been sky high since the first footage was seen. It’s not just visually though that the game is exceeding our expectations. Sony and Quantic Dream have drafted in some top talent to compose the game’s score. Lorne Balfe is the composer for the soundtrack and has done great work on Assassin’s Creed III and Modern Warfare 2. It’s also being produced by film legend Hans Zimmer who has worked on the likes of Gladiator, The Lion King, The Dark Knight, Inception and Pirates of the Caribbean.

This interview gives us some insight into the process of creating the game’s soundtrack, emphasising the similarities between games and films, while also respecting their differences. Balfe talks about not wanting to fall into the trap that many games do by having a theme score that’s always popping up. That’s fine in films, but when a player is maybe sitting there for six hours, they don’t want to annoy them with repetition. It really sounds like they’ve thought this through. Naturally, Beyond: Two Souls is right up there with our most anticipated games of the Christmas rush. Continue reading Star Composer Team Talk Beyond: Two Souls

Beyond: Two Souls Video Discusses Gameplay

Part two of Quantic Dream’s series of dev diaries tells us about about the gameplay design choices for Beyond: Two Souls. The simplicity of of the user-interface and allowing non-gamers to get involved seems to be a theme throughout. We also get to see lots of different environments including wintry snowstorms, deserts and warzones.

The game will play out over 15 years of Jodie’s life, so we’ll see her as a child, bratty goth teen, a homeless person and as an adult. If you missed part one of the series, you can see it below the new video after the break. Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls Video Discusses Gameplay

Beyond: Two Souls Tribeca Film Festival Trailer

Here’s the trailer that was debuted at last night’s Tribeca Film Festival. It focuses on the lead character Jodie Holmes, played by Ellen Page. We see scenes from various stages of the game including her as a child and an adult. Locations are varied too, one minute she’s living rough while possibly on the run and then she’s out in the desert riding a horse in a scene similar to one you may find in Red Dead Redemption.

Willem Dafoe can be heard in the trailer too, trying to convince Jodie to come back. We’re presuming she’s escaped the testing facility/hospital where they’ve been examining her psychic powers. Gameplay is a bit thin on the ground, as the trailer clearly plays to the film-fan crowd at the festival, but there’s no denying we can’t wait to see more. Enjoy the new trailer after the break. Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls Tribeca Film Festival Trailer

Beyond: Two Souls Live Stream at Tribeca Film Festival Tonight

Tune in right here at NoSleepGamer at Midnight UK time (7pm EST, 4pm EST) to see a live stream of Beyond: Two Souls from the famous Tribeca Film festival in New York. The event will last about two hours and will include a 35-minute scene from the game, including gameplay. The game’s official trailer will also be debuted.

After the screening, there will be a live panel Q&A with the game’s lead star Ellen Page, the director David Cage and supporting cast members Kadeem Hardison and Eric Winter.

This is the first time a video game has been selected as a part of the Tribeca Film Festival selection. Geoff Gilmore (a founder of the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals) described the upcoming PS3 exclusive’s inclusion as “a watershed moment in storytelling and media.”

Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls Live Stream at Tribeca Film Festival Tonight

Beyond: Two Souls Live Stream at Tribeca Film Festival Tonight

Tune in right here at Dealspwn tonight at Midnight UK time to see a live stream of Beyond: Two Souls from the famous Tribeca Film festival in New York. The event will last about two hours and will include a 35-minute scene from the game, including gameplay. The game’s official trailer will also be debuted.

After the screening, there will be a live panel Q&A with the game’s lead star Ellen Page, the director David Cage and supporting cast members Kadeem Hardison and Eric Winter.

This is the first time a video game has been selected as a part of the Tribeca Film Festival selection. Geoff Gilmore (a founder of the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals) described the upcoming PS3 exclusive’s inclusion as “a watershed moment in storytelling and media.” Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls Live Stream at Tribeca Film Festival Tonight

Beyond: Two Souls Coming “This Year”

We’ve had enough of delays recently, so it’s good to hear something a little more positive. David Cage has told IGN that Beyond: Two Souls will be released this year, with an actual release date to be announced very soon.

This may sound a little vague, but we had a strong feeling that the Ellen Page-fronted game would slip into next year’s line-up. So much so, I decided to omit it from my Sunday Seven article, 2013’s Most Wanted Games. Cage also confirmed the game is almost at the beta stage. Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls Coming “This Year”

Heavy Rain (Review)

This PS3 exclusive is the long-awaited ‘interactive drama’ from Quantic Dream. For months we’ve been wowed by the stunning character models and promises of a unique experience. Of course we’ve also been worried that the whole thing may descend into a never-ending line of Quick-Time-Events (QTEs). Read on for the full verdict. Continue reading Heavy Rain (Review)