Narrative Game – Page 2

10 PlayStation 5 Demos – August 2023

While you need PS Plus Premium to access certain game trials, that doesn’t mean every demo on the console is gated by a paywall. In fact, as I was doing some exploring in the PS Store I found an entire section dedicated to demos. In this age of Steam Next Fests providing lots of opportunities to try games before you buy or that you otherwise may not have, I think it’s great to have consoles involved in that too. While they don’t have their own festivals yet, there is still an interesting catalogue available.

I don’t know about everyone else, but gaming at my PC is an entirely different vibe to gaming on my PS5. Feet up on the couch, blanket at the ready, candle on and controller in hand, it is the coziest of times. I find console to be perfect for night time wind down game sessions, so I have decided to use these sessions to make my way through 10 of the available demos.

This is a ranked list, so keep scrolling to see my favourites!

10. Fall of Porcupine

Developer: Critical Rabbit

Release Date: 15 June 2023

Fall of Porcupine is a unique story adventure. The collision of work and daily life – an exciting reflection of an unhealthy healthcare-system. Experience the exciting story of Finley and his friends in a lovingly illustrated world and uncover the darkest secrets of Porcupine and its residents.

Upon booting up Fall of Porcupine I very quickly was reminded of Night in the Woods. Not only because of the anthropomorphic animals, small town energy and autumnal vibes, but the layered, colorful, simple yet bold aesthetic is very pleasing to my eye. The gameplay feels similar in that sense too. This is a narrative first game and walking around talking to other characters is a big chunk of what you are doing, followed by minigames as you carry out your duties and other tasks.

While I enjoyed the ending of the demo, the rest didn’t really grab me in any big way. Partly that is my fault, as I realized a little way in that the themes of failing health care systems may be a little too real and sad for me to really want to spend time exploring at this current time. But other that that I also felt that the game was just a little slow for me. One of the mini games didn’t seem to be working for me and I wasn’t super engaged in the activities I was presented with. I did really enjoy the character designs, but the aesthetics weren’t quite enough to make up for the other parts that didn’t quite hit for me.

Demo Length – 1+ hour
Would I play more? – No

9. BROK the InvestiGator

Developer: COWCAT

Release Date: 26 August 2022

The very first PUNCH & CLICK! Brok is an innovative adventure mixed with beat ’em up and RPG elements. In a grim world where animals have replaced mankind, what kind of detective will you be?

As mentioned in the description above, Brok the InvestiGator is a point and click adventure and a 2D side scrolling beat ’em up in one. I am on the record for being a lover of the former, particularly the detective kind. But I am really not a fan of the latter at all. I thought I would try it out because I like to judge every game individually and every game could be the one that helps a genre click. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, and predictably, I really liked half of what this game was while really disliking the other half.

The adventure side of the game had everything you would expect, with fun additions like interrogations that I particularly enjoyed. Another great detail is that there are often multiple approaches to a problem, allowing you to dive in fists first, or sometimes even avoid combat all together. Something else to be celebrated are the adaptability options, allowing the game to be as inclusive as possible, whether that is for people like me who would alter the difficulty for entertainment purpose, or more importantly adaptations for visually impaired folk so they get to enjoy the game too. Despite this, unfortunately the game didn’t click with me. I suspect the potential for combat at any time combined with the classic cartoon aesthetic were a little far outside of my preferences. Having said that I would urge anyone else that is curious to give it a go.

Demo Length – 2 hours 30 minutes
Would I play more? – No

8. NEO: The World Ends with You

Developer: Square Enix & h.a.n.d.

Release Date: 19 October 2022

“Only the possibility of you can change our fate”
Rindo comes to the grim realization that his life is on the line when he is forced to compete in the so-called “Reapers’ Game.”

This one feels very heavily inspired by Persona 5 (maybe others but I have only played 5 myself), at least in a visual sense. It takes place in some of the same locations but that isn’t the only reason. It clearly strives to have its own strong, bold, recognizable style in the way that Persona does. In some ways this works out, I particularly like the comic-esque UI that NEO adopts when a conversation is taking place. Conversely, sometimes it feels slightly over stylized for my tastes, and while the music will be perfect for some people, for me it left me wishing for something a little more catchy or memorable.

NEO: The World Ends with You is an action JRPG set in the streets and districts of Shibuya. On a seemingly regular day, something changes and our protagonists are drawn into a game. The overall game itself consists of animated cutscenes, dialogue, moving around areas solving quests and combat. Attacks stem from pins which you collect and level up as you go.

The idea of my game characters being in a game themselves is always a fun one to me, but one of the reasons it didn’t work for me was because I could not connect with their response. They were not asking any of the questions that I wanted to ask and after playing for 2 hours, the game still did not tell me what the first line of the description above is about. There is a chance that my issues stem from the writing and the pacing, but there is also a chance that what this game adds up to be is just not for me. It is a shame because the game systems evident in the menu (collectibles, levelling up pins etc) looked enticing. Sadly it just seems to be one of those game where I like the idea of a lot of it, I just don’t enjoy the gameplay that goes along with it.

Demo Length – 2 hours
Would I play more? – No

7. Toodee and Topdee

Developer: dietzribi

Release Date: 4 August 2021

A cosmic turbulence caused the 2D Platformer and the Top-Down Puzzler dimensions to merge! Switch between Toodee and Topdee and their unique perspectives to overcome hard-as-nails challenges, solve mind-melting puzzles and defeat huge bosses.

It doesn’t take long for Toodee and Topdee to show what makes it special. The seamless transitions from 2D to top down on command never ceased to make me stop and think ‘coooool’. This is a puzzle platformer which is a genre that can be so hit or miss for me that I almost didn’t give this one a go. I am really glad I did though because even though it isn’t entirely for me, I love to see the wild things that are being created by people much cleverer than myself.

What I didn’t expect was to be taken in so much by the opening. The story set up was fun and strong and it made me immediatly more interested to stay along for the ride. You are controlling two characters but never at the same time, so while this game can be played in co-op, it is also perfectly playable solo. In fact, I am very curious to how this game would feel to play with another. Since so many of the puzzles feel timing based, I could see it making or breaking relationships.

Demo Length – 37 minutes
Would I play more? – Probably not. Maybe if it was on PS Plus and I had company.

6. Final Fantasy XVI

Developer: Square Enix Creative Business Unit III

Release Date: 22 June 2023

The 16th standalone entry in the legendary Final Fantasy series marks a darker turn for the RPG franchise, with a complex tale of revenge, power struggles and unavoidable tragedy.

Final Fantasy XVI reimagines the series’ iconic summons as Eikons. These deadly creatures are housed within Dominants, men and women who inherit their immense power at birth – whether they like it or not.

