This is the Project / Resource topic for your completed reviews. Once finished, they will go back in this topic.

Here are my two, feel free to post more.

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Ughhh I'm making a review now, but I'm having a bad case of writers block...I'm trying to make the overall review seem...funny...much like how the Shiny development team made their game manuals....

I had a review, but I scrapped it because it was too nice. I'm making this one as tought-love as possible. Also, I'm writing the spanish version. Expect it soon... and expect to read a lot.

Hmm can't wait, sounds interesting ^_^

Beyond
Good & Evil
Michel Ancel, game developer over at UbiSoft, is one heck of a man. Why? Oh, maybe because his mind has created some of the most original worlds and characters ever seen. What sort of worlds you might ask? Clever worlds, full of beauty, depth and intrigue, and what of his characters? Only the most charming, colorful, and downright hilarious characters you will see. You might deduce that this monologue is about Michel Ancel, even though there is this cute girl and the words “Beyond Good & Evil” on the front. Hmmm, is it about that then, you might ask? Yes! Good job, your very perspective! So what is this “Beyond Good & Evil”?, what does it have to do with Michel Ancel, and most importantly, who is that cute chick on the front? If your really perspective you might assume that Beyond Good & Evil is a Michel Ancel project...which it is. Does it have a fantastic world, with funny, charming characters, like Michel Ancel projects should have? You bet, and then some! If your interested, keep on reading...although your probably going to anyway, since your already here.




Ok lets start with the setting: the setting, like the rest of the game, is very unique. It’s a mixture of science fiction and an old world charm for good measure. Space is a traveling medium, and there are highly advanced weapons such as lasers, however most of the buildings, and the general scenery look like they came from a fairy tale, devoid of the complexities that burden science fiction. Other species besides humans can walk upright and speak English in this world, allowing for a varietal setting. On to the story! The plot of BG&E(which shall be an acronym of this speech) starts out with Jade, a young women living with her pig uncle(literally) that owns a reporting company, which does various missions. She’s a bit out of sorts lately, because these alien creatures called DomZ are attacking her planet and she seems drawn to them...not only that, but a secret organization is accusing the planet’s special forces of the military of aiding the DomZ by kidnapping people, then covering it up with lies, and using propaganda(which is a big thing in this game) to get the people to trust them and reassure them that they are here to protect the people against the DomZ. Whew what a mouthful huh, well the story is very engaging, and will keep you on the edge of your seat...provided you don’t fall off.







Ain’t it pretty? Yep, here you can see how the game looks. Lots of green right? That’s the games main tone. Many variations of green can be seen throughout the story, but it’s not all like that; you can’t have a game with just all green can you? The overall look is very colorful and charming like, with a unique variation of hues to suggest what kind of game BG&E is: light colors to say the this world is one of humor, charm, and dark colors to say that beneath all of that, there’s something to be taken serious. Now yeah, I could go on about the technical side of things, like polygons and astrophysics using pixel time space portal doohiggies, but do you really want that? I know I don’t, I’m getting a headache just thinking about those doohiggies, but I will say this: if you’re a technical kinda person, you probably won’t have much to say on BG&E’s graphics, but who the heck cares? Just look at those screenshots; very appealing to the eye, and cute if I do say so myself.




Now for the music....wow. John Williams you better watch out, you got some competition. The music here is orchestrated in some areas, and man is it good. There’s a choir in most of the songs, and it just takes your breath away. There’s a variety of music here, ranging from Asian style and suspenseful, to ones that just wanna make you dance. The music really pulls you into this world, and brings out the charm(a frequently used word here huh?) In all the characters. The sound effects really make the crazy world of BG&E stand out, with beeps and bloops showing off the scientific nature of everything, and nature sounds that really make you feel like your there. The music here will make you be gasping for breath. The voice acting is spot on; every character here sounds unique, and brings out...you guessed it, the charm of all the characters too. Basically the music is oozing with charm.




