Today’s Hidden Gem: Beyond Good & Evil
Released 2003 by Ubisoft for PS2, XBOX, and GameCube
Beyond Good & Evil is a part platformer, part stealth title from Ubisoft, publisher of such exalted titles as the Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Rayman, and Rainbow Six series. Unfortunately, Beyond Good & Evil, while an excellent game, didn’t benefit much from it’s more famous cousins, and even though it has gained something of a cult following, it still remains relatively unknown among gamers.
In the game, the planet of Hillys is under siege by an alien force called the DomZ. You play as a young woman named Jade who, along with her “uncle” (a large anthropomorphic boar with a talent for all things mechanical), takes care of a number of children who have been orphaned during the siege. When funds begin to run low, and the power for the shield generators that protects their home is shut down, Jade takes up a photography assignment to make ends meet and protect her charges, but it’s not long before she falls in with a rebel group called the IRIS Network… a group dedicated to stopping the DomZ.
Using a combination of of physical attacks and stealth, Jade sets out to help the IRIS NEtwork reveal to the world the secret conspiracy that they believe exists between the invading DomZ forces and the planet’s apparent “saviors”, the Alpha Section. The game contains a variety of different gameplay options, including racing of various types, puzzle solving, stealth sequences, platforming, and a photography sidequest that allows you to earn money for weapon and vehicle upgrades.
The plot is engrossing, the controls are excellent, and even the camera is pretty decent for a game of it’s age, and still Beyond Good & Evil’s sales figures failed to impress (which may have had something to do with the fact that it was released against Ubisoft’s own Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell).
While the end of the game does wrap up the main story for the most part, it has an open ending that implies that Ubisoft had a sequel in mind when they wrote it. It’s a pity they never continued it as a series, because it’s a great plot with very well-done gameplay. If you ever happen upon a copy of this game, I highly recommend giving it a try.
Nikki Blight: is still trying to find that damn princess... when she's not writing fresh code for the217.com.
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Nikki Blight
is still trying to find that damn princess... when she's not writing fresh code for the217.com.
Another Castle » Blog Archive » Beyond “Beyond Good & Evil”? (Another Castle » Blog Archive » Beyond “Beyond Good & Evil”?) says:
(Posted May 15th, 2008 at 10:49 am)
[…] many recall last week a post of mine that spotlighted a little PS2 game called Beyond Good & Evil… an awesome game that just didn’t get the respect it deserved and left off with an […]