I put off playing this one for a while because I knew I was long, but once I got started time completely flew by. I should say, the only Final Fantasy I have played is a chunk of FF14 and the first hour or 2 of FF7 Remake, so the only expectations that I had were from the praise I saw in the media, and any marketing material I saw. And as is often the case, my expectations were quite different from what the game actually is.

Final Fantasy XVI feels big, epic and dramatic – particularly the opening – but I did feel like I sometimes struggled to follow what was going on on the screen. Particularly when creatures of any scale were involved and/or lots of particles and effects. Whether that is deliberate or not is one consideration, but for me it breaks my immersion a little, as it goes from ‘woah, that’s neat’, to ‘I literally have no idea who is winning this fight’ and I just have to wait till the action is finished to catch up on what happened. That isn’t my only issue with the style.

There are plenty of quieter, character focused moments with lots of relatively short cutscenes strung together, telling the story of what is going on. The style of the game means that these scenes transition via fade to black, and I can’t say I have ever been bothered by that before – I even use it myself sometimes – but the regularity it was happening, despite how nit picky it feels, really started to bug me. I can’t say what could be done differently, but every single time it happened I felt a little more irritated as I lost my immersion once again.

All of the complaints above are VERY subjective. None of them mean that I didn’t enjoy the game overall. I am so down for the medieval fantasy war setting. Every time anything felt familiar enough, a fantasy element or creature entered the scene and gave me a fleeting delight. Fleeting because of course the plot is very dark and serious. Political drama and intrigue, backstabbing, grief and bad circumstances feel like they are all going to be themes going forward and they are themes I enjoy a lot.

It’s just, from one of the latest AAA titles to release, I did expect maximum immersion so got a shock when it wasn’t quite as ‘smooth’ as I expected. But other than that, I loved phoenixes as a theme, the music is great, there is some cheesyness to balance out the dark and I am still interested to see where it goes. Sometimes stylistic differences are something that I grow to love over time so a demo potentially isn’t going to give me the best impression of a game like this.

Demo Length – 2 hours 30 mins
Would I play more? – I think I would

5. Sea of Stars

Developer: Sabotage Studio

Release Date: 29 August 2023

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

The only JRPG’s I have really played are Pokemon and Persona 5 but I am very interested in broadening my horizons. On one hand, that means I don’t have a huge base for comparison but on the other, I get to come in with fresh eyes and have an experience I can’t compare with anything else.

I did enjoy what I played. I particularly liked the character designs when shown in their portrait form. The dungeon was interesting with different types of areas but the boss did feel like it took forever. It was quite an adjustment for me to get used to how to play, particularly having timing based reactions in turn based combat. Many times I completely screwed up my plan with bad timing and had to rethink what I was doing. But navigating the point spending systems as well as the ability types was fun and I would be interested to continue.

Demo Length – 1 hour 30 mins
Would I play more? – Yes

4. Viewfinder

Developer: Sad Owl Studios

Release Date: 18 July 2023

Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.

I could be inclined to compare Viewfinder to Superliminal, Maquette or even The Unfinished Swan, but the only reason for that would the use of innovation and creativity. In reality, this game doesn’t really compare to any other.

How does this game work? I do not know. I think you have to try it yourself to really feel how bizarre it is to get to alter the environment right before your eyes. It is mind bending and trippy and I can only imagine how surreal the full game gets. It is also artful and the demo does a great job of showing you the possibilities of what is still to come.

Based on this incredibly quick demo, my only complaint is that the narrative felt slightly disjointed to me. I was dropped into the game and there was some dialogue but I couldn’t even tell who it was aimed at. I would imagine that this is a product of the demo and the main game has a clearer set up as opposed to the abrupt start. But if that is the only complaint I have then I would say that is a pretty successful start! Also, I have to shout out the menu UI. It looks great.

Demo Length – 25 mins
Would I play more? – Yes

3. Mythic Ocean

Developer: Paralune LLC

Release Date: 9 Jan 2020

Teach the gods to create a better universe – or mess it all up in Mythic Ocean, a narrative exploration game where your choices shape the fate of the cosmos.

Myt hic Ocean already had a head start for my affection by being set underwater, but upon going in with no expectations, I got so much more than I bargained for. I was immediately struck by not only the beauty of the graphics, but how enjoyable the dialogue felt. I have played a few games in which I feel there is too much dialogue at the opening, going for flavor over substance and losing me fairly quickly. This game did the opposite where the opening conversation was not only pleasant to have but intriguing.

In my hour playing I was starting to get concerned that I was playing the entire game. But even though it is relatively short, there is a replayability to it due to the nature of the gameplay. To start, you are exploring different biomes, interacting with the beings that live there. As you find who you are looking for, you enter conversations, giving them advice and potentially influencing their actions. More characters are added in the full game giving more different outcomes for your decisions.

The vibes were great, the audio was great and I loved the characters. One in particular was my favourite (no spoilers) and it was a joy getting to know them. I only wish that everything I did was in the full game instead as I would like to see where it would have lead!

Demo Length – 1 hour
Would I play more? – Yes

2. Process of Elimination

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software

Release Date: 11 April 2023

A hapless student named Wato Hojo finds himself among a group of talented detectives and must take part in their investigation to stop a prolific serial killer that hides among their ranks. Can they solve the case before they’re all eliminated?

This is the first of the demos that I played and I enjoyed it so much, I didn’t think anything would top it. On a day that I wasn’t feeling well, I was looking for something that would entertain me while requiring minimal input and this was it. Process of Elimination is a visual novel. It is mysterious and while some horrible things are happening, the cast of characters keep it energetic and fun. We find our self in the weirdest of situations and going along on the ride is very appealing.

Obviously, visual novels contain a lot of text sections, but quite a way in the game also reveals that there is more to it. The demo only contained the tutorial version, but there are gameplay sections all about investigation. I almost want to call them turn based strategy, in which you set up your team in the grid based environment. Using abilities and leadership, you guide the team in an attempt to solve the mystery you are faced. I don’t feel like I played enough of this to know how much I like it, but it is certainly an intriguing concept that I would like to jump back into.

I had never heard of this game before stumbling upon it in the demo section of the PS Store, and with some research I found it isn’t the easiest game to obtain. It is only available on PS4 (PS5 by extension) and the Switch. I don’t know the reasons that it is only on these specific platforms but it is a shame because I certainly had a tonne of fun during this opening section. If you do have a console and it sounds interesting I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

Demo Length – Long (I didn’t time this one but I was sad when it was over).
Would I play more? – Yes, I intend to eventually

1. Chants of Sennaar

Developer: Rundisc

Release Date: 5 September 2023

Legend says that one day, a traveler will reunite the Peoples of the Tower who are unable to communicate with each other. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the myth of Babel.

