Beyond Eyes

58%
Game Brain Score Based on 812 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Beyond Eyes Game Cover
Over quickly and hardly exhilarating, but illuminating in a way games rarely bother to be.
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"Beyond Eyes" is a visually striking adventure game that tells the story of a blind girl, Rae, as she explores the world around her. Through her senses, players will help Rae navigate her surroundings, meeting various animals and overcoming obstacles. The game's unique art style and emotional narrative create a memorable and immersive experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 812 reviews
story156 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • Beautiful watercolor art style that creates a unique and immersive atmosphere.
  • Innovative gameplay mechanics that simulate the experience of being blind through sound and touch.
  • Touching story that evokes strong emotions and encourages empathy towards those with visual impairments.
  • Extremely slow movement speed that can lead to frustration and boredom during exploration.
  • Lack of clear direction and guidance, making it easy to get lost and prolonging gameplay unnecessarily.
  • Short playtime (around 2-3 hours) that may not justify the full price for some players.
  • story522 mentions

    The story of *Beyond Eyes* centers on Rae, a young blind girl searching for her lost cat, which evokes themes of exploration, loss, and emotional connection. While the game's visuals are praised for their beauty and the narrative is described as touching, many reviewers criticize the pacing and simplicity of the plot, suggesting it lacks depth and engagement. Overall, the experience is seen as a unique, albeit slow, interactive story that may resonate more with those seeking a gentle, artistic journey rather than a complex gameplay experience.

    • “The story is charming, albeit brief, the gameplay uniquely shares the experience of what it may be like to experience the world through the eyes of a child with blindness, and the visuals are beautiful.”
    • “Beyond Eyes is an absolutely stunning game, both visually and story-wise.”
    • “The journey you share with Rae truly does make this a heart-warming walking simulation story.”
    • “The plot for Beyond Eyes is both nonexistent and depressing.”
    • “The story itself was easy to figure out yet, it did something to ya.”
    • “There's more or less no story, nothing to make you care, nothing to make you attached, nothing that makes you hope to find the cat.”
  • graphics268 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful watercolor art style, which creates a charming and immersive atmosphere that enhances the emotional experience of the gameplay. Many reviewers appreciate the unique visual presentation that reveals the environment as the player progresses, likening it to a living painting. However, some critiques mention that while the visuals are stunning, the slow pacing and repetitive gameplay can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are fascinating, like a watercolor painting come to life, and the protagonist is totally adorable.”
    • “The dreamy, watercolor aesthetic is a beautiful backdrop for the small pieces of the world that are revealed to you.”
    • “The art style, and watching the world form and change around you, are wonderful experiences in and of themselves.”
    • “Dull world - graphics give nothing special, and it's very repetitive when it comes to textures.”
    • “Worse, the journey to that point far overstays its welcome; the first half-hour of the game is the wonderful appreciation of the visual (both the in-game graphics and the ability to see) but after that the lack of variety in gameplay and setting - it's just aimless wandering - quickly takes its toll.”
    • “The story is empty, and though the graphics are pretty, they hide an overall obsession with the gimmick of a blind girl.”
  • gameplay252 mentions

    The gameplay of "Beyond Eyes" is primarily a slow-paced walking simulator that emphasizes exploration and discovery through the unique perspective of a blind protagonist. While the game features creative mechanics that aim to simulate the experience of blindness, many players find the gameplay to be tedious and lacking in depth, with minimal interaction and repetitive tasks. Overall, the artistic visuals and emotional narrative are praised, but the gameplay often feels frustratingly limited and unengaging.

    • “The gameplay is new, discovering the world with the sounds and smells is an original concept.”
    • “The game is beautiful throughout, and the mechanics are creative.”
    • “It's an enjoyable journey and interesting mechanics to reveal the world as you progress through the story.”
    • “The story didn't grab me at all and the gameplay was a slog to get through.”
    • “Unfortunately, there simply isn't much gameplay, and I am not referring to its short duration (the game can be fully completed in a little over an hour).”
    • “The gameplay feels really slow and frustrating.”
  • emotional160 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its depth and ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players reporting tears and heartfelt connections to the story of a blind girl searching for her cat. The combination of beautiful watercolor graphics, a touching soundtrack, and a slow-paced narrative enhances the emotional experience, though some players found the gameplay mechanics frustrating. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a poignant and immersive journey, despite its potential to be heart-wrenching and sad.

