Beyond Good and Evil is one of those so-called "overlooked gems" which didn't garner much notice upon release but has since gained a devoted following. This produced two separate reactions. On the one hand, I am curious because I am always on the look out for a good game. On the other, my cynicism alarm goes off. "A good game, huh?" I think. "We'll see about that." Anyone who's heard my opinions on the tedious and overrated Shadow of the Colossus or the even more tedious and overrated film Donnie Darko knows I don't always throw in with popular opinion nor cult fan base. So, I went into this game with a healthy portion of skepticism.
Right off the bat, I was treated to a large amount of cut scenes. I really cannot stand cut scenes. I would have skipped them if I could find the skip button. I thought I pressed every button on the controller but since consoles these days have like a billion buttons on the controller, I may have missed it. Fortunately, it was too long before it deigned to let me play the game, although it took me a couple second before I noticed this.
People can say the a game weds the cut scenes to the gameplay seemlessly all they want. The simple fact is that they require a dramatic shift in the player, from sitting there and doing nothing to suddenly being able to interact with the game. You can almost hear a loud "click" as a switch is thrown.
So, given my general dislike for cut scenes, I am at a lost for why I'm loving it here.
I cannot explain it. But I stopped looking for the skip button and paid attention. I'm not back peddling on my stance on cut scenes as they are time not spent actually playing, but they are actually entertaining here for some reason. If I had to guess, I'd say this makes Beyond Good and Evil the exception that proves the rule. Cut scenes work here because they're particularly well done, making a hybrid entertainment, combining film and game. But it succeeds where most others fail because the cut scenes are not entertaining. They're tedious. And in many other games, as tedious as the cut scenes may be, the gameplay itself is even more tedious.
This is where Beyond Good and Evil also shines. The gameplay is simplicity itself, and this entices me to explore more. I actually run around and talk to people, which I usually find boring in these RPGs, but it's kind of fun here. And I don't know why. Is the dialog especially well-written? Is the interaction method better than the usual "talk to random people" mechanic? I don't know, but it works here when I usually find it doesn't elsewhere.
One aspect of the game I really like is the one button action. You make the main character, Jade, perform a variety of actions simply by pressing X. For example, in one of the earlier missions, to continue you must shimmy up a narrow gap to activate a device to open a door. In another game, this would require navigating a complicated control scheme, probably alternatingly pressing the shoulder buttons to get Jade to shimmy up this gap. A task that would probably take at least five minutes to accomplish simply because the player needs to get the hang of this control scheme. Not so in Beyond Good and Evil. The developers did not follow the mistaken design philosophy that requiring the player to learn unintuitive and complicated control schemes would give their game depth. Instead, you simply stand near the gap and press X and Jade shimmies up the game and activates the device automatically, ironically giving the game more depth as it quickly becomes clear that you'll be performing a variety of tasks and you can do them all with relative ease since most of them can be done by simply pressing X.
Speaking of the main character, I find it refreshing to have a female protagonist who is not composed on jiggle physics clad in a dental floss bikini. This is a female protagonist I can believe in, I can root for, and wouldn't mind getting into the sack. In fact, she's a lot more desirable because she is a strong female character who's not being used as mere eye candy. I mean, I bother even learning her name. That must count as something.
To add variety to gameplay, there's a sidekick character, Pey'j. I haven't dealt with very many side kick characters, but if Pey'j is any indication, then I may have to check out more games that have one because he works wonderfully. He's mostly controlled by the triangle button, give a bit more gameplay depth to the "just press X" gameplay of simply controlling Jade.
Another interesting feature worth mentioning is that Jade is a photographer/reporter and has a running job of cataloging all of the planet's fauna for a scientific institute thing. It's actually amusing when a new monster lunges at jade to not automatically hit the attack button but the camera button to snap a photo of it to earn some money. This is also a nice way to introduce these creatures and learn their silly, silly names.
In fact, earning money seems more pressing here than in other games. It turns out Jade is caring for a bunch of orphans (for plot related reasons that I won't go into here. Just play the game, you ninny), so earning money feels like a more pressing issue since she has so many dependents. Granted, the money is mostly just to buy more items just like any other RPG, but I feel that urgency, so it's a nice touch.
