In our review of Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls we praise the game for a lot of things — ultimately giving the game a score of 4.5 out of 5 — but where the title really shines is its story. Filled with nuance, complexity, and a lot of mature ideas, the story in Beyond: Two Souls deserves recognition for a lot of reasons.
First and foremost, the story in Beyond: Two Souls, like its predecessor Heavy Rain, is shaped by the player, who must make some tough and life-changing decisions for its protagonist Jodie Holmes. And while we would have liked to discuss some of those decisions in our review, we felt it was better to leave the story relatively unspoiled to preserve the experience.
At the same time, the story in Beyond: Two Souls is still worth discussing, as there are so many ways the narrative could go. This is the place to discuss those choices, to compare and contrast them with those made by others.
While the particulars will differ from player to player, the ending to Beyond: Two Souls seems to include two things: a revelation about Aiden and a major choice for Jodie. Aiden, as we learn at the end of the game, was Jodie's twin brother, who unfortunately died in the womb. However, since, as some say, twins have a special connection, Aiden is still psychically linked to Jodie and able to manipulate objects and people around her.
The other major discussion point in Beyond: Two Souls' ending is Jodie's choice between the 'Beyond' and 'Life.' If she chooses life, Jodie continues on to destroy the condenser and close the Black Sun, but if she chooses the beyond she leaves the world in pretty bleak circumstances. That choice in particular is worth discussing because it leads to completely different epilogues as well.
Although the ending will be a major topic of discussion for Beyond: Two Souls it isn't the only one either. There's honestly so many divergent points within the game that even three or four playthroughs might not reveal everything. In fact, creator David Cage recommends gamers play Beyond once and never again. So feel free to talk about your personal experience or inquire about others' journey in Quantic Dream's game without fear of spoilers.
What ending did you see? Did you choose life or the beyond? Did you portray Aiden as a vengeful force or did you try to keep him as civil as possible? And, ultimately, what did you think of the story as a whole?
Beyond: Two Souls is out now for the PS3.
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