Chants of Sennaar is what I like to call a logic based puzzle, with added freedom to explore. It is a game of translation in which we figure out what people are saying based on the interactions we have and the environment around us. The further you progress, you simultaneously feel more and less understanding. More as you begin to recognize common words, less as you don’t yet know the new context around them. But finding new unidentified words is an exciting moment, setting the brain into motion about what they could mean.

In a game about deciphering language, the lack of external dialogue is an expert choice. The minimalism serves it beautifully, allowing the player to give their full attention to the current moment and recalling anything they have already learned that could be relevant. This tone is served aesthetically too, with an art style reminiscent of Sable and a palette akin to Journey, it is easy on the eye and soothing on the brain.

I absolutely loved this demo. Considering it is on the shorter end of the length scale compared to some of the others I played, it left a long lasting impression and the desire to decipher this entire language.

Demo Length – 45 mins
Would I play more? – Yes, right now please!

There we have it, 10 demos currently available on the PS5. While I don’t necessarily recommend them all, I appreciate every single one of them for giving me the opportunity to try them out without having to make any commitments.

I had a blast doing this and would love to do more in the future, although they will probably be shorter, 5 or 6 seems like a good number!

If you enjoyed this, below you can find more similar content including other game lists, first impressions, favourites and recommendations.

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Indie Showcase #51-#100 – Top 10

My Indie Showcase series has reached its 100th video! That is a milestone worth celebrating and what better way than to shout out the stand out games from the latest 50 videos.

Making this list was difficult to say the least. We have played some absolute gems over the last year and I couldn’t be more excited about the future of gaming. But that made narrowing them down all the more tough. I got there in the end, but as a compromise, the list is not in a ranked order.

I have to shout out The Rewinder, Medieval Dynasty, Wylde Flowers and Beyond R: Rule Ripper. On another day any one of these games could have been on this list.

If you would like to see the top games from my first 50 Indie Showcase videos you can do so here. Here’s to another 100!

What is Indie Showcase?
Every Saturday I try out a different indie game on my YouTube channel. It started out as short, free-to-play games on Steam and games from bundles, but soon extended to demos, games I recieved codes for and games on subscription services.

Slay the Princess [Demo]

Developer: Black Tabby Games

Release Date: 2023

You’re here to slay the princess. Don’t believe her lies.

I am beginning with Slay the Princess because not only did I love the game, but I also think it is my best Indie Showcase to date. The uncertainty, the mystery, the voice acting, the art, the mind games and everything else all came together to create a game that could have been made especially for me. While I could have explored the demo a little more to find more branches, I didn’t need to as I am 100% sold on the game and would like to experience the rest in full release.

Slay the Princess is a visual novel that feels like it is all about the dialogue tree. Navigating choices in order to unravel the mystery is as intriguing as it is entertaining, because as much as you are playing the game yourself, it is hard to shake the feeling that the game is playing you right back.

Wishlist it here to stay up to date.

Roadwarden [Demo]

Developer: Moral Anxiety Studio

Release Date: 12th September 2022

Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that uses isometric pixel art and combines mechanics borrowed from RPGs, Visual Novels, adventure games and interactive fiction.

Here’s a secret. Every time I sit down to record a game that I know is going to be text heavy I get nervous. Every single time. Thankfully with Roadwarden my worries were completely eased by the immersion that I experienced. That sounds counterintuitive – a text based adventure being so immersive, but well written world building does that to me in a huge way and this is full of it.

Roadwarden is a text based rpg with a distinctive colour palette. The pixel art gives just enough to show you the locations you are visiting then the words populate it with history and life. This game somehow made me desperately want to hit the road to experience adventures of my own, not at all deterred by the stories of said road.

Buy it now here.

Scarlet Hollow [Demo]

Developer: Black Tabby Games

Release Date: 11th June 2021

Return to the crumbling coal town your family built generations ago for the funeral of your aunt. You won’t be able to save everyone. You might not even be able to save yourself

Created by the same developer as Slay the Princess, I did not expect that they could have made another game that I liked more than this one – which is a huge compliment to both of their games since I really like this one. I played Scarlet Hollow (episode 1) first and it immediatly took a place in my heart, enough that I purchased the game to do a full Let’s Play some day.

Scarlet Hollow is an eerie visual novel with some very interesting trait choices right off the bat, including one that I think completely made the game for me. The art style is distinctive and memorable, it doesn’t hold back and I just want to see more of it!

Check it out here.

Buddy Simulator 1984 [Demo]

Developer: Not a Sailor Studios

Release Date: 18th February 2021

Thanks to next generation AI technology, BUDDY SIMULATOR 1984 simulates the experience of hanging out with a best buddy! Your buddy learns from you, constantly adapting to your interests and personality. But most importantly, your buddy can play games with you!

Another Game that I purchased was Buddy Simulator 1984. I wasn’t in the biggest rush to get it as I have so many other games to play, but it cropped up in a great indie bundle and I couldn’t pass it up. The experience of the demo was so well done and ended perfectly, I wonder how the rest of the game compares.

In Buddy Simulator we create our own AI buddy by inputting commands into a machine. The games that we play with our Buddy are fun, as well as the between moments, watching our friend grow and evolve. I don’t want to say more than that, but it was certainly a demo that I did not forget in a hurry.

Available to buy here.

Coral Island [Early Access/Game Pass]

Developer: Stairway Games

Release Date: 11th October 2022

Coral Island is a vibrant and laid-back reimagining of farm sim games. Be who you want and experience enchanting island living at your own pace—live off the land, nurture animals, build relationships with a diverse cast of townsfolk, and make the world around you a more vital and harmonious place.

In my time doing Indie Showcase I have tried out a LOT of cozy games. They can be very hit or miss for me, and the more I try, the more I learn what I value in these types of games. Coral Island feels like exactly what I am looking for.

With a very aesthetically pleasing town to explore, Coral Island has the potential to be the low stakes with lots to do ‘podcast game’ that I love to play. Farming, upgrading and making friends are as far as I got but I know there is more as the devs are very active and open about what is to come. Coral Island is just a place that I want to be.

Buy in Early Access here.

Backpack Hero [Demo]

Developer: Jaspel

Release Date: 15th August 2022

The inventory management roguelike! Collect rare items, organize your bag, and vanquish your foes!

The most recent addition to the list – as it is game 98 of 100 – is Backpack Hero. Based on the premise this one could have gone either way for me, but I enjoyed it so much, I may have bought it outright if I had enough time to get addicted to a game right now.

Backpack Hero is a turn based roguelike that has a focus on strategic inventory tetris. Every item that you pick up takes up precious space in your bag. The limited space forces you to try to get over any ‘too good to use’ syndrome that you may have, as well as make difficult choices as empty spaces can be just as valuable as a treasure. Throughout the game you are making your way through dungeons, fighting groups of enemies while collecting their treasure, if you can carry it.

