The narrative advances are built around the blinking mechanic, adding an impressive amount of immersion, but it’s also integrated into the game design too. The eye tracking control scheme for Before Your Eyes isn’t just a gimmick. Music is a fundamental aspect of the narrative (again, no spoilers) and the piano accompaniments to the plot truly punctuate the emotion of each scene. What really stands out in Before Your Eyes is the soundtrack. Like life sized diorama’s with a comic book art style, this game is very easy on the eye. Everything on the peripheries is black and the area’s of existence seem to flow like liquid into the dark. Each flashback scene is incomplete without only highlighted area’s blinked into existence. There’s a dreamlike feeling to the art style in Before Your Eyes. The voice actors deliver their dialogue with legitimacy and verve. Their wisecracks at one another feel like they’re written from lived experience of married life. The mother, a composer who’s a constant source of inspiration for Ben, and the father, a professor that’s a pillar of strength, have an excellent dynamic. This bond is formed predominantly by Ben’s parents that have incredibly relatable dialogue and act as unknowing narrators to his life. It’s a credit to the writing in this game that it manages to form a strong emotional connection between the player and a character you never see or hear from. He doesn’t ever say a word during the entirety of Before Your Eyes. This culminates in a satisfying ending, if not a happy one.īenjamin is a silent protagonist. As a wise man once said “it’s the hope that gets you”. The rug is pulled from beneath your feet. It’s not something you can see coming and by the time you do, it’s too late. There’s a darkness there though, left partially seen or unsaid, that the ferryman teases out leading to some heart-breaking revelations. There’s trials and tribulations for sure, but Ben’s achievements are numerous and should impress the tower guardian to the afterlife. Each blink takes the player through his life with a focus on the relationship with his parents.

From his first memories, spent on a beach with his mother, through his school life, passing notes to his friend in class, and beyond, Ben’s life seems like an accomplished one. The lost soul belongs to a person called Benjamin. You’re showing a highlight reel of a life to this ferryman. This enigmatic, logophilic sailor is willing to argue your case in order to help you pass on to the afterlife, but he wants you to show him the importance of your life first. As a lost soul floating down the river, the ferryman fishes you out and brings you aboard his boat. A synopsis shouldn’t spoil anything however The game begins after the lead character has died. I don’t want to spoil the story here because – as I mentioned in the outset – its emotionally charged and I don’t want to undermine its impact.

These mechanics are integral to the narrative of Before Your Eyes. Once that image appears, the next blink will trigger a jump to the next scene. An image of a metronome appears once you can move onto the next section of the story. Each scene of the game also has a limited run time. Aim the centre screen reticule at these points of interest and blink and by the time you open your eyes again, the world will have changed.

Using the mouse to look around the snapshots in time, certain objects show a blinking eye symbol. Instead, it links to a number of icons that are displayed on the screen. You don’t need to hold your eyes open for the entirety of the game in fear of missing something. The blinking mechanic isn’t constantly active however. Close your eyes and the game’s story moves on. It’s simple to set up and works incredibly well, even with my crappy low-quality webcam. Using a webcam to track your eye movements, the game registers when you blink and uses them to progress the story, advance time and interact with the world. The pace of the game and the decisions you get to make can be controlled with the blinking of the players’ eyes. The last few scenes of Before Your Eyes chalked that total up to 4.īefore Your Eyes is a first-person narrative adventure with a unique twist. When I was 11 years old during ‘that part’ of Final Fantasy VII, at the end of Telltale’s The Walking Dead and during the bathtub scene in What Remains of Edith Finch. Before playing Before Your Eyes, I had cried 3 times total while playing video games. A unique control method combines with an emotionally powerful tale in Before Your Eyes from GoodbyeWorld Games.

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