Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Pinball Legends game cover
    Pinball Legends Review
  • Cat Snack Bar Banner
    Cat Snack Bar Review
  • best-betting-apps
    How Have The Best Betting Apps Evolved in 2023?
  • Best-Offline-Android-RPGs-00
    Best Offline Android RPGs
  • Android-Transformed
    Android Has Transformed the Mobile Landscape
  • Scary Hospital 2 zombie nurse
    Scary Hospital 2 Horror Escape Launches on Google Play
  • DevilutionX
    DevilutionX: Play Diablo I on Android
  • Sands of Salzaar 00 title
    Sands of Salzaar for Android Review
  • best-offline-android-strategy
    Best Offline Strategy Games for Android
  • NBA All-World featured banner
    NBA All-World Review
  • Mighty DOOM Official Poster Screenshot
    Mighty Doom Opens for Pre-Registration
  • Magic vs. Metal Title image
    Magic vs. Metal Review
  • SAO VS feature image
    Sword Art Online Variant Showdown Review
  • Tiny Auto Shop 2: Car Mechanic Title
    Tiny Auto Shop 2: Car Mechanic Out Now
  • Idle Pocket Planet Official Title Artwork
    Idle Pocket Planet Review
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • Indie

Before Your Eyes Review

  • November 3, 2022
  • Trevor Wells
Before Your Eyes Key art
Spread the love

Don’t Blink, You’ll Miss It

Surrounded by darkness, I wasn’t sure where I was. An empty sea of nothing. A feeling of dread and hopelessness entered my body. As if a hand grabbed me, I felt my soul lift out of the vast ocean as I heard a voice say “Get away, you mucky fowls. That’s mine.” I am greeted by a dog creature who welcomes me on his boat. Everything he is telling me doesn’t make any sense. He tells me he is the Ferryman and that I need to blink. A feeling of loss, confusion love and regret entered my body. This is what you will feel playing Before Your Eyes.

Before Your Eyes is a first-person narrative adventure where you control the story with your eyes. Blinking to be precise. Developed by Goodbye World Games and published by Skybound Games. The story is told through a soul’s journey into the afterlife. Before Your Eyes takes the idea of a point-and-click game however, instead of clicking you are using real-life blinks. This is done through the blink interaction mechanic on your phone’s camera, so be sure to give permission to your camera before you play.

Before Your Eyes game art

A Heartfelt Journey

The story begins with your death. You find yourself on the ship of the mythical Ferryman. He is tasked with shepherding souls to the afterlife. To help you pass on. He must learn the story of your life. Thus, sending you back to relive the most precious memories of your life. As you traverse through these memories by blinking not knowing where you’ll be going next. This gives you full control of the flow of the narrative, so long as you do or don’t blink. The journey is both joyous and heartbreaking, for the sake of spoilers I won’t tell too much about the story. You watch as your whole life flashes before your eyes. In which the Ferrymen will truly learn who you are. Will you be worthy to pass on to the afterlife?

Immersion

Clocking in at ninety minutes and the small price of a Netflix subscription Before Your Eyes carries the emotional weight of a well-done indie movie, with the immersion of a great narrative story and many choices throughout the game. This is done under the creative direction of Will Hellwarth the creative director of Goodbye Games and the excellent writing of Graham Parkes. The music is composed by Oliver Lewin and really adds to the emotion and vulnerability the game aims for. The creative way Before Your Eyes uses technology is unique and unlike anything I have experienced in a game before. I truly want to see more games from this studio because of how ambitious and singular Before Your Eyes is, however, it does come with one problem.

Game Art

The Truth

The blink interaction mechanic though a great idea and one of the best parts of the game, it’s also the worst part. When it was working the immersion is unmatched by any narrative game I have played on my mobile device. However, in my first playthrough I had to pause the game multiple times to recalibrate the camera at key points in the story. This frustrated and broke the game’s immersion for me. I played through the title’s thirteen chapters multiple times and plumbed all the choices Before your Eyes has to offer. I was so invested in the story that I couldn’t put the game down.

While only having one criticism of the game, it remains a big one. I will say that playing Before Your Eyes is more than a game, it is an experience. The journey is joyous, sad and uncomfortable at times, but you’ll be glad you experienced it. Like a superb movie you’ll be thinking about it long after you’ve played. You’ll be talking to your friends about it like it’s a wonderful movie, whether you’re a hardcore or casual gamer. So, what are you waiting for? Don’t blink or you’ll miss out on a heartfelt experience you will not soon forget.

Is It Hardcore?
4.8

In The Best Way.

A wonderful narrative experience that makes you cry either because you don’t want to blink or because it pulls on your heartstrings.

Related Topics
  • Android Indie Games
Trevor Wells

Trevor is a writer and editor who has a vast passion for the art of storytelling. He has always been an avid RPG player ever since he could hold a SNES controller, with Super Mario RPG being his favorite game. When Trevor is not writing about games, he spends his time as the editorial assistant at Level Up Publishing. A small book publisher specializing in LitRPGs, a genre of writing Trevor knows well.

Previous Article
Time Defenders Key art
  • Reviews
  • Strategy

Time Defenders Review

  • November 3, 2022
  • Trevor Wells
View Post
Next Article
Homeworld Mobile title
  • MMOs
  • Strategy

Homeworld Mobile Review

  • November 3, 2022
  • Daniel DeAngelo
View Post
You May Also Like
Pinball Legends game cover
View Post
  • Indie
  • Miscellaneous
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Pinball Legends Review

  • Trevor Wells
  • March 20, 2023
The Kabuki Phantom Key Image.
View Post
  • Indie
  • Reviews

The Kabuki Phantom: Otome Game Review

  • Trevor Wells
  • December 17, 2022
That's a cow promotional
View Post
  • Action
  • Indie
  • Platformer

That’s a Cow Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • December 7, 2022
No Way to Die Title
View Post
  • Action
  • Horror
  • Indie
  • Reviews
  • Simulation

No Way To Die: Survival Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • October 2, 2021
my friend pedro title
View Post
  • Action
  • Indie
  • Platformer
  • Reviews

My Friend Pedro Review

  • Peter Kochanek
  • September 7, 2021
Mafiosi game logo
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • Reviews
  • Simulation

Mafiosi Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • August 28, 2021
Adorable Home Title
View Post
  • Indie
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Adorable Home Review

  • Peter Kochanek
  • July 3, 2021
best visual novels for android
View Post
  • Best Of
  • Indie
  • Puzzle
  • Spotlight

Best Visual Novels for Android

  • Allison Van Oirschot
  • June 27, 2021
The Latest
  • Pinball Legends Review
  • Cat Snack Bar Review
  • How Have The Best Betting Apps Evolved in 2023?
  • Best Offline Android RPGs
  • Android Has Transformed the Mobile Landscape
  • Scary Hospital 2 Horror Escape Launches on Google Play
  • DevilutionX: Play Diablo I on Android
  • Sands of Salzaar for Android Review
  • Best Offline Strategy Games for Android
  • NBA All-World Review
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.