Quantic Dream - Beyond: Two Souls Skin Tone Difference Complaints for PS4 'Absurd' and 'Upsetting'

Beyond: Two Souls was recently released on the PlayStation 4 and images have surfaced which appear to demonstrate how the skin tone of certain characters in The Embassy level is lighter than in the original PlayStation 3 version of the game.



"It has been brought to our attention that someone on Twitter published screenshots from Beyond: Two Souls PS4 with comments mentioning that some characters in the Embassy scene would have been "white-washed" compared to the original PS3 version. Some internet sites also echoed this tweet," reads a statement from Quantic Dreams to Eurogamer.

"Beyond is a game featuring 300+ unique characters. The cast features many different races, including some Arab characters in the scene called THE EMBASSY. The scene takes place in what is obviously a middle-eastern embassy, with characters who are obviously from the middle-east, wearing obviously Arabic clothes and speaking obviously Arabic."

"What was reported is that a couple of guards and passers-by in the Embassy appear to have a lighter skin compared to the original game."



The changes in the game are due to the changes in the lighting, as well as the skin shader. That has led to slightly lighter skin tones, however some skin tones are also darker than before.

Additionally, some characters have been upgraded in the PlayStation 4 version when compared to the PlayStation 3 version. This has meant giving some characters new faces, clothing, and accessories. Overall, Quantic Dream believes that only a couple characters out of 300 now have lighter skin tones.

"Talking about the skin colour of two guards in the context of a game like Beyond is absurd, and for me personally, upsetting," added Quantic Dream's David Cage. "Quantic Dream has been actively promoting cultural, gender and racial diversity in all of its past and present games, as well as in our own company. Quantic Dream is a studio in which people from around the globe, of all races and religions work together and share the same passion for crafting meaningful emotional experiences."

"We sadly regret that we have to justify ourselves when the skin color of a passer-by has slightly changed for technical reasons, but we would like to reassure our fans and tell them that Quantic Dream will continue to promote racial and gender diversity in games, as well as positive human emotions and values."