Ok, so what is all this if you don’t even know how the game is played...well here we go: like the music, the gameplay in BG&E is varied, very much so. One minute you’ll be doing martial arts on the DomZ, using your Daijo Stick, weapon of choice, and the next you’ll be sneaking past guards, aiding the secret organization mentioned earlier...and trying not to be seen. Not only that, but there are really interesting sidequests here: you could be taking photos of the entire species living on the planet for money, or you could be hunting pearls, currency used on the black market, to upgrade your vehicles. There are many puzzles to work out here, and most of them involve character interaction, and there's always a companion with you. Taking photo’s of the governmental conspiracy is also a big part of the game, and you will see as you publish the photos in the newspapers, more people will rise up to help you, what detail! Combat is like one big puzzle, the various amounts of enemies have different ways of being dealt with, and Jade can perform all sorts of acrobatic moves to dispatch of her foes. There’s also hovercraft races that are as crazy as the rest of the game, and there are little details, like secret items, to obtain as well. So overall this game has a lot to offer in terms of gameplay... some may complain that it’s too short of a game, well a masterpiece is always wanted more of, so you can judge for yourself.





So is this monologue done yet? Well one can never say too much about BG&E, but hopefully this gives you a taste of what this incredible game is about. Do not...do not miss out on this overlooked gem, it’s one of the best game experiences you will ever have, and it is just full of so much charm and humor, it baffles the mind why this game had fallen by the way side. If your looking for a fantastic adventure story with very fun and diverse gameplay, stop reading, and start buying!

Positives:
-Very captivating story
-Funny, interesting characters
-Incredible, varied music
-Setting that will draw you in and not let you go
-Lots of different forms of gameplay
-Colorful, stylized graphics
-Excellent, humerous voice acting and script

Negatives:
-Short amount of gameplay(this will vary from player to player)
-Linear

10 out of 10(what else could BG&E get?)








I gotta put in the pictures somehow, this thing is given me a hard time. I'm gonna edit things too.

Ok, here's my review. It's all text, but please don't get bored so easly. I need the feedback to write a better review.

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Beyond Good & Evil Review

By: Lightweight

Beyond Good & Evil is a game published by Ubisoft, developed by the studio who made Rayman, and released in November 2003. While this game was almost universally praised by critics around the world, it got caught in the holiday shuffle, selling only about 50,000 units worldwide. Were the critics right in praising the game, or did the sales reflect its quality?

Let’s start, like everyone does, at the beginning.

Beyond Good & Evil is the story of action reporter Jade, who accepts a job in order to pay the bills and put food on the table. In the meantime, an alien race called the DomZ are wreaking havoc among the land, with the Alpha Sections hot on their trail. Soon, Jade’s destiny intertwines with the Domz, the Alpha Sections, and an underground resistance called the IRIS Network, and soon you’ll see that some things are not what they seem.

The story evolves to become one of the most mature, thoughtful, and involving I have experienced in videogames. It doesn’t need to rely on cheap tricks, shock value, and/or blood and gore to keep the player hooked on it. It’s not perfect, however, as it has several plot holes, whether from overlooked parts or simply because this is supposed to be part 1 of a 3-part series. I could mention a few of these, but that would mean spoiling the story for you.

Immersive? You betcha!

The visual experience is simply magnificent. Unless you absolutely despise green, you will love both the graphic quality and the artistic direction. The vistas of the planet Hillys are something to behold. The water effects are among the most beautiful in this generation. Everything just flourishes with the little touches that make the environments feel alive. There are many different areas through the game, so it rarely feels like you’ve been through the same areas before, but with a different dressing. The characters are natural-looking, and although stylized, they’re not unrealistic, and they are far away from the dreaded uncanny valley.

About the only thing I can really say against the graphics is that it almost feels plastic. Why? One phrase: 60 frames per second. While mostly this shouldn’t be a problem, it makes the game feel less like an epic and more like a straight-to-TV movie. When cutscenes flow at full framerate, I actually wish that the framerate drops down, at least some. Sometimes, thought, the framerate slows down at the most inopportune times (particularly at fights), and it makes the game artificially more difficult. Also, sometimes, the audio and video get out of sync in cutscenes, going as far as having one character move his/her mouth when in audio the previous speaker hasn’t finished talking, or vicesersa.

