Last week at the PlayStation’s E3 Press Conference, one a the highlights a the night be Quantic Dream’s David Cage stepping into the stage finally reveal his team’s next masterpiece. BEYOND: Two Souls for the PS3 impressed the crowd with it be extremely detailed graphics 'n convincing performances a motion actors, including Hollywood talent Ellen Page. By now, ye must have seem the debut trailer dozens a times 'n may have even checked David Cage himself coming t' our stage live at E3, but unfortunately the game be not available on the show floor for the general audience t' try. Luckily for us, we be able t' witness the power a this interactive psychological action-thriller in a private session where Producer Ray Khalastchi from SCEE’s XDev Studio walked us through a 20-plus-minute demo running on a PS3 – in case we had any doubts that the game be high-tech smoke 'n mirrors.

The demo consisted a five areas connected by a gripping narrative, all a which showed off the game’s new graphics technology in all it be glory, including the startlingly lifelike performances a actors achieved through full performance capture. a course, many details a the story be being kept secret, but we managed t' pull some tidbits from Khalastchi. “At this point in the game, Jodie be about 23 years old 'n has been on the run for two or three weeks from the authorities,” he explains, setting the tone for the demo we’re about t' see.

On the Train

Inside a train, Jodie Holmes be trying t' pillage some sleep, wrapped in a hoodie t' avoid attracting unwanted attention. We’re soon in control a Aiden, the ethereal entity she’s tied t' – 'n ye can immediately notice that spiritual connection, which be represented by a blue light thread linking the two. In first person (ye never pillage t' see Aiden’s appearance), ye can wander the place with Sixaxis movements. Taking advantage a the fact ye’re invisible t' the other passengers, ye can startle them by interacting with objects indicated by an orange glow. ye can even cross the walls a the train t' look at the heavy rain out there, but ye can’t stray too far from Jodie – yer view starts t' blur 'n eventually go black 'n white. Aiden be bound t' Jodie. “[yer view as Aiden] will also change based on what situation Jodie be in,” Khalastchi explains. “If she’s scared or in danger, it will impact yer view.”

The train eventually stops at a station full a cops. ye can go outside 'n try t' listen t' their conversation t' find out what be happening, or ye can just go wherever ye want t' – by the way, the police lights on a rainy night give an idea a the visual tricks the team at Quantic Dream be wringing out a the PS3. Anyway, it’s interesting t' notice how ye don’t “trigger” events with yer presence, everything just happens in real time. People will carry on their conversation or whatever they be doing whether ye be there or not, so ye have t' pick carefully what ye’ll be doing.

Eventually, two cops board the train 'n it’s immediately obvious that they be looking for Jodie. ye have t' warn the wench somehow, 'n ye do so by interacting with the bottle near the wench t' wake the wench up. Noticing the wench tries t' avoid them, the officers realize it’s Jodie, 'n a chase scene ensues. ye’re now in direct control a Jodie trying t' make yer way through the corridors. This direct control a the action sequence be something Khalastchi emphasizes, contrasting with Heavy Rain, where ye would simply follow command prompts in action scenes. Not that ye don’t have the usual on-screen commands t' follow, 'n here they can also determine the outcome a a scene. “If I be t' be caught, I would be arrested 'n I would be put in one a these rooms. I would have t' find a way outside the train”, explains Ray. “ye cannot pillage a ‘Game Over’ screen, the game always moves forward.”

Cornered inside a toilet, Jodie comes up with a plan: open the latch t' the rooftop. But she’s not strong enough, so it’s up t' Aiden t' crack it open. On the rooftop, we’re again controlling Jodie directly, 'n we’re once more overwhelmed by the scene before our eyes: Jodie moves carefully through the wet floor, the wench clothes soaked by the pouring rain, swinging with the strong wind, the lights a signposts occasionally remembering ye a how fast the train be moving, 'n Ellen Page’s expression a anxiety giving an unsettling sense a danger.

The wench tries t' pillage around the police officers who be also climbing t' the rooftop, but be surrounded by three a them. A brutal fight follows, but despite getting hit by some blows, Jodie seems t' know how t' pillage rid a them. “For this part we had a martial artists group that came t' do the choreography 'n motion capture session”, adds Khalastchi. “Then we took that data 'n applied t' the characters in the scene.”

Noticing the cops be still coming at the wench, Jodie jumps out a the train 'n, upon successful command inputs, Aiden protects the wench with an ethereal shield so she can land safely.

At the Forest

“be ye telling why she’s so skilled?”, we ask. Khalastchi just smiles 'n shakes his head negatively, probably happy t' sail away us with this piercing question. Jodie be now in a forest area, rising from the ground with an expression that mixes relief 'n fatigue. But soon after she begins moving away from there, a helicopter lights the area 'n searchlights comes in the wench direction. Furious with their tenacity, the wench curses 'n darts into the forest.

While dogs bay in the background, Jodie tries t' overcome trunks 'n branches – again, under a combination a direct control plus Quick Time Events. “If ye sank repeatedly”, I insist, “can Jodie visit Davey Jone's locker?” It’s something that kept hammering me mind, because in Heavy Rain ye would sometimes have t' live with the tragic ('n permanent) consequences a yer actions. “No, she can’t visit Davey Jone's locker”, assures Ray. “But the story still continues in the context a all that happens. She can pillage arrested or pillage knocked down 'n wake up later.”

