by Susan, HSM team writer

“We’re so terrified of death in Western culture that we have to make up a myth of an afterlife. I think there’s something to be said for living your life very mindful of the fact that you’re going to die because I think you carry yourself differently. It doesn’t have to be this big, negative bummer.”

– Steve Earle

Two philosophical questions that have plagued the human race for eons have been: 1. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? 2. Is there another plane of existence after this life ceases to be? Some people would answer that question with a declaration that we are reincarnated. Others might say that we go to a place called Heaven or Hell, depending on our lifestyle choices.

Television shows like Ghost Hunters, The Dead Files and Long Island Medium have us speculating as to the existence of another place we go after this one expires. Personally, I think the egg came first, and when we die we are dead, but “they” are doing a damn good job at having me question the second of these two philosophies. I think Serbian author Marina Abramovic may have said it best -- “I don’t know anything about the afterlife because I haven’t been there yet.”

French-based game developing company Quantic Dream has not only helped pioneer the art of interactive drama, but over the years has been refining this craft with improved motion capture. They have produced games such as Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain. And now they have released Beyond: Two Souls.

What’s with all the Candy Dots on their face?

I was tuned in during the last E3 show where we all managed to catch a glimpse of this game.  As a PlayStation Plus member, I recently downloaded the free demo from the PS Store and tried it out. And the first thing you have to keep remembering when you decide to play this is that it is an interactive game, and a good example of this genre is Dragon’s Lair. Every choice you make has consequences, and a different outcome can occur.

The demo from the store allows you to play a couple of the levels called The Experiment and Hunted. You can select up to four different languages to either listen to or read the subtitles. And to be honest, it’s allowing me be able to talk to people in SCEE — now I have learned to say “**** off” in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

The game is a unique psychological spiritual action thriller which allows the user to play as Jodie Holmes through 15 years of her life. Throughout the game she is connected to an entity named Aiden, about which we know nothing except that only Jodie can communicate with him. The characters are portrayed by well-known Hollywood celebrities, and their likeness in the game is uncanny, which I see as a testament to Quantic Dreams’ technical abilities.

Ellen Page plays the main character, Jodie, while Willem Dafoe is a government scientist who works alongside Jodie. Kadeem Hardison is a government paranormal investigator and Eric Winter plays the role of a government agent who takes an interest in Jodie and her abilities. With all of these government officials involved, what could possibly go wrong? The movies Species, Aliens  and The Fifth Element comes to the forefront when I try to answer that one.

Orb hunting time in Home Square-are you prepared for what’s on the other side?

Beyond: Two Souls is being released to the public on disc, and you can experience the game firsthand when you visit the Home Square public space in PlayStation Home SCEE. When you arrive in Home Square, head on over to the Beyond: Two Souls billboard — it’s located  behind and to your left of the spawn point in the Square.

Simply walk up to it and push the X button on your controller to access the mini game. You will become an “entity” and will have to search Home Square for the 5 hidden purple orbs. Upon successful completion of this task you will be rewarded with an active picture frame for your personal space that cycles through the various artworks from the game. You are also directed to return to this billboard on another day for an opportunity to collect more.

This is not your typical game. It takes getting used to. It is action packed, the cut scenes are longer than you would typically expect and if you’re a shoot-em up type of gamer this may not be your cup of tea. But I challenge you to try it out anyway. The graphics/visual displays are phenomenal, and the soundtrack is big-screen quality; the script contains over 2000 pages, if you can believe that. And with this being one of only two video games ever recognized by the Tribeca Film Festival, all that combined should get your paranormal juices flowing.

If you want to know if there is life after death, don’t be afraid. Just grab my hand and hold on tightly as we explore the unique world of Jodie Holmes and Beyond: Two Souls.

Share