This brings me to audio. Apart from that nasty bug in cutscenes, most of the audio is splendid. There is a great audio separation courtesy of Dolby Pro Logic. The voice acting, for the most part, is spot on and fits the mood of the moment, except in a few secluded moments. Also, a few voices just don’t work. Fehn Digler and the Science Center Lady come to mind here. The soundtrack is almost perfect, and always fits the mood of the scene as well. I consider this to be one of the greatest soundtracks of this generation.

However, the soundtrack isn’t perfect. The biggest problem I have with it is that is almost too depressing for its own good. Even the “you got an item” sound bit (not the one where you get a pearl) sounds more downbeat than uprising. And the most uprising themes (Like the first one, “Dancing with DomZ”) relies too much on techno beats and too little on live instruments, which would’ve sound quite better. But besides that, the soundtrack does the job well.

Press “Accelerate” to accelerate.

Visuals and sound are all great and dandy, but how does it play? Thankfully, the controls are very responsive. In the two versions I played, I had little problems adjusting to the controls in the game, and if I had any, it was just my own clumsy self. The controls are mapped excellently, and it doesn’t require a lot of time to get comfy with it. The only real fault with the controls is the responsiveness of Jade’s 180-degree turns, but honestly: That. Is. It.

So you think you got game?

Now, the biggest piece of the slice: the gameplay. Now, games that are story-heavy like this one tend to suffer in the gameplay department. Sadly, Beyond Good & Evil suffers from being both short, and linear. To begin with, the game can be beat in your first run at an amazingly short 12 hours, and subsequent runs drop the amount of time even further. Now, that doesn’t make this game bad, but it linearity does hurt it bad. You can go and do some side-quests, and you can spend some time going around the land of Hillys, but ultimately, you’ll have to go by the story in order to go any further and do other things. You cannot play events out of order, you cannot replay crucial events or boss fights… you cannot even sequence-break the game! It’s THAT tightly locked. You just do what you’re supposed to do, and proceed to the next part of the game, until the credits roll.

However, my, oh my, the things you do while in the game. Within the short 12 hours the game lasts, you will do photography, fighting, racing, shooting, flying, platforming, stealth, infiltration, puzzle-solving, and much more. The game is so varied, you rarely feel bored with it. Although, some elements come off better than others. For example, the racing is so engaging, I felt they should’ve added a few more races and a Grand Prix to make it justice. Conversely, the platforming sections are merely functional, and I felt like I was stuck in box-shoving puzzles where sections to arouse my brains should’ve been. It’s like the old saying: “Jack of all trades...” but it’s really just “master of some.” But that “some” that it does do right, it does excellent, and it’s great fun.

However (again), the gameplay tends to be simplistic. Fighting for example, is done only with the (A) button (X button on PS2 and Right Click on PC), and while you can ask for help with another button, and throw gyrodisks using another button combination, AND while you can also add variety with the analog stick, the bulk of fighting is really just press (A). Racing is no big fuss, either, just press the turbo button, and steer with the joystick. However, I guess these simple elements of gameplay can be alluring to the player who seeks simpler things, rather than overcomplicated combos.

What a strange trip it’s been…

The game exudes originality in its environments. It follows a fine line between fantasy and realism in its design. The bulk of the characters are anthropomorphic animals who have their own thing: the rhinos are Rasta mechanics, the walruses are largely Asian, the bird character is wisely the newsstand guy, and the bull is the bartender. The environments are also a mix of past, present and future, and it all blends so well, it never feels tacky or out of place.

But that originality comes to a screeching halt in the gameplay department. Everything you do is, in some way or another, in other games out there before the release of BG&E. Photography? Look at Pokémon Snap. Sneaking around? Splinter Cell. Flying and shooting? Sounds like Star Fox. Racing? I’d begin, but I wouldn’t finish. Basically, in one way or another, this game borrows stuff from everywhere else, and really the only mildly original concept is the fighting method, and even that’s debatable.

