Beyond Good and Evil Updated Preview
We take another look at Ubisoft’s upcoming action game.
Beyond Good & Evil is the upcoming original multiplatform action game from Ubisoft, that is being developed by veteran developer Michel Ancel at Ubisoft's Montpellier studio in France. The game marks a distinct departure from Ancel's previous work, and it's an assured and surprising mix of unique gameplay, technically and artistically impressive graphics, and a rich story that deals with deep themes. With the game's release quickly approaching, we took a much more complete version of the title for a spin and are pleased to report that the game is being polished up nicely.
The game's story is set in the year 2435 and follows the adventures of a young woman named Jade, who lives on the planet Hillys, in a remote corner of the galaxy. The beautiful world is under siege from an aggressive alien force known as the DomZ, which threatens the population. The people are kept safe from the DomZ by Alpha Section, a military force that is viewed as the best defense against the alien threat. However, the simple premise is turned upside down when Jade becomes involved with a resistance movement that is trying to expose a conspiracy within the government. The resistance is trying to prove that the government is in league with the DomZ and is actually helping them abduct people. To do so, the resistance needs Jade to get photographic evidence that can be used to prove the startling claim. But even that isn't as cut-and-dried as it seems, and the story takes some interesting twists as it unfolds.
While the story winds up being a complex web of intrigue worthy of an X-Files episode, and it could potentially scare off gamers with short attention spans, it's presented in a very accessible manner. Reasonably short real-time cutscenes and conversations are spaced out well and do a fine job of moving the story along. One of the coolest touches is how all the little graphical and sound elements used to bring the environments to life complement the narrative. For example, you'll hear propaganda-style radio transmissions from the government on your travels, which take on ominous significance as you get deeper into the story. The same holds true for posters and video screens, which you'll see strewn throughout the environments. You'll learn not to take anything for granted as you go through the game, and you'll begin to develop a healthy sense of paranoia and skepticism.
Beyond Good & Evil offers a unique gameplay experience that somehow manages to blend stealth mechanics, action role-playing, platforming, and vehicle combat into a cohesive package. While the game is a far cry from Ancel's work on the Rayman franchise, Beyond Good & Evil definitely manages to be similarly accessible. Jade's move set will include the standard range of actions, such as running, jumping and attacking, and she'll also have special stealth and camera abilities. The team has even managed to include a picture-taking subgame that works in the context of the story. In addition to Jade, you'll be able to make use of secondary characters such as Pey'j, a humanoid pig uncle that we'd like to think isn't a blood relative, and a rogue member of Alpha Section, whom she encounters later in the game. The secondary characters come into play as you go through the game--they offer tips on how to solve puzzles, and they can physically help you deal with obstacles. In some cases puzzles will revolve around finding a way to let your secondary character access an area that you've managed to get Jade into. Aside from the third-person adventuring you'll be doing, Beyond Good & Evil will send you cruising over land and sea in a hovercraft that will evolve into an airship as you upgrade it over the course of your adventures. However, no matter how varied the action gets, you'll always be able to get a handle on it.
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- Ubisoft
- Ubisoft Montpellie
- Fantasy Action Adventure
- Release: Dec 11, 2003
- ESRB: Teen
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