Although it was a bit disappointing, Beyond Good & Evil is still a downright enjoyable game
This story has you taking control of a young woman known as Jade: a freelance photographer/journalist who lives in a lighthouse while taking care of orphaned children together with her humanoid adoptive uncle, Pey'j. The main threat to the people of the peaceful planet of Hyllis (which is the same planet Jade and all her friends live on) are the DomZ, an alien race which constantly attacks the innocent Hyllians and is the main reason why the children that Jade takes care of are orphaned in the first place. The only source of protection that the people seem to have is an organization known as the "Alpha Sections" which sends out soldiers to protect people from the DomZ, but they always never seem to come at the right time. Early on in the game, Jade gets an offer to join a rebel organization who believes that there is more to the Alpha Sections than meets the eye, and see if there is indeed a more friendly relationship between them and the DomZ.
Now, judging from a lot of the feedback I've seen, quite a few people actually think that the story is the highlight of this game and that it's very mature and deep. Let me just warn all of you who were taken in by these statements that what many people say regarding the story is not true. The story is pretty much a clichéd sci-fi story full of the usual humanoid creatures, alien threats, and advanced technology. It's also a bit like some sort of Disney adventure movie with some weird jokes thrown in here and there (usually by Jade's companions) and some unrealistic villains who go a bit too easy on the people who they're attacking. Basically, my point is, do not buy this game just for the story.
Instead, buy the game for everything else that's good about it, one of the main things being the game's solid and refined gameplay structure. Much like the story, the game's gameplay has been hyped to no end with it being compared to Zelda and some people even saying Beyond Good & Evil's is much better. Once again, I highly advise that you do not listen to this hype, because it's not quite as good as people say. Thankfully, it is by no means bad though. The combat is actually pretty fun and impressive with Jade gracefully moving around the field while dodging enemy attacks and looking for the enemy's one weakness. Travelling around the planet of Hyllis through hovercraft is very smooth and easy with the simple controls. The companion system is also done very well as Jade's companions (her uncle Pey'j being one of them) actually help you out a lot when it comes to solving puzzles and can get you out of tight situations in combat.
While for the most part, the gameplay is tight, responsive, and enjoyable, there are still a number of issues that could've been addressed. The stealth sections of the game are alright, but that's it. The enemy lets you off the hook way too easily if you're spotted, there isn't much variety as to how you can hide yourself, and honestly, the stealth sections of this game are one of the less enjoyable ones (the more enjoyable parts being combat and exploration). Taking pictures of different species' of life on Hyllis to send to the Science Center for money as a side job and collecting pearls is also a bit dull. It would've been much better if the developers went and made the commentary for the pictures a bit more entertaining (instead, most of the animals Jade catches on her camera simply get a "Good Work!" or "Bravo!" from the recipient of the photograph instead of a more in-depth look at the animal itself) and getting pearls is pretty much just boring and getting all 88 of them is tedious. Unfortunately, pearls are essential when it comes to actually making progress to the game. Regardless of these minor issues, the game holds up well in the gameplay department thanks to the fluid controls, enjoyable combat, and fun exploration.
While I ended up disappointed with the story and unimpressed by the gameplay because of the hype, the graphics are one of the things which weren't touched on too much, and thankfully, that allowed me to appreciate it much more. The graphics are a nice mix of a realistic style together with a cartoony look. Unlike many of the women in today's games who have oversized breasts and look like they come from a horny teenager's fantasy, Jade is a woman with a realistically carried out design and looks like someone you might even meet. For a game made back in 2003, the graphics overall aren't bad either with some nice-looking water effects and interesting environments. The other character designs for the support characters like Pey'j and Double H (another partner you get later on in the game) are done well and give the characters a unique feel. While people today will be unimpressed at the lack of technical detail (since obviously, the game is old), the game is still full of style and is very pleasing to the eyes.
Together with the graphics, the music for this game is one of the things I have almost no complaints with. The musical score for this game is simply sweeping and epic. It feels like it came out of some big fantasy movie full of adventure. There are fast-paced tracks (obviously used in battles and chases), while there are also some slow and sombre songs used in safe places like the lighthouse. In terms of the other audio, the sound effects all pretty much fit, although none are really noticeable (which is better than noticing that the sound effects don't fit at all). The voice acting was alright overall, but after playing an hour or so through the game, I found myself putting on the subtitles since I wasn't quite sure what the characters were saying sometimes which isn't a good thing. In the end, the audio is very solid with some really great music (too bad the storyline isn't strong enough to complement it).
The worst thing about this game that I can think of is probably the length and replay value. This game can easily be beaten in 10-15 hours which is rather short. And when you consider that a good few hours or so of this time is spent collecting pearls, it really doesn't amount to much plot progression. This doesn't fit with the game at all since you'd be expecting a long and epic game with a soundtrack and sci-fi story that it has. It also didn't help that the game tried throwing all the plot twists at you at the last dungeon of the game instead of making the plot progress gradually.
The bottom line is, Beyond Good & Evil is a game that has lots of minor flaws, but regardless, it's still a whole lot of fun and enjoyment. The story doesn't shine as much as people say it does with a few forgettable minor characters and moments that seem to try too hard to be emotional. The game definitely didn't last as long as I thought it should have. However, the game's positive qualities still outshine its negative ones greatly. It has a great gameplay structure that's built on smooth controls that are simple, yet manage to avoid making the game some sort of hack fest. The music is very movie-like and helps add to the game's atmosphere. The graphics are very clean looking and detailed for the time when it was released, and the characters, although not too memorable, are still likable and helpful when it comes to partnering up with Jade. Even with the complaints I had with this game, I could still see the potential it had to be much greater and I eagerly await it's sequel to see just how much Ubisoft can improve on Beyond Good & Evil's formula, and make a superb and unforgettable game.