So… this is it?

Beyond Good and Evil is not a game for everybody. Believe me; I’ve seen people comparing this game to games out of the genre range of this one just because those games feature a leading woman. However, if you like adventure titles, if you are looking for a great story within a game, if you love green, you’ll love this game. It’s not the perfect game (I have a dozen of games that rank higher than this one), but its charm will win you over if you let yourself enter the world of Hillys.

Review in a nutshell.

[Positives]

- Great Story
- Great Voice Acting
- Beautiful environments
- Gameplay Variety
- Responsive controls
- Music

[Negatives]

- Derivative gameplay
- Bugs in the system
- Short
- Linear

Score

84 (out of 100)

I found the review I wrote for the website! I thought I lost it but here it is! I'm not even sure it's mine anymore, but I'm pretty sure it is. LOL Weird, huh? My apologies if someone else wrote it. In any case, it's good.

Oh god, why is my memory so bad?


Beyond Good & Evil: an unforgettable journey

1 March, 2006

Loading...music starts and a news reporter shows up on-screen. He tells me that war has arrived at the gates of Hillys. "What an interesting way to start a game," I think. I see a planet, and it's attacked by green meteors. The image switches to a warm morning sky, music begins to play that fills my heart with happiness, I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong, due to the images I was confronted with earlier, but the image of a young woman and a little goat kid meditating in the morning sun is so calm and peaceful that all my suspicion disappears. But the young woman opens her eyes, something has forcefully broken her concentration. The sky turns into an ominous green whirlwind that viciously spins above the world below. "They're coming," she says. I'm beginning to panic, I don't know what the hell is happening now and I can't believe how suddenly the peacefulness of the early morning was replaced by this chaos and feeling of fear. With the little goat kid on her back the young woman runs towards the Lighthouse, the camera zooms in and she's introduced as Jade. She's the person you'll be sharing one of the most glorious game experiences ever with.

It's been about two years since I've experienced the introduction of Beyond Good & Evil and it's still fresh in my memory. I was overwhelmed by the many impacts that the game made on me in just a few minutes. It had me intrigued, it made me wonder and it made me feel happy. I felt calm and at ease only to be followed by a feeling of panic and an adrenaline rush that cannot possibly be explained to anyone who hasn't experienced it for himself. Beyond Good & Evil is an experience that has obsessed me for over two years, from the moment it was first announced. It has become part of my life now, and after you're finished reading this review, I hope you'll understand why.

War on Hillys
You'll be spending your time on a planet called Hillys. Once a peaceful planet, it's now plagued by a terrible war. An alien invader, called the DomZ have been kidnapping the Hillyans for some years for reasons still unknown. A military group called the Alpha Sections are helping the Hillyans out by fighting the DomZ and try to defeat them. But the war goes on and there hardly seems to be any progress. The young female reporter Jade lives with her uncle in a Lighthouse, where they take care of little children who have lost their parents in war. One day she gets an assignment to photograph a rare DomZ creature, but she'll soon discover that there's more behind this assignment than just proving that the Alpha Sections just aren't doing a very good job protecting the citizens. The alpha Sections are hiding something, and it's your job as Jade to discover the truth and expose the conspiracy!

I'm sure that you've already seen images of this game, and now that you read what the game is about it's not quite what you might expect from a game with such stylish cartoony graphics as BG&E. Orphans? War? Kidnappings? Indeed, in terms of storyline this game is not suited for the youngest, although the graphics suggest it is. The storyline filled with themes like war, loss and death will interest many people. By just looking at the game you might not see this. But let me assure you that the story has so much more than just the depressing themes I just mentioned. There are many happy moments in the game, which makes it charming for a very large portion of the game, so it's not a dark game at all. When I tell you more about the world of Hillys later in this review, you'll understand this. But as a reporter you'll do a lot of exploration in the game as well. Everywhere you go, the government(under control by the Alpha Sections for the protection of Hillys) is spreading propaganda everywhere, but as Jade you're going to have to try and look past the propaganda and discover what could be really going on. You'll accomplish this in a large variety of different gameplay.

