Gamer's Perspective

Is it wrong to wish that you could have the ability to kill your sidekick and eat him? Well if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right! All bacon jokes aside, Beyond Good & Evil is a breath of fresh air in the crowded genre of “me too” platformers hounding this generation of gaming.

Playing the part of the Heroine Jade, it’s up to you to stop the invasion of the mysterious alien race known as the DomZ, whom continually attack the peaceful planet of Hillys. While this may sound like a pretty uninspired plot, what makes Beyond Good & Evil interesting is that you must also investigate the seemingly odd link between the DomZ invasion forces and the protectors of the planet the Alpha Section. To do this you must join with the rebel news group Iris and using your trusty camera to expose the truth, whatever that may be. With a strong and likable supporting cast of characters including Pey’J, the earlier mentioned human/pig hybrid, whom is a father figure to Jade, Beyond Good & Evil does a great job doing setting up an intriguing story with enough personality to get you involved and really want to see where the adventure takes you.

Gameplay wise, Beyond Good & Evil delivers. It’s standard action platformer fair, that’s not standard. I know what you’re thinking, and while you would be right in that I have no idea what I’m talking about 99% of the time, this is the 1% that throws a wrench in the works. While there are standard fighting and running/jumping puzzles, the fact that there are subtle nuances to each aspect of the game is what makes it fun. Take fighting for instance, you can take on any of the guards and many times you can just plow your way through the level by finding their various weaknesses but it may be to your advantage to instead sneak past them to your goal. Ducking behind crates, or hiding behind other guards to get through security checkpoints added an incredible sense of tension as I made my way through the various missions. Add this to simple things like using your partners to set up enemies for various attacks (usually by simple actions such as hitting the “Y” button at the appropriate time) and the interesting boss battles, you have got the making of fresh gameplay ideas that really pull you into the game.

While these nuances are great, what really makes Beyond Good & Evil shine is Jade’s use of her trusty camera and the use of vehicles. The camera is used for uneventful things like earning money through photographing wildlife, but where it really takes on a life of it’s own is when you are using it as a tool to complete your missions such as the scanning maps on the wall or decoding codes to open various doors. All these things are simply done by focusing in on the items and taking pictures and in some instances “emailing” reports back to the Iris network. Because Jade is constantly on the move uncovering the truth, it only makes sense that she needs to be able to get around quickly. The way she is able to do so is with her trusty hovercraft. The hovercraft is not just a simple mode of transportation though as Jade will use the hovercraft to enter races and blast her way through specifically designed levels. It is quick and responsive and through various upgrades, later in the game, it becomes a force to be reckoned with.

While the game is overwhelmingly positive, there are some platforming traps it falls into. First off there are the camera issues, while 8 out of10 times the camera is spot on there will be instances where it will tweak out on you, rendering you blind. Though it is quickly fixable, it usually comes at the worst possible moment. Secondly, do we need another game in which we collect pointless items? Instead of Jade just earning money as a photographer to pay for upgrades, they make you earn pearls. Someday developers will get out of this craze, since it does nothing to add to this game in any way. Why have it? No idea. Last but not least is the game length. Every game does not have to be 30 hours but it is discouraging to just be getting into a game at the 10-hour mark only to find that it is over. You just want more. That is exactly how this game will make you feel, wanting more.

With solid voice acting and a passable soundtrack, it is the story and the gameplay that really pulls you into Beyond Good & Evil. If you are looking for a good game to pass the time waiting for a upcoming big release or just have an extra couple of bucks kicking around, you’d be hard pressed to find a better game at the price.

My Final Score is a 8.1

Jeremy Mravlja Gamer's Perspective