never dry PSVR2 headset among those who chose to try the Before Your Eyes. This truly unique 90-minute narrative experience asks you to put your DualSense aside and relies on the headset’s eye tracking as the primary form of engagement. Instead of using controllers, you can blink to interact with objects, progress through scenes, and look around with your head. If you prefer, you can turn off eye tracking for a more traditional experience, but I would argue that this removes the USP release.
The story is divided into different collections of memories, each presented in a rudimentary block-color art style. Its presentation is basic, but the developers do enough to convey information in each short scene, whether it’s a birthday party or the first day at school. If you piece together the implicit part yourself, you will be rewarded.
The voice acting is outstanding and the 3D audio mix is one of the best I’ve experienced on PS5 so far. This is probably facilitated by the fact that there are moments when we are asked to close our eyes and keep them closed so we can listen to one conversation or sound.
You play as a character named Benjamin who is put on a boat by a wolf in an anorak. At first everything seems very fantastical, but once you start reliving the memories it settles into a more human rhythm of the story. It’s leaning, but it doesn’t feel particularly overdone or preachy.
In fact, I was struck by the short sequences of levity interspersed between truly heartbreaking moments. It’s all very real in a devastating way. That means there are moments when you cling to memories. Inevitably, I just hit my eyes and rushed to the next scene.
Setup can be very slow, and you’ll spend the first year talking to your parents, but in the second half, you’ll recover vigorously and feel rewarded as a result of the connections you’ve formed. You can even leave your own personal mark on the plot, choosing small decisions that help you feel involved in the story.
Not all mechanics work. There are moments when you have to look back and forth at the illuminated keys to play the piano, which is a bit annoying. And I only use eye tracking when I blink. This is mostly correct, but has some weird flaws here and there. But it’s a thoroughly original example of interactive storytelling, and it’s accomplished to a very high standard.
Conclusion
We weren’t quite expecting it before your eyes left a lump in our throats. We imagine it will inspire the vast majority of people who play it. Strong writing, great voice acting, and an excellent 3D audio mix all contribute to an impressively moving campaign and show how interactive media is. Helps show how influential you are.
