by Brian - July 18, 2004

Beyond Good & Evil suffered from a bloated release date (Christmas 2003). It didn�t stand a chance against the hyped up games such as Prince of Persia, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga released around the same time and so it went virtually unnoticed until Ubisoft dropped the price to compensate for overproduction of the game. After playing the game for myself many months later, it is utterly shocking because this is one of the best games I have ever played.

Breathtaking

Meet Jade. A young freelance photographer who takes care of war orphans in her lighthouse turned home with her Uncle Pey�j, a humanoid pig. They live on the planet Hillys, which is under attack by the evil alien race called the DomZ. The Alpha Sections, an elite division of the planet�s army, protect the people of Hillys from the alien threat. Or do they? The IRIS Network, deemed terrorists by the government propaganda machine, claims that the Alpha Sections and the DomZ are one in the same. They publish a newsletter detailing their claims every so often. The story begins with the Lighthouse being attacked by the DomZ. Jade and Pey�j successfully defend their home only for the Alpha Sections to show up second after their triumph. Of course, the news reports that the Alpha Sections have once again successfully fended off the DomZ attack. After the attack, Jade and Pey�j receive an Mdisc (storage devices used on Hillys, also used to save games) detailing a mysterious and dangerous mission that they have been summoned to complete which will serve as an initiation test to join IRIS. Meanwhile, people in Hillys are being abducted left and right. Armed with nothing but a camera and a Dai Jo staff she sets off on a quest to infiltrate and expose the Alpha Sections for what they really are.

While on paper (well, this isn�t really paper but still) it might not sound like a great story, take my word for it. The story is engaging, sophisticated and deep at the same time. The game is very character driven, emotional, and there are plenty of twists to keep you interested through the entire game. I couldn�t put down the controller for hours just because I wanted to see what happened next.

The game has many different things to do as well. It plays very much like a Zelda game, but it is no clone like Star Fox Adventures. Rather, it does everything that you would expect from a Zelda game, but its not. If Nintendo had made this game I�m sure this game would have been off the store shelves quicker than they could come in. Instead, Ubisoft�s Michael Ancel, creator of the Rayman series, delivers to us a game that rivals and is in some ways better than the Zelda series in polish, story, and gameplay but got none of the hype. Regardless, the game will have you piloting a hovercraft that you will upgrade throughout the game, piloting another vehicle that is a spoiler, and competing in a slew of mini-games. Most of the time, however, you will be on foot navigating the various Alpha Section occupied areas. Most of the time you will have a companion who will help you. It will either be Pey�j or Double H (Another member of IRIS, who happens to be in the Hillys army) depending on the mission. The computer controls the other character with surprisingly good AI. I never had to get my partner unstuck from a wall and they can hold their own in battle, which is a major plus. Each of them can use a special move to help Jade, which is controlled by the B button.

Combat consists of two buttons, one to attack and the other to dodge. Despite being simplistic, the system works very well because the game is not combat oriented. Still, some of the combat moves look beautiful and are fun to do. Later in the game you will also get a disc launcher that will help you in defeating the Alpha Sections and is very useful in a lot of the puzzles.

Each level is pretty much just a matter of getting to the next room using different methods such as stealth, combat, distraction, but the bulk of the gameplay comes from a variety of different puzzles such as restoring power to an elevator or knocking out the power to an electric barrier. Again, this may sound simplistic, but it is incredibly immersive and damn fun.

A style all its own.

The graphics in Beyond Good & Evil are neither incredibly realistic, nor are they cartoon-like. It has its own unique style that blurs the lines between CG and cel-shading, and it looks perfect for the game. The character models and textures are amazingly detailed and the animation is simply stunning. Its no wonder that they chose the name Jade for the main character because she is dressed head to toe in green, has green eyes, and wears green lipstick. There is a predominance of blues and greens in the game. Although not the best I�ve ever seen, the water effects in the game are pretty darn good as well. In some of the caves, the light will reflect off of the water onto the walls and ceiling creating an assortment of realistic shadows and even ripple effect shadows that look amazing. The cinematic sequences use the in-game engine and thus are even more beautiful and are brilliantly directed.

The thing that really puts this game over the rest is the facial expressions and animations. The way they animate the expressions makes it feel like an interactive movie and they portray real emotion. Because of this the characters feel very human (even the ones that aren�t exactly human) and they ooze with personality, which is something that most games fail to achieve. You will feel their emotions and struggles as you progress through Beyond Good & Evil whereas most characters in video games are static or unchanging. This is what really separates the good games from the great games in my opinion.

Unfortunately, there are some camera problems in some of the areas of the world that can�t be overlooked. This is the only real flaw graphics wise.

I actually got the Soundtrack

After finishing the game, the first thing I did was download the soundtrack (its not available for purchase). The musical scores in Beyond Good & Evil are some of the best I�ve heard in quite a while. The tracks vary from fast paced percussion, to soothing and joyful, to dark and mysterious, and even the rap-like song in a strange (possibly made-up) language used in the mini-games. The music does an amazing job at creating and maintaining the atmosphere that the game portrays.

The voice acting is also incredible. Although not as good as some celebrity voice actors, the voice talent for Beyond Good & Evil fits their characters perfectly. Each has their own personality, and their voices definitely do a good job in maintaining that feel. The ambient sounds and game sounds are also good quality. When the IRIS Network publishes your reports, protestors will begin flooding the streets of Hillys and you will hear their cries as you walk through the city. More and more will join the fray as you publish more of your stories.

It's a blast

This game was literally a blast to play. I couldn�t put it down and so I beat it in less than three days but I have already started playing through it again. The game�s short length leaves more to be desired, and even though there isn�t really a reason to play through it more than once, other than that it tells a great story, you will definitely get your moneys worth. Of course, there are also several mini-games that are fun to play. There are four different races in which you can compete with your hovercraft, and there is an air hockey like game to play in the bar, so even if you beat the game a few times, you can always go back to play these for a quick fix.

I want more!

The only thing that this game suffers from is its short length. It can be beaten in less than 15 hours, 10 if you rush through it, which isn�t a smart idea in my opinion. You should savor the experience because there are a lot of memorable moments in the game. It really leaves the player wanting more though because the 10-15 hours that you do get are an incredible experience. If there were another 10 hours of gameplay in Beyond Good & Evil it could easily have gotten a 10 out of 10. Other than that, I see no problems.

Get this game. Now!

Beyond Good & Evil is one of the best games I have ever played. I wouldn�t hesitate to call it this generation�s Ocarina of Time if only it had been more successful at launch. You can change that though. Stop reading this. Go and get this game right now. Trust me on this one. You will not be disappointed.