THE GOOD:Amazing in almost every way. Tons of fun, very creative, lots to do, nice storyline and musical score
THE BAD:
It's just a little too short
SUMMARY:
I loved Beyond Good & Evil since the moment I started playing it. The game is great in nearly every detail, from gameplay to sound. I had high expectations considering this is coming from Michel Ancel (same guy who made the Rayman series) and I was not disappointed at all. The world of Hyllis is so imaginative and full of life. From Jamaican Rhinos to Hovercraft Racing, the game sets an exciting pace and never stops for a moment to bore you.
Gameplay - The game isn't a huge action game, there's some fighting but it's kept to a minimum. Don't get me wrong, Jade (story's protagonist) gets plenty of practice with her Dai-Jo (quarterstaff) but most of the game is covert operations. Sneaking past guards and alarms was never so much fun before and that made up for the lack of action I was so accustomed to after playing other titles like Rainbow Six 3 and Crimson Skies. It's hard to categorize this game, it's sort of like a cross between Metal Gear Solid and The Legend of Zelda. 10/10
Sound - Not a huge score selection but what's there is beautifully composed. I especially like the Asian-Austro music in Ming-Tsu's shop and the melody at the Lighthouse. The best tho, hands down, are the Spanish scores played during the mini-games. The music made the game so enjoyable and complimented the atmosphere perfectly. 10/10
Story - I really liked the story, the Alpha Squad and the DomZ were really creative. The animal residents were beautifully designed - the Hippo barkeep in particular caught my attention. Running around on the Hovercraft and all the features you can get for it is cool too. The conspiracy and journalist twist is interesting and unique. I plowed through this game anxiously anticipating the next plot turn at every turn and even tho there are some holes, that just leaves room for a sequel. 10/10
Replay - Alas, my only regret is the shortness of the game. I was expecting something Final Fantasy-ish in length and it never happened. It was so much fun to play but I'm already at the end and I'm only 13 hours into it! I'm aware of some mini-games available so I'm hoping for some neat extras. The bonus material is pretty interesting too and I'm pleased BG&E is keeping up with the times by adding dvd features such as 'the making of'. I hope there's a sequel in the works for this because I would definitely like to see more. 9/10
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