Beyond Good or Evil, does it live up to it's cult status?

Great or not?

  • Amazing game

    Votes: 20 28.2%

  • It's ok, nothing special

    Votes: 27 38.0%

  • It's overhyped, doesn't deserve it's status

    Votes: 24 33.8%
  • Total voters
    71
kpopSuperstar

kpopSuperstar

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I have been holding off playing this for 22 years. I almost bought it back in the day, but It's one of those games where I can't tell if it's really great or just some niche hipster game.

Yet, it keeps getting mentioned from time to time, and I am curious.

Is it really THAT good, or overhyped? has it aged well? what does it compare to?
 
Ask chatgpt, also ask how often you should breathe while you're at it. Literally nothing anyone can say here isn't information you couldn't have had in a number of ways these 22 years, down to playing the demo or trying the game and refunding it if it's not to your liking and 2-12 bucks is too risky.
 
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All I remember is when it came out it was surprisingly great. It had a cool vibe to it and was a step above the average game at the time. Why it got deified I'll never understand. Solid B-tier game. Nothing more, nothing less. I'd rank it on the level of Mark of Kri. Maybe slighty better.

Couldn't tell you how it holds up though. I imagine its okayish but might feel a little jank by modern standards.
 
I played it in like 2004ish and loved it. I tried to go back and play it again maybe 7 or 8 years ago and only got an hour or so in. I want to give it another shot on a replay.

It's a good game, but I suspect the comments above about it being a solid B and one of those things about having go be there when it launched are accurate.
 
I feel like there's a massive gap between "it's ok and nothing special", and "it's Amazing".

I'd say it's a good game... and I don't think it's over hyped (does it have any real hype behind it?)
 
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It's got a cinematic quality to it for an old game.
But the level designs are small and cramped.

I rebought the 20th anniversary edition on Steam and I had to put on my Nostalgia glasses. It's rough.
 
It was always about the potential the sequel had. I don't think anyone actually enjoyed playing BGoE. People saw it as a proof of concept with some potentially great ideas. Once you start chasing that avant garde dragon you either end up looking like Tim Schaffer or your game hits 15 years of development hell. It's a tough line to walk.
 
At the time, it was great. If you're playing it for the first time today, temper your expectations. People think they love it more than they do in 2025, they just love being younger.
 
I played it at release and finally finished it when the HD version releasedon the 360. It's an ok game that is mercifully short.
 
At the time it was propped up hard by journalists but it never lived up to the hype. It released and was just a forgettable middle of the road game.
 
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Finished it thrice. First on GC, I remember it releasing with a discount already lol. Then the HD version on 360 and the 20th anniversary last year on Xbox. So yeah I always liked it. Especially the dutch translation.
 
The vote needs. Its good, not amazing.

Its a good, great even, platformer action game from the ps2 era.

Back when ubisoft had skill and personality.

A cult classic doesnt mean its perfection, it can be a cult classic and be good or great but overlooked or not spoken of as much within the mainstream
 
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I love it. It's extremely charming with a unique setting and a french cartoon atmosphere that you very rarely see in videogames but it can also be surprisingly emotional at times. It's a Zelda-like that doesn't really excel at anything gameplay wise but has solid foundations and is carried by its world, characters and presentation (the OST is fantastic). Definitely worthy of its reputation.
 
I think it is a bit special, but largely because of the world and vibe.

The actual gameplay is serviceable enough to sell the world, but not great on its own.

I do feel about the same with it as I do with Psychonauts.
 
One of my favorites from its generation. It's too bad the actual sequel Ancel was working on got reworked into some bastardized always online prequel reboot. Bah!
 
I loved it back then but when I played the remaster this year I found it very meh...

It has great characters and atmosphere, some good ideas and pacing.
But gameplay wise, it has aged badly.
I would gladly play a full remake though.
 
The poll needs another option: "It was a good game, nothing out of the ordinary back then when good games were given for granted. Today, in this desert of ideas where franchises are counted in the decades and even Nintendo does open world slop it's exceptional. Not in its quality because it's there with the big ones, but in being a plain good game without any tropes of the modern gaming. In short: odio eterno al juego moderno."
 
Unfortunately no cult ever lives up to its own cult status (except maybe christianity - but not the evangelical kind-).

BGE is a very good at the time, very dated game now.
 
I played it on release and to me it was special, but not amazing or anything, just something really unique.

I remember wanting to buy it so much since I loved the cover art, and I always had a thing for cel shaded graphics.

* The art/graphics was amazing for the time (that water!).
* Game world was immersive and had tons of lovable characters.
* Story was interesting and gameplay was simple but fun. The camera mechanic was nice.

There is nothing like it out there, so yeah, it was special
 
Generic said:
It's ultra boring. This game, Okami and Psychonauts are the triforce of hipsterism in gaming.
Click to expand...
I agree. Out of the three Okami is the most unique and fun by a longshot, but it way overstays its welcome and becomes tedious. It would've had more impact had they made it more linear imo.
 
Hugare said:
I played it on release and to me it was special, but not amazing or anything, just something really unique.

I remember wanting to buy it so much since I loved the cover art, and I always had a thing for cel shaded graphics.

* The art/graphics was amazing for the time (that water!).
* Game world was immersive and had tons of lovable characters.
* Story was interesting and gameplay was simple but fun. The camera mechanic was nice.

There is nothing like it out there, so yeah, it was special
Click to expand...


Basically this.

For a sequel to work out, it should be groundbreaking in some aspects while being true to the original.

Conclusion: it can't. It will be some cash grab bullshit, if it ever releases.
 
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it was an ok game, with fun story and loveable characters. was nicely put together for its time.
kind of a game you'd like to see an uc2 type improved sequel for, which is couple decades late by now.
 
I remember Ion Storm's Anachronox
www.gog.com

Anachronox

Welcome to Anachronox, an abandoned alien artificial planet at the centre of the universe
www.gog.com www.gog.com
more fondly than I do Beyond Good & Evil
www.gog.com

Beyond Good & Evil™

For centuries, the planet Hillys has been bombarded by a relentless alien race. Sceptical
www.gog.com www.gog.com
But it was a good game with a fun story.
 
I played the PS3 version... and never understood why some people treat it unil today as a Game of the Generation! It's not a bad game, but there is NOTHING special about it.
 
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When released was very good (maybe not a GOTY/super masterpiece), but not sure if time affected it. Maybe playing it today feels like a turd.

Solarstrike said:
Wasn't there a sequel in the works?
Click to expand...
It is, it had a very ambitious concept and continues in the works since many years ago.
 
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