One of these days, beautiful games like Beyond Good and Evil will cease to exist. Keep them alive... play this gem!
I want to believe that, like me, Jackson fell in love with this beautiful game. That he feels that the care and loving attention that Beyond Good and Evil received can only better his next project. It is inevitable that a gaming tie-in had to occur with King Kong, but he personally saw that it fell into the right hands. A game that is so beautifully crafted and given so much attention can only be a good thing, and this contrasts drastically to EA's cookie-cutter titles (games that do little justice to the material and quickly made to make a profit).
Perhaps an oversized monkey and our beautiful protagonist, Jade, are as far apart as say, the 1970 King Kong film (beware the rubber suit) and King Kong of the new century (beware the awesome CGI), but they both share a can-do attitude and a faith in yourself. This wondrous woman is also as far apart from the typical gaming leading lady who has an I.Q the size of her tiny waist and a cup size that would drop jaws. Jade is a more natural, maternal character, with real feelings, concerns and emotions. Moreover, like any good lead, she can kick ass.
The world of Hillys (pronounced Hi-Less) is currently being invaded by the evil and marauding DomZ, a parasitic alien race. The lighthouse home she has made for herself and her Uncle Pey'j, as well as over a dozen orphans whose parents fell victim to DomZ attacks, is now their next target.
The concern she holds for these children shows wonderfully through her highly emotive face, which never fails to inform the player exactly how she feels. This concern is tested greatly when the aforementioned DomZ rain hard on her idyllic lifestyle - and into her already complicated life. Beyond Good and Evil isn't heavy handed in the beginning - it throws you straight into some combat, with a burning stick. The DomZ have taken to absorbing the orphaned children into a chest cavity and using their lives as some kind of energy for them.
The weirdest set of AA batteries yet seen.
Using a simple button mash system, the combat to save these orphans is quick, fluid and animates beautifully. Jade must have been a ninja in her past life, as the grace, poise and deathly strength she shows is nothing short of excellent. She flips, jumps through the air and crashes with the parasites at devastating speed and power. And all too soon, the fight is over. And that's when the real threat begins...
A meaty tentacle hauls Jade out from underneath her and into a cavern. Holding her close, the eyeball makes contact and all fades. In comes Uncle Pey'j (a humanoid pig, no less) to help our heroine and hand her a Daijo staff. What happens next is a two character system, with the computer controlling Pey'j as you control Jade. Given orders and dispensing helpful advice, this system works in the game's favor and is essential for getting through some sequences.
As much as the mechanics of Beyond Good and Evil are well in place and work well in tune with the presentation - it is really the presentation that makes Beyond Good and Evil stand out. I've already described our beloved adopted humanoid pig Uncle (and loudmouth mechanic), but put that alongside an entire world of characters who are truly unique. He isn't the only hybrid species around, and you will see shades of seals, walruses, dogs, cats and more in a menagerie that is not only unique, but breathtaking as well. The designers have gone to great lengths to ensure that Beyond Good and Evil is a very different kind of title.
Part time photo journalist, part time ass kicker and all round good looker Jade is soon recruited by the IRIS Network, an underground organisation trying to find a link between the DomZ and the Alpha Section, a team of highly trained soldiers who are protecting them. It is a chance meeting with an IRIS operative and a simple photographic assignment that leads our reluctant but passionate heroine on her journey, and through this initial deceit begins a dark story of human misery and hope.
To this end, gamers will play as Jade as she snoops around highly guarded facilities searching for answers - photographing and finding evidence that will eventually show the truth beneath the chaos of the world. But she must be careful - as those guards are not just highly trained and efficient, but deadly in numbers. And then there are all the defence systems...
The audio of Beyond Good and Evil is truly wondrous. The beautiful score and excellent main theme combine perfectly in tune with the gameplay. Composer Christopher Heral's (Picore) best work yet is on display here and much care has been given to ensure that the player notices. You really feel the heart of the game is in its sound - it speaks to you on a very deep level. The character's speech is impeccable, each and every character sounds as they should - and emote properly. It is very impressive.
Struggling through mammoth odds and breaking into facilities is fast work for Jade, and even moreso as the game's length is just a little too short. That equals about twelve hours. And it may go even faster, as Beyond Good and Evil is the kind of game which is hard to put down - its impressive presentation and its gripping story won't let you. And you wouldn't want it any other way. You will want to complete your next assignment, find that last bit of evidence, protect those who will work beside you and uncover the truth of what is really going on.
And perhaps that is why directors like Peter Jackson can see the appeal in Beyond Good and Evil. Maybe he sees a little of himself in here, I don't know. But if he is happy to invest in a studio for a movie tie-in on Summer's big film based on a singular game, than it had better be a damn good game. And Beyond Good and Evil fits this bill nicely.