A variety of fun
When you look at the different gameplay components apart from each other you may not be able to see what's so original about them. Let me tell you, none of them are truly original. Every idea that has been put into the gameplay in this game has already been used before in other games. But the fact of the matter is, that all of these gameplay components are wonderfully done and you'll have great fun with all of them. Also, all the pieces of gameplay combined make sure that this game is a fresh and original experience after all. There's more gameplay then there's described below, but I'll leave a few surprises for you. The overall difficulty is medium, with some challenging and some easy gameplay components to keep in mind.

Taking pictures
As a reporter you'll be taking pictures all the way through. Very early in the game you get an assignment to take pictures of every living creature on the planet. You'll be taking pictures of over 50 animals/humanoids. You'll have to look carefully, because some of them are well hidden. As a professional photographer you'll have to center them in your view as well, and you need to have the right distance. Fortunately, the picture camera's advanced targeting system will help you with this, but you will still have to do everything yourself. It's a wonderful gameplay opponent, adding fun and some challenge to the game. You'll also need to, quote: "capture the truth" in with your picture camera, and find evidence of the lies that the Hillyans have been told in all those years of war. The picture camera and the way it is used is one of the things that makes BG&E so unique.

Adventure and exploration
This game is an action-adventure, and like every good action-adventure it has a good amount of exploration. The puzzles you'll encounter during your adventure vary from easy to fairly difficult, and you'll need to keep your eyes open and look at your surroundings very carefully if you want to solve every puzzle. Overall, the puzzles aren't too different from puzzles you find in other games. It's the way they're implanted in the game that makes the puzzles seem new and fresh, and some of the puzzles really are very original. You'll have to make good use of Jade's partner's abilities to solve some deceptively cliched puzzles, and making your way through the maze-like buildings you'll encounter later in the game is also one huge puzzle. Exploring is a lot more adventurous when you encounter a lot of different challenges and environments, and this game provides you with those things perfectly.

Sneaking
During your explorations around Hillys, you'll have to sneak a lot to get past guards. Sometimes these guards can be defeated by fighting but for a beginner that's not recommendable at all. The large amount of sneaking parts this game contains are very challenging and most gamers will have a lot trouble sneaking around the guards unseen. It's all about timing and figuring out the patterns of the guard's patrol route, and you hide behind objects and in the shadows, every time the guard doesn't look you sneak a little further until you reach the end of the room and the door that will take you to safety or a new sneaking challenge. Sneaking is one of the main things you'll be doing in this game, but it's incredibly fun. It may not be as realistic or extensive as it is in games like Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell, but it can be just as difficult and it provides you with the same feeling of satisfaction when you make it out of a room alive. If you're spotted, chances are you're dead meat if you don't run away quickly.

Fighting
Not as important as sneaking but it's still essential for your survival. There will be enemies, you'll have to defend yourself when you're spotted by a guard(not recommendable for beginners) and there are boss fights in the game. Jade possesses a small number of combo's, it depends on your button pressing-speed which combo you use. There's just one button for fighting but it works out great for this game. I have to admit that the fighting system is somewhat shallow, but it makes up for the one-button set-up by making you work together with your partner to defeat some enemies and bosses. An automatic lock-on prevents you from hitting thin air and you can easily change the lock-on by hitting in a different direction. A Super Attack, which has to be powered up for a few seconds, isn't necessary for your survival but it sure makes it easier and more fun. The bosses in this game are huge and highly entertaining. Once you figure out the pattern they shouldn't be too difficult either, but they're not too easy either. Except for the last boss, but that's also one of the coolest bosses I have ever encountered.