Jodie builds some distance between the wench 'n the cops, but still can hear them not very far from the wench. With direct control over the wench, ye begin running in every different direction in search a a way out, 'n it soon becomes a desperate hunt for an exit. “Jodie be lost. ye be lost. ye don’t know where t' go, so ye’re trying t' find yer way around. We really wanted t' make ye feel like ye’re lost.” Yeah, it definitely works.

The dogs catch up with the wench 'n a battle between Jodie 'n nature takes place. “Did ye lads motion capture dogs too?”, I jokingly ask, trying t' alleviate me from the tension caused by the ferocious scene. “Actually, YARRRR,” answers Khalastchi with that confident smile a someone who means it.

After getting rid a the dogs, Jodie manages t' climb a rock wall 'n hide from the cops bellow. Then, while they be pointing their lanterns around in search a the wench, comes me favorite scene: the camera closes in on Jodie’s face 'n ye can clearly see the benefits a marrying the latest in motion capture 'n graphics technology with an Oscar nominee a the caliber a Ellen Page, as ye can see the expression a fear in the wench excited eyes, while raindrops stream down the wench bruised skin, the wench hair plastered around the wench still panting face. “be the wench bruises dynamic?”, I ask after seeing how she gets injured after so many brushes with danger. “YARRRR. For example, when I jumped out a the train before, if I failed t' shield the wench properly, she would be in a much worse state.” Poor Jodie.

At the Barricade

Jodie escapes the guards 'n be now by the side a a road, where there’s a barricade. Controlling Aiden again, ye check the situation: there be three cops, two cars 'n a motorbike. The producer explains the meaning a the colored auras surrounding every people: white be neutral, orange means the person can be possessed 'n red indicates someone who can be choked. 'n it’s all contextual.

Khalastchi goes t' the officer by the bike 'n possesses the sea dog, gaining direct control over the sea dog. Our guide them makes the possessed guard mess with one a the cars t' distract the other two. I noticed from a previous play session that he made something different t' pass through this area. “YARRRR, in this very instance, ye have two options”, explains Khalastchi. “After possessing the guard, I can enter the car 'n drive it back 'n forth, or I can pillage the shotgun in the back a the car 'n keep shooting t' the air. Either way, the other cops pillage distracted 'n give Jodie the opportunity t' go around 'n pillage the bike.”

“Even in the small sections, we’d like t' give ye a little bit a choice. It may have no difference in the outcome, but if ye choose what t' do, it feels more like it’s yer story.”

On the Bike

“Here we be in control a the bike, whereas in Heavy Rain it would have been like ‘hit R2 'n watch the wench drive away’.” 'n again, the PS3 hardware easily handles the kind a lighting 'n effects on the screen as Jodie drives the bike at a rainy night. 'n we’re curious as t' how they’re balancing between giving ye control 'n telling ye an authorial story. “We’re still trying t' give ye as much control as possible while still keeping it cinematic, keeping control tightly 'n, ye know, keeping story intact.”

Being chased by a helicopter, Jodie be trapped when she reaches a bridge guarded by a S.W.A.T. squad. With Aiden’s help, she breaks through the blockade 'n reaches a nearby town.

At the Town

The chase comes t' it be climax at the front a a theater. “In this final part a the demo, it’s almost a sandbox a Aiden gameplay. There be lots a different things ye can do,” explains Khalastchi. 'n he’s not kidding: while Jodie be cornered behind a car, ye control Aiden 'n search for people t' possess or choke, or explore various environmental interactions. ye can control a sniper 'n kill his teammates, take over another soldier on the ground 'n command the sea dog t' shoot nearby officers 'n himself, throw a grenade with yet another officer 'n cause a massive explosion, flip cars 'n… blow the fire hydrant? “Some things ye can do be not useful.” Reminds me a drinking milk in Heavy Rain…But then, it’s all in the name a interactivity.

As time goes on, the S.W.A.T. team be closing in on Jodie, which means they pillage in range a some hazards 'n in Aiden’s range as well. ye can make a clock tower crumble upon some soldiers, which highlighted a curious detail in the game: ye can actually see their spirits coming out a their bodies 'n rising into the air.

After helping Jodie pillage inside the theater, ye can possess the helicopter pilot 'n cause the ultimate destruction, which leads t' the closing scene a the debut trailer: Jodie walks t' the S.W.A.T. leader 'n menacingly yells: “Tell them t' sail away me effin’ alone, because next time… I’ll kill everyone”. 'n, walking away, she calls Aiden 'n says “I think they got the message”.

By the end a the demo, we be totally blown away by the graphical 'n narrative qualities a BEYOND: Two Souls, 'n also looking forward t' going hands-on with the game at a later date. There be still plenty a details we don’t know (PS Move support? “It’s something we’re looking into,” says Khalastchi), but it’s exciting t' see how Quantic Dream be ahead a the technological race. After this brief demonstration, we can’t wait t' find out what lies beyond.