Life is a unique adventure with nobody having the same experience. Some common complaints about life are that it’s “too short” and “unfair.” Everybody wishes they could fix these errors, but unfortunately, we can’t. “Before Your Eyes” by GoodbyeWorld Games is an interactive story game that pleads with you to appreciate what time on Earth we have and never take a moment for granted.
Your character, Benjamin “Benny” Brynn, was a young boy who sadly died at age twelve. You control Benny on a boat ride through the afterlife with an anthropomorphic fox named The Ferryman. With his help, you will experience Benny’s key memories firsthand to evaluate if he’ll be accepted into the cat-like Gatekeeper’s nirvana.
However, the game doesn’t want you to see everything.
Blink, and you’ll jump ahead in time. The game asks you to use a webcam to detect your blinks in real life, but you can click instead. Although, it’s highly recommended that you at least have a webcam during your first playthrough. “Before Your Eyes” wants to reinforce how life’s precious moments can be missed with the blink of an eye.
While you can only look around in the game, the blinking mechanic compensates by doubling as an interactive tool at certain points. This action can reveal more of a memory’s details without advancing in time.
The time period of Benny’s life is revealed through subtle environmental changes. You won’t fully take everything in if you don’t acknowledge the background. For example, if you glimpse at papers with painted handprints on the fridge, you can deduce how old Benny was at the time.
If you refrain from blinking long enough, you will endure scenarios like overhearing parental arguments or listening to your music instructor’s strict guidelines.
On the other hand, Benny’s mom, dad, and childhood friend Chloe are simple characters redeemed by realistic acting. Their sincerity lets the gut-punches of “Before Your Eyes” hit close to home. Benny’s memories have relatable moments many of us have experienced in our own lives: the heartbreak of a pet running away, love at first sight, or feeling like a genius while mastering a talent.
Realism only makes in-game choices harder because nobody can do everything in their lifespan. It would be heartwarming to see Benny connect with Chloe after their first playdate,but astonishing for Benny to become the next Beethoven on the piano. Do you ignore Chloe’s phone call and keep practicing the piano, or answer it? There isn’t an abundance of choice-making sections, but their gigantic impact matters most.
As the narrative continues, the cartoony visuals become more colorful and surreal in terms of your surroundings. When you sneak out with Chloe and go stargazing, specific stars align and read: “STAY HERE.” This aspect also extends to serious scenes, like when you inspect snarling coming from the front doors with darkness pouring into the room. Hyperbolic elements like these keep you engaged in the moment alongside the powerful dose of reality.
“Before Your Eyes” also comments on entertainment’s effect on some of its audience members when Benny exercises his talent as a writer while sick. Whether it’s books, TV, movies, games, or music, stories can be told so well that it creates a world many would consider an escape. This notion made Benny write about the great life he wanted, only for him to almost forget the one he already had.
All of these smaller elements build the game’s core strength of being one of the saddest video games to date thanks to its emotionally thought-provoking structure.
You genuinely care for Benny. You want the best for him. You want him to grow old, go to college, buy a house, see the wonders of the world, have kids of his own and watch them experience the same thing. It’s sad enough knowing that you can’t change anything—his life is already over.
During its 2-3 hours, “Before Your Eyes” objective of having you try not to blink gradually shifts into seeing if you can beat the game without crying. Being able to accomplish such a connection with characters that we as the players have barely met is an achievement in itself.
“Before Your Eyes” is a game with a tale that will stand the test of time. It’s an immersive reenactment of well-written memories so realistic and relatable that it’s fun to see where they will go after life takes you by the hand. At the same time, it provides strong advice for everyone: Cherish your loved ones and enjoy the little things because time won’t stop and wait.
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