Beyond Good & Evil™

People kept bludgeoning me over the head about how great this game was. The best way to describe this game is "generic platformer with delusions of grandeur". Gameplay is extremely shallow, to the point that after about 15 minutes you have experiences pretty much all of what is possible to do in-game. The rest is just minor incremental upgrades. At the best of times, it is an "ok" game, but it is still a platformer at its core, and never improves over that initial first impact (which I admit was exciting). The first hour is fine, then it gets gradually worse and worse until it culminates at the end in one of the most frustrating boss fights I've ever experienced. But what kills me is the Sunday morning cartoon plot we have going on here: bad guys are bad, good guys are good, good guys start winning, but then bad guys strike back and it looks like it is all over, but then good guys win in the end. The game is called "beyond good and evil", but it never goes "beyond" classic tropes and extremely well-defined roles. And the cherry on top is that all the dead (good) characters get revived in the end - just to drive home the point that there were no stakes to begin with because we will just wave a little magic wand and presto, all fixed. This is supposed to be the pinnacle of storytelling? This game was released in 2003, in the same year as, for example, Max Payne 2, Call of Duty, Jedi Academy and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. All of those are much, much better games. 2 stars because it was a complete disappointment. At least it was cheap.

BGE is one of the best games I've ever played: fresh, cute, fun with a great gameplay and scenario. It's definitely worth 10$. You only can fall in love with Jade! The second game has been announced some months ago!

If you have never played this game before, pick it up NOW!!! I bought the Playstation 2 version shortly after it came out, and I was blown away. The story is deep and involving, the dialogue is well-written...everything about this game is top-notch. Jade is one of the most "real" video game heroines I have played as in a long time, and I still have yet to meet another like her. Hyllis is a beautiful place to explore, and the gameplay offers great variety: stealth, combat, racing, and more will keep you on your toes. I can't speak for the PC control scheme, but if it is anything like the PS2 version, it should be very easy to learn and utilize to the fullest. I love this game; through the characters and the story, I was emotionally invested from the opening cutscene to the final credits. And now that this game is available here, you have no excuse not to get it.

Beyond Good and Evil startled the critiques by being something new. Yes, there might be others where you have to push the bad end of the stick to the enemy, and there are some where you can actually sneak around. There are tons where you are against the system. Oh, and yeah, others may contain cute and lovable characters that are lovable to a 5-year-old boy as well as a 20-year-old woman. But there is no other that actually mixes these with photography as if to create a work of art. You actually have to actively use the camera for objectives (no pun intended) and achievements as well. In some games, doing achievements can be a chore. Here, it's like taking a hike to the most wonderful countryside you ever hoped to visit. The only thing I want more of is worthy sequels. :)

This game story, gameplay and art is all top notch.