outlet

I don't know what it was about the packaging of Beyond Good And Evil that made me decide I wanted to play it, but I'm really glad my intuition proved right. BG&E is a really superb game, probably the best of 2003 and one of the top games I've played on PS2.

First of all, BG&E is *original* - and it's really not often you can say that about a game these days. Sure, it's not original in every respect - many of the gameplay mechanics are familiar, but it does have some very original aspects - most noticably the use of the camera, which is a simple mechanic that is very well developed and utilised throughout the game. The second aspect in which it shows originality is the presence of other "NPCs" that you must co-operate with. Nothing like Halo's "here's some extra guns to die for you", these are real characters with special abilities that complement Jade's own, and must be properly utilised (and protected) to get through the game. The use of email communications is another novel aspect.

Most of all though, BG&E is just incredibly well designed and implemented. Varied, dynamic and inventive levels are put together beautifully - never too challenging, but never let you just switch your brain off.

I guess the low price suggests the game isn't selling well, which is really tragic. There just aren't many other games out there of this calibre, so what are people buying instead? I really hope it proves to be a sleeper hit as word of mouth gets out about just what a refreshingly good game it is!

There are certain games that manage to slide in under the radar and go unoticed by the gaming public. Ubi Soft's Beyond Good and Evil is one of those rare games that does so many things right it's hard to imagine why more people aren't playing it.

The main character, Jade, is a freelance reporter on a planet named Hyllis. It's a bit of an odd world, with unusual life forms such as talking pigs, cat people, and walrus like men. Hyllis is under attack by an alien race called the DomZ. The para-military units known as the Alpha Sections are defending Hyllis from the attacking aliens. But all is not what it seems. People are disappering from Hyllis. And the Alpha Sections are suspected of collaborating with the DomZ. Jade, our heroine, is recruited by the underground IRIS Network to uncover the conspiracy.

The games graphics are outstanding. Hyllis is a huge, living breathing world complete with wild life, oceans, and even a moon. Water effects are rendered extrememly well, especially since Hyllis is mostly a water world. The game is also presented in widescreen through it's entirety. This makes it possible for seemless transitions from the action to cutscenes. This is really a nice looking game in all areas.

Alot of people have mischaracterized this game as a "platformer". This game is actually an adventure with quite a bit of stealth elements included. Some of the stealth elements are very reminscent of games such as Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu and Splinter Cell. The action varys quite a bit from stealth to martial arts action. There's even a mini-game thrown in for good measure. Though stealth plays a big part of this game, it doesn't seem tedious. There is also a unique power up system. Throughout Hyllis there are vending machines where you purchase meal packs called K-Bups and Starkos. Other items can also be purchased from these machines. One of the more interesting features is that throughout the game you get updates in the form of Emails from the IRIS Network, and you can subscribe to publications that can be emailed to you.

The controls take some getting used to. The learning curve is about thirty minutes. But once the controls are down the game flows very nicely.

Unfortunatley there's not alot of replay value here. Once you complete the game there's not much reason to go back and play it again. That's the one criticism you can lay on it.

This game is great buy for the new reduced price. In an age where the gaming world is flooded with sequel after sequel, it's great to see a new origial game that really gives you something different for your time and money. I HIGHLY recomend this game.

Let me start off by saying I cried at this game. Yes, I did. The game totally immersed me into the planet Hyllis, engrossed me into the characters and their relationships, and captivated me into the story line.
The gameplay mixes stealth, action, and puzzle (even some driving!!) into one awesome game about how the government lies to you about an alien invasion. The supposed "helpers" are called Alpha Sections and are really importing human bodies to the alien's planet to produce monsters. Armed with your camera, and stick, and one of two sidekicks, you seek out the government's lies.
The title of my review goes to almost all you gamers out there. Why did True Crime sell the same time BG&E was out?? Tons of bad games over the holiday season (when this was released), and very few good games, and this is what happens? Please.
The graphics are pretty good, not the best, and all the elements of the game fit together perfectly. Get ready for a cinema-worthy action/adventure game. The ending is so sad, even though there are no words, it speaks for itself.