If you don't like platformers, you can go stick your head in a blender
Published on August 22, 2005
By
azdruid
In
Anyone ever heard of the game Beyond Good and Evil? It's somewhat of an overlooked game, as it was released by Ubisoft around the same time as the new Prince of Persia game, and guess which one the marketing dough went to? I've heard it called "the best game nobody played", and while part of that statement is rather sad, it stands true. Confused?
Beyond Good & Evil is a third-person action game. The plot mainly revolves around the protagonist Jade uncovering evidence of corruption in the government on the planet Hillys. The citizens of Hillys were of a friendly type when (*Jaws theme) the planet suddenly was attacked by creatures called the DomZ. Since then, they have been in a war with these monster guys that come out of a big hole in the sky (it's a neat effect). But fortunately (or unfortunately) for the Hillysians, an intergalactic group of warriors called the Alpha Sections show up and put on a very big show about defending Hillys from the DomZ attacks. However, this is when the plotline kicks in. It turns out that the Alpha Sections might not be so benign after all, and the player's role in the game is to more or less go around Hillys photographing evidence of the Alpha's treachery. Of course, since these guys are toughened warriors, it's not too easy, hence the point of the game.
I won't revel any more of the plot here, as it is a deep and engaging one you would most likely enjoy with plenty of twists. Actually, at the time of writing, I myself have not completed the game in its entirety, so I can't tell it all anyway.
The protagonist Jade, after being orphaned a long time ago (eh, backstory), joins up with the IRIS network, a sort of underground resistance whose aim is to inform the common people about how the Alpha Sections are definitely not your friends. You go around, with various (two) partners, and execute the standard bill of action games: running, jumping, fighting cool monsters. The gameplay is very unique, however, since it combines the freeform navigation of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the apocalyptic feel of Jak & Daxter 2, and the stealth manuevers of Splinter Cell. It's a very well rounded experience. Level design is excellent, and the graphics overall are very slick. Voice acting is extremely well done, and localized in a couple of different languages for good measure.
As previously mentioned, this game did not perform well in the retail channel, due to the poor release timing. Originally, BG&E was planned as a trilogy, but due to the first's lackluster sales, Ubisoft has indefinitely shelved the two sequels, a very sad fact indeed.
Beyond Good & Evil is a very well executed potpourri of all the things a third-person action game should have. Michel Ancel has created, in this, the worthy sequel to the (IMHO) other best platformer ever created, Rayman 2, which incidentally he also made. You need to play this game.