Beyond Eyes Review Commentary

Summary

In this IGN review commentary, Ryan McCaffrey and Dan Stapleton explore *Beyond Eyes*, an Xbox One game that follows Ry, a young blind girl, on a journey to find her lost cat. The game uses a walking simulator format with simple mechanics, focusing on sound and memory to simulate Ry’s vision impairment. While the game’s concept and visuals show promise, the review highlights its underwhelming gameplay and lack of narrative depth, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Despite an emotional conclusion, the game’s short length and minimal interactivity leave it feeling incomplete, earning a middling 5.5/10 rating.

Takeaways

• 😀 The game *Beyond Eyes* features a blind protagonist, Ry, who navigates the world using sound and memory, offering a unique perspective on a vision-impaired experience.
• 😀 The gameplay consists mainly of walking, interacting with objects, and relying on audio cues, which can feel repetitive and monotonous over time.
• 😀 The game's story is very minimal, with very little narrative development or character building, making it difficult for players to form a strong emotional connection with Ry.
• 😀 The lack of story progression and dialogue throughout the game leads to a feeling of emptiness and makes the journey less engaging for players.
• 😀 While the concept of simulating the challenges of blindness is novel, the game does not capitalize on this potential to its fullest extent.
• 😀 *Beyond Eyes* is described as a 'walking simulator,' a genre that some players may find slow and uneventful due to its minimal gameplay mechanics.
• 😀 The ending of the game, though impactful, comes too late to redeem the overall experience, and may not fully make up for the lack of engaging content.
• 😀 The gameplay's difficulty is almost non-existent, as players cannot fail, but there are moments where they can get lost, which is designed to simulate the experience of blindness.
• 😀 The game's visual style is appreciated, with the world revealed gradually as Ry explores it, but the lack of story and gameplay depth leaves it feeling underdeveloped.
• 😀 The overall experience is described as 'mediocre,' with a score of 5.5/10, as the potential of the concept is not fully realized within the game's short length and limited interactions.

Q & A

What is the premise of *Beyond Eyes*?

The game follows Ry, a young girl who has lost her sight due to a childhood accident. The player navigates through the game world as Ry, who relies on her other senses and memories to explore her surroundings in search of her lost cat, Nani.

Why is *Beyond Eyes* considered a 'walking simulator'?

The game is described as a walking simulator because its core gameplay revolves around moving through the environment with very simple controls—primarily walking and occasionally interacting with objects—without traditional action or challenge mechanics.

How does the game simulate Ry's blindness?

The game uses visual effects where the world is mostly hidden, and Ry can only 'see' parts of the environment when she interacts with familiar sounds or objects, evoking a sense of the world from a blind perspective.

What is the primary gameplay mechanic in *Beyond Eyes*?

The primary mechanic involves walking through the environment, where the player guides Ry while she tries to locate her cat. The game's progression is driven by exploration and interaction, with little to no traditional gameplay in terms of combat or puzzle-solving.

How does the game's design evoke empathy for vision-impaired individuals?

The game’s design emphasizes the frustration and difficulty of navigating the world without sight. Through Ry’s limited perception and the sparse narrative, the game attempts to build empathy for her condition by showcasing the challenges of her world.

What are the criticisms of *Beyond Eyes* from the review?

The review criticizes the game for being too slow-paced, with minimal gameplay and a lack of engaging story. While the game’s concept is appreciated, it is seen as repetitive, lacking sufficient narrative depth, and not delivering enough content to keep the player invested.

What aspect of the game is praised despite its flaws?

The ending of the game is praised, as it does manage to evoke some emotional response. The reviewers acknowledge that, although the game is mostly mundane, the ending provided a strong, unexpected emotional impact.

What is said about the game’s story?

The story is deemed underdeveloped, with the reviewers stating that there is little narrative depth. The game provides some basic context but lacks sufficient character development or plot to fully engage the player, making it hard to care about Ry's journey.

How do the reviewers feel about the game’s length?

The game’s short length (around 2-3 hours) is noted, but the reviewers feel that even with its brief runtime, the lack of substantial gameplay or story would have made it feel lacking even if it were shorter. They suggest the game could have been just as ineffective in a 1-hour format.

What is the overall verdict on the game?

The reviewers give the game a mediocre rating of 5.5, acknowledging its potential but criticizing its lack of engaging gameplay and story. While it is appreciated for its visual style and empathetic concept, it ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying experience.