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Beyond Good and Evil (GC)

• Developer:
• Publisher: Ubi Soft Entertainment
• Genre:
• Official Website: http://www.beyondgoodevil.com
• Score: 5 of 5: Purchase

CHILI CON CAAAAAAARNE!

When the only problem with a game is the fact that it isn't long enough, you know you've got a great game on your hands. This isn't quite the case with UbiSoft's stealthy adventure Beyond Good and Evil, but it comes incredibly close.

Jade, a young woman on the planet Hillys (rhymes with "Phyllis") who earns some spare credits as a freelance photographer and runs a local orphanage with her adoptive uncle pig-man, Pey'j (pronounced "page"). The orphans in question are the result of Hillys's constant problems with the DomZ (not "domes"), an unpleasant alien race that wreaks havoc at seemingly regular intervals. Many Hillians end up kidnapped after these attacks, and thus orphans left behind. Luckily, the Hillian army has a special unit, the Alpha Sections, who do their best to fend off the DomZ and keep the people of Hillys safe.

This sounds fine, except that it makes for a lousy story to base a game around.

The truth of the matter is that the Alpha Sections aren't quite what they seem to be, and before long Jade finds herself working with the underground rebellion group Iris to uncover the real story, armed with little more than her wits, her camera, and her dai-jo beatstick (plus a cool little laser disc shooter she picks up along the way). When not on foot, Jade and Pey'j cruise around in an old hovercraft that gets the job done on the mostly aqueous Hillys and comes equipped with boost jets and a laser cannon for emergencies. The Rastafarian rhino family at Mammago Garage can help you further outfit your vehicle if you bring them rare pearls.

The story itself isn't anything groundbreaking or even that captivating as there aren't a lot of unexpected twists and the conspiracy isn't all that deep, but the characters, and especially the top-notch voice acting, make it seem important. There's some genuine emotion in BG&E, both spoken and observed (witness the exuberant hug after Jade and Pey'j fend off some DomZ early on), and that's what makes the admittedly trite story work.

It also doesn't hurt that the game is, to put it simply, gorgeous. Jade, Pey'j, and all of the other inhabitants of Hillys (both friend and foe) are solid, believable characters, even though most of them are human-animal hybrids or outright alien. The environments that you explore, which range from an abandoned mine to the alien base on the moon, are detailed and diverse. Little details, like children's crayon scribblings on the walls of the orphanage/lighthouse, also help to flesh out the reality a bit. The water looks great (and as I mentioned, there is a lot of water on Hillys), and real-time lighting moves shadows when necessary (like the "heavily-guarded elevator" stealth segment). Some of the smaller animals and non-essential hybrids that you have to photograph for the local science center are a bit uninspired and/or undetailed, but that and some strange shadows are the only graphical problems I experienced.

Sound and voice plays a big part in this game as well, from the voice acting to a wide variety of appropriate background music. Whether it be the up tempo beats in the Akuda Bar, the high-tension rhythm during combat, or melancholic melodies at one of the games many emotional downswings, the BGM always meshes with the gameplay ideally. You might learn to hate the creepy music that always seems to accompany a stealth segment, but it won't be because it's bad. Effects in the game are also precise, from the Darth Vader-like respiration of the Alphas to the irritating squeaking of rattus gigantus. And finally, enough good things can't be said about the voice acting in this game, or at least the English versions (I didn't try to play the game en espaņol); you really have to hear them in action to appreciate them, because I'm not sure I can do it here. The only one that got obnoxious was the voice they used for the vending machines, which has zero volume control (it's a wonder the things didn't give away my presence a dozen times) and very little to say.

