Beyond: Two Souls has no game over screen, even if Jodi dies

David Cage is not a believer in fail states or game over screens, so even if players let protagonist Jodi die, Beyond: Two Souls won't load back to the last checkpoint.

"I've always felt that 'game over' is a state of failure more for the game designer than from the player. It's like creating an artificial loop saying, 'You didn't play the game the way I wanted you to play, so now you're punished and you're going to come back and play it again until you do what I want you to do.' In an action game, I can get that – why not? It's all about skills. But in a story-driven experience it doesn't make any sense," Cage told Joystiq at gamescom.

Although players have a particular goal in each segment of the game, there are multiple scenarios available after each one, so "failing" just means seeing one of two options rather than having to go back and do something again. This holds true even when the goal is Jodi's survival.

"It's a game about death, so you can imagine that death plays a role in all of this. Actually, it's one of the big discoveries – one of the big mysteries in the game is to discover what's on the other side. And it's definitely not a black screen," Cage promised.

Beyond: Two Souls is a PlayStation 3 exclusive coming in early October.