Bottom line, I am enjoying the game and this is shrinkingly rare. Whether I'm jaded, stuck in a past generation of gameplay or game design has simply taken massive steps backwards in the last couple years, here's a game I can appreciate. Why it wasn't a hit upon release is a mystery, but it's gained a following enough to warrant a sequel which is currently in the works. I, meanwhile, will need to go on Amazon and get a copy of this one for my permanent library.
Right off the bat, I was treated to a large amount of cut scenes. I really cannot stand cut scenes. I would have skipped them if I could find the skip button. I thought I pressed every button on the controller but since consoles these days have like a billion buttons on the controller, I may have missed it. Fortunately, it was too long before it deigned to let me play the game, although it took me a couple second before I noticed this.
People can say the a game weds the cut scenes to the gameplay seemlessly all they want. The simple fact is that they require a dramatic shift in the player, from sitting there and doing nothing to suddenly being able to interact with the game. You can almost hear a loud "click" as a switch is thrown.
So, given my general dislike for cut scenes, I am at a lost for why I'm loving it here.
I cannot explain it. But I stopped looking for the skip button and paid attention. I'm not back peddling on my stance on cut scenes as they are time not spent actually playing, but they are actually entertaining here for some reason. If I had to guess, I'd say this makes Beyond Good and Evil the exception that proves the rule. Cut scenes work here because they're particularly well done, making a hybrid entertainment, combining film and game. But it succeeds where most others fail because the cut scenes are not entertaining. They're tedious. And in many other games, as tedious as the cut scenes may be, the gameplay itself is even more tedious.
This is where Beyond Good and Evil also shines. The gameplay is simplicity itself, and this entices me to explore more. I actually run around and talk to people, which I usually find boring in these RPGs, but it's kind of fun here. And I don't know why. Is the dialog especially well-written? Is the interaction method better than the usual "talk to random people" mechanic? I don't know, but it works here when I usually find it doesn't elsewhere.
One aspect of the game I really like is the one button action. You make the main character, Jade, perform a variety of actions simply by pressing X. For example, in one of the earlier missions, to continue you must shimmy up a narrow gap to activate a device to open a door. In another game, this would require navigating a complicated control scheme, probably alternatingly pressing the shoulder buttons to get Jade to shimmy up this gap. A task that would probably take at least five minutes to accomplish simply because the player needs to get the hang of this control scheme. Not so in Beyond Good and Evil. The developers did not follow the mistaken design philosophy that requiring the player to learn unintuitive and complicated control schemes would give their game depth. Instead, you simply stand near the gap and press X and Jade shimmies up the game and activates the device automatically, ironically giving the game more depth as it quickly becomes clear that you'll be performing a variety of tasks and you can do them all with relative ease since most of them can be done by simply pressing X.
Speaking of the main character, I find it refreshing to have a female protagonist who is not composed on jiggle physics clad in a dental floss bikini. This is a female protagonist I can believe in, I can root for, and wouldn't mind getting into the sack. In fact, she's a lot more desirable because she is a strong female character who's not being used as mere eye candy. I mean, I bother even learning her name. That must count as something.
To add variety to gameplay, there's a sidekick character, Pey'j. I haven't dealt with very many side kick characters, but if Pey'j is any indication, then I may have to check out more games that have one because he works wonderfully. He's mostly controlled by the triangle button, give a bit more gameplay depth to the "just press X" gameplay of simply controlling Jade.
Another interesting feature worth mentioning is that Jade is a photographer/reporter and has a running job of cataloging all of the planet's fauna for a scientific institute thing. It's actually amusing when a new monster lunges at jade to not automatically hit the attack button but the camera button to snap a photo of it to earn some money. This is also a nice way to introduce these creatures and learn their silly, silly names.
In fact, earning money seems more pressing here than in other games. It turns out Jade is caring for a bunch of orphans (for plot related reasons that I won't go into here. Just play the game, you ninny), so earning money feels like a more pressing issue since she has so many dependents. Granted, the money is mostly just to buy more items just like any other RPG, but I feel that urgency, so it's a nice touch.
Bottom line, I am enjoying the game and this is shrinkingly rare. Whether I'm jaded, stuck in a past generation of gameplay or game design has simply taken massive steps backwards in the last couple years, here's a game I can appreciate. Why it wasn't a hit upon release is a mystery, but it's gained a following enough to warrant a sequel which is currently in the works. I, meanwhile, will need to go on Amazon and get a copy of this one for my permanent library.
