Beyond Good & Evil

"Perfection in a oh, so small package"

Beyond Good & Evil is an Action\Adventure game developed by Ubisoft. It's been quite a long time since the last time I've played a similar kind of game. It brings back good retro gaming fun but in a whole new package. It is quite original and entertaining with only ONE and BIG problem…

Story: 7/10

Overall the game is very good in every section so I expected a better storyline, but what the heck the one here isn't actually bad, but it could be better. You are in control of Jade a reporter on the-planet-whose-name-I-don't-remember and you live happily with your friend the humanoid pig Pey'j, (?), and a bunch of orphans. Suddenly an invasion by the alien race of the Domz ruins your day. Like the hero you are you set off to learn more about them and destroy them. There are a couple of twists in the game to make the plot a bit better and also the general directing is actually quite good so you won't be bored. Although all the characters look very cartoonish don't worry the story is actually good and not childish at all, not that it is something special but it will get you “in” the game.

Graphics: 9.5/10

Very, very, very good artwork here folks! The world of BG&E is a real living world, very detailed and with strong character. Nothing in the game will remind you of something else you've played since it has its own unique style. The game takes place in a veeery detailed and vast futuristic version of a Venice-like city, with vehicles flying around, or moving on the surface of the sea and what a sea is that!!! It reflects everything perfectly and when you move with your hovercraft on it you leave big and realistic ripples. The city is full of large buildings that are a mixture of classic and sci-fi architecture with some medium sized mountains\islands in the ocean around you and a great looking sky above that changes depending on the time of the day.

All characters as I said before look very cartoonish but I don't mind that all since they have excellent and unique design and animations and I'm not only talking about the main characters. When in a town you see people of various races, (I don't mean human races of course), walking around and doing their stuff giving a feeling of a real world something I absolutely love in a game, I don't need a genius-made graphic engine as long as the game has atmosphere and that game has atmosphere. My favorite character though is the protagonist who although a female isn't the typical sexy lass like in most games but she also isn't a boring average looking character. Actually she is quite unique both in terms of personality and overall looks. I can't describe it exactly but she looks like a mixture of an African, Asian and Caucasian woman at the same time, she looks like a cartoon tomboy, but at the same time feminine and realistic.

A final note… have you seen the Matrix? Of course you have… Do you remember what was the dominant color of the movie? Yup, it was green alright… the whole movie was filled with that color even in places that shouldn't be green… the same goes for this game. Jade is dressed in green, her skinned has a slight tone of green, she wears green lipstick and has big and beautiful green eyes and the same goes for all the areas of the game and that, in case you haven't figured it out already gives a great and unique look to the game… apart for those who have some sort of greenophobia or something… (lame joke I know)

Sound: 8/10

Like everything in the game the music of BG&E has a unique style and isn't similar to any other game. I can't really give the music genre a name because it is quite strange… it is a mixture of ambient piano tunes, a bit of jazz, blues and rock, a bit of trip-hop and many more thrown in a bit pot creating a nice variety of atmospheric themes that fit to the game like a glove. When sneaking the music becomes very… “sneaky”, when you fight things get a bit more lively and so on…

Good voice acting, although a bit cartoonish for some characters like Pey'j and the human character whose name I don't remember. I don't have a problem with that actually since all dialogues are very good, much better than other, more “serious” looking games. Also excellent work on the ambient sounds, like people talking in the streets and various special effects that give each area the right feel.

Gameplay: 8.5/10

What I love in this game is the fact that is mixture of various gameplay styles. The basic thing you do in the game is talk with people in order to get clues and then get your hand dirty with some action. By action I mean either some good ol' fighting or a bit of sneaking and puzzle solving. Fighting with Jade is easy and fun. With the help of your big, errr… stick you hit your enemies in fast paced battles that although a bit easy are quite adrenaline pumping in some occasions. A thing that I liked considering the fighting part of the game is that each enemy required a different strategy, unlike other games where almost all enemies are the same with slight offensive\defensive differences. The best battles though are the boss fights which are the most entertaining ones. The only bad part here is the fact that the game is mainly based in sneaking rather than fighting with your enemies. When talking about stealth tactics don't expect the next IGI, Splinter Cell, Thief or Metal Gear. BG&E is much simpler in that section but still remains very good and requires a lot of thinking in order to avoid being seen by the enemy forces that usually outnumber you.

That is the main part of the game but that's not where it ends. You'll get to drive some great looking vehicles that feel very natural to use and do battle or take part in races with them. You'll find yourself running from large groups of enemies while trying to avoid traps in some very fast and adrenaline pumping parts of the game, you'll do some platforming ala Tomb Raider, you'll have to solve puzzles in order to obtain some items or to move on. In many parts of the game you'll have another character along with you that can help you with the use of their unique abilities… oh, yes they even fight along with you!

As you see Beyond Good & Evil is filled with different gaming styles and all of them aren't here in order to make the game look larger, the game is truly fun. I've kept the best and strangest part of the game for the end. At the start of the game you are given a mission to photograph all the species of your planet in order to send them in a company that will create some sort of encyclopedia. That thing sounds simple but it is extremely fun and guarantees that you'll never get bored in the game. Many of the animals that you have to photograph hide in the strangest places in the world and getting a picture of them isn't as easy as it sounds. After getting a number of snaps you get paid with Purls, some sort of an illegal currency only accepted in the black market where you'll be able to buy weapon and vehicle upgrades and even some tools that will detect animals while in an area.

Now it is time for the only, truly bad part of the game... it's length and its replay value… BG&E is one of the shortest games in existence, meaning that it can be completed, (and I mean 100% completed), in 1-3 days depending on your skills. Also after completing it there aren't many things to do. You'll most likely find everything in your first playthrough so I doubt that you'll ever play this game for a looong time…

Positives:
-You'll fight, sneak, drive vehicles, shoot stuff, solve puzzles and many, many more
-The species photographs sub-mission
-Very good audiovisual quality that create a vast realistic world that looks truly alive
-Great variety of unique music themes

Negatives:
-Veeery, short and with 0 replay value
-The plot could have been a bit better
-Only a few fighting involved

Also Play:
The Legend Of Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time, (N64)

Overall: 8.2/10

Another great example that sometimes unknown games are even better than most popular titles out there. Beyond Good & Evil is an excellent experience that unfortunately last for only the few hours needed to complete the game. If you don't have a problem with great one timers and if you happen to find it at a low price, (something usual with this title), buy it!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/08

Game Release: Beyond Good & Evil (EU, 12/05/03)