Beholder: Conductor, the latest spin-off in the surveillance-focused series, has arrived on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. Published by Alawar, the game shifts the franchise’s signature moral dilemmas from residential housing to the "Determination Bringer" train, tasking players with managing passengers while navigating a totalitarian regime.
Critical Consensus
In a review for In Game News, James Birks awarded the game a 3.5/5 score, praising its ability to adapt the series' core loop of spying and moral compromise to a moving train. The title’s strengths lie in its dark humor—where everyday items like singing or apples can be outlawed—and its branching narrative, which offers multiple endings based on player choices.
Performance and Control Caveats
Players considering the Xbox version should be aware of potential friction in the control scheme. Birks noted that the game is an Xbox Play Anywhere title but observed that using a controller to move the camera and character simultaneously feels "noticeably more awkward than a mouse," making navigation feel less than natural.
The review also highlighted concerns regarding the game's pacing and balance:
- Difficulty Spikes: The "Elite Official" difficulty level was described as "brutally" balanced, with players often struggling to meet required Authority Point targets even when engaging in corrupt tactics like planting evidence.
- Uneven Pacing: The experience is marked by lulls in action, where journeys between stations can feel "pretty dull" due to a lack of frequent incidents or meaningful passenger interactions.
While the visual and audio design successfully captures an oppressive, bleak atmosphere, the review suggests that players looking for a more accessible experience might want to start with the "Intern" difficulty setting to avoid early frustration.