Beyond Good & Evil

"An amazing game that no gamer should be without."

Beyond Good & Evil has achieved something that very few games have. It successfully combines superb gameplay and beautiful graphics with a storyline that will keep you interested throughout the entire game. Beyond Good & Evil is more than just a game, it's an experience. In terms of sales, this game bombed big time. And it's a real shame too, because it's one of the greatest games to have been made within the past decade. You can find it for under 20 dollars now. Please buy it. It's an experience that you won't soon forget.

BG&E if beautiful. The art work is some of the most interesting I've ever seen. Everything has a sort of surreal feeling to it. Technically, this game is great. The framerate (for the Xbox version, anyway) never drops below 30 fps. The water effects are fantastic, and the character models are beautiful. The planet Hillys is so highly detailed, you'll have a blast just exploring every little corner. I think what makes this game so appealing, though, is the character interaction (more on that later). You play as Jade, a young reporter who (surprise surprise) gets wound up in an adventure that eventually leads to saving the world. It may seem a little cliche at first, but the story sucks you in and is truly original. I applaud UbiSoft for there great storytelling abilities.

As Jade, you're mission is to uncover the secrets behind The Alpha Section. "What the hell is the Alpha Section?" you're probably asking to yourself. They are the protectors of Planet Hillys, or so the people believe. But there's more to the story than meets the eye, and it's Jade's job to infiltrate numerous Alpha Section headquarters and uncover what the Alpha Section is really up to.

I can go on and on about how great the gameplay is in BG&E. But I really only need one word: fantastic. The gameplay is so damn original and appealing. It's hard to put down. On one hand, you have your typical platform game. Running, jumping (although it's more like diving). You've even got your own set of wheels, er, hovercraft's. On the other hand, you've got a stealth game. Hiding in the corners and sneaking around Alpha Section bases take up about 30% of the game. With the other 60% making up platforming, fighting, and taking photo's. Yes, there is yet another gameplay aspect in BG&E. The camera. A huge part of the gameplay involves taking pictures. And in many missions (all of them, actually), you're required to bring back photographic evidence of what the Alpha Section are up to. You might think having all these forms of gameplay might get a little confusing. But it's all put together so well, "switching" is virtually seamless.

Combat is simple. You press the A button to attack. Jade automatically does combo's depending on which direction you're facing the thumbstick. There's even a nifty slow motion type thing that is implemented into the gameplay quite well. Fighting is really basic, but BG&E has so much going for it, it's really not even a big deal. Throughout the game, Jade journeys with a partner. At the beginning of the game, Pey'j (a walking, talking pig) helps you out. Later on, Jade fights alongside Double H (a sort of cliche hero). Both characters have different forms of moves, but they do pretty much the same thing. They both have special "b button" attacks. During combat, if you press the B button, you're companion will stomp on the ground. This stuns the enemies and launches you into slow motion mode. When in slow mo, you can move around a little circle cursor and aim where you want the enemy to go once you hit him. This is a necessary gameplay aspect, and really comes into play when trying to solve puzzles.

As I stated earlier, the character interaction is great. What really puts the icing on the cake is how Jade and the other main characters act with one another. You will "feel" for the characters. You can sense a true bond between Jade and Pey'j. It it emotionally impacts the storyline in a big way.

The soundtrack is also amazingly well done. The sound sets the mood for the game perfectly. The voice acting is top-notch (even the annoying Mammago Garage talking rhino jerks are done by talented voice actors), and the sound effects are great. The game even features a 5.1 DD option for all you people that have the Xbox version. And it sounds pretty decent, I must say. There isn't really any reason to replay it. But, if you loved that game like I loved it, you'll want to replay it anyway!

BG&E is a game that no gamer should have missing from his or her collection. The game is incredibly well polished, it's pretty glitchless. That's it for my review. Now, go down to your local GameStop, or EBGames, or Best Buy or whatever it is you go to, and buy this game!

Graphics - 10/10
Controls/Gameplay - 10/10
Sound - 9/10
Replay - 8.5/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/04