Back when Beyond Good & Evil was released on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Gamecube and PC in 2003, it didn’t get the attention it so rightly deserved. The choice of prioritizing Prince of Persia: Sands of Time resulted in poor sales of the game, and it became long forgotten by most gamers. A decade later, Ubisoft and the team behind Beyond Good & Evil decided to bring the game back to life, but this time in the glory of HD graphics on the Xbox Live Arcade, and eventually on the PlayStation Network. Now the game has another chance to shine and get the recognition it should have received years ago.
As a game that was underrated back when it debuted nearly a decade ago, does Beyond Good & Evil deserve a second chance to impress us? Let’s take a look in the HOTs and NOTs of the game.
HOT
HD Graphics & Impressive Presentation
Compared to the original version of Beyond Good & Evil, the graphics look crisper, especially the environments and the characters like Jade and Pey’J. The moment you get inside Jade’s hovercraft and explore the Planet Hilly, you will appreciate the colorful visuals and environments the game has to offer. Little things like the animals and water look phenomenal in this revamped edition. Due to the limitation of the game’s original engine, the textures didn’t improved much at all—they’re very simplistic to say the least.
The strongest aspect that I’ve found in playing Beyond Good & Evil HD is the soundtrack it offers. Make no mistake, this game offers a very good musical score that really touches your emotion and will make you feel the drama behind the story. Whenever there is a cutscene or Jade visits a place, expect to be welcomed by an awesome and memorable tune that will stay in your head even after you’re done playing. Voice-overs remain unchanged from the original. It’s not the best but it’s good enough, considering this game was made back in 2003.
For those who haven’t played the game, Beyond Good & Evil follows the story of Jade and Pey’J, a humanoid pig, on the Planet Hilly. The planet’s protector, the Alpha Sections, is at war with the DomZ, an evil alien race who have invaded the planet. Are they really at war? This is where Jade and Pey’J step in as they both join the IRIS, an underground rebel organization who wants to expose the conspiracy of the Alpha Sections and their so-called alliance with the Domz. With Jade’s skills in photography, you will search for the truth behind this on-going war on the Planet Hilly. I imagine the story was pretty appealing back when it was released, but today’s generation of gamers might considerate average.
A Memorable Adventure Game
Playing Beyond Good & Evil HD brings back memories and reminded me why I enjoyed the game so much my first time through. For an adventure game, it has a lot to offer. In Beyond Good & Evil, there are other things that you can do aside from simply tapping a button to take an enemy down. There are puzzles that need to be solved, quests that involve collecting certain items, photographing bunches of insects and animals to earn you credits, and maybe racing to different places. I greatly enjoyed the quest that involves photographing different species of insects, as it makes you explore every inch of the Planet Hilly in search of over 100 different insects to photograph. This quest will let you see just how colorful and well-designed the world is.
NOT
Simply a Mere Port
Aside from the achievements and HD graphics the game has to offer, Beyond Good & Evil HD brings nothing new to the table. Since the game is simply a mere port from the last generation console, the things that annoyed us back when it was first released still exist in the game, such as its short length. Another annoyance is that the battle system is as generic as ever; mashing one button is all it takes to take an enemy down.
VERDICT
At a price of 800 Microsoft Points, passing up on Beyond Good & Evil HD is the worst decision that you can make at this point. Just like last time, Beyond Good & Evil HD manages to uphold the things that we all loved when it was released back in 2003. Not only does it have the HD treatment, we also get to play the game once again and look through Jade’s emotional story. The story and its memorable characters are the two things that make this game shine once again. For gamers who haven’t played the game at all, picking this title up is highly recommended. But those who already played the game might consider passing this version up, as it is exactly the same thing as the original game.
[Editor’s Note: Beyond Good & Evil HD was reviewed on the Xbox 360. The game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes.]