I've always been interested in unique gaming gimmicks. Ones that are either using a very used function of a controller or very obviously just a way to get a headline in a gaming article to sell a big piece of plastic that you will only use for one game *coughsteelbettalionforthexboxcough*. Having a gimmick can ruin or enhance an experience, especially if it's one where you don't need any special skills or equipment to use. Enter “Before Your Eyes”.
Before Your Eyes is an immersive story focused first person experience with a unique gimmick. If you have a webcam, you can control the experience through your eye movements by blinking. You blink to select stuff, blink to skip cutscenes, blink to draw, blink to move objects, etc. There is a mouse option if you do not have a webcam, but to get the full experience you should use your webcam, or in the case of the PSVR2, your VR headset. I played through the game twice, one with the blinking mechanic and one with the mouse. Playing with the mouse almost feels like cheating because there are certain story elements where you are asked to keep your eyes open and there's no suspension or challenge when you can just literally pull your hand away from the mouse for a few seconds. With the webcam, those holding periods feel agonizing and you have to force yourself to keep unblinking for longer then you want it to be, it feels rewarding to do so. The issue with the eye controller is that the game is VERY emotional and you'll start to feel it when you cry, having to blink and you'll see yourself skip important cutscenes because you had to wipe your eyes. So, what is the game about anyway?
You play as Benny, Who just woke up on a small boat in what seems like an ethereal land. A Cat? Fox?...Catfox? with one ear is on the boat with you. This is the Ferryman, and he tells you you're dead and on your way to see the Gatekeeper. He informs you that you will need to give the Gatekeeper a story to see if you are worthy of being brought into paradise. You are then taken to your memories to go through your story, starting from your youth to your eventual death and everything that happens in between.
The story does not sugar coat anything and this is where the premise of the eyes being the controller can falter. A lot of the scenes in this game are very emotional. To the point where you will be crying or have issues with keeping your eyes open. However these scenes are where the game will demand you to keep your eyes open for longer periods of time then normal and this can physically hurt while you play. Again, you can switch to mouse controls at any time, but then it does not feel like a full experience because the game was built around you using your eyes. So if you do play this game, please make sure to do some eye exercises beforehand.
The visuals are very simplistic, but great at showing off the little details that the developers put in with every action. The hand drawn action commands and the pop it gives whenever you make a selection is a good touch that connects well with Benny’s story and background. The feel of the different scenes fit well with the themes as well, with all the memories being set like a play and limited visibility like you would if you had to remember specific events from your own past. The soundtrack fits well with the visuals as well, lots of piano and string music throughout with the occasional percussion and synth sounds that punctuate the memories you will encounter.
Initially I was going to go into more detail about the story of Before Your Eyes, but after writing an entire page and a half about it, I decided against it. This review was going to be a short one anyway since this is a game that you need to experience first hand and it may have a different effect on you. Much like how games like “What Remains of Edith Finch” and “Undertale”, your experience may differ from mine and I wanted to explore my feelings on the game. However, that would ruin the experience for you to go give it a shot yourself. So, I implore you, go play Before Your Eyes. It's a 2 hour experience that you won't forget.