Racing
Exploration will be done by hovercraft as well, this vehicle can(and must) be used on both water and land. It's used for infiltrating a heavily secured building, travelling on sea between the islands of Hillys, chasing looters and racing. The racing is a lot of fun, but way too easy. I dare you to lose, it's near impossible. Chasing looters is already a lot more original and fun. It goes like this: you enter a cave in your hovercraft when suddenly a looter comes and steals some of your credits, then he flees and you chase him through an obstacle course in the cave. If you're not fast enough a door will be closing in front of you half-way and you can try it again, at the costs of another amount of credits, of course. These chases are fast and furious, and you might do a chase again because it's so cool. You can upgrade your hovercraft with certain things, like a jump kit for example. It opens up new possibilities and a new part of Hillys to explore.

Upgrades
For Jade and the hovercraft there are different permanent and temporary upgrades which you can buy in the pedestrian district of Hillys and the Mammago garage. Upgrades for Jade like extra life-containers are very convenient, while upgrades for the hovercraft are crucial to the game's progress. You can use the extra life-containers for your companions as well.

Collecting
There are 88 pearls to collect in the game, and you must earn them through progression, buying and earning. You'll need the pearls to buy hovercraft upgrades, for everything else there's money, which you can earn by collecting it during your missions or earning it by taking pictures, winning races, winning mini-games and completing assignments. So you'll be collecting a lot in this game, since there's not too much backtracking involved you'll have fun in the process. What also helps is that you don't have to collect absolutely everything to finish the game, but a fair amount of pearls is definitely necessary. By the way, if you collect everything in the game, every pearl, every animal picture and every M-Disk(information disc), you do get to have a some nice rewards. I won't spoil anything, but you'll need to have internet for one particular unlockable.

Mini-games
There are a few mini-games in the game, and they're fine for a few minutes of good fun, earning money or earning a pearl. The Air-Disk game you can play to earn a pearl is challenging and fun, and you'll have to practice a bit to beat this game on a higher level. There aren't a lot of mini-games, but the ones that are there add a lot of value to BG&E.

The Sound of Hillys
The sound of this game is part of its uniqueness. The music is beautifully composed by Christophe Heral, the many cultural influences of the many songs in the game fit the game's style well. And every song, whether it's some Spanish song or a Hard Rock song, sounds fantastic. The main theme matches that of The Legend of Zelda, and its just amazing how well the songs fit to the mood of particular scenes. They add a lot of fun to adrenaline-rushing sequences and a lot of drama in some very emotional scenes. This musical score wouldn't be misplaced in an epic fantasy- or science fiction movie. The sound effects are very special, the sounds of this game are well recorded and like the music it feels like they belong in the game. The voice-acting, at least in the German, French, English and Dutch versions is superb, I can't think of another game where the voice-acting is done so incredibly well in several languages. The voice-actors add personality to the characters of BG&E, there are hardly any weak performances, maybe with just a few minor NPC's you encounter in the overworld of Hillys.

The looks of Hillys
BG&E has a certain style in graphics and it might be explained as cartoony and by some even considered kiddy, but I call it a beautifully designed interactive moving painting. The different locations in BG&E will dazzle you with their style and attention to detail. The Jade-engine, which was also used in the game Peter Jackson's King Kong, was used to make an easy transition between the many forms of gameplay, and it's capable of highly detailed small environments, as well as a large open world with gorgeous water effects and a decent drawing distance. The natural caves with a wonderful colour palet, but also the dark industrial locations you'll see later in the game are visually stunning and I promise you that you won't see anything similar in any other game. The characters, from the humans to the many different animals, the DomZ creatures and the humanoids, they've all been wonderfully designed with a not so realistic but still recognisable style, with a lot of detail added to them. Jade is human and she looks gorgeous but not realistic. Pey'j is a pig-man and he looks butt-ugly, but in a way you think he looks stunning. That sounds little weird but there you have it. Double H, a Hillyan soldier whom Jade will be fighting alongside with is a guy with short legs, a huge upper-body and a fairly large head with a big, square jaw. You could see a lot of the characters as caricatures of earth's inhabitants, it's a lovely style that also adds to BG&E's special atmosphere.

