Beyond Good & Evil was released last week on Steam. It was $10, I had heard it was a very good game, so I decided 'what the heck, why not?'
I'm glad I did. It was an amazing game. To understand why, I'll break it down into your standard game review subjects.
Plot- This is a bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately. The story is... well, interesting, I guess, but it's predictable. The plot itself twists in ways that are heavily foreshadowed, and it doesn't really cross any lines. The game doesn't really go 'Beyond Good & Evil,' either, except in the sense that it sets up the good/evil divide right off the bat and then subverts it within about 5 minutes. After that, it fits distinctly and directly into 'Good & Evil,' despite some hints that it won't. This is a shame, a real shame, because the story is masterfully told. The execution is absolutely brilliant, and it makes you care despite the predictability, which is quite a feat. I really, really wish this game had lived up to its title, because then it would have easily been one of the most brilliant games I have ever played, instead of simply one of the best. Even so, YOU MUST BUY THIS GAME. I can't stress that enough. According to Wikipedia, Micheal Ancel (the man behind this game and Rayman) is working on a sequel that Ubisoft has yet to confirm. Now, that's just the most recent word, and it has probably changed since then, but they just might make another one if this Steam release sells well enough, and that is why you must get it. You see, the game basically tells an average story very, very well, but maybe, just maybe, if they made a sequel, they might end up telling an amazing story very, very well. And that simply must happen. This game is so good at what it does, it should- nay, it deserves to, tell a better story.
Graphics- I don't really care much about graphics, but they don't look dated, which is quite a feat for a 5-year-old game. A word of warning, though- I had some strange graphical glitches while playing. That may just be my rig, but be aware of that.
Sound- Does the job well, nothing too special outside of one song that you hear during a couple of fights that has some nice guitar work on it.
Gameplay- This game does a lot, and does it well. There's standard Zelda-style on foot combat, a camera mode that controls well, and there's lots of stealth. I'm particularly fond of the stealth sequences because they bring a certain amount of open-endedness to the game- the first time you do it, you can only really sneak by, but soon you'll be given the option to quietly eliminate the guards (which is what I did most of the time). In some cases, you can even get out in the open and fight them- they seem invincible, but they are defeatable once you figure it out. There's also a hovercraft, which controls very well and opens up some racing segments, which are pretty good diversions.
Replay Value- I'd play through it again. There are lots of collectibles- pearls, which can be used to buy ship parts, disks, which contain information and can be played at certain points, and a 'collect-em-all' aspect with the local wildlife- in the beginning, you're introduced to a long-running sidequest which allows you to photograph the animals for money and rewards. The main plot is pretty short, though- it's about 10 hours, and that's with stopping between dungeons (there are three, but they're all very large, so it works out fine).
Overall Score: 9/10- Great
Seriously. Buy this game, because this game is great and cheap, but also because enough sales just may result in an even better game being made.
I'm glad I did. It was an amazing game. To understand why, I'll break it down into your standard game review subjects.
Plot- This is a bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately. The story is... well, interesting, I guess, but it's predictable. The plot itself twists in ways that are heavily foreshadowed, and it doesn't really cross any lines. The game doesn't really go 'Beyond Good & Evil,' either, except in the sense that it sets up the good/evil divide right off the bat and then subverts it within about 5 minutes. After that, it fits distinctly and directly into 'Good & Evil,' despite some hints that it won't. This is a shame, a real shame, because the story is masterfully told. The execution is absolutely brilliant, and it makes you care despite the predictability, which is quite a feat. I really, really wish this game had lived up to its title, because then it would have easily been one of the most brilliant games I have ever played, instead of simply one of the best. Even so, YOU MUST BUY THIS GAME. I can't stress that enough. According to Wikipedia, Micheal Ancel (the man behind this game and Rayman) is working on a sequel that Ubisoft has yet to confirm. Now, that's just the most recent word, and it has probably changed since then, but they just might make another one if this Steam release sells well enough, and that is why you must get it. You see, the game basically tells an average story very, very well, but maybe, just maybe, if they made a sequel, they might end up telling an amazing story very, very well. And that simply must happen. This game is so good at what it does, it should- nay, it deserves to, tell a better story.
Graphics- I don't really care much about graphics, but they don't look dated, which is quite a feat for a 5-year-old game. A word of warning, though- I had some strange graphical glitches while playing. That may just be my rig, but be aware of that.
Sound- Does the job well, nothing too special outside of one song that you hear during a couple of fights that has some nice guitar work on it.
Gameplay- This game does a lot, and does it well. There's standard Zelda-style on foot combat, a camera mode that controls well, and there's lots of stealth. I'm particularly fond of the stealth sequences because they bring a certain amount of open-endedness to the game- the first time you do it, you can only really sneak by, but soon you'll be given the option to quietly eliminate the guards (which is what I did most of the time). In some cases, you can even get out in the open and fight them- they seem invincible, but they are defeatable once you figure it out. There's also a hovercraft, which controls very well and opens up some racing segments, which are pretty good diversions.
Replay Value- I'd play through it again. There are lots of collectibles- pearls, which can be used to buy ship parts, disks, which contain information and can be played at certain points, and a 'collect-em-all' aspect with the local wildlife- in the beginning, you're introduced to a long-running sidequest which allows you to photograph the animals for money and rewards. The main plot is pretty short, though- it's about 10 hours, and that's with stopping between dungeons (there are three, but they're all very large, so it works out fine).
Overall Score: 9/10- Great
Seriously. Buy this game, because this game is great and cheap, but also because enough sales just may result in an even better game being made.
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