Control borrows heavily from the 3D Zelda games (hey, if you're going to steal...), which is really the only way to deal with third-person jumping -- i.w., do it automatically. Everything is fairly intuitive, whether it be running, sneaking, sidling along a wall, or engaging in combat. I kept wanting to use the B button (dodge/dive) to leave "camera view"; had I used the Z button to accomplish this, I probably would have jumped head-first into fewer laser walls, but that's a minor problem. A more significant problem is maneuvering the hovercraft, which seems to have a hair trigger at times (but what do you expect from a vehicle that operates on a cushion of air). By far the most frustrating aspect of the game is the camera (uh... the in-game camera, not Jade's photo-taker), which can be difficult to position at times to get a good view of the action and doesn't zoom in or out like it really should; it also lacks an auto-center feature, which I have heard may be present in other versions.

While the game's camera may have issues, Jade's camera adds a bit of Metroid Prime into BG&E's Zeldaish gameplay (at this point I feel I should mention that I have somehow yet to play Wind Waker, which I understand also features some sort of camera). Unlike Samus's scan visor, however, Jade's camera is a lot faster in its analysis of objects, although it doesn't provide nearly the amount of information as the Chozo equipment. Taking pictures of species or vital information is easy for the most part, with the only real difficulty being the few times where you'll have to snap a shot of a beastie that's attacking you; getting the zoom lens (given to you after your first eight species) helps, but not always. Using your teammate's "stun" attack might be a better option.

Did I say "teammate"? Why yes, I did. The first portion of your journey sees "uncle Pey'j" at your side, who later on is replaced by Iris agent Double H, but by and large they both serve the same purposes: back up Jade in fights, bust open doors, and solve some puzzles. Most of this is accomplished via the Y button; when it says "action", "push", or whatever, you hit it and your buddy will lend a hand (or a head... or maybe some pliers... possibly even a big hammer). A lot of enemies can only be taken down via such teamwork, but it's never really a problem to get the guys to pull their weight.

However, compared to the lithe and limber Jade, both Pey'j and Double H are just too big to fit in certain areas and thanks to his armor, Double H is also immune to laser walls (unlike Jade), so you'll frequently find yourself separated from your partner during your missions. This is usually when the stealth kicks in, as Jade is generally outmatched by her Alpha Section adversaries; there are some situations where you'll have to go face-to-face mask, but sneaking by them is usually the rule. Some devious shadow-hopping results, as you'll have to negotiate multiple guards, mobile search lights, moving crates, and/or laser grids without being seen. It's not easy, but fortunately the game is forgiving about failure, allowing you to start over at the beginning of the room you were (with up to half your life total or four hearts, whichever is less) in once the Alphas beat your pretty brains in (often with the help of an instant-death Jade-seeking laser turret... best not to be seen in that case, huh?).

And aside from a few (optional) hovercraft races and a keen little air hockey-like game, that's basically all there is to it. Your objectives are clearly marked on your map by one of your Iris contacts, as are any pearls and undocumented species if you picked up the appropriate detectors (heavily recommended, but not really necessary), and the path you take once inside one of the four primary stages is deceptively linear (if sprawling). There are several side quests, but only a handful are necessary (to get the last bunch of pearls you need, typically). The game isn't incredibly difficult by any stretch of the imagination, and is criminally short (it shouldn't take you much more than twenty hours bell-to-bell). In fact, the length of the game -- or lack thereof -- is its biggest failing. Once the credits roll, the seeds for a sequel are planted, but given the game's lackluster sales (also a crime), we may not get to see what plans, if any, are in place for it.

But despite its relative simplicity and brief nature, few games that I've played recently have been as enjoyable as Beyond Good and Evil. Sometimes presentation wins over actual content, and as long as the gameplay is solid that's all I need sometimes. Camera troubles, overall length, and other minor imperfections keep this game from getting a full score, but the heart put into the production of this game prevent any reasonable review from giving it less than a B+. I'm going with a solid A- here, personally. Buy this now -- chances are it's only twenty bucks (US), and worth every penny.

(P.S. The url you see in the Iris MDisks exists. Check it out.)

Jan 29, 2006 | 6 comments
Chris Ingersoll