Silicon Fusion >> Reviews >> Beyond Good & Evil

	All Platforms
	Xbox
	GameCube
	PlayStation 2
	PC
	Game Boy Advance

Site Sections:

	Updates
	News
	Games
	Publishers
	Developers
	Reviews
	Previews
	Release Dates
	Editorials
	Glossary
	Contact Us

Review:

8th December 2003:
Beyond Good & Evil
Dare we say it... Better than The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker? Read our full review to find out.
Posted by John Wasabi - PlayStation 2,GameCube,PC,Xbox - UK and Europe

Beyond Good & Evil is the latest game from Rayman creator Michel Ancel. Its core game play is very similar The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker, with devious dungeons, vehicular transport to various parts of the game world, an intuitive combat system, and even heart containers to help you along the quests. With a stylish tale involving rich characters in a beautifully realized game world, one could say that this is Zelda with a hard edge.

You play as Jade, a kick ass 20 year old babe scraping by as a freelance photographer. Her home, the island city of Hillys, is under attack by a threatening alien race known as the DomZ. Being the kind person that she is, Jade has taken under her wing a group of kids whose parents have been lost in the attacks. Another resident is Pey'j, a chubby and downright hilarious mutant pig (I kid you not). Pey'j is basically Jade's adoptive uncle who has raised her since she was young after her parents mysteriously disappeared.

Beyond Good & Evil is in essence an action-adventure game, her vital tools include her dai-jo stick (a simple but effective melee weapon), light discs for ranged attack, and her dependable camera. Jade's camera plays a central part of the game, as it is used to complete assignments, gather evidence and scan her surrounding environments to reveal clues in order to progress.

Through most of the game, Jade has a friend with her, whether it's the charmingly clumsy Pey'j or Double-H, the sci-fi action hero stereotype. Not only are both characters well developed, offering clever remarks and helpful information, but you'll also rely on them to solve various puzzles and fight through some tough opponents. Jade's friends are active, lively characters with minds of their own, full marks for the programming team responsible for the AI aspects of this game for you are never felt let down as they go about with their tasks.

You get from location to location using her hovercraft that can be upgraded with new functionality for combat or races. The hovercraft races and shooting sequences are a blast to play and are either key moments in the story or side quests to gain money. These action sequences play very well, thanks to tight controls and smooth integration with the rest of the game. Similarly the various stealth levels where Jade must sneak around to avoid being sighted by heavily armed guards are beautifully executed. At no point were any of these sections frustrating but instead evolves to pure entertainment because of the refreshing variations in puzzle design. In many cases, you choose whether to use brains or go all guns blazing in getting around the guards, with both methods well balanced and engrossingly challenging.

The story is beautiful, the themes of military and media corruption are startlingly intricate and relevant, especially for a videogame with unforeseen developments and plot twists at the right times to keep you playing for that extra hour never wanting to stop till you finish.

The graphics are amazing; at times I had to keep reminding myself that this was running on a PS2. The whole game runs like a cinematic presentation, few games come close to comparing visually and I could go on forever about it, so if you really want to know check out the screenshots we have or go out and buy this game now. Almost matching the quality of visuals is its sound. Voice acting is polished with sharp writing combined with clever and witty.

Beyond Good & Evil is one of those rare games that you can spend a lifetime looking for and never find. The believable world of Hyllis combined with the story's intriguing twists and emotional impact make this one of the best-told tales in videogame history. The attention to detail with the wonderfully presented animations of Pey'j and Jade leaping into an hug after a big fight, or Jade's face showing compassion and revulsion with beautifully detailed expressions. There are many countless games out there filled with gorgeous visuals and littered with big explosive action, but how many are there that gives us a story worth caring about involving characters that you almost become emotionally attached too? Sure there is the Final Fantasy series, Zelda, and a few other classic examples that are true gaming masterpieces.

Beyond Good & Evil shares comparisons with Zelda in many ways, it improves on certain aspects that made The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker cumbersome such as needing to change wind direction all the time or fetching items that were quite obscure. I'll even go as far as to say that Beyond Good & Evil is on par if not even slightly better and if you love gaming, you owe it to yourself to go and get this. Sure, the one quibble with the game is that it can be finished in less than 20 hours and it's all over, but that's not the point... It's the time spent experiencing this masterpiece and savouring every gaming moment of it that matters.

John Wasabi

Latest Images:

Review Scores:

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Length:
Overall:
Click here for our Review Score Guidelines .

Review Summary:

Beyond Good & Evil is on par if not better than The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker. There we said it and for good reason too, so if you want to experience gaming that you will be remembering for almost a lifetime go buy this now.

Related Games:

Beyond Good & Evil
for PlayStation 2

Screenshots

Review