Check out the steam page here.

Vampire Survivors [Game Pass]

Developer: Poncle

Release Date: 20th October 2022

Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you.

Vampire Survivors was almost bumped off this list as I added in Backpack Hero, thinking that one roguelike was enough. But how could I do that when I purchased the game on Steam as I wanted to continue playing so much. The real reason is because I don’t feel like I got quite as obsessed as others when the game was really taking off. But just because I didn’t, it doesn’t mean that this game doesnt deserve a place in the top 10.

In Vampire Survivors, all you have to do is move your character to dodge enemies, collect things, and make choices to see how long you can survive against the masses. It is super easy to pick up and play, I got more than my moneys worth and I am not done yet! It served me well as a great ‘1 or 2 runs before bed’ kind of game.

Buy it here and look out for DLC.

Abscission [Demo]

Developer: Beyond Booleans

Release Date: Q4 2023

Abscission is a Lovecraftian, story-driven horror point-and-click investigation game. It involves searching crime scenes for evidence, combining clues and questioning suspects. Puzzles can have multiple solutions as you guide the protagonist – Detective Will Stanhope – through the story.

I am unsure how I heard about Abscission but I am so glad I did. Murder mysteries and detective games are among my favourite genres and I am always very happy to find them. Particularly when the cases are compelling like this one.

During my time with the demo I encountered some pretty ghastly scenes, both of the crime and the eldritch kind. The point and click set up had me combing crime scenes, questioning witnesses/suspects and problem solving as I tried to put together a strange series of events.

When I played the Abscission demo it was only available on Itch but since then they have also put up a Steam page!

Casebook 1899 – The Leipzig Murders [Demo]

Developer: Homo Narrans Studio

Release Date: Coming Soon

Feel like a real 19th-century detective in this retro pixel-art detective adventure. As well as featuring classic point & click gameplay you will have to draw your own conclusions and use a deduction board to find the real culprit under several suspects in four murder cases.

Like I said before, I am partial to a detective game. While both Abscission and Casebook 1899 are point and click adventure games, they feel very different both tonally and in play.

Casebook 1899 – The Leipzig Murders is a series of cases that you gather clues in order to solve correctly (or not). I can’t help but compare this to the Sherlock Holmes games – particularly ‘Crimes and Punishment’ and ‘The Devils Daughter’. Imagine those games but rather than 3D action adventure they leant more towards 2D puzzling. That is what this is and if that excites you, it should!

Wishlist it here.

You Will (Not) Remain [Free-to-play]

Developer: Bedtime Phobias

Release Date: 7th January 2022

You must stay in your apartment as the city around you falls to an Eldritch horror.

Finally – going back to Indie Showcase roots – I had to include a short, free-to-play narrative game. But not out of obligation – You Will (Not) Remain earned the spot all by itself. Two things struck me with this game. The first was the ability to tell a complete story in a short amount of time. That was one of the my big interests as I begun this series – to see what people could make within a small game, whether that is run time or complexity. The second was the simple yet striking art.

You Will (Not) Remain is a short but sweet (?!) narrative game. Taking place in an apartment, we spend time with our main character as they contemplate life in their apartment as the world crumbles – or has already crumbled – around them.

Play for yourself here.

Thank you for reading and thank you for any support, be that financial, engagement with my content or moral support via kind words. It is all very much appreciated and helps me continue my work.

Also, thank you if you have ever engaged with any of the games that I have showcased. Other than the enjoyment that I get out of trying such a variety of games and being inspired by peoples work, the ultimate goal is to be able to help indie games, working as a signal booster to help games find their audience.

If you are looking for even more interesting indie games, I have you covered. Here are links to all of my previous Indie Showcase work.

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Let’s Play – Citizen Sleeper

Citizen Sleeper is a game inspired by tabletop RPGs. Set in deep space, we play as a sleeper – a human consciousness uploaded into a robot frame. Escaping a life of corporate slavery, we find ourselves on a space station full of outcasts and misfits, all just trying to get by. Though helping others, we can help ourselves in our mission of survival. But what even is it to live? That, ultimately, is up to us.

Join me in a journey of wonder, perspective and community. My complete full playthrough is available now, including the DLC!

Full playlist available on Youtube!

A Noob’s [Mini] Review – SOMA

If you play one horror game in your life, I believe it should be this one.

Explaining in too much detail why you should play SOMA runs the risk of ruining the reason that you should play SOMA, but I am going to give it a shot.

SOMA is a narrative experience like no other I have ever had. While it isn’t gameplay heavy, it is a classic example of a story thats impact is amplified due to the medium and the player input that brings.

In this game we play as Simon Jarrett, an ordinary young man who has suffered the misfortune of a brain injury. Taking part in some experimental treatment, Simon arrives to get his brain scan but it does not go as expected. As he comes to, it rapidly becomes clear that all is not how it seems.

This is a game of linear exploration. From a first person perspective, we guide Simon through an ordeal, moving forward through circumstances that are horrifying on a spectrum from deeply personal, to unfathomable.

If you are a person that does not enjoy playing horror games for reasons like jump scares, intensity and/or gore (like me), then all is not lost. While the atmosphere is indeed spooky, the most worthwhile aspects of the game come from the themes and events that can stay on your mind for weeks, as opposed to a cheap scare. To account for these people, the developers added a ‘Safe Mode’. This is how I played and it prevents any lose state, allowing you to be confident that you won’t lose any progress while you explore the environment (which I highly recommend doing to get all of the context).

SOMA is not a pleasant experience. It is haunting, dark and bleak. But, it is up there with the most thoughtful games I have ever played and I think about it on at least a monthly basis. It presents the player with choices that have no easy answer and deals with existentialism among other topics in very interesting ways. It is the only horror game that I would encourage anyone unsure to try to look past the genre, and if you are a horror fan? Turn off the lights, get fully immersed and enjoy.

Developer: Frictional Games
Publisher: Frictional Games
Release date: 22nd September 2015
Average play time: 10 hours
Available on: PC, PlayStation (4, 5) and Xbox (One, Series X/S, Game Pass)

If you would like to see my live playthrough, here it is!

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Let’s Play – Exit/Corners

Exit/Corners is a free-to-play browser based visual novel, which you can play yourself here. The mysteries keep on coming as we puzzle our way out of a hotel that is set to collapse with a colourful cast of characters. Created by a tiny team, I do implore you to give this one a go, whether you are playing yourself or watching my series below. It is an interesting one!

Full playlist available on Youtube!

Guest Appearance – Left Behind Game Club – The Nonary Games: Virtues Last Reward

I joined the Left Behind Game Club once again to continue our journey through the Zero Escape series. If we thought 999 was mind bending then we needed to buckle our seatbelts. Virtues Last Reward is the sequel, upping the ante in every which way possible! Beware, this episode is full of spoilers and I recommend playing through the series yourself if you have any interest at all!

