"Ubisoft delivers a sleeper hit in my 100th review"

Beyond Good and Evil is often called a "sleeper hit", and for good reason. Released on all three consoles and PC, the game accumulated very little sales despite monstrous critical acclaim. While the game definitely feels "console-y" for a PC game, it retains just enough of the free-roaming adventure aspects pioneered with PC adventures that anyone looking for a solid (and by now, cheap) PC game should look no further. Ubisoft is more or less associated with high production values, with games like Rayman and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell on the forefront of their records. It isn't surprising, then, that Beyond Good and Evil is such a good game. What is surprising, however, is that the game received basically no publicity from Ubisoft and basically feels like unfinished business. All of the mechanics are in place, but the game itself just isn't long enough nor does it have enough extra things to do. Nevertheless, great production values and gameplay offset many of my small gripes with the game.

The story is simple enough. Jade is a girl who lives in a lighthouse on the planet Hillys. A cosmic battle between the Alpha Sector and the Dobz wages, and you're caught in the middle. Many of Hillys' citizens distrust the Alpha Sector, so it's up to you to take your camera and infiltrate the so-called friendly Alpha Sector bases.

Graphics

Not exactly revolutionary for PC, but great character models and surprisingly unique water effects make the game come alive. The PC version benefits from high resolution textures and smoother framerates. Jade looks fantastic, and the special effects are vibrant and effective. It's not a game you'll be ranting and raving over (graphically), but it looks good enough to be a PC game and not just a console rip.

Sound

Excellent music and mostly good voices, but don't expect anything to be particularly memorable.

Gameplay

Imagine Zelda, Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid, and Star Fox mixed together. You have your traditional item-collecting and upgrading ala Zelda, your "items that unlock the next stage' ala the stars in Mario 64, your stealth action ala Metal Gear Solid, and your vehicular shooting/racing ala Star Fox. The surprising thing is that all of these modes are well-done, although the camera can be a pain in the butt during inopportune moments, the game plays smoothly and isn't particularly cumbersome. The simplistic console-style interface is still here on the PC (although I think it would've been better with more PC-oriented menus).

There's not a whole lot of optional things aside from collecting Pearls (basically like stars in Mario 64, as they unlock parts for your ship which let you access new areas), and there's very little incentive to collect all of them. Even worse, the game is pretty short and the storyline doesn't have much impact (as it goes by quickly and is pretty cliche). What a shame that such great game mechanics are being limited by a decidedly "rushed" storyline. Nevertheless, it's a good game that shouldn't be missed.

Overall

Beyond Good and Evil does a lot of great things, but it will leave you craving for more. The storyline is somewhat incoherent and you aren't given enough information to really understand why the heck you're doing all these things. Still, the gameplay is great and the production values are stellar. A worthy purchase for anyone looking for a quick but rewarding diversion.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/06