Beyond Good and Evil first debuted back in 1994 and while it generally got good reviews, for whatever reason the gamers didn’t take to it and it did not sell very well. However, as time went on it gained a bit of an “underground” following and became a cult classic of sorts. Eventually it did enough to garner a sequel which is in production as of now. Ubi Soft decided to touch up and slightly remake the game using HD features which allow for a smoother looking world and faster loading times. Upon first glance at the world it looks like an upgraded Nintendo 64 game. Even the dungeons look a lot like Zelda or Mario and function much like them. Simplistic but will throw in a few puzzles or areas to give your mind something to think about.
You play as Jade, a 20 year old orphan who interestingly enough runs an orphanage for the animal like beings that inhabit the world. Jades’ father’s best friend Pey’j has taken care of her and will be one of your companions on your quest. The orphanage is attacked by an alien forced called the DomZ and while the Alpha forces are supposed to be the good guys and fight off the DomZ; things aren’t always what they seem. You begin your journey looking for answers which soon will lead you to an underground resistance force called ISIS (I-SIS) who want to recruit you for their cause. In addition to being a resistance member, Jade is a photojournalist and is asked to take pictures of as many creatures/inhabitants as possible. You will be rewarded with credits which can be used to buy various things during your quest. Even better than credits are the elusive pearls which you will need to find to unlock some of the more important items in the game such as upgrades for your hovercraft.
There are a lot of things to like about the game. Personally I thought the world layout was nice to look at because it is very serene and colorful. Even though the game is based around war things seem peaceful on the surface. The action is simple, hit X to attack and use your joysticks to control your character. The controls are really easy to learn/pick up as each button does just one thing. The music is fantastic and maybe my favorite part of the game thus far. The piano introduction is nice and simple but it’s the fact that you enter a Jamaican body shop for your hovercraft and hear reggae playing or Arabic chanting in another area that really sets the game apart. Also, for $10 you get a pretty long game. I have already put in 4-5 hours and I still have a ways to go so you are getting great value for your buck. The game has a bunch of small funny bits such as dialog between you and your companions and even tiny things people may not notice off the bat. If you are looking through your camera lens and put Pey’j in the shot he will raise his hand and wave at you. It is small things like this that really makes a game stand out from others in its genre and we all enjoy a good chuckle or smile.
There are a few things that will no doubt frustrate the heck out of a player, the biggest and worst probably being the camera view and controls. You will use the right joystick to rotate and control the camera but at times you don’t actually have full control or it gets kind of stuck and you have to move the character or rotate it the other way and try to wiggle it free. Much of this game is based around stealth which will have you in a crouching walk which slows down the game a tremendous amount. Personally I don’t like the slower pace of a game outside of its main story. If I see a game such as Ghost Recon or something with stealth in its title I know what I am getting into. Action RPG’s or action adventure games shouldn’t be slowed down to the extent of this game does in my opinion.
Overall this is a very enjoyable game despite the camera issues. As long as you can take things slow and/or are patient at times you will enjoy it. The graphics are solid, the music and sound are top notch and would compare well to even today’s games. I highly recommend it to anybody interested in the genre as it will not disappoint you.
Neil writes "Need a new game? Don't fancy paying for it? The Xbox Games With Gold scheme has got you covered with its latest freebie."
Where's number 2?! They show a cinematic teaser and then it just falls off the edges like it never happened. I liked this game and I want to know that the sequel still exists..
Neil writes "We're here yet again with the latest free Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles ready to be thrust upon us. But in a period that sees few new games released, the Xbox Games With Gold scheme for August could well be the big hitting feature that Xbox One and Xbox 360 players looking for a new game rely on. That combination therefore leaves the door wide open for the scheme to deliver a cracking set of free titles."
Good for me as I've never played any of the games being offered this month.
Edit: that was a lie, I played BG&E on OGXbox.
I'm going to get some mileage out of everything but Spelunky. I've played that in so many variations. I realized when I started Spelunky World online for PS4 that I simply cannot plant another bomb without blacking out. I have not played a wrestling game since the last wwe game on PS2. I'm excited to see how far things have come. Solid month for me.
MajorNelson:
For the month of August, Xbox Live Gold members will receive four new free games - two on Xbox One and two on Xbox 360 - as part of the Games with Gold program.
On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold members can download WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Ultimate ($59.99 ERP) for free during the month of August. WWE 2K16 ($39.99 ERP) will be available as a free download from August 16th to September 15th.
Nice Selection for the month of August imo.I played BG&E back on the original Xbox and I'm not a big fan of the WWE games but I'm gonna download both anyways also I'm really eager to try out Warriors O and Spelunky.
Awww YEYAH!!
Just bought a month's-worth of Gold last night - mostly so I could get The Banner Saga 2, but I'm gonna be getting some serious value out of August's line-up... always meant to play Beyond Good and Evil, but kept forgetting it existed and I'll definitely check out the other games - I hear Spelunky's great and it's been well over a decade since I last dished-out a virtual smackdown!
Anyone know if Mick Foley, Mankind or Cactus Jack are still alive?