22 Minutes of ‘Beyond: Two Souls’ Gameplay

This year’s E3 has been phenomenal for exciting new IPs from smash hit developers, and Heavy Rain creators Quantic Dream tease us even more with their latest project — which is all but certain to get a Best of E3 award. A 22-minute gameplay preview of Beyond: Two Souls has hit the web, and provides much more detail on some of the scenes shown in the game’s announcement trailer.

Quantic Dream’s latest project expands on nearly everything that made Heavy Rain a jaw-dropping thrill ride and pushes the envelope on what the PS3 is capable of, while keeping it very unique in its own way. Actress Ellen Page (Inception, Juno) is in the spotlight as Jodi Holmes, a young woman who possesses a connection to a supernatural being she refers to as “Aiden.” While this gameplay video, uploaded to YouTube by GameKyo, certainly shows off both characters and their abilities, the developer remains tight lipped about the nuances of the story.

The gameplay video starts off with Aiden moving through the cabin of a train, examining the surroundings and using kinetic powers to mess with some of the passengers — including the protagonist. The sequence appears to take place somewhere in the middle of the game, as the police are currently looking for Jodi, and immediately give chase once she is spotted.

As with Heavy Rain, the gameplay in Two Souls is heavily based on quick time events, which are still fluid and make sense in the context of a given scenario. Combat is also based on QTEs, as Jodi fights off police officers and escapes into a nearby forest.

When things get particularly hairy for her, she is able to summon a powerful kinetic forcefield to protect her and push through obstacles such as road blocks. We’re not yet sure what gives Jodi these powers, or how they are activated, but they are definitely awesome to watch.

After a short running sequence, there is another interesting development: Aiden’s ability to possess human bodies and use them to distract or destroy enemies. This comes in handy several times throughout the gameplay demo, allowing Jodi to survive. Aiden can also interact with large objects such as cars and even parts of buildings, pushing them over to block paths or take care of pesky enemies.

With other subtle additions such as dogs being able to detect Aiden’s presence, and souls leaving possessed bodies when they die, it’s easy to see that Quantic Dream has been working very hard.

Ranters, are you among the many who have caught themselves drooling over this incredible looking title — not to mention Ellen Page’s performance? How do you feel about popular movie actors crossing over into gaming territory?