Available on your platform of choice!

This episode aired on 15/06/2022. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Left Behind Game Club and give them a 5 star rating if you enjoy their content, it helps them out and they definitely deserve it! Have a scroll through their content and I can guarantee there will be some episodes for you.

Let’s Play – Zero Time Dilemma

We completed the Zero Escape series with a full playthrough of Zero Time Dilemma! It took me a while to get used to the different style of this one, but once I did, I was all in. A fun entry to a fun series.

Full playlist available on Youtube!

Review – Telltales The Walking Dead: Season 2 – PS4

The Walking Dead: Season 2 is a direct sequel to The Walking Dead: Season 1 and it’s DLC 400 days, all developed by Telltale Games. Season 1 is widely considered a great game, one of Telltales best. The only comments that I had read before about Season 2 were about how it wasn’t as good as its predecessor. I went in with that in mind and I’ve got to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only did I really like the game, I actually enjoyed it more than the first one, which is something I hadn’t even considered happening.

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The story takes place soon after the events of Season 1 and we take control of a young Clementine. It is difficult to do a plot summary without spoiling anything but I’m going to go with this. Think about the TV show. Remember how in the first couple of seasons, the walkers were the main danger? Then as the seasons go on, other people become even more of a threat than the walkers? Well – if Season 1 is the equivalent of the first couple of seasons of the show, Season 2 is more like the rest of the show. Do you get me?

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In Season 1, I found some of the characters likable but I really hated some of them too. This time around, I found the characters more realistic and relatable. The change in my emotions towards these characters felt natural and I felt the dialogue flowed well. I also thought the pace of the story was good, although admittedly, it was a bit absurd sometimes when things kept getting palmed onto the eleven year old.

In the first season I was dreading what was going to happen next and instead of enjoying the story, I was secretly wishing it was over. This season though I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. I don’t know whether it was because it felt less ‘horror’, or because I could relate to Clem as a main character, or just because I enjoyed the situations more than the first. Whatever the reason, I haven’t yet seen anyone else that feels the same way as me.

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Technically, this game ran a lot better than any of the other Telltale games that I have played. They all have an issue of lag whenever there is action with fast cuts. Every single game. As far as I can remember, I only had this issue once in this whole game, which is a huge improvement. Other than that, it worked perfectly. Just an FYI, there is no platinum trophy for this game. All of the trophies are earned just by playing so by finishing it you will 100% it, but there isn’t a plat available.

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Overall, I just really enjoyed this game. I loved the atmosphere, I enjoyed the characters, I got quite emotional and I LOVED the ending that I got. It was a joy to play and if you have enjoyed the first game then you will no doubt like this one at least a little. Make sure to play 400 Days before you play (if it was included in your purchase of TWD: Season 1 then it will be a bonus chapter, I didn’t even realise I had it till I googled how to get it.), it’s not essential but it is a nice introduction to some of the characters. Season 2 actually had 5 endings so I am intrigued as to how Season 3 is going to continue the story. I went from being indifferent about the sequels to looking forward to the next one which definitely means this game did something right!

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STORY DISCUSSION BELOW. HEAVY SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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Characters –

Clementine – I loved playing as Clementine. She has matured and is growing into exactly what she needs to to be able to survive in this world. She is still sweet and caring but has a sass to her that is perfect. Sometimes she seems to be the most mature person in the group, which I get that people don’t like, but I also think it sometimes makes sense. Being the age that she is, she manages pretty well to take everything in her stride. An eleven year old thinks more about the now, where as adults tend to think more about the past, present and future. Obviously the adults have more life experience, but I can also see how their thoughts can be detrimental, leading to high tension and petty arguments. Most kids growing up in this world are going to deal with it better than the adults because they find it easier to accept the new ‘normal’. With a few exceptions of course.

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Sarah – Sarah was an interesting dilemma that unfortunately didn’t end up amounting to much. From the beginning I could not decide whether she needed babying or whether she needed toughening up. I went down the babying route because she didn’t just seem scared, she seemed more like she had a mental health problem. I managed to save her in the cabin but when the balcony collapsed, I opted to just save Jane instead. I felt bad but at the same time I was a little underwhelmed. I really thought that babying vs being tough was going to come back and bite me in the ass, maybe getting someone else killed or having her step up, but it doesn’t seem to matter either way. I thought she was an interesting character with a potentially interesting arc, but I was just a little dissatisfied with her ending. Although, I did enjoy the comparisons with Janes sister and that some people just can’t be saved. I imagine that would be true should the apocalypse actually happen.

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Alvin and Rebecca – Alvin was the one character that I immediately disliked. He went to the eleven year old and asked her to go in the unchecked room looking for food for his wife. Do it yourelf! He kind of redeemed himself at the end, but to be honest, I didn’t find what he did to be noble so much as necessary. There was no way I could have got him out of the room so if he was staying behind he might as well shoot someone. I really felt sorry for Rebecca. Pregnancy is something that I don’t even have the slightest interest in doing. I’ve seen my sister do it and it looks hard. Now imagine being pregnant with no hospitals and no doctors in a world where everything wants to kill you. It is almost a death sentence. As soon as the doctor died I knew shit was going to hit the fan. I wasn’t surprised when Rebecca died, but I loved how it happened, and I know taking a shot during a Mexican standoff isn’t the smartest thing to do but I thought she was going to eat the babies brains.

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Nick – Nick was a frustrating one. You could tell he was going to be a liability but you could also tell he didn’t mean to be. I saved him over Pete because I thought Pete was bitten, and I do think that his reaction was silly. ‘You could have saved him, why didn’t you save him?’ Why didn’t I save him, why didn’t you save him?! I’m a little girl for Christ sake. But other than that, I think I managed to keep him going as long as I could, and I really appreciated the fact that his death was off screen. I didn’t expect to just stumble across zombie Nick but I thought it was quite cool. Poor dude just wasn’t made for the apocalypse.

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Luke – I liked Luke a lot. He seemed quite real. For some reason I thought he was going to survive to the end but as soon as that ice cracked, I panicked. I went in to save him but I couldn’t. I kept hoping that he was going to pop up after but nope. We really should have walked around the lake. Massive shame that he died but I do wish he could have had a less preventable death.

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Mike and Bonny – I liked these two. I really thought they were part of the group. The night around the bonfire was great, I loved those moments. I seriously cannot believe they did what they did, they were both always nice to Clem. I can understand that they didn’t want to be around Kenny but to take all the food and the car. Traitors.

