New title goes beyond cookie-cutting norm

Beyond: Two Souls is one of those refreshing games that resides outside the typical, cookie-cutter style of action games. It’s not a game that revolves around using supernatural powers to battle world domination and exact revenge. Sure, those pieces are in there. But the real story, the beauty behind Beyond, is simpler than that; it’s the story of a life, a person, a girl. Because of her ability to channel an entity named Aiden from the Infraworld (a parallel universe of souls), Jodie Holmes is in a special government program for much of her life, a life that you live with her. Beyond has you live Jodie’s life, to feel her struggle for identity, to experience her need to find a positive place for her gifts, to overcome a tortured past and find redemption.

A unique twist – or for some a hobbling setback – is that the story slowly unfolds in a nonlinear fashion. It jumps back and forth between the lonely life of a child, to the angst-fueled teenage years, to life as a government pawn and the futile struggle of a wanderer. Through it all, Jodie’s connection to Aiden walks a tightrope of blessing and curse.

Here is where choice is intricately infused. You are not only in control of Jodie’s responses in dialogue, but you also decide how far to take Aiden’s actions. Will you remain silent as Jodie clings to some normalcy by going on a date, or will you have Aiden’s jealousy rear up by disrupting the romance? Will you leave certain characters alive or use Aiden to exact revenge for the life taken from you?

Through this, you carve the character you want Jodie to be. Your version of Jodie isn't based on tactical advantage or building stats, like a lot of games, but is based on how you feel about – and with – Jodie at the moment, as well as the history you've shared with her. The game goes one step further. Depending on your choices and performance throughout the game – who you were able to save and those who died – as well as the various monumental choices waiting for you in the final chapters, a score of possible endings await you.

In presentation, few can argue the precision of acting – in body, voice, and character – of our young heroine. Jodie is played marvelously by Canadian actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception), who brings her soft and vulnerable nuances to the role. Much of the game's potential lies in the gamer’s connection with Jodie. Those who do will find the various controller-based tasks (from opening doors to solving puzzles) intriguing and connective. Those who don't will find these hand-holding errands superfluous and repetitive. The former group will find a game that’s rippling with character-driven intrigue and emotion. The latter will find a game that’s drawn out and lacking in action. Regardless, there are plenty of heart-pounding and heart-wrenching moments, when the interactive, musical, and character elements unite with sinuous purpose.

The game is not without its issues. The constant jumping between Jodie's various ages can create a rather disjointed narrative. Sure, pieces come together later, but this atypical structure of storytelling will leave many a gamer feeling disconnected and stranded. While combat is one of the most refreshingly non-lethal systems I've seen since Mirror's Edge, control is cumbersome with its blend of controller movements, thumbstick reflexes, and periodic button-mashing. Also, the impressive design of Jodie is juxtaposed against less impressive character designs. Even Willem Dafoe's character, Nathan, is comparatively stony.

In the fading days of this generation, Beyond: Two Souls is the second, one-two punch – along with The Last of Us – of incredible PlayStation 3 exclusives. With their character-driven, hyper-realistic stories of personal destitution and survival, the next generation, with its focus on the aforementioned cookie-cutter games, will be hard pressed to fill these unique shoes any time soon.

When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.