Game Debate #189: Beyond Good & Evil

[Reed Rothchild | 10,067]

[spacepup | 2,564]

I gave this one a 9 - I REALLY enjoyed this game.  First played it on PS2 shortly after it came out.  I really loved the characters, humor, and story in this game, and the gameplay was pretty fun as well.

On paper, there may not be a lot that truly distinguishes the title as anything amazing, if you look at the gameplay compared to some other good titles back then, but I don't know, I found this game really fun and the style/story was great.  I've always had a fondness for this game!

[Gloves | 12,582]

Never played it.

[JamesRobot | 6,257]

1 hour ago, Gloves said:

Never played it.

Me neither.

[Brickman | 4,312]

I played this last year for my backlog and it instantly became one of my favourite games. 10/10

Apparently the xbox version has the best graphics and load times with GC just a slight step down. I played it on the GC and it looks great and the load times weren't too bad.

[DefaultGen | 5,961]

It's a good game, I just have no idea where the cult status comes from. It is such a... fine video game. Fine combat, fine stealth, fine story, and fine PS2-era hovercraft racing. It's like if a group of people talked up Quantum of Solace like it was one of the all time great films in cinematic history. 7/10

[MegaMan52 | 2,722]

9/10

Excellent. I have it on GameCube. Nice change from all the usual stuff. Haven't played through the whole game, but would like to someday.

Also, I like that the protagonist is named after the engine the game runs on.

If you're using a Wavebird Controller, you might want to disconnect any extra things (GBA cable, DK Bongos) from the console or you might not be able to get past the language setting. I ran into a similar issue with Mortal Kombat: Deception, with the difference being that game wouldn't even load unless I disconnected all those peripherals.

Edited January 31, 2024 by MegaMan52

[Brickman | 4,312]

1 hour ago, DefaultGen said:

It's a good game, I just have no idea where the cult status comes from. It is such a... fine video game. Fine combat, fine stealth, fine story, and fine PS2-era hovercraft racing. It's like if a group of people talked up Quantum of Solace like it was one of the all time great films in cinematic history. 7/10

For me it’s the story and characters, it created a real connection. If you’re into story driven games then this is where a lot of the cult status comes from. At the time not a lot of games were doing what Beyond Good & Evil did with the story. Especially with a female lead.

The action in the game is essentially a light Zelda clone. I don’t think they were trying to break new ground there. 

[CMR | 549]

I played it till the framerate started tanking then quit.

[Sumez | 3,214]

Man this game got so much praise when it came out, and I do think it deserves some recognition for what it did. 

A western developer making a Zelda inspired action adventure game with a unique setting (I've seen it compared to French or Belgian comics, and I think that is spot on), engaging characters and a cool blend of genres. If nothing else, the game is stylish in a really appealing manner. 

This was back when Ubisoft still had some clout, and people expected them to make more interesting games. 

I never played it all the way through at the time, and I gotta say when I finally did (when the game was re-released on X360), I don't think it holds up that well under scrutiny. None of the game's individual components are that entertaining or particularly fleshed out. There's a lack of genuine gameplay-centric dungeons to explore, and the overworld never expands that much beyond what you initially see. Also the forced stealth segments are really bad. 

It's a good game though, and a direction I really wish Ubisoft had maintained. But it's definitely not the masterpiece it's some times made out to be. I actually quite agree with DefaultGen here. 

7/10

[Sumez | 3,214]

Fwiw I think Jak 2 and 3 are similar to BG&E, but manage to be more gameplay centric without compromising everything else. They don't have quite the same charm to them, but on the other hand they also aren't as far off as you'd think. 

Funny enough I remember Jak 2 catching some flak at the time for leaving behind the fun and cute pure platforming in favor of something "GTA inspired", but honestly I think BG&E is a better comparison. If you like that game, definitely give those two a try! 

[Brickman | 4,312]

1 hour ago, Sumez said:

Fwiw I think Jak 2 and 3 are similar to BG&E, but manage to be more gameplay centric without compromising everything else. They don't have quite the same charm to them, but on the other hand they also aren't as far off as you'd think. 

Funny enough I remember Jak 2 catching some flak at the time for leaving behind the fun and cute pure platforming in favor of something "GTA inspired", but honestly I think BG&E is a better comparison. If you like that game, definitely give those two a try! 

I’ve heard that about Jak 2 & 3. I played a bit of 1 but at the time was over the collectathon gameplay and dropped it. People said 2 and 3 took a different approach. Might check them out next year.

[Sumez | 3,214]

Yes 2 and 3 are entirely different in that regard. 

[Webhead123 | 831]

This is a personal favorite on mine, not because I think most of the game play is exceedingly strong. None of it is bad, for sure, but neither does any of it truly excel. No, where BG&E hits its high notes is in world-building, relatable and fun characters and an overall story that has just the right blend of excitement, intrigue and emotional melodrama. By the end, I truly cared about the stakes of what was happening and was truly curious about some of the loose ends that are teased but never fully explained. That, combined with appealing graphics and character designs and some really wonderful music makes it a very memorable experience in my eyes and I think everyone should give it a try at least once knowing this.

8/10 easily.

Edited February 1, 2024 by Webhead123

[G-type | 2,938]

This was one my friends favorite games so it was hyped up for me a lot. I liked it, but it didn't really grab me enough to finish it.

[fox | 1,847]

Missed the boat on this one.  If there is a remake or remaster I’ll check it out.

[Brickman | 4,312]

2 hours ago, fox said:

Missed the boat on this one.  If there is a remake or remaster I’ll check it out.

It's available on Xbox, GC, PS2 and you can emulate it. The boat never left the harbour 

[Rhuno | 190]

This is one I've tried to play several times, but never get really far. I bought it at release, and maybe my expectations were too high with all the hype, but I find it pretty boring. It's not one I can see myself going back to at this point.

[Sumez | 3,214]

8 hours ago, fox said:

Missed the boat on this one.  If there is a remake or remaster I’ll check it out.

There's a remaster available for download on X360 and PS3, and I'm guessing probably for some of those consoles' successors. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,133]

On 1/31/2024 at 12:41 PM, Gloves said:

Never played it.

Never heard of it.

[cj_robot | 559]

Never played it, but I've heard so many greta things about it I definitely want to check it out someday.

[Webhead123 | 831]

7 hours ago, Sumez said:

There's a remaster available for download on X360 and PS3, and I'm guessing probably for some of those consoles' successors. 

The original game is also available through Steam or GOG and usually on sale for less than $5.

[Reed Rothchild | 10,067]

On 1/31/2024 at 12:54 PM, Brickman said:

I played this last year for my backlog and it instantly became one of my favourite games. 10/10

Apparently the xbox version has the best graphics and load times with GC just a slight step down. I played it on the GC and it looks great and the load times weren't too bad.

Weekly reminder for people to actually post their votes 

[Brickman | 4,312]

31 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Weekly reminder for people to actually post their votes 

Could have sworn I pressed submit  vote now in.

Haven’t played either of next week’s suggestions so left that blank.

[Brickman | 4,312]

1 minute ago, Brickman said:

Could have sworn I pressed submit  vote now in.

Haven’t played either of next week’s suggestions so left that blank.

Oh I actually see why it never submitted! I had to vote for next weeks game.