E3 2012: Quantic Dream Announces Beyond: Two Souls

The follow-up to the twisting drama Heavy Rain doesn't look like it's going to be treading mainstream territory any time soon.  And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Beyond: Two Souls looks to be another gripping, mindbending story from Quantic Dream that explores the connection of life and afterlife.  This psychological thriller follows Jodie Holmes as she grows up with a special connection to the supernatural - granting her powers through a link to some unknown entity.  The player's decisions throughout Jodie's life will ultimately determine her fate and, according to Quantic Dream founder and game creator David Cage, may even answer the eternal questions about death and the afterlife.

Like Heavy Rain, the main draw of Beyond will be its Hollywood-caliber acting and motion capture, pushing the interactive story along to its final chapter.  To this end, Cage hand picked Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception) for the role of Jodie, who, based on the initial video, appears to have fallen into the tortured girl's character extremely well.

While no gameplay elements were shown, the opening video was still a striking example of what Quantic can do.  And, to be honest, in an interactive drama, the gameplay (while important) takes a back seat to the presentation - something this trailer shows is worth watching.

Beyond: Two Souls is a PlayStation 3 exclusive, but currently has no scheduled release window.