Beyond Good & Evil™

I just finished Beyond Good & Evil (BGE), and I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun this game is! I found myself easily addicted; both for the gameplay and characters/story. Just as a foreword (although I don't think it makes too much difference), I didn't play the PC version. There was a free download for BGE on xbox 360 for it last month. I read a few other reviews for this game on PC, that players recommended owning a controller or game pad. Because, it does seem like the controls would be simple enough to allow for it (and maybe make it a little less clunky). The game itself is a sort-of a Sci-Fi / RPG / Action game. The main characters are funny and likable. The enemy is mysterious and the story is pretty good, even if it is a little predictable. My favorite part is all the different ways to play. There is the standard 3rd person Action view/controls, then you get to drive a hovercraft around for a decent portion of the game (which later gets upgraded into a flying ship, and finally, a space ship. You get the 1st person camera view for taking photos of creatures for your catalog, and also taking incriminating photos of the baddies for evidence. For the 3rd person action, there are times where you need decide whether to sneak through an area, or run through smashing enemies. There are quite a few mini games as well included in this game. Hovercraft racing, a shuffle-board / pong type of game (Pallet), and a follow-the-ball-under-cup (Coconut Shell) game. There are also some games that you access through your menu that unlock after you complete certain feats/achievements (YO Pearl, and an m-disc version of Pallet). All of which, you can find yourself spending hours getting lost in. I definitely recommend giving this game a try. You'll find yourself addicted in no time. And for the price GOG is giving it away for, it's a steal! The only reason I gave it 4/5, instead of full 5/5 is because, even with the BGE HD version, the graphics and textures are a bit blocky and outdated. Keep in mind, however, this game came out in 2003, so for the time, it was on par with higher-end games.

Okay, bit spoilers up ahead so be warned. As many others have stated, BG&E was a widely released game that just didn't sell for some reason. most theories for the reason don't apply to a lot of cases so it's a little unknown. It has fairly solid game play but it doesn't quite know what it wants to be. Most of the game is Action-Adventure, with a half-nod to stealth, but it doesn't go far enough into the stealth side to really be worth much. Sure, you have to spend some time sneaking into buildings to get some photos, but these are mostly linear with multiple forced combat situations which downplay the stealth side. The world has a slight open-world to it, but it's heavily limited and the almost complete lack of side missions limit any real reason for exploring. There are a few races (either 'official' or against 'looters', and there is the side mission to photograph all the animals you can find, but that's it. Other then that, it's a pretty linear world going from mission to mission. No major problem but it could have been much more.. Now, what minor BUT (the above was more comments then against). The story... you are a photographer (claiming partly to be a reporter but you just take photos). your world is under attack from an alien enemy while another alien force protects the planet, but there protection seems little odd (or so we are told.. in fact, they appear to turn up at the END of an attack, so it doesn't look like they do much). We then find out about the Rebels. They know the two alien sides are working together and want you to take some photos to convince the population. Oh the planet ruler who is pretty much on your side anyway. Well.. They appear to know too much about what is really going on ahead of time and with the game title, you get the feeling you are going to find out something big.. like maybe it isn't as clear cut as good vs evil.. but that doesn't happen. Oh and you are really an ancient super being of some kind.. revealed right at the end.

I have just finished this game and I think this is the best game from Ubisoft.

Originally put off by a review which described it as a series of puzzle rooms, I finally picked this up based on word-of-mouth. No game has a better opening where simple controls and music combine into what was a near religious experience for me. It's a 3rd person action/sneak/puzzle game with a gloriously fun collection mechanic, backed by one of the best soundtracks in a PC game, great voice acting and a touching if cliché story. With a sequel FINALLY in the works (following a pretty poor "to be continued" style ending) you owe it to yourself to play the original now. A genuine gem.

I read about this site in PC Gamer magazine. All I can say is...wow. Lots of great games, and dirt cheap. I've heard a lot about Beyond Good & Evil, that it was an overlooked gem. I must agree. I'm still early into it, but it is a phenomenal game. To me, it feels like a combination between Deus Ex and the Legend of Zelda....and that cannot be a bad thing.