The World of Hillys
This last paragraph before I get to the conclusion is for everything that can't be described anywhere else. It's about the world of Hillys, the magic of BG&E, the enchantment of the story. First of all, the story is more than war, conspiracies and lies. It's also about the characters, it's about Jade, Pey'j, the kids and the Hillyan soldier Double H. These characters are the ones who make you continue the game. You want to spend time with them and when something happens to them you feel very bad and you want to help them out, although sometimes you'll feel powerless. These characters have personality, it's in their movements, their facial animations, their design and the voice-acting. These characters come to life wonderfully in the game and you'll soon grow attached to them. They're able to show the wonderful emotions that real persons are able to, they're very expressive due to the graphical style and the creators of BG&E didn't hold back on using that ability.

The cutscenes that tell the story are very cinematic. The camera movements, the dialogues, the music and the images make the cutscenes a joy to watch, and you'll feel with the lovable characters even more this way. A character looks sad, the camera captures the facial expression from a side angle, the character leans against a wall and slowly drops down to the floor, sad music begins to play. It's a situation like this that makes the cutscenes really impressive, and I think the game's creator Michel Ancel wouldn't do bad at all as a movie director.

The humour of BG&E is very charming, characters like the sarcastic Pey'j, the not too bright Double H and the Jamaican Rhino's at the Mammago garage will leave you laughing time and time again. My favourite is Pey'j with his joking around all the time, but his flawed jet boots demonstration in particular. Have you ever had a companion in a game that could help you with a special butt-stomp attack? It's hilarious, I tell you!

The world of Hillys is alive with, with so many movement all over the place. Boats sail the waters, flying cars are everywhere and in the air you see several airships flying around and eventually disappear in the distance. You wonder where they're off to, but you cannot follow them. That's one of the drawbacks of BG&E, the limited amount of freedom. The game gives you the sense that you're in an open world, but once you discover the barriers you'll realise that your freedom is still limited, so it's no GTA. Another thing is that the game is too short, after 12 or 14 hours the fun's over, but I assure you that you'll restart the game immediately after it has ended. The limited amount of freedom is compensated simply by the feeling of freedom that the game offers, and the many details in the game that will keep you busy enough not to notice the fact that you can't travel very far. The government is making propaganda everywhere, by the way. On the radio and on the streets on big screens. Things like this, a bar where racers come and have a drink(and where Pey'j is a regular too), people protesting on the streets when a bit more of the truth is revealed and much more, these are the things that make the world of Hillys believable. It creates a special atmosphere that makes the characters fit into the world and the story. I haven't seen anything in the game that seemed out of place, and that's quite an achievement since so many variety is put in all the elements of BG&E.

Conclusion
In the two years I have had this game, I haven't played or seen a single game that could match the splendour that is Beyond Good & evil. It's got the magic that I expect from an action-adventure. It's got the story to keep me interested. The graphics are absolutely stunning and I just can't believe that even now it can still match today's graphics. The music is worthy of an epic fantasy movie and since BG&E could have been something like that it fits very well into the game with a lot of variety in musical genres. The characters are a few of the greatest characters ever created in a game and you'll love them from the first minute they appear on-screen. The gameplay has got a lot of variety but every gameplay component has received a lot of attention and this shows. You will never have the feeling that a gameplay component seems rushed, it's very much a finished product in general. All these factors wouldn't work in a game without a well-designed world that's credible enough not to ruin the gameplay, story or atmosphere. Well, this game has that as well. The leveldesign and the living, breathing world makes the whole experience complete and now that you've got the entire complete package of this wonderful game, I think it's safe to say that it's truly one of the greatest games ever made. A marvelous adventure that should be played by everyone who calls him- or herself a gamer!

Graphics 10
Gameplay 10
Originality 9.5
Sound 10
Replay 9
Total 9.7

My old review sent to Denden. I made a few little changes here.

BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL
Review by Fomorian

THE STORY BEHIND THE GAME
The planet Hillys’ population has some problems… the insect-like aliens, called the DomZ, are invading their homeland. Unfortunately, it seems the population’s lacking insecticides :).
But fear not, because they are Alpha Sections to help! This black armor-clad army from nowhere saves the day, destroying the invaders. Yes, the number of kidnappings is in-creasing – but, surely, without the Alphas it would’ve been even more of them. So, it seems that the planet soon will be save.
But is it really true, that the Alpha Sections are the defenders of Hillys? The rebel or-ganization, the IRIS Network, doesn’t believes the propaganda spread by the official media and Alphas themselves. IRIS members start searching the truth…
And, the worst of all – the DomZ don’t want to “go home”… It seems, that they’re searching for something or someone…

JADE – OUR HEROINE
“Beyond Good & Evil” begins, like a good movie, with an earthquake, after which the tension is rising. We meet our heroine, Jade, when she trains yoga with one of the children of which she takes care. This peaceful moment is, however, ruined by the attack of the DomZ, who try to kidnap the children. In that moment we take control of Jade.
Jade is the free reporter-photographer, who earns by answering commissions of photo-graphic reports. Her adventure begins, when she answers the commission by unknown Mr. De Castellac. Soon she discovers the truth behind the DomZ and the Alphas…
Jade is an vigorous and humorous young woman. She seems to like the risk in her job. But most of all, Jade is very protective. And when someone wants to hurt her friends, she will stand against him – and he’ll be sorry he had ever been born.
Jade travels through Hillys with the Hovercraft, which will be upgraded during the game by the Mammago brothers – three rasta-rhinos (sic!).
Also, Jade uses her camera to take pictures of Hillys animal population, which is endangered by the DomZ attacks. It’s a hard job to complete all the animal photos – and a great fun!

BUTT-KICKING – WITH WHO AND HOW WE’RE FIGHTING?
Although Jade is a reporter, sometimes she finds herself in a situation, that she has to fight her way back. Her enemies are some of the more aggressive animals of Hillys, the DomZ monsters and Alpha Sections with their dangerous machines.
In these situations Jade fights with her Dai-jo – a battle stick, with which she brings chaos to Alphas ranks. Jade has a special attack – with which she strikes all enemies encirc-ling her.
Jade’s second weapon is – found during the game – the Gyro Disc Glove. This glove shoots little, pink discs at the enemies. However, it doesn’t make much harm – but it’s very useful in quick and secret attacks.

THE PIG AND THE KNIGHT, AKA – OUR COMPANIONS
Jade is not alone – she has a help from her step-uncle Pey’J - a grumpy half-man, half-pig handyman. Pey’J is a mechanical genius, who can fix everything. He is also a great fighter and very helpful against the enemies.
Jade’s other companion is Double H (HH) – former soldier in the Hillys regular army, who has joined the IRIS Network. He is a fantastic melee fighter, in his armor and with the battle hammer. Double H is a knight following the honor code, written in Carlson&Peeters Handbook.
Jade also has help from the IRIS team led by Hahn – and from Secundo, an intelligent holocron.

NOT THE GRAPHIC GRACES THE GAME – BUT IT SURE HELPS!
All I can say is – it looks wonderful! The graphic artists from Montpellier studios did a good work. The Hillys looks beautiful, especially at the sunset. All game’s locations are made perfectly to the smallest details.
But the greatest job is done in the brilliant cut-scenes. I can’t say anything more – you have to see it!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GO BUY IT!
Yes, what are you doing here? You want to play a wonderful game, with a great story and fantastic graphic? Then what are you waiting for? Go buy it!

Positives:
+ story
+ graphics
+ SOUND!!!
+ variety of minigames
+ characters

Negatives:
- short :(
- a few bugs

Score – 9/10

Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have some excellent reviews. It's satisfying to read through these to know that people loved it as much as we did.
Metacritic reviews of BG&E
Rotten Tomatoes reviews of BG&E

It all started when my uncle gave it to me because i wanted it but wasn't inthe store no more because it as old.But i thought it was a action game but when i played it i got more it had a perfic story good graphics stealth and more.All of those elements i loved.What grabbed me was the musc nd the hovecraft.10/10