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Jane – From the first time I saw her I had a feeling I was going to like her. She looked like a badass who knew what she was doing. The time her and Clem spent together was interesting. I felt like Clem was the person she wished her younger sister could have been. I loved the parts when she was teaching her about survival and it was also interesting hearing her views on people and the world. I understood all of the points she was making. I was on board with her, I liked her, I saved her over Sarah, then what did she do. Watching the argument in the car Journey was starting to get a little uncomfortable, then when she was talking about leaving Kenny I was considering her words. When we crashed the car and she got out and ran off, I started feeling very suspicious, then when she came back without AJ the alarm bells were ringing. As soon as he left and she told me not to get involved I put two and two together and knew she was planning to set Kenny up. I wasn’t sure what she had done to AJ but she completely missed the point in my book. She was trying to prove to me that Kenny was dangerous, unpredictable, a killer. But she did not realise that I already knew this, I saw what he did to Carver for crying out loud. I could have already told her that if anyone touched a hair on that baby’s head he would do whatever he felt he needed to do. But for her to manipulate him like that, then try to manipulate me into accepting it, then use the whole thing as an excuse to kill him spoke volumes to me about her personality. I would never be able to trust her again nor would I want to. She had to go.

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Kenny – I feel so bad for Kenny. I feel like he is so misunderstood. Imagine not only losing your silly, innocent Son, but your wife committing suicide at the same time. Within a few moments he had nothing left to live for. People cope with things in different ways and to tell you the truth, I honestly relate to his rage. Now let’s fast forward. Everyone you know is dead, you almost died trying to save/mercy kill some asshole that you didn’t even like, you survive on your own for however long till you are found by someone who can’t fill the void but can provide some comfort. You let yourself fall for her and come across some kind strangers. Things are starting to look up, then the one person that knew your family that is still alive stumbles back into your life, serving a daily reminder of what happened. Your new kind friends get killed, you get kidnapped, beaten to near death losing an eye in the process, then you escape only to see your new loved one die, suffering after having her arm hacked off. Of course you are going to be in extreme depression again by now, but you manage to pull yourself out of it enough to help a woman give birth. She dies but the baby lives, meanwhile the rest of your friends die and betray you, and the last remnant of your family gets shot. You decide to take a father role to the two kids left in your life and take them to the supposed haven with your last shot of hope. On the way, the new girl that you don’t even trust is picking fights with you, then loses the baby that you have sworn to raise better than you raised your own son. I think Kenny was WELL within his rights to flip out. Bashing Carvers face in, raging out at zombies, beating up Arvo and arguing with the group are all things that I think I probably would have done in his situation too, and I honestly don’t blame him at all. I find him to be such an interesting character and I couldn’t be happier with my ending.

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Ending – In the flashback of Lee, he said that part of growing up is doing what’s best for the people you care about, even if sometimes that means hurting someone else. I think a lot of people interpreted that as needing to put Kenny down because of his actions, but I didn’t take it like that. To me, in that analogy, Kenny is the one we care about. Jane has to be hurt (or killed) to protect him because all she is doing is trying to bring out the worst in him and she will not let it lie.

A lot of his other words felt so poignant if you think about Kenny. They were talking about Lilly killing Carley, and how sadness can make you angry. If you ask Lee whether he has ever been like that, he says yes, once. We all know Lee is a good guy but even the best of us can fall off the deep end. He says about how bad things happen to everyone and it can make it difficult to be the same person that you were before. Again, he is talking about Lilly but all I see is the parallels with Kenny. Kenny is full of grief and rage, yes he’s a dick, but he is not bad, deep inside. He will probably never be the same person he was before but part of him does and always will remain, all he needs is a chance to get through the worst of it.

Obviously, from what I have written above, I chose to look away and let Kenny kill Jane. I hoped in the back of my mind that maybe he wouldn’t KILL her, but at the same time, I felt absolutely no remorse when he did. That, followed by finding the baby in a car in a blizzard in the zombie apocalypse, told me everything I needed to know. We needed to press onto Wellington anyway if we wanted a chance at finding Christa. Seeing the change in Kenny when he was just with the kids confirmed everything I thought. Even though Kenny can be seen as unstable and a liability, he is going to do everything in his power to protect Clem and AJ. Absolutely everything. Jane would leave anyone behind in a heartbeat, she all but admitted it. Not Kenny though. Clem needs Kenny and Kenny needs Clem. He looks out for her and she gives him purpose. That is why my heart absolutely broke when we reached Wellington and found out that Kenny couldn’t come in. That is the hardest I have cried at fiction for a while. Kenny was crying, Clem was crying, I was crying, I never even considered that we would get the option to stay. It was a no brainer for me. Without the kids, Kenny would die. Like I said, they give him a purpose. Without that purpose, he would for sure succumb to his grief. There is no way that he would make it and to be honest, they’ve been doing ok on their own. Walls are overrated anyway. All it takes is for someone to die inside and shit hits the fan all over again. TEAM KENNY.

What did you think of Season 2? Did you like Season 1 better? Who was your favourite character? Which ending did you get?

Review – Life is Strange – PS4

Life is Strange is a 5 part Episodic game that introduces us to Max Caulfield – A budding photography student at the prestigious Blackwell Academy. Her day starts as a regular old day at lectures, then suddenly, something happens and she discovers that she can rewind time. After discovering her gift, Max rekindles her friendship with her childhood best friend Chloe and heads out into the weirdest week of her life. The story is very character driven, emotionally charged, mysterious and a joy to play.

I love time travel stories. I’m obsessed with ‘The Butterfly Effect’ – the theory, not the movie (but that’s cool too). However, I often end up either confused by plot holes or unsatisfied by wasted potential. That was not the case with Life is Strange. I thoroughly enjoyed having the time travel ability, deciding when to apply it, seeing different outcomes, solving problems, changing decisions and experiencing the consequences. It was all done so much better than I imagined it could be in my head, with regards to continuity and actual play style.

At its heart, this game had three main themes. Exploration, decision-making and problem solving. There were then the added flavours of mystery, whimsy, and even darkness with some fun moments and some very serious. The game is played in third person with you controlling Max. As you wander around, anything you can interact with is highlighted, including objects, people and animals. As you approach the game tells you which button to press to interact with said object/person/animal. You can look at things to hear Max’s thoughts, chat to people, inspect objects and there are occasional photo opportunities that go towards the trophies of the game. Gameplay is quite easy, if you are going too wrong then Max will sometimes give you a hint but generally the puzzles are easy enough. Like I said, exploration is one of the main factors of the game and if you don’t explore you will miss a lot so don’t be afraid to examine everything in the room before you do something. You can always rewind if you aren’t happy with what you did. There is enough variety in dialogue options to play Max as you want to play her and have your own experience.

