Publisher Skybound Games has a history in narrative adventures, given their attachment to Telltale's iconic The Walking Dead games. They've struck gold again with the upcoming first-person narrative experience Before Your Eyes, a game that will pass you in a literal blink of an eye.
No, seriously, a literal blink of an eye. Before Your Eyes' trademark feature is an innovative method of advancing the story with your own blinking. The game has other options to allow for plenty of accessibility, but playing the game as the developers intended is an emotional experience we simply weren't prepared for.
Before Your Eyes, as with many other indie and small form stories, begins exactly where you expect it to: with death. The death is yours, but your soul has been pulled from the seas by the mysterious Ferryman. All you are, really, is a floating eye, so you're able to communicate with him via blinking. He's taking you to be judged, but first, he wants to know if you're worthy of moving on -- so you have to tell him your story.
What follows is a story where you are equal parts passive observer and master of your destiny, as you proceed down a story that at first feels like a game about gifted child burnout. You're a child prodigy who cannot find their way, struggling to keep up with the demands of a mother who cannot live up to her own expectations and a father who just wants you to be happy, all while coming to grips with the realization you've met your first love. You've got all the hallmarks of a happy life and all the dourness of a lonely, sad child.
The game's controls keep you firmly in your role for the story. For most interactions, it's as simple as pointing your cursor at an object and blinking. Sometimes this will allow you to interact with objects, like jotting down notes or playing a passionate piano solo. Other times, it will expand the world, pushing back shadows of inky blacks that obscure the world just outside of view or allow you to see small, magical things otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Most haunting is the game's repeated use of the metronome. When you see it ticking at the bottom of your screen, the next blink will advance the story forward, but you can't control how fast. Sometimes it's mere seconds or hours; other times, it will be weeks or even years. The metronome remains a consistent theme, and in one particular scene can become downright haunting.
The game's blinking mechanic is incredibly engaging but not perfect. That's by design, though. Trying not to blink is incredibly difficult, and I often found myself accidentally moving forward when I didn't mean to. Fortunately, the game has the good sense to keep you from being able to accidentally advance during it's most significant story beats. Still, you may have to replay a section or two if you missed an interaction you were invested in seeing.
Graphically, Before Your Eyes has a unique, playful style, bordering on the surreal but with character designs that remain instantly recognizable as time goes on. There's a real sense of character to the game, and the incredible voice cast aids it. Before Your Eyes may be a small indie title, but it is a captivating experience with a ton of heart and emotion backing it.
There's more to Before Your Eyes than this, obviously, and when the game inevitably calls your bluff, things don't get any easier for you -- but we won't spoil that here. Before Your Eyes is a game that definitely needs to be experienced. And you can experience it, for better or for worse, in a reasonably quick amount of time. We finished Before Your Eyes in about an hour and a half, and while there is some replay value in the form of alternate paths, they only lead to slightly different story scenarios. Fortunately, a chapter system will allow you to quickly revisit the story to view those stories' flip side.
Though the journey may change, the game's destination remains the same, but what a journey it is, and what an emotional destination the game sends you to. If you're a fan of the growing narrative adventure genre or just want an engaging, emotional experience with a unique control scheme, Before Your Eyes definitely deserves a spot in your game library.
Developed by GoodbyeWorld Games and published by Skybound Games, Before Your Eyes releases April 8 on Steam.
CBR was provided with a copy of the game by the publisher for review purposes.