    • “This game is really deep and touching.”
    • “The journey you share with Rae truly does make this a heart-warming walking simulation story.”
    • “It's gorgeous and heartwarming, and it reminds me of one of my favorite books that I read many years ago called A Mango-Shaped Space (and made me ugly cry the same darn way!).”
  • music125 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional resonance, with calming piano pieces that enhance the overall atmosphere and storytelling. However, some players noted that the game could benefit from more environmental audio to maintain immersion during slower gameplay segments, as there are moments of silence that detract from the experience. Overall, the combination of lovely music and striking visuals creates a unique and engaging atmosphere, though opinions vary on the sufficiency of the soundtrack throughout the game.

    • “Wonderful music and sound effects in combination with really touching watercolour textures create a unique game atmosphere.”
    • “The fact that the premise is exceptionally sweet, the environments are charmingly lush, and the music is equally calming doesn't hurt this game's case either.”
    • “The world is beautifully modeled, textured with watercolour effects, and the music is unintrusive and touching (piano pieces), making the entire experience purely positive.”
    • “It is dull, boring, lacking in dialogue, soundtrack, and story.”
    • “Aside from the sound effects, there's hardly any music.”
    • “But after a while, I played my own selection of piano music in the background so the game would turn at least a bit less dull and quiet.”
  • atmosphere46 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, touching watercolor textures, and immersive sound design, creating a unique and often emotional experience. While many players appreciate the relaxing and artistic ambiance, some feel that the lack of a compelling story detracts from the overall impact. Overall, it is described as a wholesome and atmospheric journey, particularly effective in simulating the experience of being blind.

    • “Wonderful music and sound effects in combination with really touching watercolor textures create a unique game atmosphere.”
    • “It's a very wholesome and atmospheric experience, which I highly recommend if you want a quiet evening in the countryside that makes you feel things in a good way.”
    • “Beyond Eyes brings the heart and imagination within a unique atmospheric journey of the senses and the challenges of those who have no sight.”
    • “There were times I was distracted from the atmosphere thinking of the work it must have taken to create some of the effects.”
    • “The game works hard to set up the proper mood and atmosphere, but ultimately it is all wasted: the game just ends when the girl <rot13d for spoilers>qvfpbiref ure xvggl vf qrnq.”
    • “While light on story and gameplay, this game bleeds atmosphere.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its slow and tedious pace, which many players find frustrating and boring. While the game aims to evoke empathy for blind individuals through its design, the lack of engaging actions and the clunky controls detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of tedium that makes players consider quitting. Despite its beautiful visuals and emotional story, the gameplay's repetitiveness and slow movement significantly diminish its appeal.

    • “I really wanted to like the game, but it's just so tedious, and after an hour, you just don't want to do this anymore.”
    • “There's a very beautiful game here, but you'll also have to put up with a very tedious pace.”
    • “The length of gameplay also doesn't justify the price, and I've still considered giving up halfway through because of how tedious and frustrating this is.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some reviewers finding it awkward or lacking compared to titles like "The Stanley Parable." While some moments, such as "date night," are noted for their comedic value, others suggest that the game leans more towards meaningful storytelling rather than a strong comedic focus. Overall, the humor is seen as a mixed bag, with some appreciating its quirky charm amidst a deeper narrative.

    • “I mean, walking simulators are always a little boring, but at least Date Night was funny and Gone Home had something to figure out.”
    • “Don't go extracting hidden meaning and touching moments from games and characters that aren't there - buy this instead - a fun, meaningful, touching, funny, sad little beauty.”
    • “Isn’t it kinda funny that a game about blindness is so gorgeous?”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many users suggesting that players should take their time during the initial playthrough to fully appreciate the experience. The gameplay is described as lackluster, and some feel that adjustments, such as increasing walking speed, could enhance playability without sacrificing the intended atmosphere.

    • “There is not much replayability value -- I suggest you take your time and have a thorough first go at the game and the experience it offers.”
    • “- Lacklustre gameplay, very little replay value.”
    • “I think if they sped up the walking a little bit they could have sustained the idea of it, her tentative walking because she is sensing her surroundings, while also making the game more playable.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly and performing well, contributing to an overall positive user experience.

    • “It is neat, yes, it runs smoothly.”
    • “Performance is great.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, users report a stable experience with no major glitches encountered. However, some issues were noted, including a buggy fullscreen mode on Mac and a lack of options, which may affect overall satisfaction.

    • “I could write a lot about the lacking art assets, lack of options, buggy Mac fullscreen, and the high price point.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Many users express a desire for deeper character development, indicating that the existing narrative leaves them wanting more growth and exploration of the characters' arcs.

    • “I kind of yearn for a bit more character development afterwards.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

54% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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