The Graphics aren’t great, but I don’t think they are meant to be. They are good but not Beyond: Two Souls level. That doesn’t mean to say there aren’t beautiful moments because there are many. The whole feel of the graphics fits in perfectly with the style of the game. It’s artsy, cute, quirky and beautiful in its own right. The attention to detail is insane. As you explore, read everything and you will just see how much effort has gone into making this a real living world. The posters on the walls, the graffiti, the texts, the journal. You will see what I mean as the game goes on, there are subtle and not so subtle changes. There is also plenty of subtle humor. I love everything about the detail put into this game, I am in awe of anyone that has such a great imagination.

As far as the story goes, some bits are predictable, some are shocking, some are awesome, some are funny, some are heart breaking. If you are a fan of Story based games then I can guarantee it will give you feels. The characters were so cliché but I loved that. It was really great that there was time to actually get to know the side characters. Going from everyone being strangers to looking forward to interacting with them is a great feeling. The only issues I have are 1. Sometimes it was noticeable that the same actor was voicing different parts and 2. Max’s voice could get a little bit annoying sometimes.

The story takes place over 5 days. Each episode is a new day give or take. Episode 4 blew me away and was my favourite of the 5. From beginning to end it had something to enjoy and it’s when the story really starts to get serious and everything starts coming together. In addition to just playing the story, if you look in the middle section of your journal there will be a bunch of sketches for every episode. These are the optional photos that I mentioned earlier. I didn’t notice until I was onto episode 2 but the sketches are a clue as to what the photo is going to be. It added a whole new angle of enjoyment to be on the lookout for what these photos could be. Some weren’t as expected and some made you work to get them. These photos are collectibles, they aren’t necessary and don’t affect the story however it’s probably the easiest platinum trophy you will ever get! Don’t worry if you do miss any because it’s very easy to go back when you have finished the game and mop them up.

Do you like choice driven games? Do you like story driven games? Do you like character driven games? If yes then it is definitely worth playing. It is like the interactive movie genre games with a twist. It is creative, poetic, a lovely story of friendship with intriguing mysteries that will have you laughing and crying. Its hella good.

SPOILERS BELOW. DON’T READ ON TILL YOU’VE COMPLETED THE GAME. SPOILERS BELOW.

When I write a review I like to write down my experience of the story and see how it differs to other peoples. Don’t hesitate to comment if you agree/disagree with something!

I had been suspicious of Mr. Jefferson a couple of times throughout the game but each time he completely changed my mind. One time was when Victoria tried to blackmail him and he completely shut her down. Another was when blaming him in the principles office, I thought it was weird that the option was even there so I rewound to see what that was all about. Nothing suspicious. Slimy SOB. Then in the 4th episode he seemed a bit weird again. Specifically at the party. I don’t know why but I got the creeps seeing him there, he looked out-of-place the second I saw him. When the end was revealed I wasn’t surprised because I sort of suspected it but I still thought it was a great way to end the episode. I was very pleased that I didn’t have to wait months between episodes, that would have sucked.

I didn’t have a clue what to think of Nathan because he had to be in on it. I loved what they did though and it all made sense when it was revealed. I feel very sympathetic to him, poor kid had severe mental health problems that were ignored by his asshole family then he was used by an even bigger asshole pervert, only to realise what he had done and be killed by said asshole pervert. Now that’s traumatic. David gave me a weird feeling too, it was the opposite of Mr Jefferson. I kept believing that he only had the best intentions for him to then go and do something stupid like spy on his home and hit Chloe. Then there was the resentment of him replacing William who was the nicest person in existence. I was so pleased that my instincts with him turned out to be true, he turned out to be a great character, I’m quite fond of him. Everything in the dark room once he rescues Max was what I had been hoping for with his character. The option when he finds out that it was Jefferson that killed Chloe was POWERFUL.

I was really satisfied with my ending. Throughout the game I was sure that we were going to get a happy ending. I don’t know why I thought that, the last two games I completed had me sobbing (Red Dead Redemption and Beyond: Two Souls in case you were wondering). I was sure that we were going to find Rachel Amber and live happily ever after somehow. I hadn’t made the connection that the tornado was caused by the time travel and as soon as Warren said it in the diner it was a ‘Duh’ moment. There wasn’t much time to think between then and the end decision but when it came to it I was still surprised and had to pause the game to think it through. The right option was so obvious to me. In every single alternate timeline Chloe died. Every single one. She was never meant to live. I get the feeling that even if they survived the tornado she was going to get killed again soon. My thoughts are very ‘Final Destination’ but it makes sense. She was never meant to live. If you choose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay, every person that you saved in the tornado chapter would die. I can’t justify that from Max’s perspective or mine. Also, sacrificing Chloe isn’t just sacrificing Chloe. It’s putting time right. The game has clearly shown that you shouldn’t mess with time. From the nosebleeds to the passing out to the nightmare. The world literally cannot handle it. There is no timeline without the eco-disasters except the original one. Who’s to say that sacrificing Arcadia Bay is all that you are sacrificing? That tornado might never end, it might just tear through America, then the world. There might be more eco-disasters. There have been new ones every day and I dare bet that they would keep coming. I feel that the reason they didn’t expand on the sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending is because there isn’t anything else that they can add without making it obvious that it is the wrong choice. Look at what happened in the sacrifice Chloe epilogue. The chain of positive events that were originally meant to happen. I love the fact that it all came full circle and I don’t think there could be a more satisfying ending. As sad as it was it was necessary for the story to make sense. Don’t mess with time.

I KNEW it was going to come back to that butterfly. The whole theory of the ‘Butterfly Effect’ is that a hurricane could be caused by the flapping of a butterflies wings at the other side of the world. I love how they have taken that theory and used it, literally and metaphorically. I’m not a very symbolic or poetic person but I did appreciate the use of the butterflies and the tornado. Having the butterfly then land on Chloes coffin proved to me that I had made the right choice and that this was the way that it was supposed to be. That was their destiny all along. I really appreciate the fact that we couldn’t fix everything with time, and the more you try to change it the more trouble you cause. My only worry is that I have heard they are making a season 2 containing all new characters, I hope this doesn’t completely undermine my theory.

Just a couple of other things that I enjoyed – I really liked Warren for Max. I think they were a good match. They are both geeky, they like the same stuff, she thinks he’s cute, he completely trusts her, they are just completely on the same wave-length.

I was really sad when I realised that I was going to have to let William die again. That was almost as sad as the ending to me. That guy didn’t do one thing wrong. Except buying Chloe a car I guess.

Last one – I really liked the way they told the story, especially when it came to the alternate realities. I can’t think of a better way to catch us up than showing us photos of the changes. It spoke so much without even using words. The time that the photos changed back to being in the dark room my heart sank. It was chilling. I did not expect to end up back there. So well done.

