Aged Like A Fine Corpse

That's right, I don't have DD's!

 Beyond Good And Evil was one of those games I missed when it came out years ago hanks to a lack of marketing. Fast forward 8 years and, after a delayed release thanks to the PSN debacle, the hd version finally has found its way onto PSN. Despite it's conspicuous lack of a platnium trophy, I gave it a download and thought this hidden gem from the past would be a nice way to fill the gaming void summer often brings.

After giving it a run through, I find myself simply confused and am starting to wonder if this was a trendy pick by reviewers since it was so under the radar back in the day. No way is this, as PSXtreme called it, an "established classic." Be forewarned, spoilers are coming.

That's not to say that there is nothing to take away from Beyond Good And Evil, even back then. The world is interesting and the voice acting is pretty darn good for video game standards (granted, that's not a high bar). While Jade is a little bland, it's nice to see a female protagonist who isn't overly sexualized. Double HH has his moments and I appreciated his charm as he bonehead sidekick. The gameplay is also pretty varied, offering big set piece moments, stealth missions, hack and slash action, and even some racing. But overall, I can only admit that the ideas where there, but overall the game is poorly executed.

This is about to get awkward...

 The most notable offense that missed all the progress action games have made over the years is the camera, which is downright awful and really derailed the experience for me. Anytime Jade and I got into some close quarters actions, the dodge command would send things in flux and I found myself looking at a wall rather than the dude with the hammer who is pummeling me. The setup screams for a lock on system, but it's nowhere to be found.

Continuing the trend of awkwardness is the controls for the hovercraft, which you need to spend a lot of time in. Again struggling with the camera, trying to see where you are going to successfully maneuver around a canyon or dodge a torpedo feels like controlling a wet sponge on ice...while blind folded. This, along with some confusing level layouts was a recipe for disaster, especially in the Slaughterhouse area, where not only did I have no idea what to do, just getting about was a huge pain.

The story also really pales in comparison with the world it's set in. I liked the idea of trying to start a revolution by capturing incriminating photos, but in the last 10% of the game, suddenly too much is thrown at you too soon. Jade's whole "special power" felt completely out of the blue during the end sequence since there really wasn't any hint that anything made her stand out from the other rebels. And the whole reason the Alpha's were helping the Domz ( "So we can suck out their fluids to make us live longer!) made me laugh more than nod my head in understanding. For a game called Beyond Good and Evil, everything seemed pretty black and white.

Overall, I wouldn't feel as disappointed if things weren't so hyped up for me. I went into it expecting a lost classic from yesteryear that never got its due. What I played is an ambitious game wrapped in a solid concept that is plagued with fundamental control issues, despite the hd makeover. Beyond Good and Evil just feels like a game that missed the evolution in action adventure titles in the last 10 years, as expected.