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[Prospero]

You know, it's definitely a good game, but I couldn't help but feel that it was a little rough around the edges. Maybe I thought this because I was mentally comparing it to Prince of Persia, which is the closest that a game has gotten to perfection this gen.

But I couldn't help but feel that there were minor flaws all over the place, which weren't remarkable when considered singly, but which cumulatively detracted from the game. Little things like the dodgy controls for the mini-game in the bar, the occasionally arbitrary enemy AI during the stealth sequences, the sometimes unnecessarily unintuitive puzzle design, and so on.

On the other hand, the racing and flight engine was ace, the game world was imaginative, and the last three battles (the fight with the enormous spaceship; the following space battle with dozens of fighters; and the amazing final boss) made me love videogames again. Prince of Persia is still the best game I got out of last winter's Ubisoft Bargain Bin, but BG&E was an excellent game for $20. It's too bad there won't be a sequel, to give the designers a shot at refining the game a little more.

 

[Deku Tree]

I agree with everything you said, but I have to add that I really hated the story in BG&E. It didn't suck me into the game at all (which is the whole purpose of a story in a video game).

 

[siege]

I agree with everything you said, but I have to add that I really hated the story in BG&E. It didn't suck me into the game at all (which is the whole purpose of a story in a video game).

Me either. They could have done so much more with it. Was a pretty cool game for 20 bucks though.

 

[dark10x]

Story was flawed, but I really enjoyed it because of the characters...

 

[Agent Dormer]

Was a pretty cool game for $50 though.

Fixed.

 

[NLB2]

I agree with everything you said, but I have to add that I really hated the story in BG&E. It didn't suck me into the game at all (which is the whole purpose of a story in a video game).

IAWTP

And why name the game Beyond Good and Evil? Same thing goes with Xenosaga - if you're not gonna have anything to do with Nietzsche, why take the names of his books?

 

[StrikerObi]

IAWTP

And why name the game Beyond Good and Evil? Same thing goes with Xenosaga - if you're not gonna have anything to do with Nietzsche, why take the names of his books?

Because the story goes beyond the simple concept of good vs evil.

Spoiler

By the end of the game you find out your an evil agent all along and end up questioning your whole purpose.

 

[Ranger X]

My major complaint with Beyond Good And Evil was that it's too damn short. I mean, the pace was perfect until when...


**** spoilers ahead ****






... you discover that the Pig friend is the chief of the underground organisation and you have to go on the moon save him and everything. At that point, the game is trowing the story at you with an incredible speed and BANG! -- the game ends.

This game could have use more story developpement in the last part and AT LEAST 1 or 2 dungeons more. Damn UBI to have cut devellopement time and/or money on this one. They had a masterpiece at hand and they blew it.

 

[Patrick Klepek]

i absolutely loved beyond good & evil -- finished it for the first time a few days ago after picking it up for $10. it makes me really sad that there's a teaser at the end that will never be followed-up on. the characters were fantastic, the story was paced strangely and often stupidly cliched, but it was also hauntingly beutiful -- a true marvel to look at.

 

[Prospero]

And why name the game Beyond Good and Evil? Same thing goes with Xenosaga - if you're not gonna have anything to do with Nietzsche, why take the names of his books?

Coincidentally, I just read Nietzche's BG&E a couple of weeks ago. The game has only the most tenuous relationship with the book--a really reductionist version of Nietzche's main point is that what we consider to be inherently "good" or "evil" is mostly the result of our own prejudices and agendas, and the story's kind of concerned with that, though not in nearly the same way that Nietzche is.

My major complaint with Beyond Good And Evil was that it's too damn short. I mean, the pace was perfect until when

Spoiler

you discover that the Pig friend is the chief of the underground organisation and you have to go on the moon save him and everything.

At that point, the game is trowing the story at you with an incredible speed and BANG! -- the game ends.

The thing I didn't like about the story's ending is that the two main plot twists (

Spoiler

that the pig is the chief of the IRIS insurgents, and that Jade is only half-human

) seemed completely arbitrary, added absolutely nothing to the gameplay, did nothing to develop the characters, and just served to confuse the player where no confusion was necessary. The final battles would have played out in exactly the same way without those twists, and probably would have had more emotional impact.

I didn't care so much about the length of the game, as much as I cared that the pace of the story didn't suit the length. Prince of Persia is a similarly short game, but the story's pacing is perfect, so that by the end you're satisfied with what you got. On the other hand, Beyond Good and Evil plays like the designers wanted to develop an epic forty-hour Zelda-type game, but ran out of either time or money.

 

[AniHawk]

I loved BG&E. It reminded me so much of a game last gen which I loved to play. It was like instant-nostalgia. One of the most memorable things was that final boss battle. Nice and challenging with a little twist I hadn't had in a videogame before-

Spoiler

the controls switching up and down and left and right all of a sudden during a final boss fight

 

[NLB2]

Because the story goes beyond the simple concept of good vs evil.

Spoiler

By the end of the game you find out your an evil agent all along and end up questioning your whole purpose.

Evidently you haven't read Nietzsche's work.

 

[Ranger X]

I loved BG&E. It reminded me so much of a game last gen which I loved to play. It was like instant-nostalgia. One of the most memorable things was that final boss battle. Nice and challenging with a little twist I hadn't had in a videogame before-

Spoiler

the controls switching up and down and left and right all of a sudden during a final boss fight

IAWYP

 

[ToyMachine228]

Yeah I loved Beyond Good & Evil through and through. It's one of the best adventure games of the generation if you ask me.

 

[Flynn]

Story was flawed, but I really enjoyed it because of the characters...

This is the best Criticism of Beyond Good & Evil I've heard.

It's totally true; the characters are incredibly well drawn and likeable.

 

[M3Freak]

I JUST finished it (like, 5 minutes ago). I thought the game was great, and I loved the story. Some of it makes you think about the real world, so it hit home for me.

What's this about "no sequel"? I know the game didn't do well, but if there really isn't going to be a sequel, that SUCKS. Anyone have links to articles on this?

 

[TekunoRobby]

It's totally true; the characters are incredibly well drawn and likeable.

Hah hah I'm in the opposite camp. I completely hated the characters (with the exception of the soldier-esque lad who kept shouting the name of a book?).

 

[Patrick Klepek]

I JUST finished it (like, 5 minutes ago). I thought the game was great, and I loved the story. Some of it makes you think about the real world, so it hit home for me.

What's this about "no sequel"? I know the game didn't do well, but if there really isn't going to be a sequel, that SUCKS. Anyone have links to articles on this?

i don't believe there are articles about no sequel except that it sold terribly -- the only reason PoP has a sequel is because of the bundles

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

I loved the presentation, but it seemed like an unfinished game in the end. Definitely worth $20 though.

 

[Vyse]

I loved BG&E. Sucks the plan for a sequel is scrapped. Like ICO, for the price eveyone should give it a shot.

 

[Koshiro]

Spoiler

the controls switching up and down and left and right all of a sudden during a final boss fight

Up down left right chu chu chu!