Overall, this was my kind of game. Exploration and problem solving are some of my favourite parts of games. That along with time travel made it great. It was emotional and although I didn’t cry like I have before, there was a tear when the credits started rolling. This was probably because I was so confident that my choice was right. Either way, it was fun and a good game, even for people who don’t game. The only way I can think of to improve it would be to make it longer. Either more episodes or one long game. Then, at some of the photo-travel moments it could give you a couple of photos to choose from. That way you are truly creating your own story because whichever photo you choose changes different things. If this happened a few times then there would be loads of replay value to see where different combinations ultimately take you. Although maybe that is best saved for another game.

What were your thoughts? Were your suspicions right? What was your final choice? Did you cry?

Review – Beyond: Two Souls – PS3

Beyond: Two Souls is a game that follows the life of Jodie Holmes (Ellen Page), a girl who has a permanent connection with an unknown entity named Aiden. The game consists of 24 chapters taking place during different periods of Jodies life. We see the struggles of her growing up with her ‘gift’, including the great things they can achieve and the not so great consequences. We travel through many different settings and environments in many different situations. The game falls into the interactive movie category with elements of action, adventure and a little bit of stealth set in some environments the size of a room, and others in quite open worlds. Ultimately though, this is completely a character and story driven game.

I would say the main genre is sci-fi but there are bits of literally almost every genre included in places. Most prominently are the drama, supernatural and horror with some mystery, thriller, spy-thriller, political and even a bit of western. It felt like a mashup of the Sixth Sense, Resident Evil, Edge of Tomorrow, Titanic, James Bond and many many more examples that won’t come to my head but you will know what I mean when you play it. Each chapter has its own feel. The variety means that, chances are, there is a part that you will love and a part that you don’t so much. I personally enjoyed the quieter chapters more than the action heavy ones but others may disagree. I hadn’t realised before I started that there was a touch of horror to it, I was playing in bed at night in the dark all alone and suddenly I SHAT myself! It’s not by any means a horror game but I think you need to be aware if you are a big wimp like me. Don’t let it put you off though! It’s mainly one chapter and you’ll know which one I mean when you get to it. It’s not so bad it just seriously creeped me out.

Gameplay was quite basic. Walk around and interact with the environment whenever there is a white dot. Press certain buttons as instructed. The combat was strange. When fighting the movement would turn to slow motion and you had to move in the direction that Jodie was already going. That got confusing at times. Sometimes I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, sometimes I didn’t know if I’d done it right or wrong, but either way I didn’t see too many consequences for getting it wrong the odd time. Jodie is played in third person but you can also switch to Aiden most of the time by pressing triangle. Aiden is played in first person and is attached to Jodie by a spiritual cord which restricts the distance you can go with him. He can float through (most) walls, floors, doors, ceilings and can go some places where Jodie can’t. He’s very useful, whether its scouting the area, breaking doors, controlling people or just causing trouble. Combat using Aiden was a bit confusing at times as well as sometimes you couldn’t see what you were doing but it was still easy enough. You have to be quite quick to make dialogue decisions otherwise it will choose something for you. The Graphics were stunning and the music was great. The pacing was a bit weird, I understand why they did it the way they did, it eases you into the combat and the story and creates some mystery. It probably wouldn’t have worked as well chronologically but it just felt a little clunky at times.

I feel like it’s inevitable to compare Beyond to Heavy Rain – same devs, same interactive movie style – however I also feel like they cannot be compared. They share their own genre away from FPS or RPGs but they are also nothing alike. Beyond is supernatural fantasy story following one girl for 15 years where as Heavy Rain is a murder mystery thriller following 4 different people for around 4 days. Heavy Rain was my personal favourite, it was more my genre and I feel like I was more attached to more of the characters than I was in Beyond. I also didn’t feel there were as many choices in this game. It was more dialogue changes than anything else so I didn’t agonize over my decisions like I did in Heavy Rain, or even Until Dawn for that matter. However, the game made up for it in its own way. While I was playing I enjoyed the story but I wasn’t completely gripped like I was with Heavy Rain, that might be because there isn’t a clear aim. In Heavy Rain you are on the path to finding the boy and identifying the serial killer – we know what the end goal is. Where as in Beyond it just felt like we were filling in the blanks jumping between gaps without the full intrigue of what’s going to happen. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t like it as much during my play-through. I did enjoy the payoff though. While I was playing I couldn’t see that there was going to be a payoff moment like THAT moment in Heavy Rain. But I was wrong. I didn’t see it coming but when it did, I just started crying like a baby. I love when there’s a twist that you don’t see coming but it smacked me right in the feels, I was so emotional. The second game in a row I’ve completed that made me cry (the first was Red Dead Redemption).

So overall, I wouldn’t say that if you loved Heavy Rain you will love this game, or if you loved this game you will love Heavy Rain. They are so different tonally, stylistically and narratively. However, if you enjoy the continuous, no ‘game over’, story focused, character driven, follow your instincts, choice making, multiple endings style then you will probably enjoy both games for different reasons like I did. I personally adore the Interactive Movie games and I cannot wait for more in the future.

As far as replayability is concerned, its a little bit slow. The full story is around 10 hrs long. Once I finished I decided I wanted the platinum trophy and worked out that it would take me another one and a half playthroughs to get them all. Once you finish there is a chapter selection page where they are all in chronological order and you can choose where to go back to. Don’t assume that you will play them in chronological order though. The prologue is near the end chronologically but expect to have to play all the chapters again if you choose it. I think the main trophy path is going to be the same for everyone, do your first playthrough on your own. Then go back as far as you need to to change the ending. Once you’ve done that play through again from the beginning getting the rest of the trophies in the process. If you have still missed any after that you can go back to the relevant chapter and mop them up.

A hint for everyone if you are looking to get platinum. Play your first play-through in Duo mode. Then if the trophy doesn’t pop you can do it again on your next play-through. I have every trophy except the Duo mode one yet I played the full game in Duo mode on my second play-through. It will have to wait though because three full play-throughs is a bit much. I did enjoy spending more time in the games universe but it was still very tedious. For the Seen All Endings trophy you have to play the final chapter at least 5 times and watch through the whole epilogue and credits at least 9 times. And it’s not short. I did find the message at the end of the credits touching though. I enjoyed the action scenes a lot more the second time around, probably because I knew what to expect. Basically, on your second play-through it will feel a lot slower, so it’s worth having a break and coming back to the game a while later.

Overall, I would recommend this game, especially to people that are new to gaming. It has a Duo mode where one person can play as Jodie and one can play as Aiden so I would also recommend it to couples and friends. Don’t expect a constant fast paced thrill ride but do expect a nice enjoyable story and just go with the flow. I was blown away at the end. Don’t read any spoilers on the internet, don’t even read the trophies, just play with your instincts and see where it gets you, that’s how these games are supposed to be played.

SPOILERS AHEAD – ONLY READ ON IF YOU HAVE PLAYED THE FULL GAME